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THQ World Supercross GP Series/AMA Supercross Series Round B/4: Pacific Bell Park my Own Race: 250cc ~(] Nick Wey 10th "I just kind of got bad starts all night - I felt like I was riding okay, just maybe rode a little bit too much during the week," Mach 1 Yamaha's two-stroke pilot sa.id. "I didn't have another gear like I needed this week, and next week maybe I'll do a little bit less riding so I'll be a little fresher for the race. I came out of here with 10th, and I felt terrible out there on the track, so it could've been a lot worse." 1] 1] 1] Grant Langston 1] @® Sebastien TorteUi 9th "I was in the top 10, and I rode pretty strong for a while in about sixth piace, and then towards the end I just got a little fatigued and dropped back to ninth," said Red BuIlKTM's lone active 250cc rider. "I think the team's kind of happy just because it's the best finish we've had in lAMA) supercross [this year). It was my goal; I mean I haven't been able to ride just because of my wrist injury, so I was coming in just hoping to do 20 laps and get in the top 10, so ninth place right now for me is a stepping stone." 15th "This was not a good week for me, definitely," said the SoBe Suzuki rider. "I hurt my ankle this week. In the main, I couldn't get going. It's just, I was with the slow guys, and I just couldn't pick it up. The guys were very slow, so it was hard to get going." Tortelli lost his voice due to sickness during the week. He fell more than once in the main and lost a bet with his trainer Rick Johnson because of his finish (see Briefly...). .®® Paul Carpenter 11th "I pulled the holeshot and kind of rode a little bit tight - a Uttle bit cautious," said the White Brothers/Shift Honda rider of his first main event. "I didn't want to make any mistakes, and I just kind of rode. I rode steady. I never did anything spectacular. I never did any' blazing-fast laps. I just rode." . ~ 1] Stephane Roncada 8th "The sixth lap is about when I hit the wall," said the ·likeable SoBe Suzuki Frenchman. "I could've tried to race Ricky and go faster until lap 10, but I would've suffocated and finished way back, so I had to lay down and go slow and conserve energy. It's kind of hard to do that, but I had to do it to finish the race. I feel pretty sore right now, and I'll be pretty sore tomorrow, but it's better than last week, so I'm pumped about that." {§) Mike LaRocco 5th "I was up there, then I went back because I forgot how to ride my bike," said the popular Amsoil/Chaparral Honda rider. "I made a bunch of mistakes early, and I finally slowed down, and I came back up. I don't know what I was doing. After I made some mistakes, I got mad and turned the thing on, but the track... I was trying to make some moves and passes, and every time I stepped out of the main line, I made a mistake. It was just really slippery and really gravelly, so I let that get the best of me early." 1] {§) Timmy Ferry "It's just tough," Reed said. "Everybody is going so fast, and it seems like everyone is getting even more on the pace. A lot of people can go 20 laps, and there's more and more people that can do it now. You've got to get a good start, and you've got to put the laps in and stay out of trouble. I didn't go down, and that's what I need to do to stay on the bike. It was a good night; I did the best I can." "I was able to get out front really quick," Carmichael said. "It was a good race for me; you know, I rode pretty easy - I didn't want to push it the track was a little slippery, so I just tried to put in some good laps. I saw Chad [Reed] coming, but I kept my distance. He'd put in a good lap and stay the same, then put in another good lap and stay the same, so I was just trying to put in good, clean laps. "I feel like I'm stronger in 20 laps, but my speed is slowly getting better. I won the heat race, and that was awesome. I got a good start in the main event and did my own deal. I got a decent-sized lead and just kind of cruised it a little bit. The track was slippery, and it seems like the last four laps, I really slowed down. When I did that, I started to ride a little better. It's a good race, and just trying to get to that win number nine is my main focus right now." Nine wins on the supercross season will tie Carmichael with Jeremy McGrath for the record for overall AMA wins with 89 - eight more wins would give Carmichael the record all by himself. eN Pacific BeU Park San Francisc., Calif.rnia Results: January 25, 2003 (R.und 6141 HEAT 1 (8 laps, 1-4 transfer): I. David Vuillemin (Yam); 2. Ezra Lusk (Kaw); 3. Chad Reed (Yam); 4. Mike LaRocco (Han); 5. Ivan Tedesco (Yam); 6. Michael Byrne (Han); 7. Pliul Carpenter (Han); 8. Damon Huffman (Han); 9. Keit·h R. Johnson (Yam); 10. Erick Vallejo (Yam); 11. Michael Blose (Yam); 12. Jason McCormick (Han); 13. Jeff Northrop (Kaw): 14. Casey Lytle (Yam): 15. Kelly 4th "I started 15th or 16th or something like that, and I've been kind of struggling there," said the factory Yamaha four-stroke pilot. "I've been working on 'em [starts], but they just ain't getting better. But I felt strong. I felt 100 percent the whole time. Lap-timewise, there's no reason why, if I get a good start, I can't win. I've just got to get some starts." [}{}@W flOD@W @@7] flOD@[?@ ®~ Qualifying Michael Byrne 7th The Amsoil/Chaparral Honda Aussie ran inside the top three for much of the race. "I made a couple big mistakes - I cased a jump, and it took like five seconds off of my normal lap time. I lost a iot of time there, and those guys just caught right up to roe. I had to battle with them, and I just lost my rhythm halfway through. I'm a little disappointed about it." He says he's ready for the 125cc East, though. 1] 1] Ezra Lusk 6th "Timmy and LaRocco were probably the only two guys I would've had a chance at, but once I got held up there with Grant [Langston), I pretty much lost that chance," said the popular Chevy Trucks Kawasaki rider. Iy put in the fastest lap of the race, a 44.543-second lap. Carmichael's best was a 45. J 78, while Vuillemin practice you make a few mistakes, and you know you can do it even Jaster for the race, so it makes you kind of confident. I knew my lap even beat that with a 45.081. Vuillemin also had the fastest lap time in practice. "It's always good for the confidence," Vuillemin said of having the fastest practice lap. "Sometimes in 8 FEBRURY 5, 2003' eye I times were good at the beginning of the season, but right now there are so many good guys that you have to get a good start and keep the pace with the guy in front." e n e vv s The first heat race was a good one. For the third week in a row, Chad Reed and Ezra Lusk got out front together, but this time David Vuillemin and Mike LaRocco tailed them closely. Starting the third lap, aU of the riders had to roll the first triple after Subway Honda's Ted Campbell crashed before the jump. The jump remained closed down for the duration of the race. Vuillemin caught up to Reed and Lusk in part by doubling before the flags while the rest of the riders were singling through, but the AMA didn't see a problem with that at all. The rule, accordlng to the AMA, is not to jump any of the jumps within the triple. Vuillemin passed Lusk for second on the fifth lap and-then got Reed with two to go. With Reed breathing down his neck, Vuillemin doubled the triple that everyone else was singling and put distance between himself and the pack to take the win. Lusk then got Reed for second, while LaRocco finished fourth. Ricky Carmichael grabbed the holeshot off tb,e start of his heat race and just plain left. He ended up winning the eight-lap race by almost 11 seconds over Grant Langston, Sebastien Tortelli and Emesto Fonseca. Carmichael's heat was over 17 seconds faster than Vuillemin's. Michael Byme made short work of the first semi, while Paul Carpenter made his first trip to the main event via second place in the race. Ivan Tedesco, Keith R. Jobnson and Erick Vallejo all got into the main event. Larry Ward won the second semi ahead of Stephane Roncada, who came from behind to pressure Ward for the lead. Heath Voss, Timmy Ferry and Nick Wey all quaUfJed for the main. Damon Huffman won the LCQ over Ryan Clark, who came from way back to get the last transfer into the main.