Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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Round 3: Edison International Field second lap and then by Fonseca on the sixth lap. Buck elew go back b\ Langstop several laps later but couldn', reel in Fonseca durmg th.: final laps. Still, Buckelew owns the series points lead going mto round four in Phoenix. "We're all excited at Yamaha of Troy; we're one and two in points: and on fire right now," Buckelew said. "It's cool to be in the points lead, and I want to give Ernie another run next week. Phoenix is as much of a hometown race for me as I'll ever have. so I want to do good." Langston nearly had the night of his dreams. In only his third Supercross ever, the 18-year-old 125cc World Champion from South Africa finished a strong third in his heat and then led the final for several laps before yielding to the Fonseca-Buckelew freight train. In the end, he was happy with third, but he learned several things too, and that just may be what the doctor ordered. "I've always dreamed of racing Supercross since I was a little boy, and I still dream of winning one, too," Langston said. "There's not many riders besides [Jean-Michel] Bayle that have been able to win both forms of motocross on either side of the Atlantic, and I want to do that, too. I don't want to just be known as an outdoor motocross rider, so I've been working real hard on Supercross. "When I was leading I just went blank," Langston added. "I didn't get tired, I just was thinking weird things like, 'Should I be here?' Something just kind of went wrong, and maybe I was nervous, but I got mentally tired. When they passed me I just thought, 'Okay, you're not going to win this, so just stay on the podium.' I'm still happy with my finish, but I dearly still want to win a Supercross." Plano Honda/MSR's Jiri Dostal appears to be repeating his strong 2000 Supercross season, as he finished just off the podium in fourth. Dostal started the main in seventh, and he worked his way up through the pack quite well. Team Suzuki Rodrig Thain finished fifth. The Frenchman's consistent finishes now have him tied with teammate Danny Smith for third in points and not too far out of second. Motoworldracing.com/Answer Yamaha's Keith Johnson crossed the finish line in sixth for one of his better SX rides, while Red Bull KTM's David Pingree finished seventh. 10 JANUARY 31,2001 • C U a (Left! Talk !lbout a steep learning curve: South Afrlcan Grant Langston _nt from 19th at round one to thin! at round th.... He'. stili not content. 1AboVe) C~ sitting In the 12lk:c points . . . Is consistent Justin Buckel_, who started well again at Anaheim II and finished second. (Alght) Jlrl Dostal just mlaeed out on the podium, tumlng In a strong rlde to place fourth. Last year's champ Shae Bentley finished eighth on his Pro Circut/Splitfire Kawasaki, saying, "I'm only four points out of third; I'm not worried." Ninth went to Plano Honda's Ivan Tedesco, and his New Mexico neighbor Ryan Clark rounded out the top 10 aboard his Santa Fe Motorsports Yamaha. 13UALIFYING Pro Caliber's Jason McCormick scored a win in the first heat race of the night over KTM teammates David Pingree and Langston. Motoworld's Yamaha Greg Schnell was fourth with Husqvarna. Travis Preston and Plano Honda's Ivan Tedesco finishing sixth and seventh. Team Suzuki's Danny Smith made a last-lap pass on teammate Thain and Mach 1's Daniel Blair. Heat two saw Buckelew nail the start with Bentley and FMF's Mathieu Lalloz giving chase. Fonseca was in fourth but stalled in the whoops at the end of the first lap, losing many positions. Buckelew and Bentley took the toptwo honors, while Planet Honda's Tyler Evans, Dostal, Clark, MSR's Robbie Skaggs, Motoworld's Keith Johnson, Erick Vallejo and FMF's Stephan Demartis took the other seven qualifying positions. Fonseca charged for the remainder of the race but came up a little short and finished 11th. In the LCQ, Fonseca took an easy win over Fast by Ferraci Husqvarna's Bryan McGavran and Motoworld's Kevin Johnson, who is Keith Johnson's younger brother. Oregon's Tiger Lacey held off a last-turn block pass by SplitFire's Andrew Short to •• n • _ • take the final transfer of the night on his Bill's Pipes Suzuki. MAIN Buckelew grabbed his third mainevent holeshot of the year and pocketed another $500 from SFX, while Schnell, Langston and Fonseca filed in behind him. "I don't want to keep talking about the holeshots and jinx myself on them, but I've concentrated on starts my entire life and it's paying off," Buckelew said. Buckelew led for two laps before Langston passed him just after a long whoop section. Buckelew pressured Langston, who was now leading a Supercross main for the first time. But Fonseca was closing in. Langston led until lap five, when Fonseca shot by both of the riders for the lead. Buckelew saw his opportunity and passed Langston several corners later for second. Regular front-runners Smith and Schnell were both out of contention, Smith with a broken clutch lever and Schnell with a smashed pipe, but this was nothing but good news for the YoT boys. Fonseca pulled away from Buckelew throughout the final laps and extended his margin to nine seconds at the checkers. Langston crossed the finish line in third, ahead of Dostal, Thain and Johnson. "'This bike is great, but tough," Fonseca said. "My teammate keeps getting all the starts. I can't get a start on that thing for some reason. I really need to work on that." _ ---- ~ 1a18. ,. pal FiDI . . . . . . CaIIfWlIIa IIeAIb: ....., ZI, ZGl1 125 HEAT 1 (6 laps, 1-9 transler): I. Jason McCorrruck (Suz): 2. David Pingree (KTM); 3. Grant Longston (KTM); 4. Greg Schnell (Vam); 5. Travis Preston (Hus); 6. Ivan Tedesco (Hon); 7. Danny Smith (Suz): 8. Rodrig Thain (SUI): 9. Daniel Blair (Hon); 10. Danny Carlson (SUI); 11. Andy Harrigton (Vam): 12. Ty Lacey (Suz): 13. Harold Hageman (Suz); 14. Kevin Johnson (Vom): 15. Matt Karlsen (Vom); 16. Ronnie Clark (Kaw); 17. David Ramsey (Vom); 18. Benjamin Coisy (Vom): 19. Mike Corder (Kaw): 20. Casey Lytle (Kaw). Time: 6:00.070 125 Heat 2 (6 lops, 1·9 transfer): 1. Justin Buckelew (Vam): 2. Shoe Bentley (Kaw): 3. Tyler Evans (Hon); 4. Jlrl Dostal (Hon); 5. Ryan Clark (Yam); 6. Robbie Ska9gS (SUI); 7. Keith Johnson (Vam); 8. Erick Vallejo (Kaw); 9. Stephan Demortis (Yam); 10. Jeremy Chaussee (Hon); 11. E.rnesto Fonseca (Yam): 12. Seen Hamblin (Hen); 13. Doug Parsons (Yam); 14. Andrew Short (Kew); 15.010 Tedesco (Hon): 16. Andreu Labrador (Vam); 17. Bryan McGavran (Hus): 18. Mathieu Lalloz (Yam); 19. Rene Tercero Reyes (Yam); 20. Brandon Morgan (Vam). Time: 5:55.45 125 lCQ (4 laps, 1~4 transfer): 1. Ernesto Fonseca (Vern); 2. Bryan McGavran (Hus); 3. Kevin Johnson (Vam): 4. Ty Lacey (Suz): 5. Andrew Short (Kaw): 6. Jeremy Chaussee (Vom): 7. Doug Parsons (Vam); 8. Gio Tedesco (Hon); 9. Brandon Morgan (Vam): 10. Andreu Labrador (Vam); 11. Rene Tercero Reyes (Yam); 12. Ronnie Clark (Kaw); 13. Harold Hageman (Suz); 14. Andy Horrongron (Vaml: 15. Matt Karlsen (Yam); 16. Benjamin Coisy {Yam: 17. David Ramsey (Yam): 18. Sean Hamblin (Hon); 19. Danny Carlson (Suz): 20. Mathieu LaIlOI (Vam): 21. Mike Corder (Kaw): 22. Casey Lytle (Kaw). Time: 3:59.920 125 Main (15 laps): 1. Emesto Fonseca iYam); 2. Justin Buckelew (Yam): 3. Grant Langston KTM); 4. Jio Dostal (Hon): 5. Rodog Thain (Suz): 6. Keith Johnson (Vam): 7. David Pingree (KTM); 8. Shae Bentley (Kaw); 9. Iven Tedesco (Hon); 10. Ryen Clark (Vam); 11. Travis Preston (Hus); 12. Ty Lacey (Sut); 13. Erick Vallejo (Kaw); 14. DllIniel Blair (Hon): 15. Danny Smith ($uz); 16. Kevin Johnson (Yam): 17. Tyler Evans (Hon); 18. Robbie Skaggs (Sur.); 19. Bryan McGavTan (Hus); 20. Jason McCormick (Suz): 21. Stephan Demartis (Vam); 22. Greg Schnell (Vam). TIme: 14 min., 54.250 sec. Winner's Average Lap: 59.6]6 sec. Margin of Victory: 9.001 sec. AMAlEA SPORTS 125« WESTERN REGIONAL S(lPERCROSS SERIES POINT STANDINGS (Alter 3 01 8 rounds): 1. Justin Buckelew (67/1 win); 2. Ernesto Fonseca (58/2 wins): 3. (TIE) Donny Smlth/Rod,lg Thain (SO); 5. David Pingree (47): 6. Shae Bentley (46); 7. Jirl Dostal (44); 8. Ivan Tedesco (39); 9. Grant Longston (35); 10. Tyler Evans (31); 11. Cosey Lytle (24); 12. Keith Johnson (22); 13. Ty Lacey (18): 14. (TIE) Jason McCormicklRyan Clark (J6): 16. Travi. Preston (14); 17. (TIE) Kevin Johnson/Andrew Short (11): 19. (TIE) Greg Schnell/Andy Harrington (10). Upcoming Rounds: Round 4 _Phoenix, Arizona, January 27 Round 5· Anaheim, California, February 3