AMA Chevy TI"'ucks U.S. Motocl"'oss Championship Sel"'ies
Round 11: SI"'oome-Tioga Sports Centel"'
Vuillemin and Dowd were fourth
and fifth, respectively, with Reynard
sixth and Roncada seventh.
Amazingly, LaRocco was the
eighth-place finisher, having turned in
a moto-Iong charge after his lap-one
predicament. "I felt like I had the suspension better this week, and I really
wanted to race with somebody,"
LaRocco said. "But I blew it both
motos on the start."
CN
season for me with the team. I'm
totally looking forward to next year.
I've got to start hanging it out. It
seems like the only way you're going
to win these days is to have stuff
falling off - hands and feet."
Third was Ferry, slightly less bothered by the stomach ailment this time
around.
"In between motos, I didn't go out
of the semi at all," Ferry said. "' just
laid there, and I borrowed some medicine from Ricky [Carmichael],
because he had a similar problem. I
didn't really notice it as much in the
second moto, but I just felt a little
weaker than normal - maybe a little
bit dehydrated."
8nlolIIe-nop Sports Center
B1nlMtnton, New Yortr
Kyle Lewis (Yam); 17. Thomas Hofmllster (Yam); 18.
Clark Stiles (KTM); 19. James Poyolny.Jr. (Hon); 20.
Barry Carsten (SUl): 21. Ryan Clark (Yam); 22. Mike
Katin Jr. (Yam); 23. Matt Shue (Yam); 24. Bruce
SttlItton (SUl); :5. Zeb Armstrong (Yam); 26. Scott
Carter (Yam); 27. Joseph Oehlhof (Yam); 28.
Michael Treadwell (SUl); 29. Eric Kowalik (Yam); 30.
Scott Davis (Kaw); 31. Chuck Mesley (Hon); 32.
Dennis StlIpleton (Hon): 33. Bill Silvaro)e
34.
Jeremy Cook (Yam); 35. Vincent Klimow
M ; 36.
MjtcheU Cooke (KlIw); 37. Jimmy Wilson Yam; 38.
maWj;
Jim Neese (Hus); 39. Jason McCormick (SUl); 40.
Lance Smllil (KTM).
250 MOTO 2: I. Ricky Carmichael iKa~; 2.
Kevin Windham (Suz); 3. Timmy Ferry YlIm; 4.
DlIvld Vuillemin Yam); 5. John Dowd {KTM : 6.
Robbie Reynard
7. Stephene Roncadll ( lIwl.;
(~Dm):
250 MOTO I (16 laps): 1. Ricky Carmichael
(Kew); 2. Sebastien Tortelli (Hon); 3. Kevin Windham
(Suz); 4. Timmy Ferry (Yam); 5. Stephane Roncedtl
(Kaw): 6. Mike LaRocco (Hon); 7. John Dowd (KTM):
8. Robbie Reynard (Yam); 9. Ezra Lusk (Hon);
to.
David Vuillemln (Yam); 11. Paul Carpenter (KTM);
12. Travis Preston (Hus); 13. Kevin Crine (Hon); 14.
Jason Thomas (Hus); 15. Marco Dube (KTM); 16.
Preston (Hus): 13. Kyle Lewis (Yam); 14. Marco
Dube (KTM); 15. Jason Thomas (Hus); 16. KeYln
Crine (Hon); 17. James Povolny Jr. (Hon): 18.
Michael Treadwell (SUl); 19. Barry Carsten (SUl); 20.
Thomas Holmaster (Yam); 21. Clark Stiles (KTM);
22. Scott Carter (Yom); 23. Ryan Clark (Yam).
AMA CHEVY TROCKS NATIONAL C'SHIP 250;/Competltlon Accessories. and that he is considering riding a 125. Then again. he may just stay put. I really kind of like the
independence and low pressure of this deal. so that will weigh pretty heavily when it comes time to
make the decision,' Dowd said.
Former National Champion Doug Henry showed up at
Binghamton with a DGY.lJacked VZ125 In the back of his
pick·up truck. and the New Englander tumed in a 14-22
tally in the tiddler division. good enough for 20th overall.
'1 haven't raced a 125 since '94, when I was on a
Honda.' Henry said. 'I've been talking with Travis [Pastranal about the idea of racing with him on a 125. so I
decided to do it. Unfortunately. he's not here, but I'm
going to do it anyway.•
After a first 12Scc moto that saw Mike Brown put an
aggressive block-pass on Grant Langston, and
Langston retaliate by punting Brown off the track,
AMA Pro Racing MX Manager Duke Finch called the
two together between motos for a serious talk. Said
Finch afterward, "I just told them, 'Whoever wins this
thing, let's have it be because he's the faster guy, not
the one that survives this slug·fest we've got goin9 on
here.' They both smiled and shook hands. - The racing
was much cleaner in mota two.
Larry Ward said at Broome-Tioga that he is very
close to signing another outdoor-only deal with Moto
)()()( Yamaha, though he will likely contest the occa.
sional supercross round (on a VZ250 two-stroke) and .perhaps the odd GNCC ~e. In fact. Ward said
he might enter the upcoming September 23 Mt. Moms, Pennsylvania, GNCC. Nobody has won one
of those yet on a VZ250F, - Ward said.
Pastrana's absence was expected, the result of several concussions and a subsequent lack of fitness due to
his inability to train. The defending 12SCc champ pulled
out of last week's race in Minnesota, and will stay off a
bike for quite some time· at least that's the plan. "I hope
he does,' said Suzuki team manager Roger DeCoster.
"That's what he said, but with Travis, sometimes he'll tell you one thing and then do something else.'
With the Canadian National Motocross Series over and done with, many of that circuit's competitors were on hand at Binghamton, including Brad Hagseth, Marco Dube, Mitchell Coooke, Joshua
Woods, Sean Hamblin and Chris Sprenkel.
Word in the pits had it that JeH Emig has been aiding Team Chevy Trucks Kawasaki with testing, but
team manager Bruce StJemstrom downplayed the arrangement. 'We give bikes to several of our for·
mer riders at the championship level.' StJemstrom said. -We give one to Jimmy Weinert. one to Jeff
Ward, and now we give one to Emig.•
Branden Jesseman crashed while running third in the first 12Scc moto, high-siding over a jump
when he dragged his pegs on the takeoff. Feeling woozy and suffering a sore neck, the Amsoil/Dr.
Martens/Journeys/Competition Accessories rider opted to sit out moto two. "He'll be back next week
at Steel City,' said mechanic Shawn Ulikowski.
The plethora of Silly Season team changes has been well-documented, but there is also a list of riders
making gear changes for 2002. Among them is David Vuillemin, who will be outfitted in French·made
Oxbow apparel. a move made possible by Fox's cessation as the official Yamaha team gear. Yamaha of
Troy is still speaking with Fox for next year. and according to manager Enk Kehoe, would hke to retain a
coordinated team look for 2002. MotoWorld Suzuki (currently MotoWorld Yamahal will no longer be
sponsored by Answer. and Planet Honda will no longer be sponsored by MSR, as Tucker-Rocky
(owner of both companies) is changing their sponsorship focus for next year. Pro CirCUit Will once agam
be Thor-backed in 2002.
Honda four-stroke technician Dan Betley, joking with Chevy Trucks Kawasaki truck driver G~rge Ellis
after Mike laRocco's incredible last-to·eighth second-moto charge on the CRF450R. said, We Just
thought that to be fair to everybody. we'd start in the back.'
David Vuillemin was working with trainer Jacky Vimond for the second race in a row. The 1986
World Champion, who, like Vuillemin. is French, will be assisting Vuillemin during the off-season and ,n
2002.
After running out of fuel on more than one occaSion, Team Honda has S"lee the Unadilla round been
using oversized aluminum tanks on its CR250R race bikes - the same tanks used on the Honda
GP bikes in Europe. It had been thought that production rules required use of a bike's stock tank, but
according to Shane Drew (mechanic for Sebastien Tortellil. the AMA has Interpreted their own rules to
mean that although smaller, lighter tanks may not be used, larger. heaVIer ones are allowed.
The Broome·Tioga circuit is famous for its stony surface, which is why Team Honda was using EUne carbon-fiber pipe guards. and why Yamaha of Troy was using Dunlop foam tire inserts. The pr0moters tried to help out by putting down a thick layer of wood ChiPS, which not only covered the
stones. but helped hold water. The move was popular among most nders. with the .exception of David
Vuillemin, who said simply. "It sucks." Broome-Tioga was also Sporting a pair of finish-hne huts and an
Impressive points-tally board.
The U.S. Tobacco privateer awards went to Cemic's/PC Worldwide KTM's John Dowd and Thousand Oaks Yamaha/Pete's RV/Reynard Modifications' Robbie Reynard in the 250cc class, and to
Moto XXXlAtomic 22 Yamaha's Larry Ward and E-Z Wider Yamaha's Keith Johnson in the 125cc
class.
After his second race on the CRF450R four-stroke, Mike laRocco declared himself fond of the
bike, and he's considering racing it full-time next year. "In a perfect world. it would be nice to have a
choice of bikes depending on the track,' LaRo~co said. "I can't really do that,but.that's the beauty of
being a customer. You can choose whichever bike works best for where you ride. laRocco, who has
tested the bike primarily in California, will have a thumper shipped to his house in the off-season, and
he will make the final call by mid-October. By the way, look for a Cycle News test on the production
CRF in the next couple of weeks.
Sebastien Tortelll went down hard in the second 250cc moto, losing control on an extremely fast
downhill section. The Frenchman landed about 20 yards from his factory Honda, was slow to get up,
and chose not to re-enter the race. - He just banged his head when he hit the ground,' Hond? team
manager Cliff White said. 'He's coherent and everything, but he w~s real sore ?nd stiff. I don t think
there's any damage, but he's beat up. [His face] was really red. I don t know how It could happen Inside
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Having crashed and injured his shoulder in practice last week, Pro Circuit/Kawasaki/SplitFire's Tallon
Vohland was absent at Binghamton, though ESPN's Davey Coombs did put the number 22 KX125
through its paces in Saturday practice with the ESPN helmet camera.
Ezra Lusk had a weekend he'd rather forget at Binghamton, going 9-9 for ninth overall. "I've been
struggling the whole outdoor season," admitted Lusk, who will be switching from Honda to Chevy
Trucks Kawasaki next year. "A lot of little problems that I don't think I could have made any better· not
finishing the races, and that kind of stuff. When you're doing that six, seven weekends, it's tough to
really go that speed. ~ was a lot easier for me to go the speed commg from the year off I ~Id to race
Supercross because it comes a lot easier to me. But I'm injury·free and compl~tely healthy. I m excited
[about the team changeJ. I'm going to do the U.S. Open on [the Kawasakt1. It II be fun - everythmg Will
be brand-new. I think that's what I need at thiS point in my career.'
Timmy Ferry is planning to race the U.S. Open, as well as off-season Supercrosses in Germany and
Italy. and despite the smaller size of the arenas. he will be riding his usual VZ426F four-stroke. "I feel
better on that than I do a two-stroke," Ferry said.
How do
