Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Supercross [J our-time Wor ld Motocross Champion Stefan Everts, who was originally sched uled to compete at the Rose Bowl but withdrew his entry a few weeks before the race, was at least a spec tator for the race. The friendly Belgian blamed a sore back for his decision not to ride. "I was havin g problems with my back already at Budds Creek [Septemb er), that's whe n it started ," Everts sa id. "Sep tember was the month for my comeb ack after my [knee] injury . [Everts injured his knee back in March, pri or to the opening round of the '99 250cc GP season.l My back was completely out of balance because of my knee. I was using my good leg too much , and one side of my back mu scles got so str ong that the other side was too weak, and everything just got out of balance. I decided to quit racing for [the rest of] this vear . It's now a lot better." Everts managed to combine the Ll .S. World Supercross round with a short vacat ion . "This month I was taking off, having a holiday.enjoying life a little bit," Everts said . "And wh en I get back home, I will start tra ining . Once a yea r, J come out here and go visit my friend s and sponsors for a wee k, so metimes two weeks. But this tim e I don't have so m uch time. because 1 hav e to test the new b ike. It' s worked out really great to come her e and the race and show my face. I'm flying hom e tonight." It is already comm on knowledge that Everts has left Honda for Husqvarna for the 2000 season. Everts is also swi tching to the 500cc clas s an d will ride a four-stroke- powered Husky. "I'm really hap py wi th my change," Everts said. "I've been looking at going to the 500cc class for many years . I was planning on doing one more year in the 250cc class, then go up to the 5005, but the circu mstances were so different that I had to make the choice [to move to the SIlOcc class for 2000J. I'm happy, the factory is behi nd me, bu t what's really importa nt is that I have L&M [and] Radson, and wer e going to have Red Bull on the team, so we have the main sponsors who were behind us in the past that are going to follow us, and that's ab o an important thing for me." Everts said that the transition from a 250cc two-stroke to a Open-class four-stroke should not be too diffi- 5"'" cult. "I wen t to test the bike in August, just ride it, and I did maybe six or seven laps, and 1said , 'Okay, I know enough: I go t used to it, like, in one lap. I have a very good feeling to adjust myself to a bike; it should n' t be a prob lem, not at all." And what are the chances of Everts competing more in the United States in the future? "Hopefully, [ can continue doln? some more [races] here in the States. I hope to come back one year and ride som e mor e Nationals wit\) Husky, p robab ly not next-year, but I hope the yea r after." 8! -~ Cii E .c CD u CD C 14 imp ressive second place after getting off to a se ven th-p lace s tart. Despi te going down late in the race, Pingree held on to finish third ahead of Suzuki rider Tyler Evans, wh o had earlier in the day wo n the second 12Scc heat race. Fifth place went to FMF /Honda ' s Dann y Smith, foll o w ed b y H ond amounted Isaiah Johnson, SplitFire /Pro C ircuit /Kawasaki ' s Nick Weyand Suzuki rid er Travis Preston . '11's [the win ] so exciting," said a very happy Pastrana from the Suzuki pits. "I go t a great start - top five - and got a couple of breaks in the first cou ple of cor ners. I was second to Pingree, who was ridin g a really, really smart race, staying consisten t, and I was using up the wh ole track, kind of going all over the place-. "I made quite a few [mistakes ] in a row when I was following Pingree pretty close ," Pas trana said of the one bad lap. "The first couple of laps, I just kind of settled in, then ] sta rted losing a little bit of gro und . After I realized , 'He y, ] really need to pick this up : I caught up to him . Right befor e I passed him [Pingree], I made a cou ple of mistakes an d saw Ernesto coming up and sa id, 'I can' t .sit here anym ore, I need to make something hap pen.' It was rea lly hard for me to get out of the groove ] was rid ing in. Whenever I tried to go a little faster, I'd hit stu ff differentl y. I hit a couple of hay ba les and ran off the track a cou p le of tim es, but it all came ou t in th e end . ] am jus t so hap py: ' "I've go t to work on my starts: ' Fonseca said. "I mad e a mistake on the last lap, wh ich knocked the wind out of me:' Pin gr ee was righ tfully pleased with his third-place rid e. "It started off grea t," Pingree said . "1 had a couple of mista kes there towards th e m iddle. ] w as ac tu a lly sta rting to break away from Travis, and there was this little step-up jump that I missed two laps in a row, and that wa s it, he closed right up on me. I lost a lot of time. "The n once w e s ta rte d battling , it was hard to ride my own line," Pingre e added. "Once he [Fon seca] go t in th e • mix it was eve n more ti gh t ra cin g . It was a fu n rac e, it wa s good . It did n't come ou t quite the way ] w ant ed , but I kn ow I've go t th e spe ed - ge t rid of a few mistakes and I'll be read y. "Th e trac k was actua lly reall y fun : ' Pi ngre e a d d ed . " It was on e of the 1 funnest tracks I'v e ridd en in a long time. We u sed thi s race as a test o f h ow bikes are, and we ' re w ay ahead of the eN gam e." Rose Bow l Pasadena, Ca liforn ia Results: November 20, 1999 (Ro un d 2 of 3) 250 H EAT 1 (1-4 transf er to m ain); 1. Ezra Lus k (He n), 2. Da vid Vuillc min (Yam); 3. Jeremy McGra th (Yam) ; 4. Jeff Em ig (Yam); 5. Sebastien Tortc lli (Ha n); 6. Dam on Huffman (Suz); 7. Rya n H ug hes (Ha n); 8. Larry Ward (Kaw): 9. Mike Lagocco (H on ): 10. Iean -Seba stic n Roy (Ho n): 11. Brock Sellards IHo n ): 12 Mick.acl Picho n (Suz): 13. N icol as C ha rlie r (Kaw ): 14. Pierrick Paget (Hon): 15. Lance Sma il (Suz): 16. Takeshi Kcikeda (Yam); 17. Billy Binckle y (Yam); 18. Mathi eu Lallo z (Yam) . 250 SEMI (1·14 transfer to main); 1. Lar ry Wa rd (Kaw): 2. Brock Sellards (Hon) : 3. Mike laRocco (Han); 4. M ick a e l Pich o n (Su z) : 5. Rya n H ugh es (Han) ; 6. Sebas tien Tort e lli (Hen) : 7. Damon H uf fma n (Suz): 8. Pierrick Page t (Han); 9. Ican -Sebostien Roy (Hon): 10. Ma thieu Lalloz (Yam) ; 1,1. Ta keshi Koiked a (Yam) : 12. Lance Smail (Suz): 13. N icolas Cha rlier (Kaw): 14. Billy Binckl ey (Ya m ). 2SO MAIN (20 lap s, 18 ri ders): 1. Ezra Lusk (Hen): 2. Larry Ward (Kaw): 3. Jerem y McG ra th (Ya m ); 4. David Vuillemin (Ya m); 5. Jeff Emi g (Ya m): 6. Ryan Hughes (Hon ): 7. Mike La Rocco (H on): 8. Sebastien Tortel li (He n): 9. Mickeel Pichon (Suz ): 10. Damon Huffma n (Suz); 11. Bro ck Se lla rds (He n): 12. [ca nSeba sti en Roy Il-ion): 13. Mathieu Lall oz (Ya m); 14. Ta kes hi Koikeda (Ya m); 15. Billy Binckley (Yam ); 16. Pie rrick Page t (He n): 17. Nico las C ha rlier (Ka w ): 18. Lan ce Smai l (5uz) . FIM S UPER CROSS WOLD C H AM P IO N S H IP SERIES POI NT STAND ING S (Af te r 2 of 3 rounds); 1. David Vuille min (33/1 win): 2. Jeff Emig (26); 3. Mickael Pichon (24); 4. Ezra Lusk (20/1); 5. Sebas tien Tor tcll i (19); 6. Larry Ward (17); 7. Jere m y McGrath (15);8. Steve Lamson (13); 9 . Ma th ieu La lloz (12) ; 10. (T IE) Ryan H ughes /Th ierry Bcth ya / Iea n-Sebasti e n Roy (0); 13. Mike laRocco (9); 14. Antho ny Iosselln (8); 15. Nicolas Cha rlier (7); 16. Da mon H uffman (6); 17. (TIE) Broc k Setlarda /Serge Gui detty (5); 19. Pierri ck Paget (4); 20. Jerom e Hcmery (3); 21. (TIE) Tak esh i Kci ked a /Xavier Fabre (2); 23. (TIE) Billy Binkley / Fed eric Yialle (1). 125 HEAT 1 (1-6 tra nsf er to main); 1. David Pingre e (Suz); 2. Tra vis Pastran a (Suz ); 3. Nic k Wey (Kaw) , 4. Ernesto Fonseca (Yam); 5. Ma tt Walker (Hen): 6. Ryan Clark (Suz); 7. Tallo n Vohland ( Kaw) : 8. Doug Parsons (Suz ); 9. Ronn ie Clark; 10. Jaso n Dubin; 11. Dax Kaston. 125 HEAT 2 (1-6 tra nsfer to main); 1. Tyler Evans (Suz) : 2. Isaia h Johnso n (Ha n); 3. Danny smith (Ho n): 4. Christop he r Cosselaa r (Han); S. Donald Upto n {Ha n}; 6. Keith Jo hn son (Ka w ): 7. Cas ey Lyt le (He n): 8. Se mel Blair ; 9. Jas on McCormick (Ho n): 10. Robbie Skaggs (Hus): 11. Travis Pres ton (Suz). ·Brieflv...'. ,- . . . 'Team Kawasaki's Rick Ca rmichael had surgery during the week prior to the Rose Bowl S upe rcros s to have a plate atta ched to his broken colla rbone . Carmichael, who was sched uled to race the U.S. round.of the World S upercrosi Serie s. broke the collarbone 'at the Bercy S upercros s "in Paris. France. the previous weekend. According 't o Kawa sa ki 't e a m mange r Bruce .S tJemstrom. \he s urgery went well and Carmichaelshould J eff Emig ran a s high as s eco nd be fo re s lippi ng back to fifth, whe re he finis he d. With one rou nd left in the series, Emlg is o n ly seven po ints be h ind Vuillemin in the title chase. Because of zo n ing re quire me nts, the Pasadena race was held during daylig ht hours. 125 LCQ (1-4 transfer to main): 1. jason McCormick (Ha n); 2. Tallon Voh land (Kaw ): 3. Casey Lyt ic (Hen ): 4. Trav is Pres ton ISuz) : 5. Robb ie Skaggs (H us): 6. Sa niel Blair; 7. Doug Parson s (Suz); 8. Dax Kastri n; 9. Ronnie Cla rk; 10. Jaso n Dubin. 125 MAIN (16 ri de rs, 16 laps); 1. Tra vis Pas tra na (Suz) ; 2 Em esto Fonseca (Yam); 3. David Pingree (Suz) : 4. Tyler Evans (Suz): 5. Danny Smith (Hen): 6. Isaiah johnso n (Han); 7. Nick Wey (Kaw): 8. Trav is Pres ton (Suz); 9 . C h risto pher Gosse laa r (H a n); 10. Do na ld Up to n (Ho n) ; 11 . Ke ith John so n (Kaw): 12. Tallo n Vobland (Kaw): 13. Rya n Cla rk (Suz) ; 14. Casey Lytle (Ha n); 15. Jason McCormick (Ho n): 16. Ma tt Wa lker (Ha n). Upcom ing Round: Round 3 - Lepzig, German y, November 27 like mos t of the Arnencan riders who competed at the Rose Bo~I , Team Honda ' s Ezra. Lusk us ed the event as a "test.rac e " for thei r new Honda ' CR2S0s' for the upcoming AMAlEA S ports Su percross Series and outdoo r Nat ionals . "We '(e just putting as ' much time on the new bike as' we can. " Lus k sa id following hlsmam-event win. "The 2000 ll-londa CR250J is new from thegmund up. and we feel ·like we havea winner . this time , The pe rime te r frame when it fi rst ca me out waspretty tough. a ' little hard to ha ndle , a nd'we' think we .split ·a good diffe re nce bet we en ' that and the norma l '96 bike . Hopefully. it' s going to prove that Honda can ge t back on top. We just got to have the rider focused and be as be . 100·perce nt healed for the ope ning round of th e AMAlEA Sp orts I' Supe rc ros s Se ries in Anaheim" California. Ja~ua ry 8. . . . . More no"s ho w s : S teve Lamson was sc hed uled to co mpete at the Rose Bowl. but -the two-time 125cc .National MX Champion .reportedly suffered a broken a nkle.while racing at the Elsinore Grand Prix the previous week. Chaperrel/Yamaha'sTim Fe rrywas 'also sidelined with injuries following .a mishap while .practicing nea r his home In Florida . Ferry still made an appearance .h anging out with fans and signing autographs:. Speaking of Team Kawasaki. LarrY Ward was making his deb ut as a fact ory Kawasa ki ride r, '"1 was a little ne rvous the .first pract ice ' a nd pumped up a little," Ward sa id ofh is day'. "I won the semi a nd ca me out in the main real good. I felt comfortable on the bike . Emig and Vuillemin . got by me on the start. but' I passed both of them guys back.'and they've bee n 'riding well - VuiHemin won the first World Su percross round. Emig . won the U.S . Open. I rode good for my first race on the Kawasaki.. . . . . . .' . .' stro f!9 as _pos~ibte. .. . . . Not only did Ezra Lusk set the fastest q~alityi ~g Ii";e. win the first heat . race and the main event. but he also nabbed 'the holeshot in the .feature. For nailing the hole shot. Lus k 'was' awarde d a very coo l Schwinn 4 Banger mountain bike · ironic, s ince he' s 'sponsored 'by Specialized. It ce rtainly was a ve ry· good day for Lus k. "After Paris last wee k lwhere . Lusk finished fourth], I was .a little disappointed.." Lus k said.' "I wanted to .' . '!o me.back to redeem myself." Team Honda's Kevin Windham was a no-showet the Rose Bowl. With a full schedule of tes ting on his plate following the ,Th,mksgiving holiday. Windham decided to stay home in Louisiana and spend lime with his farniIybefore heading out to Calif ornia in ea rlY Dec embe r. ... . The SplitFire/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki t eam w~s working out of a single box van at P asadena. Acc'o rding to tea m' manager Mitch Payton. their tractc r-trallerwas being modif ied for new cabinets and was unavailable for race. t~~t'h~'s . the race . Two 'of the team's four ride rs competed In the 125cc class. Nick eve r ridden. 16'year-old Travis Pastrana seyshe .still has a.lottowork ' Wey finished seve nth and Tallon Vohland 12th.' . Despit e wi nning the, first .prof~~sional 1 25c~ s~p~rcross on. "I,have a lotto work on for. next year, but I think this is a grea t start to .win against guys like Emesto £ FonsecaJ: the Team Suzuki rider said. "My" bike is great. I feel,like I'm fn the' besi shape of my life. but I still need to .. .get up a little bit [on the bikeJ.' I've got to work on'kee ping my head up like ' McGrath. who.is the best at it. Ju st ke e p your head in front .of the' crossbar pads . that way you always have control. I'm all over the place. I feli like ' Idid every lap pretty strong. wasn '; too winded at the end of the' moto." . Ryan Hughes was runn ing some.extra hardwa re on his Honda C R250 for much of the day.. Honda has bee n experimenting with so me data acq uisition equ ipmen t' lately, and they use d Ryno as a guinea pig in . Pasadena. The most visible of the parts ' was a rod mounted to the right front fork (the number plate had a bulge ' to accommodate ill. but 'for a whIle. Hughes was also carryIng equipment In a back-mounted drrnking syste m: and he had wire duct-taped to hiS leg. . .. . '.

• Cover