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Kevin Windham stepped it up in St. Louis, finishing second overall. be treated at a local hospital. (See Briefly ... ). The other was American Suzuki's Travis Pastrana. The 17year-old from Maryland had hoped to race in both the 125cc and 250cc mains. He'd finished second in his 250cc heat race and was well placed for the final. But the 125cc main was a struggle, Yamaha of Troy's Nathan Ramsey holding him at bay until the final lap, and Pastrana realized he couldn't do another 20 laps. "If I had a 125 race like the last couple of weekends, where I got a good break in the start and was able to ride my pace, I would have done the 250," Pastrana said. "I felt that, after such a hard ride in the 125s, it was going to be too much." wasn't worried. His race would come later, in the second half, and he was ready. A flat front tire would end his day. "I was right where I wanted to be," LaRocco said. "I guess it was about halfway [the 12th lap) and we were the corner and the thing just washed out and went off the track and I didn't know what happened." laRocco's exit put Lusk in second, but 13.285 seconds behind. The race was over, and Carmichael knew it. "I saw Jeremy, I saw LaRocco, and those are the two guys who definitely have been riding good the last two weeks," Carmichael said. "I had them in check. Next thing I know 1 see Jeremy; he was way back. I realized he crashed. LaRocco was still close. 1 don't know what happened to him. [ came around to get the pit board and had plus 12. The previous lap 1 was plus two or three. After that I just started trying to have fun and ride creative and breathing in. It's not often you have fun ones like that." By the time LaRocco went out, McGrath's roughest moments were behind him. The first came on the sixth lap, when he was chasing LaRocco through a jump section. "The track was really tight tonight, really hard to pass," McGrath said. "I was just biding my time trying to ride right behind Mike [LaRocco]. And then I jumped the little double before the triple and 1 got out in the soft stuff and, when I gassed it, the bike just came around on me and slid out. Didn't hurt me. I'm fine. Just fell over." On the 12th lap, McGrath fell again, still in pursuit of LaRocco, who was off the pace, having just suffered his flat front tire. "( came around the left, 1 was just behind LaRocco, and he was like trying not to let me by," McGrath said. "When [ went around the hay bale there, there's like a ringlet and it went right around my shifter and stopped me and I fell again. 1 had to look down and back up. Luckily 1 got it off my shifter in one pull. I got pumped up after the first time 1crashed. Pretty uneventful. I wish I could have stayed on the bike." For McGrath, the disappointment was great because, after his heat race win, he felt he could challenge for the win. "It was only three seconds difference [actually 3.890J in the heat-race times," McGrath said. "Honestly, I felt really good. RC's riding great. You've got to beat him on the start. If you don't beat him out of the start, he's definitely got that lightning pace in the first five laps and he gets away. I was stuck in third. What could I do?" With LaRocco and McGrath out of the picture, Windham and Lusk quickly moved in. Only their race was for the podium spots, not the win. Second place went to Lusk after LaRocco's fall, with Windham moving staying pretty close, he had about three seconds. I started to get in my groove and usually lap 12 to 20 I'm on it and I was just about there. I'd nailed the whoops that lap and I was like, That's where I'm going to make up my time.' But then 1 went around MAIN The start in St. Louis would be important, though not necessarily decisive. After three bad main event starts in a row, Carmichael was back on form, gating well, jetting to the middle of the track for the hard left over a small table-top jump. McGrath and Windham were to his right and both stayed on the track, but just barely. Carmichael was in familiar territory, out front and pulling away, to a point. The lead was over three seconds by the fourth lap, hovering in the low three second range for the first seven laps before he added to it on laps eight and nine, making it nearly four seconds. LaRocco knew how big the lead was and he Mike laRocco (5), here leading Ezra Lusk (11), finally got a good start· but he also got a flat. Lusk, meanwhile, rode well enough for third. cue I _ n __ ... • APRIL 11, 2001 13