Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

took a p ra gm a tic approach to Tea m USA's d reary d ay in Brazil. "I was totally stoked with our guys," said Pay ton over the screams of the hundreds of spectators that lined the American p it area. "I don't care w hat anybody says, they should have won this thing it was theirs. I think Bartolini rode really well and I think Ricky was the fastest 125 guy, and I think Windham was as fast, if not faster, than Everts, It was just circumstances that it didn't work out well. Ricky h a d proble ms with the smashed pipe in the first mota an d we thought that would be ou r throwaway moto. Then in the second mota, he gets a fifth overall s tart and the nex t 125cc was a bo u t in 15th, but it just did n't work out. I'm not bummed on any of them, it was just bad racing luck. In fact, I think it was that damn number 13 on Ca rmichael's b ike ." (Carmichael raced wi th the nu mber 13 in Brazi l.) Rounding ou t the top 10 at the 1999 running of the Mot ocr oss d es Na tio ns were James Dobb, Paul Mali n and Rob Herring of G rea t Britain (51 p o int s ); Rem y Van Ree s, Leo n Giesbe rs a n d Willie Va n Wessel of H oll a n d (52 po ints); Antonio Paricio, [osep Alonso and Fra ncisco Garcia of Spa in (6 1 points); Troy Damn, And rew Mac Farlane an d Michael Byrne of Australia (64 points); [ochen Jasinski, Pit Beire r and the team's hopes for a 15th Motocross des Nations title. In the first mota, it was a bad ly damaged exhaust pipe which , sent RC off to the side of the track for an on-the-fly repair. Then in the second mota, and after a magnificent start, he (Above) Kevin and his SplitFire/Pro Circuit Kawasaki Windham chased hit the ground in the track's back secdown Stefan Everts tion, just two turns into the race . In t heir fi rs t 2SOcc " I guess there's not much to say mot a but couldn't other than if we don't win, obviously make the pass. I'm the reason why," said a severely Windham wen t 2-6. dejected Carmichael following the (Right) Riding a 125cc/ 250cc mo ta . "It was just bad luck . 2S0cc Honda In the I mean [ would have rather had someSOOcc class, Mike thing like thi s happen at a ational than laRocco pushed at this place. [ don't know what to say to hard and turned In a everyone. It was so dusty that [ couldn't pair of solid see anything and ran into the side of the finishes, but there track. I was so anxious to do well. [ wa s wasn't much he running in front of a bunch of 250s and could do abou t th e was right where [ needed to be. I don't speedy Itali ans. mind cra s h ing becau se [ kn ow [ can catch back up, that's not a problem. But, man , was I bummed when I loo ke d down and saw no throttle cable." Recent 250cc Ll.S. GP winner Kevin Windham, considered by many to be the fastest rider in Brazil, had a bittersweet afternoon in South America. After chasing down Everts in the final laps of the 125cc/ 250cc mota, just missing him at changes, featureless. It was not popular the finish, Windham was caught up in with the American riders. "I'd like to see better track preparaan early-race incid ent in the final 250cc/ Open rna to , which sent him back tion," he said. "There's a big concern of towar d the tail end of the field . mine that [ think there is a litt le favoritism shown to the other teams "Well, it's obviously not what [ wanted ," said the despondent Team Honda here. You know, we 're not on top anyrider. "All of us came over here and more, so [ don't think there should be gave it our best and we all wanted to people trying to keep us from being on win . We all put in good rides, but I top. We've lost this thing the past couthink our biggest problem was that the pIe yea rs, and I felt that (favoritism ) today and it depressed me a little bit. tra ck was o ne li ne and it just d idn' t wo rk for us. A lot of the inside corners But I had a good time an d it is a great only had one line and a guy would go honor to re pres ent the United States d own an d ther e was rea lly noth ing yo u regard less of the ou tcome. I think next cou ld do - that's what happe ned to me yea r will be a little bit better and hopeand that's what ha ppened to Ricky. And fu lly we'll have a bet ter track as well. The track wasn't that bad , I can' t dump Mike (La lcocco), he was the bac kbo ne of the team. He' s the only one that reall o n th e tr a ck it 'wa s ·u.§.!.. the w a y th e hel us logetner, and it's quit obvious org aniz ers pre ared it." A te r o ne o f hi s typica l charges iliat 'IN ' re all p retty depressed ere." Also, Windh a wasn ' t s it abou t th ough the f eld ft er a n ea rly-race voic mg his dis Ie su re w ith the mU ';!.E:!ioo-r-.!t~um b l e in th op e n ing 125cc / Open hg ned Ind aia tubu track. O jie lin ed , m to, Mike co placed anim pressimple, and, wi th the exce ptio of few sive fifth over II, , hich kept the Yant let I' jumps a n d mirr or Ie a ti o n kees in the h unt, LaR occo th en ca me a back from a bad start in the final 250cc/ Bernd Eckenbach of Germany (66 Open class to pla ce sixth, which was just points); and Shinichi Kaga, Yoshitaka two positions shy of placing Team USA Atsuta and Takeshi Koikeda of Japan on the podium. (70 points). " It was not the day that any of us wanted to have," said LaRocco while MOTOONE cooling down following the final mota. "I know we all went out there to do what we .had to d o, but it jus t wasn't our day. Anybody that had to start on the outside was at a p retty big disad vantage, and it was tough getting a good start against the 500s." (Note: Each team is allowed to lin e one rider Ill' on the inside, while the other is relegated to a fart her ou tside position . Team USA u tilized a strategy of p lacing Carmichael and his 125 on the insi de.) "I just did what I had to do but it d id n' t wo rk ou t lor u s. ' D pite all the misfortune an d disa • p,oin tment ex perience d by Team USA:, itc Pa yt on , w ho worked toge her i ea rn Kawa saki' s Bru ce tj e rn t r m and Team Honda' s Mik ,f;;~ "''''ooj·~~ o" I.:iar t help manage the Am eri n effort,

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