Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

trana experiencing dizziness and pulling off the track near the start area (see sidebar), and Lusk going down hard in a jump section. "I just spun [on the take-off], came up short, and took a trip over the bars," said Lusk, who scraped up his arm in the fall. The misfortune of Lusk and Pastrana left Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's Stephane Roncada a distant third on lap eight, with Windham climbing from an early ninth to sit fourth. LaRocco was also on the move, following fifth-placed Ferry of Team Yamaha. Sure enough, LaRocco passed Ferry in the whoops for fifth on lap II, then picked up another spot when Roncada went down on the next circuit. "( was actually surprised I was able to salvage as much as I was," LaRocco said. "This track was easy, and it was pretty one-lined. It was tough to pass." Ricky Cannlchael (4) used this maneuver to squirt by holeshot-puller .Jeremy McGrath (behind CannlchaeQ and into the lead after tum one In the main. Ezra Lusk (11) and Mike LaRocco (5) follow. Points are already starting to mean something, as the two rivals are beginning to put a bit of a cushion on the field. But with any luck, the three-point margin between first and second won't grow significantly. "It's going to be a long 16 races," McGrath predicted. "I know that RC's definitely in shape, and he's riding Supercross better than he's ever ridden. I've been working hard, too, so I think that it's finally going to be a good battle the whole season. That was just a sign of what's to come the rest of the year." The overall title may be far from decided, but there's now only one rider who has a chance at the $500,000 Vans Triple Crown award. Anaheim II marked the first race counting toward that prize (Irving, Texas, and Las Vegas, Nevada, are the other two), so McGrath - a Vanssponsored rider - finally has a shot at that money. "Last year I kind of shot myself in the foot at the first round, and didn't win it," McGrath said. "Maybe things will come together and I can win that money. That's as big as the whole championship, there." MAIN It was McGrath's Skip Norfolktuned YZ250 that got to the turn-one left-hander first, but it was Carmichael's Chad Watts-tuned KX250 that squeezed to the inside and squirted over the step-up jump at the turn's exit, leaping into the second turn with the lead. Team Yamaha's David Vuillemin also got by McGrath for second, with Team Honda's Ezra Lusk fourth, Fast by Ferracci Husqvarna's Steve Lamson fifth, Planet Honda's Mike Craig sixth and Team Suzuki's Travis Pastrana seventh. Struggling near the back were Team Honda's Sebastien Tortelli and Team Yamaha's Ferry. LaRocco was also in his customary early position well back, though he had gotten a good jump out of the gate. "First of all, I had a good start," LaRocco said. "Then McGrath hopped up that step-up in front of me, and I had to brake, and I ended up killing the thing by grabbing too much brake. I went from like fourth to last in a matter of the first turn. I don't know if I'm just shocked to be up there and I panic, or what." McGrath accelerated by Vuillemin for second on the long straight to begin lap two, ·and Lusk zapped the Frenchman soon after in the whoops. Vuillemin would struggle even more a few laps later when he fell in the final turn. "Nothing is good," Vuillemin said. "Every time it seems like I'm improving my riding, I crash, like at San Diego, and here, too." Going under the bridge before the whoops on lap four, Carmichael got a little sideways, and McGrath closed in. The indoor champ pulled up alongside of the outdoor champ over the finish-line double, then did an outside-inside move in the following turn to make the pass stick. Knowing from the previous week that he was capable of passing McGrath, Carmichael pressed him hard throughout the fifth lap, actually pulling up next to the Yamaha on a couple of occasions, but McGrath repelled the attempts and put a very slight cushion on the diminutive Floridian. In the race for the lead, Carmichael appeared to be biding his time and waiting to make his move, learning from McGrath all the while as he followed closely behind the champ. By the 13th lap, the two had put 19 seconds on Windham, and the crowd's attention rarely left the leading duo. The two were already putting distance on third-placed Lusk at the one-quarter mark of the 20-1apper, by which point Pastrana had also moved up to fourth. Both riders ran into trouble nearly simultaneously a couple of laps later, however, Pas- For the second week in a row, Mazda Yamaha's Jeremy McGrath and Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's Ricky Carmichael won their respective heat races, giving the crowd a hint of the showdown to come in the main event. In San Diego, it was Carmichael turning in the faster time and then going on to wjn the !]'lain event, whereas McGrath's heat win was five seconds quicker at Anaheim II, where he also went on Win the main. McGrath led start to finish in heat one, though Team Suzuki's Kevin Windham kept him honest throughout. Windham had to overtake early second-place rider Steve Lamson of Fast by FelTacci Husqvama. Lamson also fell victim to Windham's teammate Travis Pastrana (who finished a distant third), and just barely held off the booming four-stroke of Yamaha of Troy rider Nathan Ramsey to take the heat's final direct transfer spot. "Last week I was beating myself up the whole week," McGrat\1 said. "The track's really fast tonight, and there's not a lot of lines to pass. 1think the start is really, really crucial. As you can see, it's a really fast pace. I think it's going to be a fast 20 laps, and it's going to be tight." Team Yamaha's David Vuillemin snared yet another holeshot in heat two, but again slipped back, being zapped by Carmichael on lap three, Team Honda's Ezra Lusk on lap four and his own teammate Timmy Ferry on lap seven. Carmichael had aiso had to overtake fast-starter Donald Upton On lap one, and he combined both midair passes with textbook Carmichael whips. "I wasn't show-boating - just riding the track, , Carmichael said of the moves. "Maybe it's just the way I hit the jump. I feel good, and my Kawasaki is working good. i made a few mistakes in the whoops, and I need to fix that before the main event." Pro Circult/Kawasaki/SplitFire's Mike Brown continued his strong-starting ways in semi one, taking the holeshot but being passed by Planet Honda's Mike Craig on lap one. After a mediocre start, Amsoil/Dr. Martens/Journeys/Competition Accessories rider Mike LaRocco worked his way forward, block-passing Brown for third, and then moving by TheEdgeSports.com Kawasaki's Casey Johnson in the whoops for second. Craig was gone out front by that point, however, and laRocco settled ior second ahead of Johnson's teamrnate Michael Byrne. Ramsey and Brown also transferred from the serni. The last semi belonged to Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's Stephane Roncada, who led It all and won comfortably over a pair of Honda-mounted Sebastiens - Team Honda's Tortelli in second and Blackfoot Motorsports/Honda Canada's Jean-Sebastien Roy in third. Roy had to hold off Mota XXX/DGY/Atomic 22's Kyle Lewis at the line, and Yamaha of Troy's Nick Wey also made it in despite a late challenge from Thousand Oaks Yamaha/Pete's RV(Reynard Modification's Robbie Reynard. Reynard woulctn't be denied in the Last-Chance Qualifier, which he led all the way, emerging victorious over MotoworldRacing.com/Answer Yamaha rider Isaiah Johnson. Not transferring but taking the Racer X Gas Card $250 prize· was third-place finisher Jason Thomas of Fast by Ferracci Husqvama. Big names not to qualify included Damon Huffman, Casey Johnson and Heath Voss. Due. _ n _ vv S • JANUARY 31,2001 7

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