Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

ti on. Surprisingly , the Suzu k i rid er wa s rel atively upbeat m om ents lat er. " I don 't k now if I hi t a rock, or w h at ," Windham said . " It sucked up in there pretty good ; I tried to get it o ut , b u t it j ust was n 't c o mi ng out. [Car m ic h ael ] k no ws peo p le are out t here [to challenge him], an d tha t's g o od . I ' m happ y w ith m y r id e . Everybody gets bad br ea ks like that, and I don 't k now wh at we c o ul d ha ve d on e t o c h an g e it. It ' s ju st one of those thing s. The d am age is done . I c o uld cus s and t hr ow stuff and rai se hell all I wa nted , but it ain't going to g iv e me any more points . A l ot o f peo pl e have had bad lu c k an d stuff, an d the way it' s go ing , I g uess Ric k y will h ave bad luck t oo . I know he's f ell , b ut w e'v e all f e l l. I' m t a lk in g ab out just a st raig ht -up D NF .· W indh am 's ex it a llowed Hu ghes t o t ak e a d i st an t seco nd , an impressive an d co nfiden ce-building re su lt f o r both h im and Ho nda . Lusk also got an inject io n o f assu ran c e wi th a close th ird place o n his d in e -b ik e. " I ac t ually got t og e th e r w it h Ryno, and just ki nd o f ca me th roug h t he p ack ," L usk sai d . " I fel t great; everyth ing was work ing g ood . I j us t ca m e int o this w eek end w it h a li tt le pr ac t i ce und er m y belt , w hich is something I hav en 't been able t o d o th is wh ol e ou td oo r series .· Ro ncad a w as yet ano ther ri der t o bri g ht en h is outlook , th an k s t o h is fourth- p l ac e m oto fi ni sh a n d thi rd o v e ra ll. T o rt el li fo llowed hi s turn o ne crash w ith an am azing charg e , BRIEFLY••• Aft er swe ltering, humid co nditions for Saturday's practice, most people were shocked at Sund ay' s unseasonable chilly, windy weather, which held throughout the day. Nonethel ess, a claimed 25,000 spec tators were on hand, and they all learned the answe r to w hat has her eto fore been a rhetorical qu est ion : Ye s. the 250c c National rider s can clear laRocco 's Leap in a headw ind. Exactly what happened to Seba stien Tort elli' s fact ory Honda C R250R on the last lap of moto one? The answer to that question depends on whom you ask. Some Honda officials claimed motor prob lems, w hile others said the Frenchman had run out of fuel. and Torte lli himself seemed to suggest electronic proble ms, Since technicians we re noticed enlarging the bike 's fuel cell (with heatl between motes. gas starvation is perhaps the more likely culprit , By the way, Tortelli's teammate Ezra Lusk DNFed a moto earlier in the season, fo r what is thought to be the same reason, In case you 're wondering w hy Honda doe sn't run special large-capacity fuel cells, it' s because AMA produ ction-based rules mandate the use of stoc k tanks, Alth oug h Tort elli had enough motion lotion to co mplete mot o two, Hondas' perimeter frames limit how much the tanks can be heat-expanded, As a part of its deal with Universal Studios, Team Honda outfitted Ezra Lu sks CR 250R with graphics fr o m its upc om ing movie Jurassic Parle III, and Fox prepared his gear with special logos and colors promoting the movie, The red, gray and yellow graphics included a T-Rex head on the radiator shrouds, and the gear featured artificia l rips - presumably fro m a dinosaur' s claw s. The movie . which will be promoted at next week 's Laguna Seca roadrace by Team Honda roadracer Nicky Hayden, is set to open July 18, getti ng as h igh as fifth place before t he c heckers fl ew . D o wd and F err y eac h re p e at ed hi s si xth - and sev enth - pl ace fini sh (re spectively) of m ot o o ne, with Rey n a rd t aki ng e ig hth . M oto X X X r id er Ky le L ew i s was n i nt h , o ne spo t a head of Vu ill em in , w ho h ad c rashed in t he moto : I:N Red Bud Track-N-Trail Buchanan, Michigan Results: July 1, 2001 250 MOTO 1 ( 14 lap s) : 1. Rick y Carm ichael ( K a w ); 2 . K e vin Windham ( Su z) ; 3 . St epha ne Roncade (Kaw ) : 4 . Mike Lek oc co ( Hon); 5. RY8n Hughes (Hon); 6. John Dowd (KTM); 7. Tim my Ferry (Y am ) ; 8 . Dav id Vui ll emin (Yam ) : 9 . Ezra LU5k ( Hon) ; 10. Robbie Reynard (Vam) ; 11. Kyle Lewis ( Yam ) ; 12 . Paul Carpenter (KTM) ; 13 . Seb asti en Tortelli ( Hon); 14 . Tra v is Prest on (Hus) ; 15 . Barry Ca rs ten (Suz); 16 . David Oe tte l ( Hon ); 17 . S cott Carte r (Yam ): 18. T hom as Ho fm aster ( Yam) ; 19 . Tod d DeHoop (Yam); 20 . J eremias Israel (Hon) . 250 MO TO 2 (1 4 lap s): 1. Ricky Ca rmi ch ael (Kaw) ; 2. Ryan Hughes (Hon ); 3. Ezra Lusk (Hon) ; 4. S teph ane Ron c ada ( Ka w); 5. Sebasti e n Tort e ll i per cent , but surprisingly, he upgraded that number to gO percent afte r pra ct ice , " It's no t so muc h t he pain as it is a lack of str ength, as well as a mental prob lem , as you have it in the back of your mind,- said Langston, who tried out the shoulder Thursday before the race in Elsinore, California , In Sunday's National, the er stwhi le point s leader made the podium w it h a st rong 5-1 ride, Having wo n the season ope ner. Team Yamaha' s TImm y Ferry wa s a bit unsa tisfied wit h his seventh-overall result, w hich ca me about thank s partl y to moto-one arm·pump and mo te -two bike problem s, Ferry said that he pulled ove r momentari ly in the second race when so mething in his VZ426F' s moto r seemed to be " loc king up," but he resumed racing and the prob lem seemed to clear up, Ferry went 7·7 on the day, Though so me have wond ered if KTM Red Bull' s success this year in the 125cc class might promp t the team to enter the quarte rliter division in 2002, manager Sel Narayana says that wo n't happe n, A cco rd ing to N ar ay ana , a new 2 5 0cc two-stroke engine will be developed on the Wo rld GP circuit next year, and chance s are good that KTM w ill take on the big-bike class (on two-stro kes) in 2003 , AMA motoc ross manager Du ke Finch and U,S, Motocross des N ations manager Roger DeC oster are getting clos er to finalizing the Am erican team for this yea r's event in Namur, Belgium. At first . it was thought that the same members as last year - Travis Pastrana, Ricky Carmic hael and Ryan Hughes - wou ld be brought over to defend their victory , but at Red Bud, DeC oster also mentioned the names Timmy Ferry and Kevin W indham. Finch , on the other hand, was sticking with the original pian, and Hughes greatly helped his case with a strong runner-up finish at Red Bud, A final decision is expec ted aro und the next Nat ional. There was a new big -rig in t he pit s at Red B ud . as Team S nocross/ A rctic C at showed up for its first National of the year, The Suzuki-mounted team co mprises Tuc ker Hibbert , Matt Ju dnick (bo th on 125s), and 250cc rider/manager J amie Grosser, and will also campaign the Snocro ss snow mobiie series (Hibbert is a to p snowmob ile race r). The team's clean-loo kinq tra iler has expandab le sides that open up to create a huge amount of space inside ; don't be surp rised if you see simila r setups in some of t he bigger teams' pits next year, Speaking of trucks, the rig of now-defunct FMF Honda retu rned to action at Red Bud , as S o uth e r n S u p e rsports Racing is using it now (official graphics w ere not yet in place). The Yamahamounted team has outside -industry sponsorship fro m Pilot Travel Cen ters, M ount ain Dew, Frito Lay and Gatorade, For the fourth time this year, J apanese racer Akira N a rit a was working out of the Team Suzuki pits at Red Bud, J udging fro m his presence on the cover of the latest issue of Japanese magazine Dirt Cool. Nan ta's impressive perfo rmance at the recent Mt. M orris National was popula r back home , Despite still suffering from a third-degree separation of his left shoulder. 125cc Wo rld Champ ion Grant Langston op ted to race at Red Bud . Langst on had origina lly plann ed to have the shoulder operated on. but decid ed he'd try to salvage the season instea d. Prior to Satu rday's practice se ssion . Langston, with a not iceable lump and droop in his shoulder, said he felt about 80 Riders and team personnel alike (not to mention certai n journal ist s) we re happy to find Brett St allings of Stallings C hirop ract ic giving his now -trad it ional co mplementary Red Bud neck- a n d b ack-crackings in the pr o pits , Stallings , who hails f rom Ow ensboro, Kentu cky , has been offering his services at Red Bud since 1987 , Thor' s Brad Woolsey was on hand at Red Bud with his employ er' s 2002 apparel , in whi ch he outfitt ed several Thor ride rs (includ ing Grant Langston and Bobby Bonds) for Saturday's practice sessions . The sneak peak w as for photo purpose s o nly (the rider s were back in their norma l gear on Sunday), and Thor plans to officially debut the gear at W ashougal. Ryan Hughes spent the two weeks prior to Red Bud staying and training at the M ic higan house of Jeff S tan t o n , and he plans to stay ther e until Unadilla, "We' re riding a different track w ith ruts and st uff . so it' s mor e co nsiste nt w ith what I'm racing on." c (Hon); 6. John Dowd (KTM ); 7, Timmy Ferry (Yam); 8. Robbie Reynard (Yam) ; 9. Kyle Lewis (Yam); 10. David Vuill emin (Yam); 11. Mik e laRocco (Hon); 12. Travi s Preston (Hus); 13. Kevin Windham (Suz); 14. Barry Carsten (Suz); 15. J ason Th om as (Hus) ; 16. Je rem ias Isra el (Hon) ; 17. Jos eph Oeh lho f (Yam) ; 18. J effr ey Baker J r. (Yam) ; 19. Scott Cart er (Yam); 20. Dustin Nelson (Yam) . 2 50 O/A : 1. Ricky Carm icha el (Kew}: 2. Ryan Hughes (Hon); 3. Steph ane Ronced a (Kaw) ; 4. Ezra Lusk (Han); 5. Jo hn Do wd (KTM); 6 . Kevin Windham (S uz) ; 7. T im my Ferr y ( Yam ) : 8 . Mi k e LaR occ o ( Ho n ) : 9 . Se bas t i en T orte lli ( Ho n) ; 10 . Robbi e Reynard (Yam ); 11. David Vuillem in (Yam ); 12. Kyl e Lewi s (Yam ); 13 . Travi s Prest on (Hu s); 14 . Bar ry Carsten (Suz); 15. Paul Carpenter ( KTM) : 16. Ja son Thomas (Hus) : 17. Jerem ias Israel (Han ); 18 . Scott Carter (Yam): 19. Dav id O ertel (Hon); 20. Jos eph Oehl hof (Yam ); 2 1. Jeffrey Bak er Jr. (Ya m) ; 2 2. Thom as Hofm aster (Yam ): 23 . Todd DeHoop (Yam ). AMA CHEVY TR UCK S 250« NATIO NA L C'S HIP MOT OCROSS SERIES POINTS STA NDIN GS (Alter 6 of 12 round s) : 1. Rick y Carmichael (2 55/ 3 wins); 2. Kevi n Windham (222); 3. Sebast ien Tort elli (2 14/1 wi n ) ; 4 . Tim Ferry (2 13 /1 win ); 5 . Mi ke t.eec cec (2 11); 6, John Dowd ( 165) ; 7, David Vuillemln ( 159/1 win); 8. Stepb en e Ronced a ( 13 8) ; 9. Ryan Hughes (137); 10, Ezra Lusk ( 11 9); 11. Kyle Lewis (1 10); 12. Robbi e Reynard ( 107) ; 13. Trav is Preston (97); 14, Jason Thomas (55); 15, Joel Smet (33), s Upc omi ng Rounds: Round 7 - New Berlin, New York, July 15 Ro und 8 - T roy, Ohio , Jul y 22 Hughes said, " It' s also good to train wit h someone who's really fit , so I can keep pushing myself, Jeff is probab ly in better shape than most peop le out here racing, A ltho ugh Travi s Pastr ana is c urrently leading the 125cc poi nts chase, he hasn't dominated the class like so me people expecte d, and Suzuki spent co nsiderable eff ort over the past couple of weeks testing his RM1 2 5 in M aryland and M ichigan , " It' s hard to say w hat the problem w as . team manager Roge r DeCo ster said, " but we trie d some different stuff . and we think we came up with so me [motor and suspension] sellings that he likes, M Tho ug h w e have nothing so lid to report on the recent fr ict io ns between the AMA and S F X (the co ntract between t he two expire s at the end of the 2002 SX seaso n), word from reliable so urc es is that the sanct ioning body and supercro ss promoter are now gelling along much better, which bode s well for a co ntinued partnership in 2003 and beyond, SFX. which is based out of near" by Chicago. had several representatives on hand at Red Bud , M any of the various te am manager s met in the pit s Saturday w ith the AMA's John Farris, in order to prepare for the upco ming quarte rly advisory committee meeting at the Troy Nati o nal in Oh io . According to one manager . the official meetin gs have oft en been unprodu ct ive, and it was hoped that an unoff icial preparatory gathering would be helpful. Ge ne and Tim Ritchey made several changes to their Red Bud f acility since the last National visit to the track in 2000. Parking w a s expanded by 70 ac re s, and a new en t ran ce wa s ad ded (alt ho ugh the t hor ough sec uri ty searc hes st ill made for so me delays in gelling in), As for the track itself , it was the recipient of a new dose of sand and wood chips. US Tobacco pre sen ted their t o p privateer awa rds at Red Bud and the w inners we re M oto XXX's Larry W ard and E·Z · Wider's Keith S, J ohnson in the 125cc class, and Cern tc's KTM 's Jo hn Dowd and M oto XXX's Kyle Lew is in the 250cc class . Interesting ly, all four riders were aboard four-strokes , W ard we nt 2-2 for first overall in the 125cc class, earning $1000, while Johnson went 17·24 for 23rd overall, taking home $500 , Dowd took his 520cc to a 6-6 fifth overall in the 250cc class , pocketing $1000, while Lewi s rode to a 11-9 12th overall, picking up $500. SplitFire/ Pro Circuit/Kawasak t's Cas ey Lytle retu rned at Red Bud after missing the last several rounds due to an ankle injury. Lyt le missed almost all of th e Supercro ss Series ea rlier in t he year and the n on ly raced the fi rst two ro unds of th e o utdoor series be fore hurt ing his othe r ankle , " It hasn 't been a goo d year ," Lytl e said. " I haven't done much and I don't have anything cooking for next year. I need to do we ll the rem ainde r of this seaso n. " Two New Mexico 125cc riders were injured on Sunday, Plano Hon da's Ivan Tedesco and Yamaha of Troy' s Ju st in Buckelew each injured their shoulders in two unrelated incidents, Tedesco crashed in Sunda y ' s mo rning pract ice and separated his sho ulder and injured his hip , Buckelew crashed on the famou s ski-jump down hill in moto one and also landed on his shoulder, Both are expected to be out of act ion for a while, Red Bud introduced their new Hall o f Fa me during Sunday's intermi ssio n. Tra ck ow ne r G ene Rit chie and daughte r A my , and Racer X' s Davey Coombs , gave Jeff Emig the honor of being the first inductee, and Emig was on hand to be a part of the ceremo ny, Emig donated a set of his riding gear that he wo re when he wo n his last race here in 1998 , The second inductee was the "Wheelie·King" Doug Dornokos. Domokos raced at the famous track for years and also whee lied around it as part of his many inter mission shows He died last year in an ultralight accident. u c l e n e vv s JULY 11 , 2 00 1 9

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