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/128314
THO World Super cr oss GPfTHO AMA Supercr oss Se r ies Kevin Windham led the first heat race from holeshot to checkered flag, but the real story was behind him. After Erick Vallejo we nt down hard in front of the finish-l ine jump, the red-cro ss flags we re displayed. David Vuillemin rode around for second over Sean Hamblin, while Travis Preston duked it out with Nick Wey to grab the final transfer spot. Howev er, the AMA determined that Vuillemin, Presto n and Michael Byrne all jumped a jump unde r the red-cross flags and were docked five seconds, which left the official finishing order of Windham, Hamblin, Wey and Vuillemin going to the main event. Chad Reed started off the second heat in fifth place, but he wo rked his way into the lead by the end of lap five and took the win over Nat han Ramsey and Andrew Short, who led most of the heat. Mike laRocco came from behind for the final transfer spot . "I got a rea llygood jump but didn't control the first corne r that great , and a couple of guys snuck up the inside," Reed said. Byrne got the holeshot in the first semi, but he gave way to the pressure being applied to him by former teammate Preston when he made a mistake on lap five. Preston score d the win, sore wrist and all, while Byrne hung on for second. Jason Thomas was third, and Ryan Clark and Ted Campbell grabbed the final tw o tra nsfer spots. "The wrist is just an excuse in case I have a bad night," Preston said from the podium. Damon Huffman grabbed his first holeshot of the night in the second semi over Joe Oehlhof, Jimmy Wilson, Tyle r Evans and Grant Langston. As Langston worked his way through the pack on the first lap, Wilson knocked him dow n, and Langston was stuck under his bike. After Wilson's bike blew up a couple of laps late r, Lang ston went over to give him a piece of his mind and was disqualified (see Briefly...). Huffmanscored the win over Evans, slow-starting Heath Voss, Oehlhof and David Pingree . The final tw o main-event spots we nt to Isaiah Johnson and James Povolny in the LCQ . behind H uffm an a nd Byrne. David Vuille min sat fo urt h, and Mike laRocco had a decent sta rt in fifth. "I act ually lucke d out o n the start," LaRocco sa id. "Chad came from the inside and plowed Kevin, and it o pen ed up a big o pening and allowed me t o come out dece nt." Reed passed Byrn e right away, then he went to w ork o n Huffma n. Ree d got by Huffman ove r the finish-line jump to co nclud e t he second lap, and the race fo r the lead was over. "W he n you 're in fifth o r sixt h and he 's ou t fron t , it's like, 'Well, damn , the race is over, and it' s lap two,''' W indham said of Reed . "You kind o f get up to second , and you do t he best yo u ca n." 22 W indh am was working o n his teamma te laRocco for fifth w he n Reed took the lead. The Ams oil/ Chaparra l Ho nda d uo w o rked their way around Byrne before W ind ham cou ld make his move past his team mate into fourth . " I just wanted to see if Kevin had good speed and see if he cou ld shake the co bwebs o ff me, and I decided to follow him and che ck out his lines," laRocco said of t he pass . " Really, it did kind of mo tivate me, but I just did n't have it to night . It was just be st t hat I let him go ." Vuillem in w o rked his way aro und Huffman for second and actually began to gain on his team mate Reed at a rate as high as a se co nd per lap . He got to w ith in 3.9 seco nds of Reed be fore he began to MARCH 10, 2004 • CYCLE NEWS HEAT I (8 la ps. 1-4 transfer): I. Kevin Wind ham (Hon); 2. Sean Hamblin (Suz): 3. N ick W ey (Suz); 4. David Vuillemin(Yam):5. Travis Preston (Hon); 6. Michael Byrne (Kaw); 7. Jawn Thomas (Hen); 8 . Ryan Clark (Yam); 9. Isaiah Joh nson (Yam); 10. Ted Campbell (Ho n); I I . Clinton Shealy (S",,) ; 12. James Povolny (Hon); I J. 8 ",." White (Yam) ; 14. Scott Mea (Hon); I S. Erick Vallejo (Yam); 16. David Hill(Yam); 17. Daniel Blair (Yam) 18. Nathan james ; Crawford (Suz) ; 19. Brad ley Ripple (Sur); 20 . Edd ie Ray (Hen). Race Ti m e : 7 min., 36 . 105 sec. Margin of Victory: 8.946 sec. HEAT 2 (8 laps, 1-4 transfer): I. Cha d Reed (Yam); 2. N athan Ramsey (Hon) ; 3. Andrew Short (Suz) ; 4. Mike laRocco (Hon); 5. Grant Langston (KTM); 6. Hea th Voss (Yam); 7. Damon Huffman (Hon ); 8 . Joe Oehlhof (Hen); 9. Tyle r Evans (Suz); 10. David Pingree (Hon); I I . Jimmy Wilson (Hon); 12. William Bro wn ing (Yam); 13. Barry Carsten (Suz); 14. Robb Floth (Suz); IS. Tom Parsons (Hon ); 16. Dustin PuUey(yam); 17 . Kevin Cnne (Hon); 18 . Hans Neel (Hon) ; 19 Jacob Marti n (KTM); 20 . Nathan . Skaggs (Yam) . Race Time: 7 min ., 29.664 sec . Ma rg in of Victory: 5.872 sec . SEMI I (6 la ps , 1-5 transfer): I. Travis Preston (Hon ); 2. Michael Bym e (Kaw ); 3. Jason Th omas (Hon ); 4. Ryan Clark (Yam); S. Ted Campbell (Hon); 6. Jam", Povolny (Hon); 7. Isaiah John son (Yam); 8 . Bradley Ripple 40th Anniversary (Suz); 9 . N athan James Crawford (Suz); 10. Bryan Wh ite (Yam) ; II. Dan iel Blair (Yam); 12. Scott Metz (Hon); 13. Clinton Shealy (Suz); 14. Erick Vallejo (Yam); 15. David Hill (Yam); 16. Eddie Ray (Hen). Race Time: 5 min ., 12.404 sec . Ma rgin o f Victory: 2.227 sec . SE MI 2 (6 laps. 1-5 t ransfe r ): I. Damo n Huffman (Hen ); 2. Tyle' Evans (S",); J. Heath Voss (Yam); 4. Joe Oehlho f (Han); 5. David Pingree (Han); 6. Willia m Browning (Yam); 7. Jaco b Martin (KT M); 8. Barry Ca rsten (Suz ); 9 . Robb Fla t h (Suz); 10. Dustin Pulley (Yam); II. Tom Parsons (Han); 12. Kevin C rine (Hon) ; 13. Nathan Skaggs (Yam); 14. Jimm y Wilso n (Han); IS. G ran t Langston (KTM) ; 16. Hans Ne el (Hon ). Ra ce Ti me: 5 min ., 47.835 sec. Ma rgin of Victory: 3. 12 1 sec . LCQ (4 la ps, 1-2 transfer): J. Isaiah [oh nson (Yam) ; 2. Jam e s Povolny (Han); 3. Brad ley Ripp le (Suz); -4. Jacob Martin (KT M); 5. William Bro wn ing (Yam); 6. Nat han James Crawford (Sur ) : 7. Clinton Shealy (Suz); B. Kevin Crine (Han); 9. Barry Carsten (Suz); 10. Robb Flath (Suz) ; I I. Dustin Pulley (Yam); 12. Nathan Skaggs (Yam); I J. Score Metz (Hon) ; 14. Tom Parsons (Hon) ; 15. Bryan Whi te (Yam); 16. Daniel Blair (Yam); 17. Erick Vallejo (Yam); 18 Jimmy Wilson (Hon); 1 David Hill (Yam); 20 . . 9. Hans Nee l (Hon ); 21 . Edd ie Ray (Hoo ). Race Time: 6 min., 3.072 sec. Ma rgin of Victory: 4.23 2 sec .