Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMAIChevy Trucks U, S, National MX Championships Round 7: Kenworthy's lCeawarthy's MX Park Tny, Ohio Results: July 14, ZOD2 (Round 7 of 1ZI 250 MOTO t (30 minutes, plus 2 laps): 1. Ricky C~rmichael (Hon); 2. ~bastien Tortelli (Hon); 3. Mike LaRocco (Hon); 4. Ezrll Lusk (KlIw); 5. Robbie Reynerd (Hon); 6. Paul Carpenter (Hon): 7. Kyle Lewis (Hon); 8. Heath Voss (Hon); 9. Tim Ferry (Yam); 10, Nick Wey (Yam); 11. Keith R. Johnson (Yam); 12. Keith S. Johnson (KTM); 13. Clark Stiles (Hon); 14. Crllig Decker (Yllm); 15. Ryan Clark (Yam); 16. Guy Cooper (KTM); 17. Steve Lamson (Hus); 18. Brad Hagseth (Yam); 19. Joe Oehlhor (Hon); 20. JlImes Povolny (Hon); 21. lsajah Johnson (Suz); 22. Berry Carsten (Suz); 23. Jason Thomas (Yam); 24, Brad Strunk (Suz); 25. Kevin Crlne (Hon); 26. Damien Plotts (Hon); 27. John Oowd (KTM) 28. Tyler Evans (Hus); 29, Jeff Baker (Yam); 30. Mike Katin (Hus); 31. Slephane Roncada (Kaw); 32. Brian Mason (Kaw); 33. Jamie Brockman (Hon); 34. Ben Riddle (Suz); 35. Nathan Ramsey (Hon); 36. David Vuillemin (YlIom): 37. Scott Metz (Hon); 38. Michael Brandes (Suz); 39. Ty Wallace (Yam); 40. Selin Hamblin (Suz), 250 MOTO 2 (30 minutes, plus 2 laps): I, Cannlchllel; 2. TortelJl; 3. Lusk; 4. Ferry; 5. llIRocco; 6. Reynllrd; 7. Lewis; 8. Dowd; 9. Ramsey; 10. Voss; 11. Cerpenter; 12. K.R. Johnson; 13. Hagseth; 14. Stiles; 15. Wey; 16. Cooper; 17. Plotts; 18. llImson; 19. Decker; 20. Oehlhof; 21. Clark; 22. Crine; 23. Wallace: 24. Thomlls; 25. Riddle; 26. Carsten; 27. Brandes; 28. Baker: 29. Brockman; 30. Mason: 31. Katin: 32. Metz; 33. Strunk; 34. Evans; 35. Roncada; 36. K.S. Johnson; 37. Povolny; 38. I. Johnson; 39. Vuillemin: 40. Hamblin. otocross Park 250 O/A: 1. Cennichael; 2. Tortelli; 3. Lusk; 4. LeRocco; 5. Reynard; 6. Ferry; 7. Lewis; 8. Cllrpenter; 9. Voss; 10. K.R. Johnson; 11. Wey; 12. Stiles; 13. Dowd; 14. Ramsey; 15. Hagseth: 16. Cooper; 17. Decker; 18. K.S. Johnson; 19. Lemson; 20. Clark; 21. Plotts; 22. Oehlhof; 23. Povolny: 24. Crine; 25. Wallace: 26. Thomlls; 27. Riddle; 28. Carsten; 29. Brandes: 30. 8llker, 31. Brockman; 32. Meson; 33. Kalin; 34. Metz: 35. Strunk: 36. Evans; 37. Roncada; 38. I. Johnson; 39. Vuillemin; 40. Hamblin. AMA/CHEVY TRUCKS 250cc U,S, MOTOCROSS C'SHIP SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 7 of 12 rounds): 1. Ricky Carmichael (350n wins); 2~ Tim Ferry (263); 3. Ezra Lusk (252); 4. Sebastien Tortelli (242); 5. Kyle Lewis (194); 6. John Dowd (169); 7. Robbie Reynard (142); 8, Mike laRocco (130); 9. David Vuillemin (118); 10. Sean Hamblin (114); 11. Heath Voss (110); 12. Paul Cllrpenter (92); 13. Craig Decker (73); 14. Keith S. Johnson (63); 15. Guy Cooper (62); 16. Stephane Roncada (59); 17, Keith R. Johnson (57); 18. (TIE) Nick Wey/ Clark Stiles (56); 20. Ryan Clark (52). Upcoming Rounds: Round 8 - New Berlin, New York, July 21 Round 9 - Washougal, Washington, July 28 Robbie Reynard broke the top five overall with another strong showing. The Honda privateer went 5,,8 for fifth overall. BRIEFLY••• Kelly Smith, of 3D Racing/SoCal, was a no-show at Troy after tearing tendons in his wrist at Red Bud last week. Team manger Bill Dill said that he should be back in about two weeks. National 125cc MX Champion Mike Brown did not show up at Troy and, from the sounds of things, he vvll not attend another National this year. Brown has been bothered by a knee injury since Mount Morris, and after reinjuring it again at Red Bud one week earlier, Brown decided to have surgery the week after Troy. "He's got another year on his contract and he decided to get it fixed now instead of waiting and chancing messing up the supercross series next year," Brown's mechanic, Brent Myron, said. "Kawasaki has an all-new bike next year and we want to get out and test on it early so we are ready for the 125cc class next year. He's not in the hunt now and not at 100 percent. so now is the time." Perhaps the surprise of the weekend was Cemic's KTM's John Dowd (below) choosing to ride a 250 SX twc-stroke KTM in favor of his usual holeshot-grabbing 520cc four· stroke. "I just thought that I'd make a change," Dowd said after Sunday's practice. "I didn't do well here last year on the 52Occ, and I just thought that I'd give it a try. Depending on how it goes, I may ride it for the next few rounds." Dowd crashed early in the first mota and finished 27th, but came back the second time out for eighth and 13th overall. Jeremy McGrath's Bud light Yamaha semi-truck driver Brian Barnhardt was seen sporting a Pro Circuit Kawasaki pit shirt at Troy. Silly rumors of McGrath returning to the 125cc class next year for Pro Cireuit flew around all weekend, but it turns out that "Big B" is just helping drive the semi for the next few rounds, "I'm just helping Tim drive for the next few weeks because that drive from Unadilla to Washougal is going to be a killer," he said. "I'm actually missing Jeremy's bachelor party in Vegas this weekend, but maybe that's for the best." There is no new news as to what bike MC plans to ride next year, Plano Honda's Scott Sheak says that now he is officially the team manager of the Shark Energy drink·sponsored 125cc team. "~ was official this week, actually," he said. "I'm doing it for the next two years, It's funny because my dad told me to manage a team a long time ago and it's just a wonderful opportunity after all the injuries I've gone through in the last few years: Team rider Travis Elliott said that the Sheak acquisition was, "definitely a step in the right direction for the team. " James Povolny's Honda featured a Subway logo on his WSA Snocross/Neilsen Enterprises CRF450R at Troy. The rumors of Subway stepping in and becoming another major outside-theindustry sponsor for next year may be true. Manager/Agent Chuck Shultz said, "We will most likely be a two-man 250cc supereross and outdoor team and Povolny will be one of the riders. Subway likes motocross and it's going to be a big deal." The team will most likely be aboard Hondas, Chad Watts was back at work at Troy after missing the Red Bud round last week. "I tore my meniscus last week when I was working on my house, and when I got up the following moming, I fell on my face," said Watts, who wrenches on Carmichael's Honda. "They [Hondal told me to stay home, but there was no way I was going to miss this one." Watts also said that he will have surgery on the knee after the Washougal round. Troy has always been known for giving the riders a little extra money at their event, and this year was no exception. F&S Suzuki and Kenworthy's awarded Josh Demuth, Branden Jesseman, Paul Carpenter and John Dowd each $500 for their holeshots in the 125 and 250cc classes, respectively, and all riders who qualified for the event were each given a bonus, as well. 30 .JuLv24, 2002· cue •• n _ ... s Race vvnners Ricky Cannichael and James Stewart Jr, had a VIP in their cheering sections when Cincinatti Reds centerfielder Ken Griffey .Jr. showed up in his black Lexus SUV to check on his two favorite motocrossers. Griffey has been on the injured reserve list for much of the season. He rides motocross frequently in the fall and winter at tracks around his home in Florida but is prohibited from doing so during the regular season. With 14-sstraight mota wins, Cannichael has now matched Mark Barnett's all"time record of 14 straight wins in AMA motocross. Barnett won the first 14 motos of the 1981 AMA , 25cc National Championship Series, clinching the title before the eighth and final round of the series. Barnett was denied a shot at the only perfect season in outdoor national history when he broke his collarbone before the last race at Carlsbad, California. Team Yamaha's David Vuillemin (below) had a rough time at Troy, as he went 36·39 on the day. At one point, Vuillemin was running as high as sixth in the first mota, but he crashed on an off·camber corner and ianded on the same shouider that he injured earlier in the year, He gave the second mota a shot, but pulled off after the first lap, deciding to call it a day, Ricky Carmichael noted that he was nominated for an ESPY Award and was in Hollywood, California, all week and was treated "like a star.· Carmichael also said that he didn't win the award, but had a great time in the LA. area even though he didn't ride at all during the week. The Skoal Pro Privateer Awards were handed out to Mota XXX's Larry Ward and Shogun Yamaha's Josh Demuth in the 125cc class, and Planet Honda's Robbie Reynard and Mota XXX's Kyle Lewis in the 250cc class. The vvnner of each received $1500, while second place earned $750 from Skoal Smokeless Tobacco. OMS' and NPG public relations manager Pat Schutte is planning a Dodge Ball and Street Hockey Showdown on the Friday before the Unadilla National next week, All are invited to the Rec Center in New Hartford, New York, Friday night at 6 p.m. Schutte is the motocross industry's top dodge ball player. Quite possibly the only one too! An AMA Motocross Advisory Board was held on the Friday evening before the Kenworthy's race. One of the hot-button top· ics was the new FIM requirement for unleaded fuel for the 250cc class throughout the 2003 AMAlEA Sports Supercross season, which the race team managers were adamantly against. Some concerns were also raised about preparations for the upcoming Motocross des Nations, scheduled be held in San Jac· into, California, at the end of September. AMA Pro Motocross Manager Duke Finch made it very clear that the AMA itself has little to do with the event and is out of the loop on both the event and the facility, "We've announced a team and that's about it," said Finch, referring to the Red Bud announcement that Ricky Cannichael, Tim Ferry and Mike laRocco had been invited to ride for Team USA. Suzuki's Roger DeCoster did not have much to say about his injured 250cc riders Travis Pastrana and Kevin Windham. According to DeCoster, the team has not had any indication from Windham as to when, or even if, he will be coming back this season. As for Pastrana, who recently infonned the team that he would be out for at least three more weeks with his broken wrist. DeCoster only shrugged and said, "We know he's doing backflips on his bike back in Maryland, so maybe he will be racing soon." The weekend marked a dubious milestone for the oft-Injured Pastrana: It will be exactly one year ago, at the Unadilla 125cc National. since Travis last won a mota. Pastrana won the first mota that day in New York, but cartwheeled while leading the last lap of the second mota, beginning a string of injuries and illnesses that have wrecked the last 52 weeks of his still-young career. Weird Thing of the Day: When privateer Ty Wallace fell eariy in the first mota on one of the slick jump/turns, the flagman on the jump before the crash thrust his caution flag out to warn other riders. When he did so, he stuck the flag right under the ann of another privateer, Mike Katin, who somehow held on to it and pulled it away from the flagman and rode down the track with the yellow flag under his ann. Katin eventually got the flag off of him and threw it toward another flagger.

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