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
I Briefly... Damon Huffman got his first $ 1500 But· terfinger Holeshot Awa rd of the year, while James 5tewart powered his twostroke to the $1000 award in the 125cc main. Luckynumber- I3 Hunte r Breland, of Mclain, Mississippi, won the KTM Jun ior Supercross Challenge exhibition during intermission over Georgia's Col to n Ford and Justin Dobbins. No, it wasn't Racer X's Davey Coombs being interviewed during intermission by the SXGP.com webcast duo , but rather figure-skating champion Elvis Stojko (left), who was in atten dance. Huffman who grabbed his lo ng-aw aited first Butterfinger Holeshot Award of the year while Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's Michael Byrne and Windham followed him through the first left-hander. Seeing his opening, Reed put his move on the unwary Windham and left the Honda rider nailing about in recovery. " I th ink it was definitely intentional, you know?" Windham said. "I wouldn't really make a big stink about it, but that was kind of the race. Once he got out, it was kind of game over. The last two weekends, it's been a five-lap race. " Reed wasn't aware o f the contact. "I do n't think I came in contact, I just kind of snuck around the inside , and there were a lot of people in the first comer," he said . "I had to do what I had to do in the first corner and try not to crash." Reed came out of the first turn third, The Georgia Dome featured some of the biggest attendance numbers of the year so far, topping out at 59,651. Brad Ripplescored the $750 Racer X Gas Ca rd for finishing third in the 250cc LCQ. Kelly 5mith got the $250 Asterisk Medic Card even though he crossed the finish line seventh in the 125cc LCQ. Fifthwent to Ryan Mills, who promptly rode over to Steve Mertens, and the two started fighting. Mills and Mertens were both DQ'd, which gave James Povolny the final transfer spot and Smith the extra 2S0 bones. "Me and Ryan are frie nds, and we both were mad," Mertens said. '" don't think it's right when he hit me that I get disqualified for hitting him back. I can't really say that I blame him though, I just didn't know that you could get in trouble for hitting somebody back. I guess you just have to take it like a bitch." Samsung/Radio Shack Yamaha's Mertens is still recovering from a broken pelvis. "I broke my pelvis November 16th, and I've been riding for a little over a month now," he said. "Big strides, I feel a lot better. It's been rainingin Texas, but I'm trying my hardest to get back into it soon." In a not her tussle, Grant Langston and JimmyWilson got into a heated deba te during the second semi. Langston (who was second in World points) was DQ'd. "Jimmy Wilson came up and took Grant out after Grant passed him two corners before:' Red Bull KTM team manager Larry Brooks said. Continued on poge 23 www.cyclenEWS.com CYCLE NEWS . MARCH 10,2004 21