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/128391
, A ~~ <"r . Doug Henrv earns 'his, .~ first X Games gold":' 'til' .' medal and reaffirms~_: ~'.- ,.'~ 'himself as the mari'e:~tl1"/: beat in Supermoto :-:..I!;'~ • By SCOTT ROUSSEAU PHOTOS BY RAy GUNDY ... .-...... .. ~ X Games I I offered its share of all of that hey all wanted it, but Doug Henry got it. right from the start. Reed got the holeshot to Before a worldwide television lead the field into turn one. followed by audience estimated to be over 190 Henry. McGrath suffered a weak start but million households, the Graves tried to make up for it by chopping his way to Motorsports Yamaha-backed Henry beat back the front from about midpack. In doing so, he all challengers in the unique 40.lap X Games bumped Troy Lee Designs Honda's Jeff Ward I I Supermoto, which featured a mandatory pit in turn one. Ward then dominoed David stop, to win the gold medal at Home Depot Baffeleuf and Jurgen Kunzel, the three riders Center. American Honda's Jeremy McGrath, ending up in a heap on the first jump of the the seven-time AMA Supercross Champion, rhythm section on the stadium infield dirt porfinished second for the silver medal, while tion of the course. effectively losing any Team Yamaha's Chad Reed finished third for chance of running at the front for the rest of the bronze medal after leading the first five the race. While Reed and Henry ran one-two, Red laps of the race. But Henry simply thrived on the tight. tech- Bull KTM's Kurt Nicoll ran third. just ahead of nical, 18-turn track that featured two dirt sec- Two Brothers Racing Suzuki's Steve Drew, tions. He led early. He led late. He led 33 of the Red BulVParts Unlimited KTM-mounted Eric 40 laps, and when it was over, he earned his Bostrom and McGrath, with McGrath passing first X Games gold medal and a whopping Bostrom for fifth as they jumped beck Into the $50.000 share of the $105,000 X Games stadium for the first time. McGrath then tried Supermoto purse, the biggest in Supermoto. another aggressive pass on Drew in tum six. But just like with the 5uperbowt or the World The two bumped, and that allowed Bostrom Serles of Poker, where the ring or the bracelet to split them and take over fourth place, while is the thing, X Games is all about the gold McGrath dropped back to sixth. McGrath then lowsided in tum one when they reenmedal. "This Is great," the 35-year-old Henry said. tered the stadium, and he lost another eight ':4.11 my friends and family at home got to see spots. this. My dad doesn't go to any races. I'm sure "I kind of strUggled off the gate, and I had he's smiling right now. Big jumps and big crash- to force my way through the first tum," es tend to draw people to the sport. They want McGrath said. "I was in a hurry. I saw Chad eXcitement. good jumps and passing." [Reed] and Doug [Henry] in front, and I T