Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMAlEA Sports Supercross Series Round 14: Texas Stadiunn slipped back to sixth. Ferry, Lusk, Voss and Nick Wey rounded out the top 10. eN lappers slow me down a little bit, so he got a gap - not a lot of gap - and' did not catch back up. The last couple of laps, I got tired a little bit.» McGrath was never all that far behind the lead duo, as he crossed the finish line about four seconds behind Vuillemin, putting in one of his best rides of the year. '" felt really good - got an awesome holeshot - but I think , was riding a little cautious at the beginning not hanging it out enough," McGrath said. '" just have to face it - I haven't been racing with these guys all year long; it felt good to be up front. Honestly, it's been a long time since I've been up front like that. Just over the last two, three weeks, it's been where it's been getting pretty good to where , can race the whole time. J felt great. , was pumped." Two seconds behind McGrath finished Ramsey, who had gotten by Tortelli around the halfway point. "Oh, I did all right," Ramsey said of his race. "I can't complain, but I just wish' could've been up there on the podium again. Once you have that taste like last weekend ... but I know you can't win 'em all. , just have to regroup this week and definitely make the podium next week.» Roncada was next to cross the finish line to take fifth, while Tortelli Tex•• Stadium Irving, Tex•• Results: April 20, 2002 (Round 14 of 16] 250 HEAT 1 (8 laps, 1-4 transfer): 1. Jeremy McGrath (Yam); 2. David Vuillemin (Yam); 3. Tim Ferry (Yam); 4. Emesto Fonseca (Hon); 5. Nathilm Ramsey (Hon); 6. James Povolny Jr. (Hon); 7. Damon Huffman (Sut); 8. Jean·Sebastien Roy (Hon); 9. Ryan Clark (Yam); 10. Travis Hodges (Yam); 11. Jeson Frenette (Hon); 12. Brillin Mason (K8W)j 13. Tyler Evans (Hus); 14. Kris Papworth (Kaw); 15. Kevin Townsend (Hon); 16. Shay Manney (Yam); 17. Taylor Watts (Yam); 18. Ryan Kelley (Kaw); 19. Keith R. Johnson (Yam); 20. Daniel Blair (Yam). Time of Race:? min., 14.170 sec 250 HEAT 2 (8 laps. 1·4 transfer): I. Ricky Carmichael (Han); 2. Ezra Lusk (Kaw); 3. Stephane Roncada (Kaw): 4. Chad Reed (Yem); 5. Sebastien Tortelli (Han); 6. Heeth Voss (Han); 7. Kyle Lewis (Han); 8. Nick Wey (Yam); 9. Ted Campbell (So2); 10. Ben Riddle (Suz): 11. Jeremias Israel (Han); 12. Zeb Armstrong (Yam); 13. Cory Young (Yam); 14. Scott Davis (Suz); 15. Logan Darien (Yam); 16. Dave Castillo (Yam); 17. Jeff Hedden (Yam); 18. Isaiah Johnson (Suz); 19. Tyson Hadsell (Yam); 20. Joseph Oehlhof (Yam). Time of Race: 7:15.280 250 SEMI 1 (6 laps, 1·5 transfer); 1. Nathan Ramsey (Hon); 2. James Povolny Jr. (Han); 3. Damon Huffman (Suz); 4. Ryan Clark (Yam); 5. Keith Johnson (Yam); 6. Jean·Sebastien Roy (Han); 7. Tyler Evans (Hus); 8. Travis Hodges (Yam); 9. Brian Mason (Kaw); 10. Jason Frenette (Han); 11. Kris Papworth (Kaw); 12. Taylor Watts (Yam); 13. Kevin Townsend (Hon); 14. Daniel Blair (Yam); 15. Shay Manney (Yam); 16. Ryan Kelley (Kaw). Time of Race: 5:31 .320 250 SEMI 2 (6 laps, 1·5 transfer); 1. Nick Wey (Yam); 2. Heeth Voss (Han); 3. Kyle Lewis (Han); 4. Ben Riddle (Suz); 5. Tyson Hadsell (Yam); 6. Isaiah Johnson (Suz); 7. Ted Campbell (Suz); 8. Sebastien Tortelli (Han); 9. Zeb Armstrong (Yam); 10. Jeremias Israel (Han); II. Logan Darien (Yem); 12. Jeff Hedden (Yam); 13. Scott Davis (Suz); 14. Cory Young (Yam); 15. Dave Castillo (Yam); 16. Joseph Oehlhof (Yam). Time of Race: 5:35.130 250 lCQ (6 laps, 1·2 transfer): 1. Sebastien Tortelli (Han); 2. Jean-Sebastien Roy (Han); 3. Isaiah Johnson (Suz); 4. Ted Campbell (Suz); 5. Tyler Evans (Hus); 6. Jeremias Israel (Han); 7. Travis BRIEFLY•• • A rumor has been circulating the pits the past couple of weeks about the possibility of KTM Red Bull's Grant Langston going to Suzuki for the 2003 season, and it appears that it is more than just a rumor. According to reliabie sources, Langston. whose contract with KTM runs out at the end of the 2002 season, has indeed spoken to Suzuki about a possible factory-backed ride in the 250cc class. SoSe Suzuki's Trawl. P_na was, as expected, a no-show at Dallas. and he'll also sit out the final two rounds of the series. According to SoBe Suzuki team manager Roger DeCoster, Pastrana had surgery Wednesday to remove his tonsils. This was Pastrana's second surgery in four weeks. Following the New Orleans Supercross, Pastrana had surgery to enlarge the air passages in his sinuses. "The tonsil surgery was not your basic tonsil surgery," DeCoster said. "It was a little more serious. His doctor will not let him ride again until the Tuesday before Glen Helen [National MX Series openerJ. i saw him the day after his surgery [to his tonsils], and he was not feeling well. He's in bed right now: he's not a happy camper." Since both Travis Pastrana and Kevin Windham were unable to attend, Suzuki ended up sending the T_m So8e Suzuki _ I back home to California follOWing last week's Pontiac Supercross and, as a result, It was not present in Dallas. Suzuki was represented by only two_riders In the 250cc final: MotoworldRacing.com's Damon Huffman and Ben Riddle. The weather ended up cooperating for the Dallas Supercross. A few days earlier, a tornado touched down a few miles away In Ft. Worth, and thunclersta..... drenched the Dallas area. and more thunderstorms were forecasted for Saturday. "We thought we would have to cancel practice on Friday, but we didn't get any rain, and the track ended up being dusty." AMA MX manager Duke Finch said Saturday morning. "You just never know here." With the threat of rain, track·builder Rich Winkler and his crew mixed 25 tons of "quick' lime into the more than 500 truckloads of dirt that made up the Dallas track. "We mixed the lime with the dirt before we even started building the track," Winkler said. ·The lime will soak up the rain. When the moisture mixes with the lime. a chemical reaction occurs that will soak up the rain.· Although it was cloudy, warm and humid all day, the Dal· las Supercross went off without a hitch. and the weather was not a major factor, though it did sprinkle just s little bit halfway through the 250cc main. You might say the Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's .Jame. MBubba" SWwart was the favorite going into the 125cc final. Stewart's winning time in the second heat race was 11 seconds faster than Matt Walker's winning time in the first 125cc heat race. In the main event. however, things fell apart for Stewart, as he fell four times - once on the first lap and three times on the 13th lap. In fact. he fell In three consecutive turns. James Stewart wasn't the only rider who suffered a heartbreak at Dalias; so did Blimpie Suzuki's Danny Smith. While running third and making a bid for second in the 125cc last-chance qualifier. Smith went down in the last tum, approximateiy 20 feet from the finish line. Smith got right back up but finished seventh, three spots from making the 125cc main event. The Fast By Ferracci Husqvarna team suffered another blow when 125cc team rider Steve 26 MAY 1, 2002' eye I e n e _ 50 Hodges (Yam); 8. Jason Frenette (Han); 9. Scott nevis (Suz); 10. Shay Manney (Yam); 11. Jeff Hedden (Yam); 12. Taylor Watts (Yam); 13. Logan Darien (Yam); 14. Brian Meson (Kaw); 15. Daniel Blair (Yam); 16. Kevin Townsend (Han); 17. Dave Castillo (Yam); 18. Kris Papworth (Kew); 19. Zeb Armstrong (Yam); 20. Cory Youn9 (Yam); 21. Ryan Kelley (Kaw); 22. Joseph Oehlhof (Yam) Time of Race: 5:34.070. 250 MAIN (20 laps); 1. Ricky Carmichael (Hon); 2. David Vuillemin (Yam); 3. Jeremy McGrath (Yam); 4. Nathan Ramsey (Han); 5. Stephane Roncada (Kaw); 6. Sebastien TortellJ (Han); 7. Tim Ferry (Yam); 8. Ezra Lusk (Kaw); 9. Heath Voss (Han); 10. Nick Wey (Yam); 11. Jean-Sebastien Roy (Han); 12. Kyle Lewis (Hon); 13. Damon Huffman (Suz); 14. Keith R. Johnson (Yam); 15. Tyson Hadsell (Yam); 16. Ben Riddle (Suz); 17. James Povolny Jr. (Han); 18. Chad Reed (Yam); 19. Emesto Fonseca (Han); 20. Ryan Clark (Yam). Time of Race: 18:14.490 Winneris Average Lap Time: 65.724 sec. Margin of Victory: 3.440 sec. AMAlEA SPORTS SOPER CROSS SERIES POINTS STANDING (After 14 of 16 rounds); I. Ricky Carmichael (306/9 wins); 2. David Vuillemin (279{3 wins); 3. Jeremy McGrath (218); 4. Ezra Lusk (208); 5. Stephane Roncada (205); 6. Nathan Ramsey (197/1 win); 7. Ernesto Fonsec8 (159); 8. Nick Wey (149); 9. Heath Voss (145); 10. Damon Huffman (133); 11. Mike laRocco (120/1 win); 12. Kyle Lewis (98); 13. Travis Pastrana (96); 14. Tim Ferry (94); 15. (TIE) Jean·Sebestien Roy/Sebestien Tortelli (86); 17. Keith R. Johnson (65); 18. Kevin Windham (62); 19. Michael Byrne (56); 20. Chad Reed (47). Upcoming Rounds: Round 15 - Salt Lake City, Utah, April 27 Round 16 - Las Vegas, Nevada, May 4 Mertens crashed in a heat race and broke his wrist. According to Eraldo Ferracci. the team's manager, Mertens suffered a compound fracture of the wrist. as weli as ligament damage. Earlier in the year. Husqvama's Steve Lamson broke his leg, and Tyler Evans, who came on board the team foilowing Lamson's injury, broke his collarbone a few races later. Evans has since returned to racing but didn't have much success in Dallas. In his heat race, Evans tangled with another rider. which resulted in a severed rear-brake line on his bike. and he struggled through the semis and the LCQ with a couple of crashes. Evans failed to qualify for the 250cc main event. LCR Racing's Keith R. JohnllOn had a profitable evening. The Yamaha YZ250F pilot from Albu· querque, New Mexico. not only qualified for both main events. but did quite well in both. in the 125cc class. Johnson rounded out the top 10, and in the 250cc main. he finished 14th. Pro Caliber Suzuki's Isaiah JohnllOn and, Jonathon Shimp had the dubious honors of taking the Racer X Gas Card by being the top riders not to qualify for their respective classes. In the lastchance quaiifiers. Johnson finished third in the 250cc class and Shimp, fifth in the 125cc class. Red Bull KTM's Grant Langston recently had surgery to repair a broken foot and his knee. April 19. As earlier reported, Langston crashed during the week on J

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