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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128332
by Weigand and Honda privateer Rusty
Holland in third.
As for the second moto, McGrath didn't have much trouble. He was able to get
around early leader Holland on the first
lap and run away from the field. The end
saw McGrath take the overall, followed
by Holland in second and Weigand in
third. With one win under his belt
McGrath now had his sights set on the
I25cc class. However, little did he know
that on Saturday, if he didn't have bad
luck, he wouldn't have had any luck at all.
The bad luck began in McGrath's qualifier when he got a nat tire while le ad ing forcing him to ride a semi to qualify. Then
in the main his luck turned from bad to
worse after a poor gate pick caused him
to get a bad start.
"I came out pretty strong, but then I
got pinched a little going up the hill,"
McGrath said . 'Then on the first lap I
went down in the tree corner, so that put
me in 28th. Before the crash I was in
10th , so I figured 10th would be okay, but
then I had to work from 28th. I felt really
great. I felt like I had plenty enough to win
th e race: it's just you can't do it with a
fall."
Meanwhile, young Honda rider
Thomas Hahn w as im me rs ed in a battle
for the lead with
Suzuki rider Josh
Lichtle. The two
swapped the lead
position for most
of the race before
Hahn, in the closing
laps, was finally able
to make a pass stick.
"That was a lot of
fun," Hahn said . "I knew
I could do good and that
McGrath was going to be
fast and really hard to beat,
but I had a little luck on my
side. It ended up working out all
right."
By the end of the race McGrath
was able to make his way up to third
position. As for Lichtle, he ended up finishing in second right on the rear fender
of Hahn.
As Sunday began, the thought that this
was possibly the last Mammoth ever was
on everyone's mind, including McGrath's.
He wanted to win the final race at
Mammoth to put an exclamation point on
all of his accomplishments at the famous
track. As it would turn out, he did win,
and he did it in convincing fashion .
Unlike the previous day, Sunday was
7th (125 Pro)/7th (250 Pro)/26t h (Open Pro)
The multitime National Champion came out for some racing and
found some of his old speed. He was able to hang with many of
the younger racers in all three Pro classes. "Tho se younger guys
kind of hit it a little more in the first few laps," Ward said. "I kind
of had to pace myself. Once I got going I felt pretty decent. I
thought I'd be better on the 2S0F but I think I'm better on the
450, because I'm better at line selection and being smooth. The
2S0F, you have to kind of just pin it and ride it like a 125. It's fun to
race against guys who are 16, and I'm like three times their age."
Daniel Sani
1st (125 Int)/2nd (250 Int)
The Suzuki Amateur Support rider had a good week in Mammoth. All week he looked fast
in his qualifiers and was able to put it all together in the 12Scc Intermediate class. Sani
grabbed the holeshot and checked out ahead of a talented field of young riders . In the 2S0cc
Intermediate class, he didn't have the same great luck. He started in third and could never
really catch the leader the whole race - he ended up finishing in a very respectable second .
Richie Owens 4th (Open Pro )/9th (125 Pro )/250 Pro (DNF)
With a break in the Nationals Richie Owens showed up and had a decent weekend. "The
racing is going good," Owens said. "I'm just putting in motes, and I'm having some bike
problems, but we 're working them out. I got ninth in the 125 class, so it worked out all
right." As for the Open race Owens competed aboard a big 10<500. "It was fun. I was running pretty good and got fourth overall . Jeremy [McGrath] and those guys were going
good . They can out-turn that thing [10(500). It was good though , it was fun."
Jes sica Patterson
1st (Woman's Pro)
The Honda rider had a great race up in Mammoth . Like she has proven time and time again
this year, she is the one to beat . She didn't get the holeshot in either moto but was able to
work her way up to pass everyone else and take the lead. Patterson opened up commanding leads in both motos to take the overall victory easily.
Sebastian Tortelli 4th (250 Pro)
After being out for almost an entire season with a knee injury, Tortelli is slowly making his
comeback to racing. Mammoth was his first race back, and he looked fast out on the course.
However, he was not able to catch the front -runners in the 250cc main. After a poor start
he was forced to move through the pack, then he fell over and lost allof the time he made
up on the leaders. In the end Tortelli could only muster up a fourth-place finish .
McGrath's day. After he took a second in
his qualifier, behind an impressive
Weigand, McGrath was able to win the
final race of the weekend. The 250cc Pro
race was easily one of the fastest races all
weekend, With riders such as Sebastian
Tortelli, Jeff Ward , Weigand , Riehle
Owens, Kyle Partridge and many others ,
e ve ryo ne was expecting a good one.
When the gate dropped, Weigand
grabbed the holeshot w ith Ward and
McG rath following clo sely behind . Unlike
the Ope n race , w he re We igand gave
McGrath a challenge for t he lead ,
McGrat h wasted no time moving int o
first on the th ird lap. Th e seven-time
Supercro ss Cha mp ion proceeded to rid e
away fro m everyone else . We igand circulate d the track in second w ith Holland in
third. The riders re mai ne d in those posi tions until t he e nd of th e race.
It was a bittersweet m oment as
McGrath crossed the finish line for the
www.cyclenews.com
final race. Everyone was elated to see him
w in but sad to see Mammoth shut its
gates for the final time.
eN
MAMMOTH MOTOCROSS PARK
MAMMOTH LAKES, CAUFORNIA
RESULTS: JUNE 17-27, 2004
6S (6 ·8): I . Justin Hill (KTM); 2. Michael t-teze (KTM);
3. Ty Siminoe (KTM) ; ... Jesse Maste rpool (Kaw); S.
.
N icholas Lapaglia (KTM).
65 (9·11): I. Eli Tomac (Su,) : 2. Chris Plouffe (Kaw); l.
Bl ke Baggett (Kaw) : • . Jason Ande