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/128208
Emesto Fonseca rounded out the podium for the second week In a row. The top three were the only three fullfactory, full-time 250cc pilots competing in Houston (see Briefly...). Tortelli, Travis Pastrana or Stephane section, the lapped rider pushed Reed Travis Preston (34) had a really good Roncada, sprained his knee in his wide, forcing him to find a new line - start but laid it down In the first tum heat race and will likely miss next one that would immediately prove week's race in Pontiac, Michigan (see more efficient. Once he found that, he Briefly ... ). had the lay of the land. The first turn was a mess, bikes recovered from nearly breaking his neck to take seventh, against doctor's orders, with MotoXXX Honda's Clark Stiles two seconds back in eighth. Stiles had run near the front for longer than ever before, the pace causing him to make mistakes Team So Be Suzuki's Sean Hamblin was ninth, another victim of the first-turn crash who fell later on the same lap. Team Solitaire Yamaha's Ryan Clark borrowed a motor from Greg Schnell to finish 10th. Clark's motor had expired in his semi race. The factory ranks were thinned by with Team one of the lapped guys pushed me mechanical jigsaw puzzle turned back toward the right, and I think it upside down. was meant to happen because I final- Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's Ezra Lusk hurting his wrist in a fall in Friday practice (see Briefly ... ). Even the replacement riders weren't immune to the injury bug. Team SoBe Suzuki's Danny Smith, riding for the injured Sebastien The early beneficiary was Ward, "Coming from behind, I just tried turning back the clock to lead for the found that, I just kind of got my act to keep charging 100 percent every first eight laps. It was inevitable that Yamaha's Chad Reed would come by, Fonseca and Carmichael to follow a lap later. Then Ward zeroed in on Fonseca's rear fender, which he couldn't quite grasp. Fourth was the best he could do. As soon as Carmichael got off the ground, he had one mission in mind: catch Reed. "I could see where Chad [Reed] was, and that's the only person I really cared about: Carmichael said. "He's the guy that's in second place in points, and that's the guy I need to be concerned about for my championship. I more or less set my sights and knew what I needed to do and how hard I needed to ride. I got up, got everything situated and tried to put in some good Larry Ward (10) got his second fourthplace finish in as many weeks. Here, he is being worked on by teammates Fonseca (24) and Carmichael (4, behind Ward). together. " ly found a line," Reed said. "Once I and he did, on the ninth lap, with toward the end. one, "Kind of halfway through the race, and bodies everywhere, a human and when it got a bit too crowded, taking half of the field with him. Fonseca (24) and Reed (22) made It through, though Carmichael (4) and Sean Hamblin (behind Carmichael and Reed) didn't. laps." Reed's only problem was lappers, though one actually helped him out. Going through a troublesome whoop [){}®w flDD@W @®f1 flDD@[f@ Qualifying Team SoBe Suzuki's Danny Smith got the jump on the first heat. Everyone expected Yamaha's Chad Reed to move past. He did, but it took time. Reed chased Smith for more than two laps before finally making his move on the inside of a benn two comers from the end of the lap, but Smith would have none of it, instantly fighting back to briefly front Reed before the Australian made the pass stick over the finish jump. Not much more than a comer later, the race was decided. Smith, before Reed, came by over the finish jump. Smith clipped a Tuff Block on the right of the track on the takeoff of a jump, both feet coming off the back in a classic Supennan pose followed by a hard landing with both feet on the left side of the bike. He remained on the track and received medical attention for the most of the heat, being carried off just as the white flag came out. He suffered a sprained right knee and was finished for the night (see Briefly... ). Second shaped up as a battle among Honda's Ernesto Fonseca, Mach 1 Yamaha's Nick Weyand MotoXXX Honda's Larry Ward, the trio finishing in that order. Reed said that he and Smith shared a trainer and that he thought he'd be back in short order. Smith's teammate Sean Hamblin flew the Team SeBe Suzuki flag in the second heat, the rider taking an improbable win - his first ever - this one at the expense of Honda's Ricky Carmichael. Carmichael didn't get the holeshot - that went to MotoXXX Honda's Clark Stiles - but Cannichael was in the lead early on and was starting to clear out when he bobbled on the third lap, his front end washing out in a 90-degree left soon after the finish jump, the twotime, defending Champion losing nine spots before remounting. Stiles led at the halfway mark, only to fall on lap five and hand the lead to the pressing Hamblin. That was all the Suzuki rider needed, speeding to the heat win by 6.422 seconds. "No matter who it is, whether it's Ricky ICannichael) or Chad [Reed), I want to win," Hamblin said. Cannichael would earn second the hard way, passing three riders on the seventh lap and taking second when Team Racerhouse.com's Brian Mason lost control midair and fell hard on the outside of the track. The final two transfers went to Subway Honda's Jason Thomas and Mach 1 Yamaha's Heath Voss. Two riders broke out early in the first 250cc semi - Fly's Greg Schnell and Star Racing's Keith R. Johnson. Johnson sprung by in the whoops on the third lap, Schnell taking it back half a lap later and appearing to gain a little ground. Then came the whoops, and Johnson was at it again, closing up for the pass that never came. Johnson pressed hard, making a final run in the benn leading to the finish jump, only to come up short. Third went to Diablo Honda's Doug DeHaan, with ReMax Yamaha's Casey Lytle fourth. A trio of thundering four-strokes took off at the start of the second semi, Stiles leading teammate Ward and the Shogun Motorsports Yamaha of Josh Demuth. The trio circulated in that order for the duration with most of the action coming in the final two comers, Ward attacking Stiles and Demuth attacking Ward. Neither pass stuck, and the order remained Stiles/Ward/Demuth, the trio covered by 0.856 second. Another 16 seconds would pass before Mason crossed the line in fourth. ECC Suzuki's Tyler Evans looked like he'd get pinched into the Tuff Blox, taking the inside line to tum one in the LCQ. But he somehow made it work, passing a slew of riders bunched up in the hard right, then jumping into the lead half a straightaway later. After that, he vanished, winning by 7.551 seconds. Three riders fought over second, the number dwindling to two when early on the final lap Jimmy Wilson threw away the spot, letting Ted Campbell by to take the final transfer, with Isaiah Johnson earning the $250 Racer X Gas Card by finishing third. cue I e n e _ S • APRIL 9. 2003 7