Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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downed Fonseca) to claim third by the end of lap two. "I was pretty happy," Vuillemin said. "I was wondering if I could last the race. It hurt in every landing on the front wheel. Oh, it was so bad." Meanwhile, Ferry was handling the situation well, riding at an impressive pace out front for several laps. "I felt pretty good," he said. "It was kind of cool to be out there leading for more than a lap, like at Daytona." On lap five, however, Ferry went down just after landing from a triple, and Carmichael took over the lead (after barely avoiding his fallen friend). "I glanced over and saw him, and he was really close," Ferry said. "As soon as I landed, I tried to turn really sharp because I didn't want him to get by, and I lost the front end. It was Riclql Carmichael struggled with the New Orleans track (belowj. but he rode Intelligently and was able to secure his sixth win of the season (right). slippery, and there were a bunch of enough. If I would have ran over him, potholes. It was kind of a trouble spot it would have been nasty. He got for me all day." lucky." "It was scary," Carmichael said. That also moved Vuillemin up a "He just went down so fast right in spot to second, a fact that didn't sur- front of me, and there was nowhere I prise Carmichael. could go, and I almost ran over him. I "I did kind of have a feeling all was lucky to get on the brakes hard night that he was going to do what he fJ@@'J@:§ @[lfJtiJ[)fj(!tJOUiJ@) @DrjJ @@w@@D [lj)@ Jeremy McGrath has had lots of success at the Superdome, and he showed during the second, talent-packed 250cc heat race that he is still comfortable in the venue. The Bud Ught Yamaha rider snared the holeshot and looked like the McGrath of old as he smoothly and efficiently made short work of the eight-lap race, completing it seven seconds quicker than heat-one winner Ezra Lusk. Behind McGrath, Team Honda's Ernesto Fonseca initially led Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's Stephane Roncada, with James Povolny Jr. ahead of Team Honda's Ricky Carmichael. The champ quickly dispatched Povolny in the whoops, then put a block pass on Fonseca at the midway point. From there, he slowly inched up on McGrath, but couldn't quite get within striking distance before the checkers. McGrath won over a disappointed Carmichael, with Roncada and Fonseca also transferring directly. In the earlier heat, Damien Plotts had snared the holeshot, only to continue straight off the track and rejoin it near the end of the pack. Team Honda's Nathan Ramsey capitalized by taking over the lead, with Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's Lusk and Yamaha team riders TIm Ferry and David Yuillemin dose behind. On lap three, a rider was down in the triples, so the do-not-jump lights were turned on and everyone singled through. Lusk then threw a block-pass on Ramsey for the lead, and he built a small cushion before collecting the win. Ramsey slid out and let the Yamaha riders by, but he was able to get back by Yuillemin for third before the finish. Ferry was second. Canuck Jean-Sebastien Roy put his Blackfoot Honda four-stroke into turn one first in semi one, but gave up the lead when he slid out in a comer on lap four. Moto XXX/DGY's Nick Wey took over and took the win, with Reynard Mofification's Robbie Reynard collecting second. The semi's final transfer spots went to The Edge's Brian Mason, YSASports.com's Ted Campbell and JMG's Joseph Oehlhof. The second semi saw Blackfoot Honda's Heath Voss emerge victorious after he squeezed by Pro Caliber's Isaiah Johnson to start the penultimate lap. Johnson held on for second, with Max Pitts' Jeff Gibson, Nielsen Enterprises' James Povolny Jr. and Fast by Ferracci Husqvama's Tyler Evans also advancing. The LCQ was probably the night's best race, with 3-D Racing's Jason Thomas moving from third to first in the last two laps. He got there when the two riders in front of him crashed - Kyle Lewis when he was block-passed by Damon Huffman, and Huffman when he spun out in a comer shortly after. That meant that LCR Racing's Keith Johnson got second - the night's final transfer. Roy was third, earning him the Racer X Gas Card award (Tyson Hadsell earned the 125cc class' Asterisk Gas Card). c U a I • n _ _ os • MARCH 27, 2002 11