Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMAlEA Sports Supercross Series Round 3: Edison International Field This one _s a ll'IIil-biter, .len!lny McGrath 11) winning a Supercross main is nothing new, but Ricky Carmichael (4) kept him honest.. McGrath called Anaheim II the nbest race in five years. n his stadium skills to a whole new level - one that is dangerously close to that of McGrath. Evidently, the champ is a quick leamer, however: At Anaheim II, he accepted the new order of things and played by Carmichael's rules, fielding the 250cc National Motocross Champion's repeated and dogged attacks and still finishing the night on the top rung of the podium. Different means, same end. "That was the best race in five years, I think," McGrath said. "It didn't seem like there was a lot of passing. Last week's race, as far as passing, was good, but I don't know if I've ever went 20 laps like that. That was close racing." "Last weekend was better, just because I came out on the good end of the stick," said a slightly dejected Carmichael. With McGrath and Carmichael pushing one another to riding levels heretofore unwitnessed, the rest of the pack was left far behind. First among the followers was Kevin Wind· ham, turning in his best ride of the season and notching a podium finish. The Team Suzuki rider spent some time in Florida in the days before Anaheim II, working on mental prepa- By CHRIS JONNUM PHOTOS BY STEVE BRUHN ANAHEIM, CA, JAN. 20 t was mere hours after the country had made the official transfer of / power from one long-ruling leader to another, but the Supercross Commander in Chief showed that despite having been beaten a week earlier by young challenger Ricky Carmichael, he is not yet ready to concede his supremacy. Defending AMA/EA Sports Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath won the second of three Anaheim rounds impressively, but just like another battle that's been getting some press of late, this one was a squeaker, coming only after a race-long tussle with the Chevy Trucks Kawasaki rider, and even then only by the scantiest of margins - less than a thousandth of a second, according to the official AMA timing. McGrath called the previous week's loss in San Diego "a learning experience," as Carmichael had put the Mazda Yamaha rider in an unfamiliar defensive position. McGrath is accus· tomed to streaking away in the first few laps, then cruising comfortably at the front in the late going, but Carmichael made it clear that he has stepped up 6 JANUARY 31,2001 • cue I • n e vv s ration, and it seemed to help. As for Mike LaRocco, well, he was Mike LaRocco, which is to say that the Amsoil/Dr. Martens/Journeys/Competition Accessories rider completed the first lap in 14th place and the last lap in fourth - a typical night's work for the quiet Hoosier. Completing the top five was Team Yamaha's Timmy Ferry, who appears to be picking up some major speed lately on his big YZ426F thumper. We're less than a fifth of the way into the season, but already the title chase is starting to take shape, and what it's shaping into is something that hardly anyone dared hope for. That something is great racing, which we've gotten at the last two rounds, with McGrath and Carmichael doing the honors both times. Though Anaheim II went down to the last lap, it might have been even more of a barnburner had the track offered more passing lines. "There was never really anywhere for a good, clean pass," Carmichael said. "I could have been a jerk, and did some off-the-wall things - punted him into next week - but 1 want to beat him fair and square." Despite being knocked unconscious during the previous week's main event at San Diego, Travis Pastrana showed up at Anaheim Il chipper and confident, replying "As good as it's ever been!" when asked how his head was. The statement turned out to be less than accurate, however, as Pastrana experienced dizziness and felt light-headed while racing in the 250cc main. After climbing from seventh to fourth in less than seven laps, Pastrana pulled off the track. "It's just kind of a reoccurring thing from last week," said Pastrana's father, Robert. "So we'll come back for the 125s. He just got light-headed and pulled off. He didn't hit anything. The exertion will bring it back if it's too soon. They really felt before the race that with a 30-second knockout, he'd be okay in a week. He'd been okay Thursday and Friday, so everybody figured he'd be fine. He was real surprised."

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