Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Daytona isn't the only track where close finishes seem to be the norm. The draft works the same at all the fast tracks. The second closest finish last year was at Brainerd, where DuHamel won his only race of the year, a .067 -of-a-second victory over Mladin. "Once he got in front the lap times were so slow it was terrible," Mladin says. "I think I had the lead for two laps and we dropped to low 37s from high 37s, low 38's when he was in front. But when they're in the draft and they pull back by, what can you do?" The third and fourth closest finishes came in Nicky Hayden's two wins on the high-speed four-mile Road America course. The largest margin of victory? The 10.45-second cushion Kawasaki's Eric Bostrom covered the field with at the relatively low-speed Pike's Peak course. "It's the same as Phillip Island. It seems to always be close racing there," Mladin says. The 2001 running of the race promises to be a classic. "I count 16 factory bikes," Russell says, "That's more than the AMA has ever had. It's going to be a burner. "That's how you play it. With three or four guys in there it changes everything. I'd like to see that happen really - more so than this run away and win one," Russell says, adding that he believes DuHamel will be there at the end. DuHamel had an operation to remove the rod from the femur in his right leg just before Christmas. By mid-February he was ready to go. "The leg's fine. The leg's really good," he said. "It cost me a bit of Supercross Showdown Unlike the AMA National Dirt Track and Road Race Series that kick off at Daytona, the AMAlEA Sports Supercross Series is already in full gear when it makes its stop on the Speedway's grassy infield. In fact, the Supercross Series will already be half over when Team Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's Ricky Carmichael returns to defend his Daytona title. Last year's Daytona Supercross marked Carmichael's first ever Supercross victory and a lot has happened since. Carmichael, who calls Florida home, went on to win the AMA 250cc National MX Championship, romp to victory at the U.S. Open Supercross race in Las Vegas and has taken the 2001 Supercross Series by the horns. (As of this writing, prior to the Atlanta and New Orleans rounds, Carmichael is leading Jeremy McGrath by six points in the series points standings.) But no matter what happens between now and Daytona, you can't change the fact that Carmichael has been hot throughout the early stages of this year's Supercross Series, and he should only get hotter when he visits Daytona. Carmichael likes Daytona. The outdoor-style Supercross track fits the four-time National MX Champion's riding style to a tee, and the fact that he won his first Supercross race there and that he's just plain on fire right now, should give him enough confidence to pull off Daytona win number two. Yes, Carmichael - not McGrath- is the favorite to win Daytona and his competitors know this, especially McGrath, who would like nothing better than to beat his number-one rival when all the cards seem to be stacked in RC's favor. This would no doubt be a big mental boost for the seven-time Supercross champ who, depending on how the Atlanta and New Orleans Supercross rounds go, could really use it. But If there's anyone out there who can beat "the kid," Carmichael, at Daytona, it's the veteran, McGrath. After all, we are talking about McGrath here, and he knows how to ride the Daytona track pretty well himself. He's won at Day- testing, but I think of it as good, because since the rod's been out, I feel like I've got a little bit more energy and I feel better. I really do. I'm happy I did that. And I think it's also maybe a little psychological thing that's out of my head, as crazy as it may sound. I feel a lot more comfortable. I'm going to feel more comfortable putting it out there and maybe taking more chances without that thing being in my leg. I feel I can bounce from anything." Colin Edwards (45) led Into the first comer of the 1995 Daytona 200, but Scott Russell (4) was the story of the event. The Georgian crash8$! on the first lap. remounted and stili won the race by a whopping 53.747 seconds over Cart Fogarty. Russell has a feeling that history may repeat itself. "It's only a one-lap race at the end of the day - it's only one lap that counts at the end of the day," he says. eN tona three times; only Jeff Stanton has more Daytona wins with four. At this point, it's safe to say that the Daytona Supercross will come down to two riders: Carmichael and McGrath. But there are a couple of other guys who could pull off an upset. The Daytona race is known as being the most physically demanding on the 16-round circuit, and there's probably nobody more fit that Mike LaRocco. He's not the best starter in the world, but the Factory Connection/Amsoil/Dr. Martens/Journey's Honda rider will have more time to make up for it at Daytona than at any other track. Ezra Lusk is pretty much back up to speed following his forced yearlong layoff in 2000. And Lusk's Honda teammate Sebastien Tortelli is no stranger to Daytona's "outdoor"-style track. Tortelli is a former 250cc World Motocross Champion and he is expected do to well at Daytona. Suzuki's Kevin Windham is still struggling a little bit, but he's been known to pull a big race win out of his hat every now and then, and he could use one right about now. In the Yamaha pits, there's David Vuillemin and Tim Ferry. Vuillemin has been nicked up a little bit and has yet shown his full potential (and we all know what that is). Vuillemin's teammate, Ferry, is riding well as of late, and there's no other Supercross track better suited for his factory-backed YZ426F thumper than Daytona. Not only will the 250s be racing at Daytona, but so will the 125s for round four of the Eastern Regional 125cc Supercross Series. Team Suzuki Travis Pastrana seems like a sure bet to win this one, but stranger things have happened at Daytona, just ask privateer Ricky Ryan who won the 250cc main at Daytona in 1987. Actually, Pastrana can't relax too much. He's got SplitFire/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki's Mike Brown and Yamaha of Troy's Nathan Ramsey to worry about. Brown, a former GP rider, will feel at home on the motocross-ish track, and Ramsey will be a formidable threat on his potent YZ250F four-stroke. One small mistake could be the Suzuki rider's undoing with these guys on the track. But most of the talk on March 10 will revolve around Carmichael and McGrath. This could be the one race that sets the tone down the home stretch that leads to the series finale at Las Vegas. Will McGrath be chasing Carmichael, or will Carmichael be chasing McGrath? Kit Palmer cue I • ... _ S • FEBRUARY 28,2001 11

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