Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

(Left) Heath Yoss notched hIs best finish of tt1e year. Just missing out on tt1e top five. (Right! Winner Cannichael, runner-up Yulllemin and third-placefinisher McGrattl celebrate on tt1e podium. at sixth-placed Voss before hitting a rolling obstacle. As he'd broken away from Roy and Wey, he was slowly Lusk (KllW); 2. DllVid Vulliemin (Vern): 3. Emesto Fonsecll (Hon); 4. Stephane RonclldD (KtJw); 5. Jean-Sebastien Roy (Hon); 6. Kyle Lewis (Hon); 7. Joseph Oehlhof (Hon); 8. James Povolny Jr. (Hon); 9. Heath Voss (Hon); 10. Tyler Evens (Hus); 11. Ted gaining on Voss when he came up on Compbell (Sw:); 12. Jimmy Wilson (Vom); 13. Joson Frenette (Hon); 14. Zeb Armstron9 (Vom); 15. Kris the lapped Lewis. Pepworth (KllIw); 16. Cory Young (Vern); 17. Tim H8wthome (Yam); 18. Chris Shellenberger (Hon). "I was actually lapping him, and he was still racing hard," Huffman said. "I don't know if I would've caught Voss or not. He kept a pretty good pace the whole time, and he's just starting up front more than I am." Lusk battled back from completing the first lap in 19th to take eighth, a disappointment for the Georgian in front of his home crowd, especially TIme: 6 min., 36.850 sees. 250 SEMI I (6 lops, 1-5 to tronsfer): I. Isoioh Johnson (Suz); 2. Dillman Huffmtm (Suz); 3. Keith Johnson (Yam); 4. Nicholas Wey (Yem); 5. Joson Thom8s (Vern); 6. Kevin Crine (Hon);. 7. Kenny Bartram (KTM); 8. Demien Plotts (Hon); 9. Brien M850n (K8W); 10. Krls Swaney (Hon); 11. CI8rk Stiles (Vom); 12. Chorlie 009ner (Hon): 13. Scott Melz (Hon); 14. Jon Boruff (Hon); 15. Spencer Hili (Vom): 16. Robbie Reynord (Hon). TIme: 5 min., 15.840 sees. 250 SEMI 2 (6 lops. 1·5 to Ironsfer): 1. Heoth Voss (Hon); 2. Kyle Lewis (Hon); 3. Tyler Evans (Hus); 4. James Povotny (Hon); 5. Jeff Gibson (Vom): 6. Jimmy Wilson (Vom): 7. Ted CompbeJi (Suz); 8. Jeen·Sebastien Roy (Hon); 9. Zeb Armstrong (Yam); to. Cory Young (Vem); 11. Kris (Hon); 16. Tyler Evens (Hus); 17. Kevin Crine (Hon); 18. Iseieh Johnson (Suz); 19. Jeff Gibson (Yam); 20. Travis Pastrana (Suz). TIme: 16 min.. 39.910 secs. Margin of victory: 8.170 sees. Winner's Average Lap: 49.995 sees. Popworth (Kow); IZ. Joseph Oehlhof (Hon); 13. Tim Hewthorne (Yllm); 14, Chris Shellenberger (Hon);. 15. Jason Frenette (Hon). TIme: 5 min., 11.080 sees. 250 LeQ (6 laps, 1-2 to transfer): 1. JeanSebastien Roy (Hon); 2. Kevin erine (Hon); 3. Jimmy Wilson (Yam); 4. Brian Mason (Kaw); 5. Ted Campbell (Suz): 6. Clark Stiles (Yllm); 7. Demlen AMA/EA SPORTS SUPERCROSS SERIES 250cc C'SHIP POINTS STANDINGS (After 8 of 16 rounds): 1. Devid Vuillemin (179/3 wins); 2. Ricky Cermlchael (159/4 wins); 3. Mike Larocco (120/1 win); 4. Stephane Roncade (117); 5. Ezra Lusk (112); 6. Jeremy McGreth (110); 7. Travis Pastrene Plotts (Hon); 8. Kenny Bortrom (KTM); 9. Joseph Oehlhof (Hon); 10. Zeb Armstron9 (Vom): 11. Scott Metz (Hon); 12. Kris Papworth (Kew); 13. Krls Swoney (Hon); 14. Cory Voun9 (Vom); 15. Tim (96): 8. Nothon Romsey (87); 9, Doman Huffmon (82); 10. Emesto Fonseco (81); 11. Heoth Voss (79): 12. Nlcholos Wey (78): 13. Kevin Windhom (62): 14. (TIE) Jeon-Sebostien Roy/Michoe' Byme (56): 16. Kyle Lewis (45): 17. Chod Reed (44): 18. Sebostien Tortelli (31); 19. Keith Johnson (29): 20. Tyler Evons Hawthorne (Yllm); 16. Chorlie Degner (Hon); 17. Spencer Hill (Vom): 18. Jon Boruff (Han): 19. Chris Shellenberger (Hon): 20. Jason Frenette (Hon). TIme: 5 min.. 15.330 sees. 250 MAIN (20 lops): 1. Ricky Cormichoel (Hon); 2. Dovld Vulllemin (Vom); 3. Jeremy M<:Groth (Vom): (20). 4. Sebestien Tortelli (Hon); 5. Stephene Roncede (Kew); 6. Heeth Voss (Hon); 7. Damon Huffmen (Suz); 8. Ezre Lusk (Kew); 9. Jeen·Sebestien Roy Upcoming Rounds: Round 9 - Daytona Beach, Florida, March 9 Round 10 - New Orleans, Louisiana, March 16 (Hon); 10. Nicholos Wey (Vom): II. Emesto Foose<:o (Hon); 12. Keith Johnson (Vom); 13. Joson Thornos (Vom): 14. Jomes Povolny Jr. (Hoo); 15. Kyle Lewis after his heat-race win. "It's kind of sad because it was going really good," Lusk said. "We felt great tonight - won my heat race again. We're starting to get some wins here under our belt, which is good. Just a couple of things have been happening in the main events. What can I say? We've been fighting and fighting and trying to get her dialed in. It's been soon to come. Hopefully we can get up there and battle with Ricky a little bit, but when BREIFLY Bud Light Yamaha's Jeremy McGrath tried a different approach to solving the arm·pump problems and inconsistency that have plagued him all year. -I stopped riding, actually, about a month ago, - he said. "This [week] was the first time I practiced in about a month. I·ve just been racing because I've been trying to just let my body kind of heal. I improved a lot when I Slopped practicing, really. So this week, i finally felt like I could get back to riding - hopefully. steadily improve each week, the way I feel physically. I know that in my head I feel that I can ride the speed of these guys. Like last week, [in Minneapolis], I felt really good on the track: I made a mistake and got a little tight there. I feel that once I get it worked out, I can ride out front again.- you start back there and have a little crash, you get lapped." Roy had an eventful week leading up to Atlanta. The Canadian had crashed hard in Minneapolis, injuring Team Honda's Nathan Ramsey sat out the Atlanta race. continuing his recovery with a Daytona return in mind. Ramsey suffered a slight separation of his left shoulder and a mild concussion at the Minneapolis race and could have ridden in Atlanta, but chose to sit it out since he's not in the points chase. He did. however. practice at the Honda test track in Corona, California, on the Friday before the Atlanta race. his collarbone. Back in the saddle on Tuesday, he cart-wheeled his CR250, breaking his knee brace and beating himself up. The accident, along with a cold, kept him off the track until the race. "Since last weekend, I didn't train, and I got a cold," he said. "A lot of people are sick this weekend. I didn't have too much energy. For sure, I'm going to come back strong for the second half. I'm going to start riding a little bit outdoors, some outdoors so I'll be in better shape for the main events." eN &ee... l. O.me AthI.te, 60....'Results: February 23, 2002 IR.und 81 250 HEAT 1 (8 laps, 1·4 to transfer): 1. Ricky ClIrmlchaeJ (Kaw); 2. Travis Pastrana (Suz); 3. Jeremy McGreth (Yllm): 4. Sebastien Tortelli (Hon); 5. Nicholes Wey (Yam); 6. Jason Thomas (Vern); 7. Demon Huffmen (Suz): 8. Iseiah Johnson (Suz); 9. Kevin Crlne (Hon); 10. Keith Johnson (VlIm); 11. Demien Plotts (Hon); 12. Clark Stiles (Yllm); 13. Brien Mason (Kew); 14. Scott Metz (Hon); 15. Kris Swaney (Hon); 16. Kenny Bartram (Hon); 17. Jon Boruff (Hon); 18. Spencer Hill (Vam); 19. Robbie Reynard (Hon); (Hon); 20. Cherlie D8gner (Hon). TIme: 6 min., 25.940 sees. By winning the Atlanta Supercross, Honda's Ricky Carmichael saved Vans, the shoe company, roughly $475,000. That's the difference between the $500.000 they'd have had to pay to Yamaha's David Vuillemin, if he'd won all three rounds of the Vans Triple Crown Series lthe last round is in Las Vegas on May 4) and the $25,000 they promised to pay the rider who scores the most points in the three-race series. MotoworldRacing.com·s Damon Huffman thou9ht the track was one of the better circuits for passing that the riders have seen for a while. The only problem was a very deep set of whoops. Once the riders wore a lowered line through the whoops, everyone wanted to use it. -If they want to make those things so big, you get the guys wanting to go through that low line every single time.· Huffman said. - And you get that low line where everyone wants to take it. It's one line. When they're smaller, pe0ple can be more aggressive and go anywhere on them. Once they get a little worn out at all. that's where I go right here.· Among the many people happy to see Jeremy McGrath make the podium was Ricky Carmichael. "I want to say congratulations to Jeremy," Carmichael said. -I know people harp, and harp, and harp on him, but give the guy break. He's good. and I'm glad to see him back up here. I felt like I was in the same place. Everyone made so much hype about me and him. I wasn't happy what happened to me [at round onel, as well as him, but I was kind of glad that we couldn't do good at the first race, to calm everybody down. It's disappointing - very tough. mentally - when something goes wrong like that. because what do you have to work for if you can't win the title? You're just another face in the crowd.· American Honda's Ricky Carmichael moved into a tie with Rick Johnson for third on record number of wins in National Motocross and supercross, at61. The number didn't mean much to him. "No I wasn't aware of it,· he said. -Uke I said, I'm not here to break records: I'm here to win championships and win races. Whatever happens, happens. When I hang my boots up and I've won a certain amount of races, that's how many I've won. Buti'm not setting out to beat Jeremy's record or RJ's record. I just want to do the best that I can do, and when I qUit. I want to know that I gave it 100 percent. and I don't want to have that feeling in the back of my head that I should have done this. It doesn·t bother me. I don't think about it. - Still, Carmichael could soon pass Bob Hannah's total of 64 for second (Jeremy McGrath has 89). Yamaha's David Vuillemin earned the $15,000 top prize from the $100,000 Clear Channel Mid-Season Points Fund by finishing the eighth race in the 16-race series in first place. The fund paid through 20 places. with the 20th-placed rider - Fast by Ferracci Husqvarna's Tyler Evans - taking home $1000. Whoever eventually wins the championship pockets $100,000 from the $225.000 EA Sport year·end points fun. There may have been a few scatlered boos, but this is Carmichael country, and the overall response to the Floridian's entrance during opening ceremonies was effusive. The crowd of 69,471 cheered loudly when Carmichael came out on the hood of a red U.S. Marines·recruiting Humvee.• Definitely glad to be back in the Georgia Dome,· Carmichael said. The crowd was the second-largest ever (the largest was 70.099, at the opening round in Anaheim in 1987>. Subway/Pro Source/ARC Levers' Bradley Ripple won the $125 award from Asterisk Doctor John Bodner from being the first rider not to make the 125cc main. Nicholson Yamaha's Jimmy Wilson won the $250 Racer X Gas Card by finishing third in the last-chance qualifier, the top rider not to make the main event. Wilson won seven of the awards last year. This was Wilson's first Gas Card of 2002. The Powerade $1500 Holeshot Award for the 250cc class went to Team Honda's Ricky Carmichael. Moto XXX Yamaha's Kelly Smith won the $1000 Powerade Holeshot Award in the I 25cc class. American Honds's Sebastien T ortelli said it wasn't his cardiovascular frtness that was wanting, but his lack of race time. "My cardlo's great," he said. "I've been working since November already on my cardio. What I have out there is lack of racing. My shape is good. I don't get tired. but I just need more races. The race last weekend was a step forward. I'm looking at that. Daytona is going to be a hard step because the race is so long.• Kevin Windham crashed in Saturday's practice session, breaking his right femur in the process. The SoBe Suzuki rider was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital. where he had a rod inserted on Sunday. "He's still in the hospital.· said team manager Roger DeCoster on Monday morning. "It was a clean break. but it should be about four months if everything goes well. It depends - some guys are better at it than others. Albee [Greg AJbertynl did it at the same race [two years agol and still rode Glen Helen, I think for him, the second and third race back were actually more difficult. You're more excited for the first one. - 250 HEAT 2 (8 lops, 1-4 to tronsfer): I. Ezro cue I • n e _ s MARCH 6, 2002 11

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