Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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THO World Supercross GP/THO AMA Supercross Se ries Travis Pastrana started fourt h in heat one, but he was in the lead before the end of the first straightaway - a move he would later try to duplicate in the main, with little success. His friend and former team mate Kevin Windham hounded him for the first couple of laps before givingway on the third lap, and Wi ndham went on to w in over Past ran a, David Vuillemin and Tyler Evans, who put a last-lap pass on N ick Wey for the final transfer spot. "I had a run-in with Travis down in Daytona," Wi ndham said. "It seems like every heat he's in, we're togethe r, and it's great to have him back. He's a great friend of mine, and I think the sport definitely missed him." Heat two was basically all Grant Langston. Michael Byrne actually grabbed the holeshot, but Langston moved by right away and put his head down w hile Chad Reed worked his way through the leaders. After Reed moved into second, he washed out in a turn and fell. Alt hough he didn't lose a spot, he lost touch wi th Langston, and the SouthAfricanwent on to win over Reed, Nathan Ramsey and Byrne. "I got a good start, and I hadn't jumped that triple-tri ple-triple in that section all night, but I did it almost every lap, so it was a great race," Langston said. " I had Chad Reed behind me, and he fell and gaveme a little breathing room." Sean Hamblin started third in the first semi, but he worked his way past his teammate Weyand into the lead before the end of lap two. From there, he wasn't headed, winning the racegoing away over Wey, Damon Huffman, Andrew Short and Tommy Hofmaster. Mike laRocco was still feeling the effects of a practice crash, and he gaveway to Heath Voss early in the secon d semi. Voss we nt o n to win, while laRocco hung o n for second over Ryan Clark, Ted Campbell and Brian Mason. " I know that LaRoc ~o's a litt le sore; he crashed right in front of me in practice today, and I know he crashed hard - he laid on the ground for probably a minute before he got up," Voss said. " I knew in the heat race that he was hurting tonight, but I'll take a win any way I can get it," James Povolnyworked his way around Craig Anderson to w in the LCQ , andJason Thomas did likewise for the final transfer spot to the main event. H EAT I (8 laps. 1-4 transfe r) : I. Kevin Windham (Hon); 2. Travis Pastrana (Suz): 3. David Vuillemin (Yam): -1 . Tyler Evans (Suz); S. Nick Wey (Suz): 6. Sean Hamblin (5uz); 7. Andrew Short (5uz); 8. Tommy Hofmast er (Yam); 9. James Povolny (Hon); 10. Isaiah Johnson (Yam); II . Cra ig Anderson (Hon) ; 12. Joe Oehlhof (Hon) ; 13. Damon Huffman (Hon ); 14. Jacob Martin (KTM); IS. Greg Crater (Hon); 16. William Bro wn ing (Yam); 17. Jimmy Wilson (Hon ); 18. Hans Neel (Hon); 19. Daniel Blair (Yam); 20 . Bradley Ripple (Suz). Race Time: 7 min., 3.247 sec . Ma rg in of Vic t o ry: .848 sec . H EAT 2 (8 lap s, 1-4 t ra nsfe r ): I. Grant Lmgston (KTM); 2. Chad Reed (Yam); 3. Nathan Ramsey (Hon); 4. Michael Byrne (Kaw); 5. Mike laRocco (Hen ): 6. Hea th Voss (Yam); 7. Jason Thomas (Hon); 8. Kyle Lewis (Hon) ; 9. Bryan White (Yam); 10. Brian Mason (Hon ); II . Ryan C lark (Yam); 12. Ted Campbell (Hon ); 13. David Hill(Yam); 14. De nnis Ewing (Suz); IS. Nathan Skaggs (Yam); 16. Michael Koch (Yam); 17. Clark Stiles (Hon); 18. Taylor Watts (Yam); 19. Scott Mea (Hon ); 20. Scott Howe (Yam). Race Ti me : 6 min.• 4 1. 14 sec . Ma r gin of Victory: 2.55 I sec . SEMI I (6 laps, 1· 5 transfer): I. Sean Ham blin (Suz); 2. Nick We y (Suz); 3. Damo n Huffman (Hon) ; 4. Andrew Short (5uz); 5. Tommy Hofmaste r (Yarn 6. Joe Oehlhof (Hon ); 7. James ); Povo lny (Hon ); 8. Isaiah John son (Yam); 9. Craig Anderson (Hen) : 10. Jacob Mart in (KTM); I I. Bradley Ripple (Sua): 12. William Browning (Yam); 13. Gre g Crater (Hon); 14. Hans Neel (Hon) ; IS. Daniel Blair (Yam); 16. Jimmy Wilson (Hon). Race Time: 5 mm., 4.4 71 sec . Margin of Victory: 2.75 sec . SEMI 2 (6 la ps , I _S transfer): I. Hea th Voss (Yam); 2. Mike laRocco (Hon) ; 3. Ryan Clark (Yam); 4. Ted Campbell (Hon); 5. Brian Maso n (Hon) ; 6. Bryan White (Yam); 7. Taylor Watts (Yam); 8. David Hill (Yam); 9. Clark Stiles (Hon) ; 10. Michae l Koch (Yam); I I. Scott Howe (Yam); 12. Nathan Skaggs (Yam); I 3. Jason Thomas (Hon); 14. Kyle lewis (He n): 15. Denn is Ew ing (Suz); 16. Scott Metz (Hon). Race Time: 5 min ., 6.737 sec . Ma rg in of Victory: 4.489 sec . LCQ (4 la ps , 1· 2 transfer): I. James Povolny (Hon) ; 2. Jason Thomas (Hon) ; 3. Craig Anderson (Hon) ; 4. Joe Oehlhof (Hon ); 5. Isaiah Johnson (Yam); 6. Jacob Martin (KTM); 7. Hans Nee! (Hon ); 8. Jimmy Wilson (Hon ); 9. Greg Crat er (Hon); 10. Bryan Wh ite (Yam); I I. David Hill (Yam); 12. Taylor Watts (Yam); 13. Scott Howe (Yam); 14. Michael Koch (Yam); 15. Kyle l ewis (Hon ); 16. Nath an Skaggs (Yam); 17. Clark Stites (Hon ); 18. William Bro wn ing (Yam); 19. Bradley Ripple (Sm); 20. Dan iel Blair (Yam); 21. De nnis Ewing (Suz); 22 . Scott Mea (Hon) . Ra ce Time: 5 rtnn., 8.744 sec . Ma rg in of Victo ry: 3.316 sec . 26 MARCH 24, 2004 • CYCLE NEWS went right by. And then I thought, 'Well, I'll just follow those guys." Windham quickly soaked up Reed's lead, and he sat less than a second behind for the next few laps while the two left Ramsey all alone in third. At about the halfway point, though, Windham began to lose touch w ith his supercross rival . '" definitely tightened up there," Windham said. "I really don't know what to say. I'm pretty frustrated with myself, but my Honda 4S0 was working great . Second was good at the beginning of the season, but now it seems like there's so much focus put on first place... I want it so badly, but it just wasn't there for me tonight, and I tightened up." Reed eventually pulled out to win by 14-plus seconds over Windham and extend his points lead to 32 w ith only five rounds remaining. "I know that at some point in the race, my focus kind of went away from the lead, and that was pretty much my downfall," Windham said. " It was a pretty simple story what happened after that . This thing gets so much about lap times and gets so much about Chad and so much about me, and I'm over all of it. I'm just worried about myself now. I'm not worried about lap t imes anymore, and that's really going to be my focus in the rema ining weeks of supercross, and defini tely making a strong perfor mance the re in the outdoors. Quit w o rry ing abo ut namedropping and lap t im e dropping and all that stuff, and go out and do the best I can do. I've gotten away from that in the weeks past. It's troubling and very upsetting because I know I'm better than what I did tonight," But Reed w as obviously happy w ith his eighth win of the season, despite still suffering soreness fro m his crash at Daytona 40th Anniversary and another during Friday practice in St. Louis. " T his week was a pretty tough week for me, " Reed said. "I was kind of really excited to w in Daytona. It was a goal that I had set all season, and I had my new track in Florida, and I was sore and beat up, and Monday morning I went riding and probably shouldn't have, but I was excited to r ide something new and different, and I rode Tuesday as well. Wednesday, it wasn't really getting any better, so I made a phone call to Jeff [Spencer], and he arranged an MRI for me just to make sure nothing was wrong. Luckily, nothing's broken or torn; it's just a crush injury. My ribs and my hip are real ly sore. I was feeling good coming into yesterday, and then I made a crash yesterday, and I just rehurt myself, which kind of bummed me out. "I had to definitely ride into my rhythm, and it's not a five-lap race, it 's a 20- lap race, and that's what you 've got to do to go 20 laps. I have to thank Jeff Spencer. He keeps me in shape, and even when I'm beat up, he takes good care of me , so I'd like to thank him a lot." Ramsey hung on for his and Dunlop's first 2S0cc podium of the year, ending Bridgestone's domination . "You just w ant to do smart laps, hit every obstacle ," Ramsey said. "You know, that rhythm section was really important, and I just wanted to do that every lap and hit the whoops good, and I knew if I could do that, I could hang on ." eN EDWARD JONES DOME ST. loUIS, MISSOURI RESULTS: MARCH 13, 2004 (ROUND 12 OF 17/11 OF 16) MAIN (20 laps): I. C had Reed (Yam); 2. Kevin W indham (Hon); 3. Nathan Ramse y (He n): 4. Mike laRocco (Hen); 5. David Vuill m in (Yam); 6. Andrew Short e (Suz); 7. Michael Byrne (Kaw); 8. Hea th Voss (Y ; 9. Nic k am) Wey (Suz); 10. Sean Ha mblin (Suz); I I. Gran t Langsto n (KTM); 12. Damon Huffman (Hon) ; 13. Jason Thomas (Hon ); 14. lYle< Evans (Suz); IS. Ted Campbell (Hon); 16.