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/128219
AMA Chevy Trucks 125cc U.S. Motocross Championship Series Round 4: MX338 cuit Kawasaki rider who was running third in series' points coming into Southwick. The Frenchman crashed twice in the first moto and crashed again, hard, in the second. He failed to score points in either moto. But the misfortune of these riders seemed downright wonderful compared to Hughes, who turned in one of the grittiest rides ever. The Californian twisted his leg badly in moto one and ended up with a broken leg, breaking the end of his left fibula. Yet Ryno, who is known as one of the toughest riders in the sport, somehow gutted out a 10th-place finish in the race. Even wilder, he taped up Ryan Hughes stretches the leg he broke in the broken leg in moto two and the first mota. He bravely finished out the day went back out again, this time fin- 10-16, saving his second place in the series. ishing 16th. When it was over, Hughes only lost the bikes, which makes an especially four points on the day to Brown, an large impact on 125s. As a result, amazing performance. Brown the four-stroke Yamaha YZ250Fs remains the series' leader with 156 seemed to hold an advantage on the points, while Hughes is second with rough circuit. 151. Langston is now third with 131 Anderson parlayed his advantage points. Last year's Champion, Team into a first-moto holes hot, with Chevy Trucks' Kawasaki's James fellow Australians Brett Metcalfe, of "Bubba" Stewart, was absent again, Team Red Bull KTM, and Byrne right still recovering from a broken collarbehind. Sorby and Sellards got bone he sustained at the final held up in the first turn, while supercross race of the season in Langston and Brown were completely Las Vegas. tangled up. Southwick is known as one of the On the second lap, Byrne began toughest races on the AMA Chevy pressuring Metcalfe. On the face of a Trucks tour due to its sandy soil. The double jump, Metcalfe caught his terrain makes for a rough, bumpy footpeg in the sand and was launched racy track, and also saps power from from his bike. He was up safely but 12 JUNE 18, 2003' cue I e nevus found the left side of his handlebar had snapped off the bike completely, ending his race early. This put Byrne and Anderson alone at the front of the pack. Star Racing's Michael Brandes was third, with Byrne's 17-year-old teammate Ryan Mills fourth. Mills began hanging it out further and further on the rough track, until he eventually leapt past Brandes on a straight and moved into third. Brandes was eventually caught by another YZ250F rider, Team Racerhouse.com's Kelly Smith, as well as SoBe Suzuki's Stephane Roncada. The three riders followed one another in close formation the entire moto, but the order never changed. Meanwhile, Byrne passed Anderson on the fifth of 17 laps by going inside on a sweeping turn. Anderson didn't put up much of a fight, and he settled for second. Mills took third, the best finish of his young career. "I knew 1 could do it if I just got a good start," Mills said. "I finally got one. I had a good battle with Brandes there, but I got around him and just kept my mind on the front." Anderson nailed the start again in the second moto, with Sellards and Byrne in tow. And that's the way it stayed for nearly the entire race. Sellards says the three-way battle was much tougher than a two-man fight. my Own Race cD 1] Andrew Short §® Kelly Smith ®® Michael Brandes 4th (7 -5) The Motoworldra~ing.~om Suzuki rider's 7-5 results were good enough for fourth overall, his career-best finish in national motocross ~ompetilion. In the first moto, Short battled past local favorite Tony Larusso and an injured Ryan Hughes for his result. In moto two, he he.ld off Ke.lIy Smith the entire way and then slid into the top five when Steve Bonifa~e crashed on the final lap. 6th (5-13) Smith used his trademark good starts to nail his best finish of the year, going 5-13 for sixth overall. In the first moto, the Michigan rider withstood tremendous pressure from Stephane Roncada, whiie in moto two he did the same to Grant Langston. Unfortunately, a crash on the last lap dropped him six positions. 9th (4-18) Brandes continues to ride strOl)g, turning a great start il)to a fourth-place finish in moto one. But he started poorly in the se~ond moto, about 35th. and ~ould only claw his way up to 18th at the finish.