Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

"I saw that big group, the guys I've been racing with all year, Byrne and Johnson and Voss, and I caught up behind them. I knew 1 just had to get through them. I came out in sixth-and pretty happy with that," Huffman said. Voss started the race in sixth and ended up seventh. Byrne had a simi, lar progression, ninth at the end of lap one, eighth at the finish, with Johnson ninth and Reynard Modifica, tion's Robbie Reynard 10th. CN Trans World Dome St. Lauis, Missouri Results: March 31, 2001 [Round 12 of 161 HEAT 1 (8 laps, 1-4 transfer): 1. Jeremy McGrath (Yam); 2. Travis Pastnma (Suz); 3. Mike laRocco (Hen); 4. Ferry (Yam); 5. Heath Voss (Hen); 6. Mlcheel Byrne (Kaw); 7. Jean-Sebastien Roy (Hen); 8. Damon Huffman (Yam); 9. Pedro nm Gonlales (Kaw); 10, Robbie Skaggs (Suz); 11. Todd DeHoop (Vam)12. Jeffrey Baker (Vam); 13. Ted Campbell (SUI); 14. Marco Dube (KTM); 15. Keith Johnson (Yam): 16. Jimmy Wilson (Yam); 17. Brian Mason (Kaw); 18. Thomas Kelley (Suz); 19. Clark Stiles (KTM); 20. Tom Hofmaster (Yam). Time: 7 min .. 25.350 sees. HEAT 2 (8 laps, 1-4 transfer); I. Ricky Carmicheel (Kaw); 2. Kevin Windham (Suz); 3. Ezra Lusk (Hen); 4. Robbie Reynard (Vam); 5. Kyle Lewis (Yam); 6. Jason Thomas (Hus); 7. Doug Dehaan (Hon); 8. Jason McCormick (Suz); 9. James Povolny (Hon); 10. ClIsey Johnson (Kaw); 11. Travis Hodges (Hon); 12. Brilln Stone (KlIw); 13. Mike Kadin (Yam); 14. Dustin Nelson (Yam); 15. Michael Kann (YlIm); 16. Charlie DlIgner (Hon); 17. Aaron Mcintyre (Suz). Time: 7 min., 21.460 sees. SEMI J (6 laps, 1-5 transfer): I. Mich.e1 Byrne (Kaw); 2. Jelln·Sebastien Roy (Hon); 3. Hellth Voss (Hon); 4. Pedro Gonzales (Kaw); 5. DlImon Huffmlln (Vom); 6. Marco Dube (KTM); 7. Brian Mason (Kaw); 8. Todd DeHoop (Vam); 9. Thomas Kelley (Suz); 10. Robbie Skllggs (Suz); 11. Jeffrey Baker (Yam); 12. Ted Campbell (Suz); 13. Jimmy Wilson (Vom); 14. Tom Hormester (Vam); 15. Clark Stiles (KTM); 16. Keith Johnson (YlIm). Time: 5 min.. 51. 120 sees. SEMI 2 (6 laps, 1·5 transfer): 1. ClIsey Johnson (Kaw); 2. Kyle Lewis (Yam); 3. JlIson McCormick (Suz); 4. Doug Dehaan (Hon); 5. James Povolny (Hon); 6. Brian Stone (Kaw); 7., Dustin Nelson (Yom); 8. Joson Thomas (Hus); 9. Charlie Dagner (Hon): 10. Mike Kadin (Yam); 11. Travis Hodges (Hon); 12. Scott Metz (Yam): 13. Aaron Mclntyre (Suz); 14. Michael Kann (Vam). Time: 5 min., 50.00 sees. LCQ (6 laps, 1·2 transfer): 1. Brian Stone (Kl!lw); 2. Robbie Skaggs (Suz); 3. Jimmy Wilson (Yam); 4. Travis Hodges (Hon); 5. Todd De Hoop (Yam); 6. Dustin Nelson (Yam); 7. Marco Dube (KTM); 8. Chorlle Dagner (Hon); g. Clork Stiles (KTM); 10. Ted Campbell (SUI): 11. Jeffrey Baker (Yam); 12. Brian Mason (Kaw); 13. Scott Metz (Yam); 14. Mike Kadin (Yam); 15. Aaron Mcintyre (Suz); 16. Michael Kenn (Yam); 17. Thomas Kelley (SUI). Time: 6 min. 4.980 sees. MAIN (20 laps); 1. Ricky Carmich.ei (Kaw); 2. Kevin Windham (SOl); 3. Ezra Lusk (Hon); 4. Jeremy McGrath (Yam); 5. Tim Ferry (Yam); 6. Damon Huffman (Yam); 7. Heath Voss (Hon); 8. Michael Byrne (Kaw): 9. Casey Johnson (Kaw); 10. Robbie Reynard (Yam): 11. James Povolny (Hon): 12. Pedro Gonzales (KlIw); 13. Jean~Sebastien Roy (Han); 14. Jason McCormick (Suz); 15. Kyle Lewis (Y8m); 16. Doug Dehaan (Hon); 17. Brian Stone (Kaw); 18. Cannichael (41 nailed the holeshot ahead of LaRocco (51 and took off for the wlreto-wire win. (77); 15. Nicholas Wey (62); 16. (TIE) Jean- AMAlEA SPORTS SGPERCROSS SERIES C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 12 of 16 rounds); 1. Sebastien Roy/Mich8el Craig (60); 18. Casey Johnson (58); 19. Steve Lamson (56); 20. Nothan Ramsey (51). Ricky C8rmichael (292/1 0 wins); 2. Jeremy McGrath (253/2); 3. Mike laRocco (213); 4. Kevin Windham (201); 5. Ezra Lusk (194); 6. Tim Ferry (148); 7. lime: 18 min. 45.810 sees. David Vuillemin (135); 8. (TIE) Seb8stien Tortelli/Stephane Roncad21 (108); 10. D8mon 1t\argin of Victory: 10.710 sees. Winner's Average Lap: 56.290 sees. Robbie Reyn8rd/Heath Voss (82); 14. Kyle Lewis Robbie Skaggs (SUI); 19. Mike laRocco (Hon). BRIEFLY••• The 2001 AMAlEA Sports Supercross season may be over for American Honda's Sebastien Tortelli, after the Frenchman punctured his knee in a practice crash. "At this point in time, since Sebastien missed a couple of races earlier in the year, we'lI get it fixed up. evaluate it." American Honda team manager Chuck Miller said. "Chances are, he'll miss a couple of rounds, maybe even until the outdoor season. Kind of evaluate it on a week-by-week point." Tortelli crashed in a whoop section during practice in the Trans World Dome, puncturing his knee just below the kneecap. Miller said that both of Tortelli's knees had hit the handlebars, bending the bars, and the team thought he caught his knee on a footpeg. Dr. John Bodner (sp), the Supercross physician, felt the cut was deep enough to cause concern, so Tortelli was taken to St. Louis University Medical Center. When he arrived, Tortelli was told it would be three and a half to four hours before he could be treated, so he returned to the track, thinking he might ride. Bodner re-examined the injury and was prepped and ready to suture the cut. but recommended that Tortelli return to the hospital, which he did, though to a different hospital, which offered immediate care. -The tendon that holds the kneecap on, as he [the doctor] opened it up. he could see that that tendon also had a cut in it." Miller said. 'It wasn't cut through, but he said when a tendon gets cut, you need to go have a specialist go in and suture that and tie the rest of that together." The hospital dressed the cut so that Tortelli could fly back to California on Sunday morning, where he was to have his personal physician tend to the wound. Team Chevy Trucks Kawasaki spokesman Tony Gardea said that Stephane Roncada continues to be "day to day." as he recovers from the heel bruises he suffered in a first-lap bail-off at the Daytona Supercross. Roncada can walk, but can't ride because of the pressure it puts on his feet. The Frenchman rode at his practice track in Menifee, California. but the results weren't encouraging. Gardea said. and there's no timetable for his return to racIng. It hasn't been a kind season to the French Supercross forces. In addition to Roncada's and Tortelli's injuries, Yamaha's David Vuillemin is also on the mend after breaking his collarbone at the Minneapolis Supercross. Vuillemin returned to France, where he'll recover for the next few weeks. In addition to being together on the sidelines, they're together in the points standings, Vuillemin in seventh with 135, followed by Tortelli and Roncada who are tied at 108. Tortelli's withdrawal meant that the four .Japanese factories were down to a single 250cc rider each, sort of. American Honda had Ezra Lusk and Team Chevy Trucks Kawasaki had only Ricky Carmichael, while Stephane Roncada recovers. Yamaha's David Vuillemin is out. leaving only Tim Ferry, though Jeremy McGrath continues to be Yamaha's number-one rider, even if he's not on the official factory team. Suzuki increased the size of its 250cc team in St. Louis, at least in the heats. In addition to his 125cc duties, Travis Pastrana rode the 250cc heat, where he joined Kevin Windham. But the rigors of his 125cc main victory Upcoming Rounds: Round 13- Pontiac, Michigan, April 7 Round 14- Irving, Texas, April 21 Huffman (96); 11. Michael Byrne (95); 12. (TIE) over Yamaha of Troy's Nathan Ramsey caused him to reconsider racing the 250cc final, and he withdrew. bonus. Red Bull KTM's Kelly Smith took the $500 SFX Holeshot Award in the 125cc class. For one night. at least. Plano Honda's Travis Elliott was the rider all others envied. The 20-year-old Texan spent the time between practice and the heat races hanging out with models as part of an editorial photo shoot for "Nylon," a high-profile women's magazine. The fashion spread, slated to run in the summer June/July issue, showed off the 2001 summer line by Italian fashion designers including GUCCI and Prada. with Elliott and his Honda CR125 posing along with the models, who'd just arrived from runway shows in Europe. The inspirations for the feature were the clothes, many of which were inspired by motorcycle fashions. Why Plano Honda? Honda Public Relations Manager Greg Wright arranged the piece through a contact at 'Nylon," and suggested Plano instead of the factory Honda team, because they'd spent part of the week filming a new television commercial for the Honda CR250. Team Suzuki's Kevin Windham, who finished a season best second at St. Louis, but who has yet to win a main event in 2001, is the only rider to win both the 125cc and 250cc classes in the Trans World Dome. In 1996, Windham. who was riding for Team Yamaha, won the first-ever 125cc supercross event held in St. Louis. Two seasons later, Windham won the 250cc race. American Honda's Nicky Hayden showed up in St. Louis with a cast on his left wrist. the result of an operation to repair his broken wrist. Hayden said that Dr. Arthur Ting had inserted a screw in his scaphoid on March 14. two days after the Daytona 200. Because the recovery isn't coming along as quickly as he'd like, and the wrist will still be in a cast. he won't be taking part in the April 10-12 test at Road Atlanta, where most all of the factory teams will be testing. Hayden made the three-hour drive from his home in Owensboro, Kentucky, to the St. Louis race with his brother Tommy, who said he would be taking part in the test. Even though he's been in command for most of the year, Team Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's Ricky Cannichael admitted that it has been a grind. "It's been a bit nerve-wracking. I've been under a lot of stress for the title. And I Just want to keep plugging away, plugging away and see what happens. It's a long series. Anything can happen." So far what's happened is Carmichael has been on a tear, thinking about rewriting the record books. 'I want the championship first. then it's all about the record books. But. if I could pull it off, it'd be 13 in a row and 14 races." Arriving in St. Louis, it was pointed out that thiS was the track where winner Jeff Emig ended Jeremy McGrath's perfect season, stopping his winning streak at 13. "There's been a lot of things that have happened at about every dome that we've been to this year. Everyone's got some statistic about who got beat and who won. I try to put that aside and try to win it." Carmichael said. So far. it's worked. Cannichael's 10th 250cc Supercross win of the season gives him 11 for his career. It moved him from a tie for 30th, when the season started. to a tie for 10th, with Ezra Lusk and Mike Bell. His next win will put him in a tie with David Bailey for ninth, Nicholson Yamaha's .Jimmy Wilson earned the $250 RacerX Gas Card by finishing third in the 250cc last Chance Qualifier. RacerX publisher Davey Coombs gives the money to the first rider not to make the main event every week. Team Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's Ricky Carmichael knew he had to get the holeshot to have a chance in the main, the track having developed into a one-line course by the end of the night. That he picked up the $1000 SFX.com Holeshot Award was a Right now, everyone wants to be like Ricky Cannichael. During the Friday and Saturday practices, many riders tried to follow Ricky's lines. but somehow they found it impossible. 'In practice, I will try and follow Ricky, but keeping up with him is almost impossible," said TheEdgeSports.com/Kawasaki's Casey Johnson. 'For a while I can keep pace, but I make a mistake and he takes off. The funny thing is. he makes a lot of mistakes but still goes faster," Tim Ferry echoes the comments of many riders when he said, 'The track was really one lined this weekend. I think they could have done a better job of making it faster. It was a little bit slow." There was one whoop section, 10 in a row of varying heights, which was a challenge, but which developed a rut late in the night. despite the best efforts of the track crew to keep in groomed. 'They were good because they were hard to do, but they got that one big rut in them and they were so big," Ferry said. "On the outside of that. you really couldn't go around hardly and try to pass somebody. It was one hot line and if you got out of that line, you almost lost time on the guy in front of you, you really had to make some aggressive passes just to get it by anybody. " Rint. Michigan's .Josh Woods made his Supercross debut as a member of the SplitAre/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team. Woods has a three-race Supercross and a two-race outdoor deal with the team, but things did not go well for him on the night. Aboard the number 826 Kawasaki, Woods crashed during the first lap of his preliminary heat and injured his elbow. When he is not riding the SplitAre bikes, Woods will be riding the Canadian Nationals for Two Wheel Kawasaki. Stillwater, Oklahoma's Kenny Bartram made his annual trip to St. Louis to race in the 125cc class. Bartram now concentrates on the Freestyle Motocross events held around the country, but decided to give his old hobby a try. He finished 16th in the first heat and ninth in the LCQ, failing to make the final. After the event. a smiling Bartram said, "I had fun today. I sucked. but I had fun." Red Bull/KTM's Brock Sellards made a return after missing the Minneapolis round follOWing his second surgery to fix armpump problems. Sellards rode well and finished second in the first 125cc heat, but didn't ride the final because he was experiencing a lot of pain. Now that the National Arenacross Series is over, several Arenacross regulars showed up at St. Louis. St. Louis Powersports/Kawasaki's Pedro Gonzales and Ancae/O'NeaI/One Industries' Travis Hodges both gave it a try, and Gonzales was successful by qualifying for the 250cc final. cue' e n e _ s APRIL 1" 2001 15

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