Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

"The track, because of all the rain they had, if you tried to take a different line, the guy behind you got you," MX338 Southwick, M....chusetts H.sults: June 8, 2003 IHound 4 of 121 like 'Why did I just do that?' 125 MOTO 1: L Michael Byrne (Han); 2. Craig Anderson (Yam): 3. Ryan Mills (Hon); 4. Michael Brandes (Yam); 5. Kelly Smith (Yam); 6. Stephane Roncada (Suz); 7. Andrew Short (Suz); B. Tony Larusso (Suz); 9. Brock Sellards (Yam); 10. Ryan But following someone in the sand, Gosselaar (Hon); 13. Matthieu Lallaz (Suz): 14. Tim that's no fun either." Grant Langston (KTM); 17. Paul Veracka (Kaw); 18. Steve Lamson (Suz); 19. Barry Carsten (Suz); 20. Robert Kiniry (Suz); 21. David Pingree (Suz); 22. Michael Brown (Kaw); 23. Levi Reid (Suz); 24. Shane Bess (Suz); 25. Steve Mertens (Yam); 26. Eric Sorby (Kaw); 27. Mike Veracka (Yam); 28. Ryan Dudek (Yam); 29. Austin Squires (Yam): 30. Ivan Tedesco (Yam); 31. Michael Blose (Yam); 32. Jacob Marsack (Suz); 33. Aaron Dieter (Suz): 34. Richard Rodgers (Hon); 35. Eric Soucy (KTM); 36. Joshua Hansen (Yam); 37. Adam Nason (Yam): 38. Steve Boniface he said. "You would try a new line, and Michael would go by, and you would be Anderson's bike and gear remained clean the entire race, while Sellards and Byrne were absolutely covered in sand. After swapping second back and forth most of the race, Byrne seemed to have Sellards covered by lap ] 2. Then he went after Anderson one last time. "I just went for it on the inside after "I got the the finish line," Byrne said. lead. Craig was outside, and I was inside. Before, I passed him on the outside and he passed me back, so I knew I had to go to the inside. He did the exact thing again. So we were side by side. He slowed down just a little bit just in case I tried to go I just gassed it, and we locked bars. I went down, but underneath him, so that's racing." Byrne was passed by Red Bull KTM's Steve Boniface and Brown, but Boniface crashed with half a lap to go, allowing Byrne to take fourth. eN Hughes (KTM): 11. Daryl Hucley (Suz): 12. Chris Weigand (Hon): 15. Michael Treadwell (KTM): 16. (KTM): 39. Dylan Lord (Suz): 40. Brett Metcalfe (KTM). 125 MOTO 2: I. Craig Anderson (Yam): 2. Brock Sellards (Yam); 3. Michael Brown (Kaw); 4. Michael Byrne (Hon); 5. Andrew Short (Suz); 6. Steve Boniface (KTM); 7. Grant Langston (KTM); 8. Steve Mertens (Yam); 9. Steve Lamson (Suz); 10. Michael Treadwell (KTM); 11. Tony Larusso (Suz); 12. Ryan Mills (Hon); 13. Kelly Smith (Yam); 14. Stephane Roncada (Suz); 15. Robert Kiniry (Suz); 16. Ryan Hughes (KTM); 17. David Pingree (Suz); 18. Michael Brandes (Yam); 19. Mathieu Lalloz (Suz); 20. Brett Metcalfe (KTM); 21. Levi Reid (Suz); 22. Daryl Hurley (Suz); 23. Tim Weigand (Hon); 24. Barry Carsten (Suz); 25. Shane Bess (Suz); 26. Paul Veracka (Kaw); 27. Ryan Dudek (Yam); 28. Michael Blose (Yam); 29. Jacob Marsack (Suz); 30. Mike Veracka (Yam); 31. Richard Rodgers (Hon); 32. Eric Soucy (KTM); 33. Adam Nason (Yam); 34. Austin Squires (Yam); 35. Dylan Lord (Suz); 36. Ivan Tedesco (Yam); 37. Aaron Dieter (Suz); 38. Eric Sorby (Kaw); 39. Joshua Hansen (Yam); 40. Christopher Gosselaar (Hon). 125 O/A 1. Craig Anderson (Yam); 2. Michael Byrne (Hon); 3. Brock Sellards (Yam); 4. Andrew Short (Suz); 5. Ryan Mills (Hon); 6. Kelly Smith (Yam): 7. Tony Larusso (Suz); 8. Stephane Roncada (Suz); 9. Michael Brandes (Yam); 10. Michael Brown (Kaw); 11. Grant Langston (KTM); 12. Michael Treadwell (KTM): 13. Ryan Hughes (KTM); 14. Steve Lamson (Suz): 15. Steve Boniface (KTM); 16. Steve BRIEFLY••• Practice was wet Saturday, as rain pounded the track all day long. Sunday's track was epic though, as it was wet but provided tons and tons of traction. When Amsoil/Chaparral Honda's Mike LaRocco was asked if he could patent his now·legendary poor starts, he responded, "Well. I think I already own 'em so it's not worth going through the hassle. ,. Snowboard champ Ross Powers was spotted in the pits of Southwick. He lives in nearby Vermont and has been riding motocross since he was in junior high school. It was his first Outdoor National. Star Racing's Keith R. Johnson switched from the 450 he'd been racing since Glen Helen back to a YZ250. "I just felt that the 250 suited my style more, and I'd done well on it in supercross, so it's just that a week isn·t long enough to learn how to ride some· thing," he said. "I decided that I'd just go back to the 250 instead of spending the rest of the summer learning how to ride the 450. " The expected return of Chevy Trucks KawasakI" s James Stewart Jr. was called off the Thursday before the Southwick Nation· al reportedly because he didn't feel healthy enough. Red Bull KTM's Ryan Hughes rode most of the first mota and all of the second mota with a broken leg. "The first mota, about the fourth lap, I caught my foot in a sweeper, and it tore my foot off the peg. and it popped. and I thought. 'Okay. maybe it just popped,' and I put it down in the next comer· I put my foot on the ground, and I felt the bones move, and I broke the bottom of my leg," he said. "I broke the little piece off of the bottom [of the fibulaJ, so I just rode around as good as I could get and got 10th. Then the second mota, I just said, 'Well, I'll do the best I can,' and I got out there, and people were just going crazy. I can't believe all the squids out there just crashing everywhere - I got taken out twice. I finally got going and got by everybody, and I finally got by them and I started riding good because I can't cut to the inside because I can't put my foot down. Sixteenth, I lost only four points, so for a broken leg I guess it's not too bad. I may never get in this position again, so I've got to do whatever I can to see if I can win the championship. " Two things Hughes has never lacked: heart and toughness. Kelly Smith and Tony Lorusso landed the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Top Privateer Awards in the 125cc class, taking home $1500 and $750, respectively. The 250cc winners were Damien Plotts and Blair Morgan. In Saturday's wet practice, ECC Suzuki's Shane Bess took off his goggles and tried to ride to a new portion of the track, only to fall into a giant pond, filling hiS RM125's engine with water and sand. He had to have a new motor put in. Mertens (Yam); 17. Matthieu Lalloz (Suz); 18. Daryl Hurley (Suz); 19. Christopher Gosselaar (Hon); 20. Robert Kiniry (Suz); 21. Tim Weigand (Han): 22. David Pingree (Suz); 23. Paul Veracka (Kaw); 24. Barry Carsten (Suz); 25. Brett Metcalfe (KTM); 26. Levi Reid (Suz); 27. Shane Bess (Suz); 28. Ryan Dudek (Yam); 29. Mike Veracka (Yam); 30. Michael Blose (Yam); 31. Jacob Marsack (Suz); 32. Austin Squires (Yam): 33. Eric Sorby (Kaw); 34. Richard Rogers (Hon); 35. Ivan Tedesco (Yam); 36. Eric Soucy (KTM); 37. Adam Nason (Yam); 38. Aaron Dieter (Suz); 39. Dylan Lord (Suz); 40. Joshua Hansen (Yam). (After 4 of 12 rounds) 1. Mike Brown (156/2 wins); 2. Ryan Hughes (151/1 win); 3. Grant Langston (13t): 4. Eric Sorby (116); 5. Brock Sellards (99); 6. Michael Byrne (93); 7. Michael Brandes (90); 8. Craig Anderson (87): 9. Stephane Roncada (77); 10. (TIE) Christopher GosseJaar/lvan Tedesco/Steve Boniface/Brett Metcalfe (72); 14. Andrew Short (56); 15. Ryan Mills (49): 16. Kelly Smith (47): 17. Steve Mertens (39); 18. Daryl Hurley (36); 19. Brian Gray (32): 20. Tim Weigand (31). Upcoming Rounds: Round 5 - Budds Creek, Maryland, June 15 Round 6 - Buchanan, Michigan, July 6 125 AMA CHEVY TRUCKS U.S. MOTOCROSS CHAMPtONSHtP SERtES POINTS STANDINGS SoBe Suzuki'S Sean Hamblin suffered a severe knee injury in the first 250cc mota. "Like the fourth lap, I came around the turn before the finish, and I laid it over, and I put my leg out, and my bike just kind of stalled just a little bit because I got into the deeper part of the berm, and my bars came down right on the side of my knee and popped my knee out." he said. "It popped back in. but all I know is, it's the worst damned pain I've ever been in. It feels exactly like my right one did when I had to get it done in 1999, so I'm 90in9 to 90 get stuff done tomorrow and hopefully be back for Red Bud. I think I'll have to miss next weekend - I mean, I don·t want to. but I'm going to have to let this thing heal if I want to come back and actually put in some good rides, you know? So, we'll see what happens - hopefully sooner than later." Red Bull KTM's Joaquim Rodrigues' bike broke again in the second 250cc mota. "Same thing, week·in, week-out," team manager Larry Brooks said. "There's an issue that we just need to work out. It's mainly our own fault. so yeah, we need to work it out. It's the team's fault more than anything." Cemic's KTM' s John Dowd scored KTM' s best-ever 250cc finish with his second overall at MX 338. '·This place is always great for me to come back to," Dowd said. "The crowd was awesome, I mean, what can I say - for myself and Doug Henry? The fans are always there for us, good or bad. It's my home track, and I wouldn't say I grew up here because I didn·t start racing ·till was 21, but I've been racing here my whole career. and I know the track pretty well. " It seems David Vulllemin and Timmy Ferry will both be riding for Team Yamaha again next year. It's unknown if contracts are signed just yet. "Riding a two· stroke indoors is still up in the air," Ferry said. "That's definitely a pOSSibility, but I hope to know something probably this week. I'm going to stay with Yamaha I'm happy there, they treat me good, and the bikes are really good, so I'd hate to go somewhere else. I feel Yamaha's the best bikes, so yeah I may ride a 250 in supercross, but I'll still be on the 450 outdoors." When asked if he'll ride the 250 or 450 next year for Yamaha. Vuillemin responded, "I don't know. At some point I'll test both, and we'll see." When Honda's Ricky Carmichael was asked if he shared Bob Hannah's motivation for winning, which was that he hated everybody, Carmichael said, "The motivation was to always win, and I don't like the feeling of not winning. I was raised to do my best or don't do it at all. When I'm on the course. I'm going to give it 100 percent all the time. And people who don't believe in me, that's another motivation. It's just something I was bom to do, and to be known to be somebody like Bob Hannah is amazing because that guy was the king. There's guys that I'm not crazy about, and there's guys that I like. I think when you're a dominant rider. it's hard, too, because I think people that you know, there's a jealousy factor· people just don't like you, so it's kind of lonely at the top, but there are some people that take it all right and take it like they should, and there's a lot of people that I like and some that I'm not crazy about." Carmichael was also impressed that Doug Henry could come back for one race every year and be competitive right off. "He's riding good," Carmichael said "He's a past champion, and he C II knows how to ride - especially here at Southwick. It seems like it would be tough for someone to come out and race with all of us who've been racing all year, and the pace is really fast· we're getting faster every weekend· and my hat's off to him. It's a bum· mer he crashed there in the second mota." Henry said that he hasn't ruled out a comeback. When asked if the 450 was a disadvantage at Southwick, Kevin Windham said, "It's a hoss. It's fat. and definitely power is never an issue on the thing. Coming into all of these races, I try and come in a little eariy and test. I've heard a lot of comments people saying this is the best I've ever rode Southwick, and I think that's a testament to the 450." Boost Mobile/Yamaha of Troy's Brock Sellards has been rid· ing with an injured thumb since the first round of the series at Glen Helen, and he aggravated it at Southwick. "In the second lap of practice Saturday, I reached up to pull a RolI·Off, and when I put my hand back on the bars, I hit a square·edged hole," Sellards said. "I hit the tip of my thumb on the bars. It hurt bad. To tell the truth. I didn't think I'd be here racing today.·' Sellards managed to hang on with four fingers and no thumb for grip and nearly win the second 125 mota. "It was such a good battle the thumb didn't really hurt, "he said. While the Yamaha of Troy team was pumped to go 1-2 in the sec· and mota, the injury bug did dampen their mood a bit. Besides Sellards· recuning thumb injury, both Josh Hansen and Ivan Tedesco ended the second mota with broken collarbones. Doug Henry's wife Stacey acted as his mechanic dUring the race, holding the pit board. After the fan favorite lost a few spots in mota one, she admitted Doug had been expecting a little more. "Doug had been training hard for this one," she said, a contrast to the last two years when Henry showed up almost totally unprepared. "We expected to do a little better, but this is still really fun .., Craig Anderson struggled early in the season and in super· cross, but his win proves he is obviously turning things around. "It was really the whole package," Anderson said. "I had trouble with my fitness; there were new tracks. Plus, I hadn't ridden a small (125cc class) bike since 1994. So I started training with Allen Gurkey, and we're almost there with the fitness." Anderson's win boosts him into the top 10 in series points. He won't have to ride the morning qualifier races at Budds Creek, but he's actually not thrilled over it. "I didn't mind the qualifiers, because I got to work out my starts," said Ando..,In my first qual. ifier, I started in second gear and got a lot of wheelspin. So I used third in the motos." Kevin Windham rode much better in the second mota than in the first. and part of his improvement came from a different rear tire selection. "We went to more of a pure sand tire on the back." said Michelin's Randy Richardson. "Kevin said it gave so much traction that it made the sand feel like dirt. I told him he's a better dirt rider than a sand rider so we should go with that. .. C I e n e vv s JUNE 18. 2003 13

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