that, at least, I could race. I got in the
lead, and I haven't been in the lead
forever, so I have to admit that I got a
little frazzled when I was up there and
Carmichael was behind me. I just
need to get used to it again - I
haven't been up front in the last year.
I was up front with the guys, racing
their speed, and I look at this as
another stepping-stone. The arms
this week were - I mean, I'm a different person totally."
McGrath said he changed his training routine - such as not riding during
the week - that helped prevent the
arm pump this week. (See Briefly ... )
Seventh-placed Fonseca was back
in action after sitting out the previous
two main events with an injured
elbow, but you would not have known
he was perhaps a bit rusty by the way
the Honda rider rode in Phoenix. Fonseca, who actually led for a brief
moment right off the start, was running in second, behind McGrath, on
the third lap when he tried to cut
underneath the leader in a turn, only
to mess up and lose a couple of positions to Carmichael and Vuillemin,
and then Pastrana. LaRocco also
eventually got Fonseca, who spent
the last half of the race battling back
and forth with McGrath.
"It went all right," Fonseca said of
his night. "I've had the last two weeks
off, but I'm pretty happy the way it
came out; could've done a little better, but that's the way it goes."
Finishing in eighth behind Fonseca
was Michael Byrne on the Amsoil/Dr.
Martens/Factory Connection Honda,
while Chevy Trucks Kawasaki team
riders Ezra Lusk and Stephane Roncada rounded out the top 10. Lusk
went down on the first lap and spent
the rest of the race coming up
through the pack, while Roncada got
a good start but went down on the
fourth lap.
Team SoBe Suzuki's Kevin Windham was never a factor in the main
after getting off to a ninth-place start.
He was unable to get on-track and
slipped backwards, finishing out his
disappointing night in 14th place.
According to most of the riders,
the Phoenix track was not quite as
technically challenging, as compared
to the previous three tracks they've
raced on this year, though one partic-
(Right) Ricky Cannichael seems to
have fully recovered from his
Anaheim I crash, but Travis Pastrana
and David Vulllemin kept him
honest.
(Below) Vuillemin (12) has
finished on the podium in
every race so far.
Pastrana dislocated his knee In
practice but ignored the pain to finish
a strong second in the main.
cycl.
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FEBRUARY 6. 2002
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