AMAIChevy Trucks U.S. Motocross Championship Series
Round S: Unadilla Valley Sj'lJorts Center
BRIEFLY•••
With his overall win, Ricky Carmichael (below) becomes only
the second three-time 250cc National winner at Unadilla (2000,
2001 and 2002), Mike laRocco was the first, having won the race
in 1994, 1995 and 1999,
home never really get to see - how it progresses and how rough it
gets. I can tell you, just lrom being out in practice, the track is
rougher than anything I've ever ridden - and I've been riding dirt
bikes all 01 my life. "
Lucky lans that showed up early on Saturday were given the
unique opportunity to walk the famed Unadilla course
belore the riders went out lor the Saturday altemoon practice
sessions.
Noticeably absent at Unadilla was SoBe Suzuki's Sean Hamblin. Hamblin crashed in the first mota at Troy and sat out the
remainder 01 the day. "He bruised his lung," team manager Roger
DeCoster said, "There was a little bit 01 liquid in it. He probably
needs to stay out one or two weeks. He may be back as early as
next weekend, He was going to go to the doctor again tomorrow
to get checked, It's not really that bad, but I don't think he would
have been able to ride today. "
Oklahoman Robbie Reynard (below) will race at the Belgian
250cc Grand Prix lor CAS Honda on August 4, and he is also
looking for a ride in 2003. "I don't know how the European deal
came about. - Reynard said. "Somebody contacted my dad and
asked ill was interested. I don't have anything sorted over here
for next year. I'll just go there and see what happens. It's going to
be interesting. I'm getting some good results this year. I had
some bad races due to sickness, but I'm not getting any interest
from the teams - some smaller teams are talking to me. but nothing too serious at the moment. I'll go to Europe and see what happens, I was a little nervous about going to Belgium, since you
DeCoster also reports that he is feeling quite a bit better alter his
recent bout with a bleeding ulcer, "I'm okay," DeCoster said,
"I'm hanging in there,"
Team Yamaha's David Vuillemin was also absent at Unadilla.
According to team manager Steve Butler, Vuillemin is still struggling with the shoulder and ankle injuries that he sullered earlier in
the season, Nuillemin crashed and re-aggravated the shoulder
last week at Troy.> Butler hopes to have the Frenchman back for
Millville.
Boost MobilelYamahalTroy Racing's Greg Schnell was yet
another no-show at Unadilla, "Collectively, we both decided lor
him to have surgery on his shoulder," the team's Craig Dack said.
"Since he dislocated his shoulder earlier in the year, it's just progressively gotten worse and began to allect his conlidence. He
should be scheduled to have the operation early next week, "
Canmichael's win also makes him the winningest rider at the
Unadilla Valley Sports Center, Canmichael is five-lor-six in overall
wins at the lacility, He won the 125cc class in 1998 and 1999 and the 250cc class in 2000, 2001 and 2002. He finished lourth
overall in the 125cc class in his 1997 rookie year at the track.
Unadilla also marks Ricky Carmichael's 24th career 250cc
National MX
Since the Unadilla Valley Sports Center has a separate amateur
track, the Unadilla pro track remains a relatively untouched,
grassy pasture belore the riders go out lor the Saturday practice
sessions. Other than a lew strategically placed banners and the
lact that the grass had been cut a bit shorter on the actual track
portion, it was sometimes hard to tell when the course began and
ended. The gail course look didn't last long, though, By the time
the first wave 01 riders exited the track from practice, much 01 the
grass had been tumed up to reveal Unadilla's rich, yet deceptively
slick, loam and inlamous rocks. Unadilla also became the first
National track to abandon Its concrete start, instead opting lor a
more natural dirt start,
On Saturday, ESPN's Cameron Steele strapped on the network's
helmet cam and had the distinction 01 being the first rider to
take a lap around the yet-unspoiled and grass-covered Unadilla
track, "It was a little nerve-wrecking," Steele said, "You're thinking 'Man, everybody's going to be watching me', but then it hit
me - I'm going to ride Unadilla all by myselll It was so prime.
There weren't tons 01 fans, but people were still screaming as I
went around. Just being out there - it almost lelt like a dream. The
track was so smooth and so buttery. Being out there where so
many legends had been - it was amazing. '
In addition to his solo opening lap. Steele also rode in several 01
the pro practice sessions to illustrate to viewers just how quickly
the deceiVingly smooth-looking course becomes brutally
rough. "We haven't really had a chance to do that this year, so
this Suzuki Fast Lap Irom Unadilla will be a two- and maybe threepart piece." Steele said. "We're going to take you from the start
and take you through about lour or five comers with it all grass.
Then they're going to cut away to me having to hit the stutter
bumps and the chatter going into the comers to really show people how rough it gets. That's one thing that people watching at
Speaking 01 Boost MobilelYamahalTroy Racing. team rider Ivan
Tedesco failed to qualify at Unadilla,"
crashed earlier in his
qualifier," Dack said. "He just had a small crash and was back in
20th, He was coming through the pack and went all a jump sideby-side with another rider, They both misjudged each other,
crossed in the air and went down, He's gone to the hospital. When
he breathes really deep, he has a very sharp pain in the upper
shoulder/chest area, so it may be a broken rib or something like
that. We're not sure, but obviously, he's out lor the day,The combined promotional ellorts 01 media agents Gerace
Communications and OMS, Ltd. seem to be paying all in a
big way lor many 01 the outdoor Nationals. Leading up to the
Unadilla race, leature stories were run in several major-market
newspapers, as well as on major TV and radio stations in the
area. "My agency, Gerace Communications, working on behall 01
the Unadilla promoter, placed leature stories in two major Gannett newspapers - the Utica Observer Dispatch and the Binghamton Sun-Times - and a Newhouse Newspaper, which serves Syracuse." Frank Gerace said, "We also have stories placed in
several area dailys. As lar as radio, we did a live remote broadcast with station WOUR at the Ramada Inn last night [FridayJ. It
leatured all 01 the Team Honda riders and we had over 300 lans
attend, For TV, we had the ABC and NBC alliliates out 01 Utica,
WUTR and WKTV do leatures last night and they're doing leatures again this evening, Larry Lawrence, from the AMA, and Pat
Schutte, working on behall 01 OMS, Ltd.. went to the Syracuse
market and a local privateer rider from this area, Bruce Stratton,
was featured on the two main Syracuse stations - WTVH·5, which
is the CBS affiliate and WIXT-9, the ABC affiliate, We've had a lot
01 great press coverage lor this race and everyone is working
together to put on a good show.
The 2002 inductees to the .Jammer's All-Unadilla Team
were Honda team manager Erik Kehoe and Dunlop TIres' Broc
Glover, Jimmy Weinert, a lonmer National Champion. announces
the 'team' that consists 01 those who have made significant contributions to the sport 01 motocross, Kehoe and Glover join such
luminaries as Roger DeCoster, Bob Hannah and Weinert himsell.
U.S, Tobacco presented its Top Prlva_r Awards at Unadilla. Robbie Reynard and Kyle Lewis were the top 250cc privateers, and Josh Demuth and Larry Ward were the top 1250c privateers. The top privateer in each class receives $1500, while the
runner-up receives $750.
In Sunday morning qualifier action, Plano Honda's Josh Ceppins won the first 250cc qualifier, which clocked in as the lastest
01 the day at 9: 10.45 minutes. Crossroad Powersports/RRPbacked Honda rider Damien Plotts won the second 250cc qualifier. and Jim Honda/Smith/Pro Action's Jon Borull won the 250cc
consolation race. Amsoil/Dr. Martens/Journeys/Honda's Michael
Byrne won the first 125cc qualifier, and American Suzuki/DGY/
So Cal's Paul Currie won the second 125cc qualifier, F&S Suzuki/O'Neal's Randy Valade took the 125cc consolation win.
hear all these stori
Also considering heading to the Belgian event is Chad Reed,
The Aussie, who rode the 250cc GP series in 2001, would like to
catch up with some friends and ride some 01 his old haunts, "I
would love to get back there'- Reed said. "I have to see il it lits
in with what we're doing here, and see what happens. I'll go,
though, il it's okay with the team. It would be interesting to see
how my speed is compared to last year and just have some fun,"
The European portion 01 the World Supercross Series, which
will consist of two Centinental rounds in December, iooks likely to
be skipped by most 01 the American teams. A Kawasaki
spokesman said that none of the U.S. teams are interested due
to the rules of using FIM-regulated (unleaded) fuel at those
rounds. Red Bull KTM, however, has indicated it will contest the
series with Grant Langston racing the 250cc class,
Speaking of Grant Langston, the KTM rider raced two motos
in California on the Saturday belore Unadilla. "He has three more
125cc races lor KTM: said Langston's father. Gerald. "He
should be okay lor the next round of the Nationals, and when that
series is over, he'll move to the 250cc machine,"
While the Jeremy McGrath KTM rumors continue to' circulate. the
newest rumor in the pits was that KTM is now alter Stefan
Everts to race in the 250cc Grands Prix.
New Zealand's Ben Townley made an excellent point at Unadilla, The winner of the recent Swedish Grand Prix pointed out that
the best racers in the world at the moment are all sand specialists. "Riding on the sand really improves your technique," Townley said. "Look at the guys who race Irom Florida, or the riders
who are based in Belgium or Holland. When I move to America in
2004, I want to set up in Florida, That's why Canmichael, Ferry
and Stewart are so last. plus Chad Reed lived in Belgium and
learned a lot from riding on the Belgian tracks, I know that's were
I made big improvements in my technique. "
Fonmer 250cc World Champion Danny LaPorte (below, on left)
said earlier in the year that he was going to come out of retirement to compete at this year's National at Unadilla, but. unfortunately, an ankle injUry sullered earlier in the month prevented him
Irom racing, LaPorte did. however, attend the race and spent
some 01 the time hanging out with Suzuki team manager Roger
