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com pany in th e 2S 0cc class?
"Yo u know , 1 t hin k I' m still yo ung, a nd I
haven't rode t he East t racks, so 1 t hought
maybe w ith some more t im e o n the bike, I
can m ature a little bit more, an d t he n I'll
get it o n [in the 25 0 cc class]," Ste wart sa id .
Hepler he ld on fo r seco nd , an d Sorby
made h is way all the way up to t hird , hol d ing off 12Scc legend Steve Lam son a t the
finish .
" I t h ink Housto n is a go od city for m e ,"
So r by sa id. " I t hink I'm going to m o ve ove r
here [laughs] because two years ago t hat
was my first race , a nd 1 was po d ium . A nd
t his ye a r, my first podiu m . I t h ink Lamso n,
he come a lo t o f t im e s inside, an d I see his
fro nt w he e l a lot of t im es - a lot o f laps. I
was a littl e bit sc ared, but now w e can't do
anymore block-passes, so I was sca red , b ut
no t really."
eN
My
188
REUANT STADIUM
HOUSTON, TEXAS
R ESULTS: FEBRUARY
(ROUND 1 OF 7)
HEAT I (6 laps. 1-9 transfer): I. James Stewart (Kaw);
2. Steve Boniface(Suz); 1.J cM Woods (KTM); 4. Shae Bendey
(Suz); S. Ryan CIari< (Yom); 6. Turt><> Rei! (Hen); 7. Man"""
1.>J1o, (Yom); 8. ry.on Hod",/I (Yom); 9. Doug DeHaan (Han) ;
IO KevinJoMson (Yam); I I . Jacob Martin (KTM): 12. VInCent
.
BIai,. (Yam); 13. Davide Esposti (Su z); 14. Robbie Smith (Yarn);
IS. Bndley Ripple (Suz); 16. Paul p.,ebi"'" (Yam); 17. Brae
i
Heper (5oz); 18. Rodrig Thain (5oz); 19. Damien Plotts
(Hon); 20. Derek Cost ella (Suz) .
fbce Time: 5 min., 36.92 sec .
Marg in of Victory: 2.885 sec.
HEAT 2 (6 laps. 1·9 transfe r): I. Danny Smith (Y ;
am)
2. Eric Sorby ( Kaw) ; J. Michael Blose (Y
am): 4. Steve Lamson
(Hon): 5. Hans Nee! (Hon); 6. TIger lacey (Hon); 7. Kelly
Smith(Yam); 8. Ryan Mills ( Hon); 9. Billy lMtinovich (Ho n); 10 .
Brett Metcalfe (KTM); I I. Daniel Blair (Y
am); 12. TaylorWatU
(Yam); 13. D aryf Hurley (Suz): 14. Ste ve Mert ens (Yam); 15.
Shane Lusk (Hon) ; 16. Jeff Gibson (Yarn); 17. Jon Boruff (Hon);
18. Wi lliam Browning (Yam); 19. Bry.m White (Yam); 20 . Trffer
Wright(Suz).
Race Time: 5 min.• 38.24 sec.
H u g in of Vtctory: 1.588 sec.
LCQ (4 laps , , .... tran~fer) : I. Brcc HepJer (Suz) ; 2.
Brett Metcalfe (KTM); 3. Daryl Hur1ey (Suz); 4. Dan iel Blair
(Yom); S. Jeff G'l=n (Yom); 6 . D. vIde
(Suz); 7. Jacob
Maron (KTM); 8. Bndley Ripple (Suz); 9. Derek Co.,elIa
(Suz); 10. Steve Mert ens (Yam); I I. Vincent Blair (Yam); 12.
OWN RACE:
Davi Millsaps
Eapo,"
Danny Smith
DNS
6th
O ne of Yamaha of Troy 's two racing Smiths rode
well all night. but Danny Smith had to come from behind in the main. " I
rode a little t igh t," he said. "Th at's uncharacte rist ic for me , but I do n't
know. It' s the first time I've raced in a year, so I think that had a little to
do with it. I didn't feel like myse lf, but at times things were good . I've
got good speed , It's just been a w hile, and when I go t there , I w as riding
a little unnat ural fo r myself. But I've got a big heart, and I'll be back
there."
33
Kelly Smith
10th
The other Smith in the YoT pits wasn't happy w ith his performance at
all. "I pretty much stunk. The elevated start th ing just killed me : ' he
said. "In a nutshell , it was the starts . My fault:. No ex cuses. I just sucked
at tha t start. It' s no t my normal ro utine, and it threw me o ff, and I
should've been able to compensate fo r it, and I d idn't. I w orked my butt
off trying to catch back up, and I was passing for fifth o n the last lap, and
some clow n [Lallo z] cased something in fro nt of me , and I co uldn't see,
and I jum ped ove r and landed on him ."
6 Steve Lamson
4th
Hangto wnM X .com/Lamson Racing's Ste ve Lamson sho uldn't have su rprised anybo dy, give n his history, with a top -five in his first ra ce of th e
year, but he d id. He ac tually ran into ano th e r rider in the first tum , and
his fro nt wheel was knocked ou t o f aJignment, but he rode steady fro m
16th on the first lap to finish fourth .
132 Billy Laninovich
H u gin of Victory: 1.7 sec.
MAIN ( IS o.p.), I. jame> Stewart ( Kaw); 2. Brae He"""
(Suz); 3. Eric Sori>y (Kaw ); • . S,eve Umson (Hon); S. Ryan
Clarlt (Yam); 6. Danny Smith (Y
am) ; 7. Brett Met calfe (KTM);
8 . Steve Boniface (Suz); 9 . Ryan Mills (Hon); 10. Kelty Smfth
(Yam); 11. Billy Llninovich (Hon) ; 12. Michael Blose (Yam); 13.
Matthteu laJloz (Y
am) ; 14. Ttger Lace y (Hon); 15. Daryl
Hu rley (50,); 16. ry.on Hod>ell (Yom); 17. J"'" WOO