Hngtown Classic
Rancha Conlova, Callfamia
Results: May 19, ZOOZ
MOTO 1 (30 minutes, plus 2 laps): 1. Ricky
Carmichael (Hon); 2. Timmy Ferry (Yam); 3. David
Vulllemm (Yam): 4. Sebastien Tortelli (Hon); 5.
Robbie Reynard (Hon); 6. Sean Hamblin (Suz): 7.
Ezro Lusk (Kow); 8. Kyle lewis (Hon); 9. John Dowd
(KTM); 10. Doryl Hurley (SU%); 11. Poul Carpenter
(Hon); 12. Craig Decker (Vern); 13. Dustin Nelson
(Yam); 14 Dercy unge (KllW); 15. Nathan Woods
(Yam); 16. Ryan Clark (Yam); 17. James Povolny Jr
(Hon); 18. Heath Voss (Hon); 19. Gemt Ordelmen
(Yam); 20. Jeremias Israel (Hon); 21. Ryen Dudek
(KTM): 22. Mett Karlsen (Yom): 23. Dennis Stepleton
(Hon); 24. Tyler Evans (Hus): 25. Brien Roth (Han):
26. Robbie Ska9gs (Yam); 27. Keith Johnson (KTM);
28. Gordon Ward (Han): 29. Wally Sliva (Yam); 30.
Clifford Cook (Hon); 31. Beau Baron (Hon); 32.
Michael Kann (Suz): 33. Merk Wundreck (Yam); 34.
Gregory Crater (Han); 35. Travis Pestrone (Suz); 36.
Guy Cooper (KTM); 37. Steve Lamson (Hus); 38.
Stephllne Ronc8da (Kaw); 39. Chris Berrett (Hon);
40. Ted Campbell (Suz).
MOTO 2 (30 minutes, plus 2 laps): 1.
Carmichael; 2. Vuillemin; 3. Ferry; 4. Lusk; 5.
Tortel1i; 6. Dowd; 7. Carpenter; 8. Lewis: 9. Hllmblin;
10. Hurley; II. Lange; 12. Voss: 13. Cooper; 14.
Reynard; 15. Nelson; 16. Woods; 17. Skaggs; 18.
Wundrack; 19. Silva; 20, lsnllel; 21. Ordelman; 22.
Compbell: 23. Clark: 24. Cook: 25. Stepleton: 26.
Duddek; 27. Johnson; 28. Karlsen; 29. Ward; 30.
Barrett; 31. Crlllter; 32. KllInn; 33. Baron; 34. Roth;
35. EVllns; 36. Decker; 37. Roncada; 38. Lamson;
39. Pastrllnll; 40. Povolny
O/A: I. CllIrmichael; 2. Vuillemin: 3. Ferry; 4
Tortelli; 5. Lusk; 6. Dowd; 7. HllImblin; 8. Lewis; 9.
CllIrpenter; 10. Reynllrd; 11. Hurley; 12. U1nge; 13.
Nelson; 14. Voss; 15. Woods; 16. Decker; 17.
Cooper; J 8. ClllIrk; 19. Skaggs; 20. Povolny; 21.
Wundrlllck: 22. SilvllI; 23. Isrlllel; 24. Ordelman; 25.
Campbell; 26. Cook; 27. Stepleton: 28. Dudek: 29.
Johnson; 30. KllIrlsen; 31. Wllrd; 32. BllIrrett: 33.
Crater; 34. Kann; 35. Baron; 36. Roth; 37. Evans; 38.
ROn<:lllda; 39. Lamson: 40. Pastnma.
AMA/CHEVY TRUCKS 250. The only rider with more all-time wins is Jeremy McGrath,
with 89. However, Carmichael did tie Kent Howerton for second
on the all-time 250cc Nationai MX win list at 18. The only rider
with more 250cc National MX wins is Rick Johnson, with 22.
While Carmichael has accumulated his 250cc total quite quickly, ~
should be remembered that the 250cc series used to be much
shorter to accommodate the 500cc series.
but notice that Hamblin was hanging out in the Suzuki semi after
the race.
Canadian Darcy Lange has been riding quite well so far in the
Nationals (finishing 12th-overall at both rounds), and he was
wearing new Fox apparel at Hangtown in place of his previous
Thor duds.
The Dirt Diggers North spruced up the Hangtown track considerably for this National, adding a new section with a cool stepdown jump followed by a hairpin. There was also a new mid-tum
pyramid jump, and many loads of sand were brought in to lessen
the natural hard-packed nature of the Hangtown circu~. Lap times
were in the high 2:40 range. Most important from a visual standpoint, the Dirt Diggers hydro-seeded the infleld. which was covered by a nice layer of grass. The Hangtown race is unique in that
it is held on California State Park land (below), at ~he Prairie City
OHV Park.
After suffenng a hard crash last week in practice for the Glen
Helen National MX opener, Team Honda's Nathan Ramsey was
too sore to compete at Hangtown. According to team manager
Erik Kehoe. Ramsey suffered a sprained elbow, and he should be
back for either Mt. Manis (May 26l or Southwick (June 9).
The hard-luck season of Travis Pastrana continued at Hangtown. In his second race back following sinus troubles and sickness, the SaSe Suzuki nder crashed hard when he cross-rutted
and high-sided about midway through the first mota: he walked off
the track and failed to start the second mota. Team manager
Roger DeCoster said that. although he'll have to wait for an X-ray
on Monday to be sure, it looked likely that Pastrana may have
broken the navicular bone in his wrist.
DeCoster said before the race that Pastrana is still having enough
troubles WIth his sinuses that he will require yet another nasal
surgery after the season. With his Hangtown wrist injury, however, one could assume that the surgery date will be moved up.
As for Pastrana's teammate Kevin Windham, hiS mechanic
Alley Semar says he hasn't yet gotten a release from his doctor.
Windham, who is recovering from a broken femur, will see his
doctor on Wednesday, and Semar said he is - hoping - Windham
will return for Southwick or Budds Creek.
There was a new face working out of the SaSe Suzuki pits, as
Kiwi Daryl Hurley took advantage of a break in the Australoan
National Circuit. The deal came about when Suzuki Australia manager Jay Foreman called DeCoster and requested that Hurley be
allowed to ride two U.S. Nationals (Hangtown and Mt. Morris
next week) as a reward for his strong riding in Australia. -I love it
here," said the 26-year·old of his first trip to the States. "The
coolest thing I saw when we were driving up here was a huge cow
farm with about 18 acres of cows just waiting to be slaughtered. I
knew I was in the U.S." Hurley went 10-10 on the day for 11 th
overall.
As for Sean Hamblin, who peformed well on a Suzuki with
SoBe graphics at Glen Helen, he did even better at Hangtown.
After flnishing 16th overall at the opener, Hamblin went 6-9 for
seventh overall at Hangtown. Although DeCoster insisted that
Hamblin's involvment with the team doesn't extend beyond help
with testing and some assistance from Bill's, one couldn't help
There was some pre-race speculation that local Tallon Vohland would capitalize on the off-weekend in the MX GP schedule
to make an appearance at Hangtown, but the Kawasaki rider was
not on-hand.
A big deal has been made of the fact that Ricky Carmichael tried
out a Bridgestone tire during the early part of the supercross season (even racing with it at one round), but the champ is happy
with his Dunlops now. In fact. Carmichael has pretty much settled upon a single rear tread pattern for most conditions - the 756
(although he does use a couple of different compounds).
Carmichael. who uses various Dunlop fronts, used a 773 soft-terrain rear at Daytona and Salt Lake, but has pretty much gone with
the 756 other than that. And for those who whine that Dunlop
doesn't make its "special- compound available to the public,
remember that it wears much faster than standard rubber.
Dream teacher: Displayed near Ricky Carmichael's motorhome in
the Glen Helen pits was a three-dimensional scale model of this
year's Dallas Supercross track (below). The prOject was the handiwork of Michael Savarese's math class at Sisson Junior High
in Mt. Shasta, California. Savarese used the project to teach his
students about ratios and scale, and they used video and a track
map to estimate the proportions and build the model. Dirt Wurx's
Rich Winkler then provided Savarese with a blueprint of the track,
from which he and his class determined that they were within a
couple of feet. In past years, Savarese's classes have built models of the Georgia Dome and Daytona tracks.
After passing up a ride with Red Bull KTM, Matt Walker has yet
to eam a sure spot Inside the Pro Circuit/Kawasaki/Chevy Trucks
semi, despite sixth- and 10th-overall finishes at the first two
Nationals Cand a 125cc SX win). According to team owner Mitch
Payton, Walker is holding down the spot of injured Shae Bentley,
who won't likely return before the Budds Creek round on June
16. -If he ndes well, there's a chance he'll stay on, but there are
no guarantees, - Payton said.
After riding the SX circuit for Mota XXXlDGY, Kelly Smith rode
with the 3D Racing team for one outdoor round at Glen Helen
before dropping out to do his own deal at Hangtown.
the meantime, fellow editor Eric Johnson was holding down the
Racer X fort at Hangtown. and Cameron Steele has taken over
the helmet-cam duties (he rode a SaSe Suzuki at Hanglown).
After breaking his frame in Saturday's practice, Robbie Reynard had to have his CR250R repaired overnight.
Father/mechanic Robert Reynard Sr. took the engine from. his
race bike and installed it in the frame from his practice bike.
For the second week in a row, the Women's Motocross
League competed in conjunction with the National, running one
mota on Saturday and the other before the men's Sunday motos.
German Stefl Laier ran away on her KTM and hid in both motos.
Look for a complete story by Doug Karcher in next week's issue.
Asterisk Ca knee-brace manufacturer) has committed to funding
the presence of at least one on·site doctor (usually John Bodnar
and/or Steve Augustine) at each of the National MX rounds this
year. Asterisk also paid to have Bodnar at each of the SX rounds.
The Asterisk crew was aSSisted at Hangtown by the Donner
Ranch Ski Patrol and the National Motorcycle Patrol.
With more and more people logging on to www.mxnationals.com
to Iosten to the chatter of track announcers Erv Braun. Tim
Cotter and Bruce Flanders, the commercials broadcast over
the P.A. system have become significantly more professional than
In past years.
After wearing ONeal apparel for the supercross series, the Mota
XXX/DGY riders have SWitched over to Azonic gear for the
Nationals. Azonic is made by O'Neal.
For Thursday's press day, NPG P.R. guru Pat Schutte arranged
to have local boys Steve Lamson (of Fast By Ferracci Husqvar·
naJ and Steve Caballero Ca professional skateboarder) ride on
the Hangtown track.
National MX flxture Davey Coombs has missed the first couple
Nationals of the season, a tum of events that hasn't happened in
many moons. The Racer X editor in chief/National
promoter/ESPN commentator/AMA Board of Trustees member/helmet-cam wearer has been at home with wife Shannon and
newborn son Vance Jakob, but you can expect a return shortly. In
A roar went up from the crowd when local hero Steve Lamson
pulled the holeshot in the first 250cc mota, but the Fast By Ferracci Husqvarna rider pulled off soon after when he caught his
already-injured foot in a hole and tweaked it. "It killed," said lamson, who sat out mota two. "I'll take a few days off and try to ride
Mt. Manis."
Quote of the day: After finishing sixth in the second 125cc
moto, Grant Langston said, "I just rode like a fairy - not Tim
Ferry. "
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MAY 29, 2002
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