Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128157
AMA/Chevy Trucks 250cc National Championship Motocross Series Round 3: High Point Raceway m Own Race:250 ®@ Sean Hamblin @~ Ryan Clark The newest member of the factory So Be Suzuki squad was determined to prove that his outstanding ride last weekend at Hangtown was no fluke and the 19-year-old from Sun City, California, did just that, finishing 9-9, for ninth overall. "I rode a little tight today not as good as I felt last week," said Hamblin. "It's going to take time for me to get used to these trllcks here in the East. I haven't been to them and a lot of these guys hllve - for years now. I feel that. by Southwick, I should be on the podium." The populllr LCR Racing.com/FLY/Dragon-backed Yamaha rider had an up-and-down day, finishing 14-24, for 19th overllll. "I was really happy with the way I rode," Clark said. "I moved up real strong in the first mota, only to kind of slip backwards at the end with a little bike problem and a little bit of tightness in my arms. The second mota didn't go my way. I fell in the second tum llnd then got up and crashed again. I felt like I rode really strong, though, so I was happy with that." 1I @ John Dowd The KTM/Cernic's.com/PC Worldwide rider holeshot both National matos, eventually finishing 8-7. for seventh overall. "I felt pretty good," Dowd said. "I wasn't quite up to the pace of the faster guys up front there, but I had fun. I actually ripped both holeshots - that was pretty cooL" @ 1) ~ Daryl Hurley The Australia Suzuki rider crashed hard just after the start of the first moto and eventually finished 17th. Hurley's second moto went much better, as he finished 10th, for 12th overall. "In the first moto, I hit that pole corning down the hill after the start lind pretty much crashed my brains out," Hurley said. "I didn't score many points, so I was a little disappointed about that race. In the second mota, I got a good start and was up ta fourth there for a bit. As the mota went on, the faster guys went by and I ended up battling with my teammate [Hamblin]. We pretty much had a battle going for the whole mota, so that WllS good experience. I'm glad to go home in one piece." ®® KTM/Cernic's.com/PC Worldwide teammate had a forgettable Keith S. Johnson Dowd's first mota, finishing 22nd. but came back to finish 12th in the second moto. "' actually wasn't feeling too bad," Johnson said. "In the first mota, I was running like II th or 12th and I fell. I got up quick, but I was on a weird angle and had trouble starting my bike. I got a little bit better of a start in the second moto. It seems like something has gone wrong for me on the first lap of every race this year, so I just wanted to make it through the first few laps alive." throughout the day that he was able to run Carmichael's pace, but his poor starts alIowed Carmichael to get away too early for the Frenchman to ever realIy be a factor. Tortelli started the first moto .ust outside the top five and quickly moved past SoBe Suzuki's Sean Hamblin and Dowd and into third. It took TortelIi just one more lap to get around Chevy Trucks/Kawasaki's Ezra Lusk for second, but it was too little, too late, as Carmichael had already amassed enough of a lead to keep his teammate in check for the remainder of the moto. "I didn't get a great start, but I was up there in the front - in the top 10," Tortelli said. "I passed some guys on the first lap, and after that, I was trying to catch up to Ricky, but we were going the same speed so that was pretty tough." In the second moto, Tortelli suffered an even worse start, completing the first lap in 12th place. Tortelli charged through the pack and, by the halfway point in the moto, found himself in third. A late-moto pass on Lusk put Tortelli into second, and that's where he would finish out the moto. "I tried hard," said TortelIi. "I actualIy got a good start, but I shut off in the first corner and almost crashed. 20 JUNE 5, 2002' cue I • Ezra Lusk had a shot at second but lost out to Tortelll. A 3-3 tally gave Lusk third overall. That was not too good, but you know, I tried hard and it was a good race. I'm going to try to do better at the next one." Scoring his first podium finish of the outdoor season was Lusk, with a solid 3-3 ride. Lusk scored great starts and ran as high as second in each of the two motos, before falling prey to Tortelli - early in the first moto and late in the second moto. While he was not quite up to the pace of Carmichael or Tortelli, the Georgia native really didn't have anyone else to worry about. Other than the brief scuffles with Tortelli, Lusk rode alone for the majority of each of the motos. "Ricky and Sebastien, they were just turning it loose today," Lusk said. "I came here this weekend shooting for a podium. I wanted to do my very best, but I just didn't have it in me today. Those guys rode realIy good. I was just trying to stay up there, be consistent and have two good motos. That's what I did. Now I just need to go forward with it." Finishing a strong and impressive 4-4, fourth overall, was Honda/Scott/ M2R/Reynard Modifications' Robbie n e _. ~® Kyle Lewis Despite crashing near the end of the first moto, the Moto XXX/DGY-supported Honda rider put in a strong ride, going 10-8, for eighth overall. "l rode hard both motos," Lewis said. "I wllsted too much time and energy behind Hamblin in the first mota and it kind of wore me out. That ended up costing me in the last 10 minutes of the second mota." Reynard, Reynard started the first moto in sixth, qUickly moving past Dowd and then Hamblin before settling in behind Lusk for the duration of the moto. Reynard suffered a poor start in the second moto, completing the first lap in 16th, but charged aggressively through the pack, picking off rider after rider and eventually passing Team Yamaha's David Vuillemin for fourth at the halfway point in the moto. Reynard was rewarded for his outstanding ride with the top 250cc privateer honors for the day. "I feel pretty good," said Reynard. "I'm getting closer and closer to that podium finish and that's what I'm trying to do. I want a couple of those before the year's out. I'm really comfortable on my Honda and I'm working hard at it. You just realIy have to be on your game with these guys. They're fast and they're strong. You've got to be strong along with them, get a start and ride as hard as you can the whole moto. l faded a little bit there at the end. I'll work on it. I won't be fading for long." Rounding out the top five at High Point was the aforementioned Vuillemin, who went 5-6 on the day. Vuillemin ran ninth for the first part of moto one before charging his way into fifth on lap 10 of the 16-lap moto. Vuillemin ran as high as third in the second moto, but was passed by TorteJIi just before the halfway point. A lap later, Reynard dropped Vuillemin to fifth, which is where he would finish out the moto. Coming off of a strong second-overall finish at Hangtown, Vuillemin was understandably a little disappointed with the way his day went. "It was difficult," Vuillemin said. "Last week, in the second moto, I sprained my ankle. This past week, I did only one practice moto and it was kind of painful. I was kind of scared of hurting it in the corners. I'm kind of bummed out. When you race hurt, you can't expect to do good. You