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/128204
Lany Ward (10) looked to have the holeshot In the bag until h. f.1I In the first tum, taking Nick Wey (27) with him and causing Timmy Feny (15) to stop. Travis Preston (34, inside Ward) got credit for the holeshot. always going to be - I think that's where I belong, and I don't belong anywhere outside of it," Hamblin said. "It's all momentum building up for Daytona. We're heading down to Florida tomorrow, and we're going to be doing all of our testing down there, and hopefully there won't be any of these lap-18 arm-pump things. I actually didn't get tired. I felt strong the whole way through - my lungs were kind of a little tight, I think from being in the dome and having all the fumes and stuff, but overall it was a good night." Even though the track had lap times hovering in the mid-40s, Carmichael only lapped up to 14th place on his way to the win. It was a fast field, despite the list of injured riders. Fonseca was relatively happy with his ride. "I've got to get in the groove and keep getting good starts, and the results will come," Fonseca said. "I'm still a little sick, so I hope to get better this week and go into Daytona a lot stronger. It's a tough race." Reed was disappointed, and he now sits 22 points in arrears of Carmichael for the AMA championship. A race win is worth 25 points. "I had a few little problems, but I'm not making any excuses," Reed said. "I've just got to concentrate on my racing and get good starts... With my starts, I think it's me. I'm not used to it if you have a lot of traction, and I've just got to get used to it. I'm going to go out this week with Timmy [Ferry]. and he's actually getting a starting gate put into his house this but neither gaining nor losing ground. "If I was faster, I would've passed him, but I wasn't. I think we were running the same lap times." One of So Be Suzuki's 250cc replacements, Sean Hamblin, started the race 10th but put on an inspiring ride and stayed out of trouble to score his first-ever 250cc supercross top-five in only his second-ever 250cc supercross. A year ago, few even knew his name. He caught Short for fifth and passed him on the 17th lap as Short was noticeably winded, and he even got close enough to Fonseca that one mistake on the Honda rider's part could've garnered Hamblin fourth. "He looked good, huh?" SoBe Suzuki team manager Roger DeCoster conceded. "It's pretty good for only his second supercross on a 250, I'm going to have to agree with him that he rides a 250 better than a 125." "Top five was a goal, and it's Got There) before the main event, and it didn't look like he was as comfortable as usual. "Tonight was definitely a long night for me," he said. "I guess it was just one of those weekends. It was a pretty rough week this week back home, and it showed this weekend. This next week I'm going to go down and do a few little things different and try and enjoy myself." Reed got around Short pretty early then found his way past Preston for fourth through the whoops when Preston moved aside, but the move left the door open for Short, too - and eventually a few others. "He passed me in the whoops," the Amsoil(Chaparral Honda rider said. "I came into the whoops and just kind of went wide - it's just like I'm not 100 percent yet; I've only had three weeks on this thing. I guess it's kind of from the 125 and people ruining my night, so I don't want to get in those guys' way and ruin their night of racing when I'm out here just try- ing to get used to my bike." Eventually, Preston would finish 10th. Reed then began to work on Fonseca, who's suffered more than his share of hard luck lately, for third, and eventually the Aussie made his move, diving inside the Costa Rican before heading across the start straight on the seventh of 20 laps. By then, however, Carmichael and Vuillemin had checked out. Carmichael only had just over three seconds to spare on Vuillemin at the halfway point, but Vuillemin had a further five seconds on his teammate, and that gap was stretching instead of shrinking. "When I moved to second, it stayed like that for a long time," Vuillemin said of chasing Carmichael Short stuff: Sean Hamblin (inside) put the stuff on Andrew Short (41) for fifth late In the race. It was Hamblin's first top-five in his second 250cc supercross. eye I e n e _ S • MARCH 12, 2003 9