Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

THQ WOr"'ld Super'Cr"'oss GP/AMA Super'Cr"'Oss Ser"'ies Round 13/12: Reliant Stadium 4. Brion Moson (Yom); 5. Rene Reyes (KTM); 6. Ted Campbell (Hon); 7. Ini8h Johnson (Kew); 8. Merk Wundrock (Yom); 9. Kris Popworth (Kow); 10. Scott oovl. (Suz): 11. Scott Metz (KTM); 12. Joseph Oehlhof (Yom); 13. Hon. Neel (KTM); 14. Ty.on Hodsell (Yom); 15. JeITed Fisher (Yom). Tune: 4 min.. 54.242 sec. Margin of victory: 0.623 sec. LCQ (4 lop., 1·2 Iron.fer): I. Tyler Evons (SOl); 2. Ted Compbell (Hon); 3. I..ioh Johnson (Kow); 4. Jimmy Wilson (Yom); 5. Eddie Roy (Hon); 6. B. Karsten Butler (Suz); 7. Merk Wundrllck (Vern); 8. Scott oovl. (SOl); 9. Zeb Armstrong (Hon); 10. Kri. Popworth (Kow); II. Hons Neel (KTM); 12. Bryon White (Yam); 13. Jem~d Fisher (Yam); 14. Joseph Oehlhof (Hon); 15. Toylor Wotts (Yom); 16. Clinton Sheoly (SOl). TIme: 5 min., 5.917 sec. Margin of victory: 7.551 sec. MAIN: 1. Chlld Reed (Yam); 2. Ricky Carmichael (Hon); 3. Ernesto Fonseca (Hon); 4. Larry Ward (Hon); 5. Nick Wey (Yom); 6. Keith Johnson (Yom): 7. Greg Schnell (Yllrn); 8. Clark Stiles (Hon); 9. Sean Hamblin (Su,); 10. Ryon Clork (Yom); 11. Heoth Voss (Yam): 12. TravIs Preston (Hon); 13. Tyler Evon. (Su,); 14. Cosey Lytle (Yom); 15. Doug DeHaan (Hon); 16. Jason Thomas (Hon); 17. Josh Demuth (Yam): 18. Rene Reyes (KTM); 19. Brhm Mason (Yom); 20. Ted Compbell (Hon). Time: 16 min., 8.950 sec. Margin of victory: 1.825 sec. THQ WORLD SOPERCROSS GP POINTS STArtDINGS (Alter 13 of 11 round.): I. Ched Reed (301/5 wins); 2. o..vld VuHlerrun (238/1 win): 3. Torn Ferry (216); 4. Heoth Vo.s (181); 5. Keith Johnson (175); 6. Ryon Clork (165); 7. Mike LoRocco (136): 8. Domon Huffmon (124); 9. Sebo.tien Tortelll (121); 10. Gront Longston (76); 11. Andrew Shert (68); 12. Erick Vollejo (53); 13. Joe Oehlhof (48); 14. Brion Mo.on (41); 15. Ted Compbell (30); 16. Jeremy McGrath (29); 17. Steve Boniface (26); 18. James Povolny Jr. (18); 19. Jooquim Rodrigue. (14); 20. (1lE) Pierri<:k Ploget/Monuel Rivos (12). AMA SOPERCROSS SERIES POlrtTS STANDINGS (After 12 of 16 rounds): I. Ricky Connlchoel (279/7 wins); 2. Chad Reed (260/4 wins); 3. D~lVid Vuillemin (169); 4. TIm Ferry (163); 5. Ezro lo.k (149/1 win); 6. Emesto Fonseco (145): 7. Nick Wey (138); 8. Heoth Voss (123); 9. Lorry Word (111); 10. Keith Johnson (101); II. Ryon Clark (79); 12. Michoel Byme (75); 13. Mike LoRocco (73); 14. Stephone Roncede (70); t 5. Seen Hamblin (67); 16. Sebastien Tortelli (63); 17. Demon Huffmlln (55); 18. Denny Smith (48); 19. Trovi. Preston (46); 20. Greg Schnell (38). Upcoming Rounds: Round 14/13: Pontiac, Michigan, April 5 Round 15/14: Dallas, Texas, April 12 door track and maintaining his cardiovascular fitness. "His schedule to resume riding is the second or third week of April. He's a little bit ahead of the original schedule." Waterhouse said that he'd concentrate on the outdoors and wouldn't attempt a super· cross return. BRIEFLY••• The constantly withering contingent of factory Supercross riders was reduced to three after Team Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's Ezra Lusk injured his left wrist in a crash in practice on Friday after· noon. "Best·case scenario. maybe two weeks." he's out. team manager Mark Johnson said. "Worst case. give him time to heal up for the Nationals." Lusk was exiting tum two. a hairpin left. when his front wheel appeared to get caught in a rut as he carved an arc and attacked a jump. As he went up the face of a jump. the rear tire lost traction, and the KX250 went one way. cartwheeling over two sets of Tuff Blox onto an oncoming section of track. and Lusk went the other. landing badly on his wrist. X·rays taken by Dr. John Bodnar at the track showed no broken bones. and the decision was made to wait ovemight to see if the wrist improved. "He couldn't even pour a glass of milk this morning," Johnson said. "He had no grip whatsoever." Johnson said the wrist was very tender, and they suspected tendon and ligament damage. Lusk flew home to Tallahassee and had an appointment to have more X-rays and an MRI done on Monday. Moto)()()( Honda's Damon HuHman continues to recover from the broken thumb suffered at Daytona but likely won't return to supercross this year. according to his mechanic Chet Hodges. "If he decided to do one of the last ones. the chances of him doing that are slim to none." Hodges said. The break was below the right thumb and needed pinning. which was done after he returned to California from Florida. Hodges said Huffman still wasn't able to ride. Once the supercross season ends. Huffman has a contract to race the Canadian National Motocross Series for Blackfoot Honda. American Supercamp had one of the longer lines in the pits outside of Reliant Park. children lined up for a chance to ride one of the camp's Honda XR50s. "We do nine supercrosses, plus laguna Seca." American Supercamp's Danny Walker said after giving a fully outfitted two·year·old a few hot laps on the camp's mini·oval. Walker expected to give 200 children. all under 12. a chance to ride. or get a nde with one of the Supercamp instruc· tors at the controls. "In San Diego. we had 180 kids . 125 of them. it was their first time ever on a motorcycle." Walker said he'd be at the Dallas Supercross. then travel to Harrington. Delaware. for an American Supercamp. Even the replacement riders are going down. Team SoBe SuzukI's Danny Smith (right) will likely sit out next week's race in Pontiac. Michigan, after spraining his knee in a heat-race crash. "I'm a little sore. but i'm all right," Smith said. leaning on crutches outside the Suzuki transporter after the race, "I banged my knee up. Ifs sprained. I think I might be out a week or so. I got to go get an MRI to be sure. I might have tom some cartilage maybe. That's the best·case scenario. and they can fix that easy. and I'll be back hopefully riding within a week. As far as my head goes. I banged my head and feel fine. " The decline in attendance seen in Minneapolis and St. Louis continued in Houston. with a number of factors responsible. The lack of star power certainiy had an effect, with only four factory riders remaining and only two riders racing for the win· American Honda's Ricky Carmichael and Yamaha's Chad Reed. The reces· sion was also biamed on families needing to watch their expenses in a down economy. And there was speculation that the war in Iraq had kept people away. Even though there were 40.422 on hand. it was down from the 44,528 who filled the Astrodome last year, and this year's attendance looked paltry in the cavernous 70.0oo·seat Reliant Stadium. With Team SoBe Suzuki's 250cc riders in sickbay. Rick John· son has been able to broaden his purview, working closely with ECC Suzuki's Tyler Evans (below). "With Sebastien [Tortelli! not here. I've been helping as many guys as I can." Johnson said. "There are not a lot of Suzuki guys in the main event." Johnson said he'd helped Evans at the races themselves and that they'd spent time (!i' '-' together during the week at ~ Suzuki's test track in Coro· na. California. "You can't change someone's riding style in one week," Johnson said. The main thing Johnson worked on was Evans mental approach. "He was mentally focused. but when he made one mistake. he'd give up. " Johnson said. "It's the ability to know how mentally tough he really is." Evans has worked with coaches before. but none have had the effect of Johnson. "I relate to what he says a little better." Evans said the primary on-track focus was on whoops and corners. "He's heiped me quite a bit. When you ride a certain way your whole life. it's hard to change. You have to keep practicing and practicing. It was hard at first. .. Kevin Windham, the former Team SoBe Suzuki factory rider whose 2001 season ended prematurely. showed up in Houston to say that he'd be racing in the Outdoor Nationals this year. • Absolutely." he replied. when asked about the rumor of his return. "I can't wait.· And the 2004 Supercross season? "I'll be here for sure." the Louisiana native said. Windham said that he'd be riding a Factory Connection Honda. "I've missed it. and I can't wait to come back." Windham. who recently became a father. said. "I've been doing a lot of rid· ing on my own and being a dad, and thaI's two of the best things in the world." k ~~. ~ Ricky Carmichael was sporting a new American Flag.inspired helmet paint job on his Fox lid (rightl. Sean Hamblin also sported red. white and blue colors throughout the night. as did many others. In his media notes package. Art Eckman. media professor, point· ed out that "for the first time since supercross began as a series in 1974. the Houston race will not be run inside the Astrodome." instead running in Reliant Stadium. built adjacent to the first domed stadium in America. The first race in a dome was won by Bultaco's Jim Pomeroy. the Washingtonian winning both the 250cc and 500cc classes on March 15. 1974. Gary Amsoil/Chaparral Honda' s Mike laRocco is recovering quickly and preparing for his retum to racing outdoors. according to team manager JC WatertlOuse. "He's actually a little ahead of schedule," Waterhouse said. adding that laRocco's right shoulder is oul-of the race and that he was back In Indiana preparing his out· 10 APRIL9,2003' cue I e Arenacross champ Josh Demuth made his supercross debut in Houston on his VZ450F. He finished 17th. n e _ s Semics won the following night on a Husqvama. Including seven double·headers, Houston has run 36 events, running contiguousiy since 1974. SRMP/Everelt Motorsports Suzuki's Ryan Abrlgo won the $250 Asterisk Medic Card for finishing fifth in the 125cc last· chance qualifier. Isaiah Johnson won the $250 Racer X lIIus· trated Gas Card for finishing third in the 250cc last-ehance qualifier. "I broke my back in two places in arenacross." Johnson said. "This is my first race back. I've been out for about 2 1/2 months. Every time I go out. I get a little stronger and a little faster. I just want to thank everyone for cheering for me. " Four·Strokes of Luck: Motorsport Outlet Yamaha's TIger Lacey won another $1000 SXGP.com Holeshot Award in the 125cc class. He led the first two laps and went on to finish eighth. Moto)()()( Honda's Larry Ward beat out teammate Clark Stiles for the $1500 SXGP.com Holeshot Award in the 250cc class. Ward led the first eight laps before finishing fourth. the first non· factory machine for the second week In a row. Ward dropped his clutch lever a little bit, and It helped him get out of the gate better. Ward said he was looking down the road to Salt Lake City. where the thin air should help his fourstroke Honda CRF450R. "I'm just having fun. Being in the top fIVe and racing with the top guys in the world at my age and as long as I've been out there. I've been haVing a lot of fun." Ward. who turns 33 on April 1g. said. Greg Schnell finished seventh in the 250cc main. his best of a short year. "I had a late start this year." he said ... i took four months off this year. I had my right shoulder operated on. and I didn't get my bikes until December 1. I had four weeks to get ready for the first round. and I'm like. 'Ah, I'm just going to go for it. see what happens.' I'm starting to come around. Hopefully one of the factories will take notice. " Suzuki skipper Roger DeCoster responds to the question of tapering the amplitude in late-season practice sessions.• Branden had a get,off in practice this week. mainly skinned himself up . a big raspberry on his chest." he said. "Branden is already at the level to know what he needs to do. so I believe it is best to allow the rider to do what he has been doing to get him there in the points lead. Once you get there. that is not the time you should change what you've been doing. Of course. as the championship gets closer to the end. you get more worried because you have mere to lose. " What's tougher. the 125 East or West? We asked the guy who's ridden most of both. Motorsport OutietlYamaha's Tiger lacey. "Definitely the West." lacey said. "There's some good riders in the East. too. but the riding's more aggressive in the West. II's more in-depth in the West." Brock Sellards shared what he ate before the race: "People were out eating their chicken or whatever. I was out eating crawfish and shrimp in the parking lot. I was with everybody that was drinkin' beer. (Sellards pausesJ I wasn't drinking the beer, but I was eatin' the crawfish. [Kevin] Windham made the comment. ·Boy. you ain't gonna be able to make it four laps out there, and you're gonna have to be comin' back in!" So I told him. 'Yeah? Well I'm eating some ice cream when I'm donel'" Sellards was kept on his toes. "Tiger lacey ran into me when I passed him. bent my shift lever all the way into my footpeg." Sellards said. "So I went to hit the triple and downshifted on the face. Whenever I put my foot on the peg. I shifted. so I had to ride on my toe the whole race. "

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