Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

I Briefly... My Ilwn Ral:E!: 2S[]I:I: 12 David Vuillemin 3rd Team Yamaha's Vuillemin rode strong once again, but he wasn't as close to the lead this week as he was last. After a good start, he had to work his way back around Damon Huffman to retake third . "Y eah, I got a great start - I was third behind Chad and Kevin - and after the second whoop section, he [Huffman] kind of went inside, and three of us kind of slowed down and didn't do the rhythm section too good, and that's when he passed me back. I spent like three or four laps behind him. He rode good, actually, but I lost a little with the contact with those two guys. Damon rode a great race, but I should 've been right there on the first lap." 20 Damon Huffman 8th MotoXXX's only current 250cc-c1ass rider was on fire in San Diego. "I had a great start, then I was actually in fourth and got around Vuillemin right on the first lap and got third for a couple laps ," he said. "Then Vuillemin got me, and I rode behind him for a while , and then I made one little mistake where I mistimed a rhythm section, and Byrne went by me. Then I was like just stuck behind Byrne in fifth, and every lap I would see laRocco creeping up, and on the 17th lap, in a simple corner, the front end got a little high in the soft stuff as I was turning , and it just kind of hung up on me, and I went down." 57 Joe Oehlhof 12th Subway Honda's hardest rider to spell had his best race of the year. "I spun on the gate and got a pretty crappy start, and I just tr ied to come through and stay with the guys that were in front of me as I moved through the pack pretty well : ' he said. "I sort of made a few mistakes and kind of wore myself out. I had to kind of settle down and smooth out before I crashed. All in all, it wasn't too bad. I'm getting better each week, and with a 12th place this weekend, I'm shooting for the top 10. I'llget there next week." 43 almost perfect, and my team's supporting me, and I just feel confident. With this race, I'm even more confident now. I just try really hard , and for once in my life, I can say things are running my way. Whatever it is, I can't really say, but I hope it keeps going that way. My mind's straight , and my life's going great now." 27 NickWey 7th Team Suzuki's only 250cc rider in San Diego showed some newfound speed - especially during qualifying. "My speed picked up a bunch this past week:' Wey said. "I've been working with RJ [RickJohnson] a bunch on my corners, and my lap times are right in there with the front guys this week. If I could ride by myself, I could go fast on a clear track . I can't say enough about the Suzuki guys. We've been testing every week, and we 've got the bike dialed now. With this setup, I've got confidence every time I go out. If I can get a good start, I'll be right up there with the guys I should be riding with . I feel like I improved, even though I got a little bit worse results, but I couldn't be happier with my team and my bike." 26 Michael Byrne 4th The series' only Chevy Trucks Kawasaki rider until the series heads east scored his best finish of the 2004 campaign . "I think I was eighth or something on the first lap:' Byrne said. "It all starts with the heat race - I got a good start in the heat and got second, which gave me a good pick on the gate for the main. I picked the same gate I had in the heat , and I didn't get the best of starts actually, but I snuck around the Inside and came out around eighth or seventh or something, and then I passed a couple guys on the first lap. I just put in 20 solid laps. 1chased down Huffman, and I think Grant passed me, and I passed him back. I'm just trying to get my confidence up. Every weekend, I'm just trying to get faste r and faster so 1can get there on the podium." Continued from page 13 bike cut o ut over the tri ple, and I broke my arm in like five places," Craig said. He'll be out indefinitely. Afte r hurting his w rist at Anaheim II, Pro Circu it Kawasaki's Eric Sorby ret urned to action o n a 2S0 at Qu alcomm. He was running third in the LCQ when he cleaned out ECC Suzuki's new recruit Rodrig Thain and himself while Thai n was in the seco nd and final qualifying spot. Acco rding to AHA Pro Racing, "actio n will be ta ken at a later date " against So rby for his move. THQ was handing out demo versions of its highly anticipated con sole game MX Unleashed. The dem o feature s on e supercross track, one motocross track and one free-ride area. Along with the I'l ...._ ... .. game , THQ re ps were handing out $5-o ff coupons for the pu rchase of the game when it's released February 17th. As expected, Team Suzuki's Sean Hamblin was forced to sit out the San Diego Supercross after suffering a bruised lung and sternum, a wicked hemat oma on his bicep, a chipped tooth and a dislocated jaw at Anaheim II. He was spotted in the pits chewing gum to aid in his jaw 's healing, and speculation has him returni ng to the track at Anaheim III. rode a solid race to score hisbest Ryan Clark I I th Team Solitaire's boss and rider always seems to be battling with Keith R. Johnson . "Som e how, we always end up battling each other: ' he said. "I don't know what the deal is. But I had a good race - I rode well. I had some problems with the jetting w ith how cold it was tonight , and the bike was a little finicky but I came away with an , II th oI'll just try to build from that. Next week I'll be doing some more testing and get the bike dialed for Anaheim III. I really feel like I should be in the top 10, so I'm shooting for that next weekend." 3 1 Keith R. Johnson 10th "Every single week, it seems like Ryan [Clark] and I go at it:' Johnson said. "Basically, I went out after last week, and I worked on my starts about SOD times , and I still got lousy starts all night long. I didn't start on a downhill sta rt, so that might've been my problem. We'll see how it works next week. There's really only one line through the whoops, so when passes were going to be made , you had to make some contact. Ryan passed me first pretty aggressively, and then I had to come back pretty aggressively and work back up. He tried to block me and steered back towards me before the finish-line jump, and we came together, but that's racing. He had fun; I had fun. We were yelling at each other, so we weren't going to take it to the point that we were going to take each other out. " The Star Racingrider didn't want to risk losing points . "We 're being extra careful not to get docked, because if we lose 10 points , we 'll be owing them points at the end of the day: ' he said, laughing. 74 Er ick Vallejo 9th "It was just great, you know?" said Star Racing's 2S0cc rookie about his startlingly good performance Saturday night. "Since practice, again, I just felt real good. My bike is dialed in. Everything's 14 FEBRUARY 4,2004 • CYCLE NEWS Red Bull KTM's great big-bike hope Team Yamaha's Tim Ferry at tem pted to ride o n Friday w ith an Alispo rt Dynamics wrist brace on his 8 Grant Langston 6th finish of the season . "Eve ry race , I'm getting a little better," Langston said. "I got a decent start, and I was actually up in fourth at one stage . and I overjumped the triple a little and kind of landed in the turn , and my footpeg hit the ground and pulled my leg off. I think I may have tr ied to go a little too soft on the suspension. Then I stalled in the turn there - I rode into the bales. I lost three positions there, but I got back to sixth. I'm pretty happy. It was a pretty solid race." 34 C lar k Stiles 14th Subway Honda's Stiles was running midpack until a late-race fall set him back. "I don't know, it was, I guess , the 19th lap, and I was in 10th, and I just came around right by the mechanics in that turn on the inside," he said. "It was a little bit choppy, and 1don't know. I guess my wheel hit those kicker bumps, and it threw me a little askew, and the next thing 1know, I'm on the ground. I think I hyperextended my right elbow, and I jammed my wrist and banged up my left elbow. I nee ded some stitches, but I'll be all right. " 5 Mike LaRocco 5th Once again, Amsoil/Chaparral Honda's laRocco was among the fastest riders on the track . "I just can't get it together early enough:' he said. "I just went through the times again, and Reed has good times , but I had times to be up there. The track just didn't really allow enough to happen . I was following too much early, and I didn't get around Langston or the guys I shou ld, and they were holding me up, so that's about it. The track was really difficult to pass without taking big chances." 40th Anniversary injured left w rist. "I got a wrist bra ce, and I'm just kind of trying to go through a few things just to see what work s the best: ' he said. "I had an MRI o n Monday, and they said nothing's broke or really to rn - it's just a spra in. It hurts pretty bad for not hing to be wrong w ith it, but I'm just going to try Satu rday morni ng. Maybe it'll feel better tom orrow afte r I got to ride a little bit tod ay and get it loosened up because it's been in a brace all wee k." Apparently it was n't any bett e r Saturday, and a Yamaha representative indicated Ferry will be out a few wee ks to let it heal. Motospo rt Outl et Honda's Justin Buckelew broke his low er right leg in a cras h during his daytime qualifier. He was spotted on crutches in th e pits, and he will be o ut indefinitely. Team Honda's only remaining 250cc rider Ernesto Fonseca fell in Saturday 's secon d practice ses- sion. Early reports have him suffering a tornAC L.

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