Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

FIM World Championship 1 2512501500cc MX Series Round 3: Reg Hunt Park Despite seeing his U.s.-run TheEdgeSports.com team fold a few days earlier, Michael Byrne continued with his plans to race In his home GP, where he finished 18th In the 250cc cia... "I still have the speed," Demaria said. "Like so many other riders, I am having trouble setting the bike up. At the Grands Prix we don't have enough time in practice and that is were my problem is. Today the setting was okay, and you see the result." Fourth place went to CAS Honda's Gordon Crockard, who finished second to Pichon at the previous GP in Holland. "I can't quite put my finger on why I was slow [off the start] compared to Holland," Crockard said. "But, as soon as I hit the first corner, I knew there was work to do if I was going to get a decent result. I started to push hard straight away but, after a few near moments, I began to ride very tense as I thought to myself, 'It's a long way to come if I crash now and no points would wreck my position in the championship.' Once I put those fears out of my head, I made a final push which took me up into fourth." Pichon's Corona Suzuki teammate Josh Coppins struggled through the race with a rough-running motorcycle, but salvaged a fifth-place finish. "The bike was fine for the first two laps, then it started missing and popping until maybe lap 10," Coppins said. "It almost stopped all together at one stage. The bike was great for half a lap, then it was off and back on again. I was fortunate that, when the revs dropped, I was getting a lot of traction, I had more torque so I could get through the corners but lost ground on the straight." Corona Suzuki team manager Sylvain Geboers said, "The problem appears to have been the ignition or carburetor." One of the highlights of the 250cc race was the charge by l.9-year-old Australian Chad Reed. The Kawasaki factory rider fell on the first lap when he hit a big mud hole. "It just swallowed me up," he said. "I went flying over the handlebars. As soon as I hit the ground I just thought to myself, 'This can't be right, this is my home GP and I'm down on the ground already!'" With the local crowd roaring its approval, Reed went from 29th place to sixth. An amazing ride on a track which was very difficult to pass on. "I heard the crowd," Reed said. "That's what got me through. I have dreamt about racing like this today, I just rode with on the screams of the spectators. It was awesome." Everts was quickly past McFarlane, and while Smets made a serious challenge behind the Aussie, his race soon turned into a nightmare when he fell. "I was having problems everywhere," Smets said. "First, I collided with somebody on the first lap, then McFarlane and I came together, and finally I fell. With all the collisions I broke my brake lever and gear lever, from then on I was s~ruggling to catch Everts." For Everts it was time to check out, yet even he had troubles. "My speed was good," Everts said. "I had no problem getting past McFarlane and was moving away from him when I landed hard over a jump and broke my exhaust. I'm not sure where it was broken, but the bike lost power and I was a little concerned. I was also worried that I might get excluded when I came in. I lost my title in 1998 by being excluded for a broken exhaust, while I was riding around I was thinking about that." Just as Reed had done in the 250cc race, McFarlane was also enjoying some home-track support. While his chances of catching Everts were slim at best, he had to control a charging trio of Bervoets, Smets and Lindhe. "The crowd lifted me for sure," McFarlane said. "Every time I would ride past a grandstand they would lift me to do another lap. I never had a problem, but their support gave me so much energy. I knew who was behind me, but I just concentrated on who was in front. It seemed to work okay." As it turned out, Everts was able to hold off McFarlane, eventually winning by 19 seconds. McFarlane, in turn, finished just ahead of Lindhe, Bervoets and Smets. eN legH_Pn ~.Aa1ralia 1lesIl11s: April 15, 21011"'lIIId 3 .,141 125: 1. Jamie Dobb (KTM); 2. Alessendro Belomett1 (Yam); 3. Alessio Chiodi (Yam); 4. Marco Dorsch (Hen); 5. Luigi Seguy (Hon); 6. Stephen Sword (Husky); 7. Erik Eggens (KTM); 8. Brian Jorgensen (Yam); 9. Patrick Caps (Yam); 10. Steve Ramon (Kaw); 11. Christian Stev~mini (Yam); 12. 5ven Breugelmans (Yam); 13. Alex Puzar (Kaw); 14. Scott Sheak (Hon); 15. Billy MacKenzie (Vam). FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 125« MX SERIES POINT STANDINGS (After 3 of 14 rounds): 1. Jamie Dobb (70/2 wins); 2. Alessio Chiodi (39): 3. Erik Eggens (34/1); 4. Steve Ramon (32): 5. Luigi Seguy (31); 6. Alessandro Belometti (30); 7. Thomas Traverslni (20); 8. Petrick Caps (18); 9. Brhm Jorgensen (17); 10. Mark De Reuver (16); 11. Sven 250: 1. Mickael Pichon (Suz); 2. Claudio Federici (Yam); 3. Yves Demaria (Yam); 4. Gordon Crockard (Hon); 5. Josh Coppins (Suz); 6. Chad Reed (Kow); 7. Donny Theybers (KTM); 8. Paul Cooper (Vom); 9. The 500cc class was, once again, the most interesting moto of the day. While Aussie favorite McFarlane pounced out of the start and set a good pace, back in the pack it was the two series top guns Everts and Smets that were turning up the heat. APRIL 25. 2001 • .. U .. I 500: 1. Stefan Everts (Yam); 2. Andrew McFarlane (Yam); 3. Johnny Lindhe (Husky); 4. Mamicq Bervoets (YlIm); 5. Joel Smets (KTM); 6. Bernd Eckenbach (KTM): 7. Cedric Melotte (VOR); 8. Francisco Vico·Garcia (KTM); 9. Chris Burnham (Hon); 10. Craig Anderson (KTM); 11. Gert-Jan Von Doom (VOR); 12. Marcel Van Drunen (Husllberg); 13. Mllits Nilsson (Husaberg); 14. Demien King (KTM); 15. Misko Aaltonen (Vam). FlM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 500« MX SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 3 of 14 rounds): 1. Stefan Everts (70/2 wins); 2. Joel Smets (52/1); 3. Mamicq Bervoets (42); 4. Johnny Undhe (3]); 5. Andrew McFarlane (30); 6. Francisco Vico·Garci8 (23); 7. Andrea Bartolini (20); 8. Cedric Melotte (20); 9. Willie Van Wessels (15); 10. Avo Leak (13); 11. M8rcel V8n Orunen (13); 12. Johan Boonen (12); 13. Gert·Jlln Van Doorn (11); 14. Bernd Eckenbach (10); 15. Fabrizio Dinl (9). BRIEFLY••• Defending World 250cc Motocross Champion Frederic Bailey had another terrible day and. by the way the French rider reacted to the media at the Australian Grand Prix, his frustrations are beginning to boil over. Boiley postponed an interview with a French television company. and then he failed to give comments on his DNF in the race. Boiley then told a television reporter that he could ask questions about kangaroos and koalas, but nothing about motocross. When Cycle News tried to ask Bolley of his problems, he gave this quote; "You can ask me two questions. However, I do not know what happen to my bike and I do not know why I did not continue in the race." The Broadford track was initially given bad reviews from the riders: however, many said the condition of the surface was much better on Sunday. Friday saw a lot of mud on the track from heavy watering, due to dry weather in the weeks leading up to the GP. Saturday, the track was very rough with thick mud on the outside, but on Sunday the track was in good condition. just very rough. Many riders liked the rough layout for Sunday. Mlckael Pichon has cleared up ail the talk about racing in America in 2002. The French rider has mentioned that he would like to again race in America. yet not in 2001. "I will do some Supercross races in 2002," Pichon said. "But only if I am World 250cc Motocross Champion. If I don't win the championship. then I have to work harder in the off-season. I will come back to America to race the Nationals, but not Supercross for the complete season. If I only do the Nationals, I don't have to get a visa and my family can come with me, and for me that is important.It looks fairly certain that the Italian GP wiil not be replaced, which means the month of June will come and go without a motocross GP. FIM motocross commissioner, Wolfgang Srb, told Cycle News that a press release will be issued soon on the matter. Breugelmans (16); 12. Christian Stevanini (16): 13. Scott Sheak (15); 14. Marco Dorsch (13): 15. Stephen Sword (13). 500cc S Demaria (22): 10. Chad Reed (18); 11. Frederic Boiley (16): 12. Marko Kovalainen (15); 13. Carl Nunn (10); 14. Johnny Aubert (7); 15. Donyll King (6). Jussl-Pekka Vehvilalnen (Hon); 10. Darryl! King (Yam); 11. Pit Beirer (Yam); 12. Marko Koveleinen (Yllm); 13. Justin Morris (Yam); 14. M8rk Hucklebridge (Kaw): 15. Collin Dugmore (KTM). FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 250« MX SERIES POINT STANDINGS (After 3 of 14 rounds): I. Mickael Pichon (75/3 wins); 2. Gordon Crockllrd (42); 3. Claudio Federici (38); 4. Josh Coppin> (37): 5. Pit • Beirer (33); 6. Paul Cooper (32); 7. Jussi-Pekka VehviJ8inen (25); 6. Danny Theybers (24); 9. Yves n __ S Michael Byme. who lost his ride in the American Supercross Series. is looking at some possible rides with American teams for the Nationals. "' am talking to some teams: Bryne said. "I don't want to race in Australia, that would be a backward step. but who knows what will happen? I'm a little shocked by all that has happened, and I know Jeff IEmigl is also disappointed for me and the team. " New Zealand's Shayne King had another terrible day at what is nearly his home GP. The former World 500cc Motocross Champion had clocked qUick times in Friday and Saturday's practice but, in the race, bad luck prevented him from posting decent results. "I really felt good in Spain and here." King said. "My qualification times were good, then, in the race. I broke my front sprocket. I'm really disappointed. Somebody is looking down on me and giving me this bad luck.-

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