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/128395
Round 11 MOTOCROSS September 4,2005 ~ AMA 2S0cc National Championship Series Presented by FMF mounted Sean Collier. Early on, Vuillemin began his move to the front. On lap six, he caught up to Hughes, and those two had a good battle through lap seven. Vuillemin appeared to have caught Hughes at the end of a long downhill section, only to carry too much speed into a rut, and he popped out into the soft stuff. DV then reeled in the veteran Hughes on an uphill section and then set his sights on Fonseca. Hot on all three riders' tails was Windham, who, in his charge from midpack, laid to rest any comments about Steel City being a "onelined track." Meanwhile, by lap I I, Vuillemin was all over Fonseca, and he got by the Honda rider for third - only to have Windham catch and pass him shortly thereafter. With Carmichael lapping up the chart, Windham would cruise in for a welldeserved second place, and Vuillemin would capture third. Fonseca rolled up soon after in fourth, while Hughes held off a late-mota charge by Byrne to take fifth. "We were neck and neck all through Ernesto Fonseca made the 250 podium after another close one with David Vuillemin. Windham perhaps put up the most inspiring ride of all the 250cc-c1ass riders over the weekend. Admittedly still in a bit of a "fog" regarding Hurricane Katrina, Windham, who lives in Centreville, Mississippi, wasn't able to practice all week, instead focusing his concern on the well-being of his family and friends. "Riding a motorcycle this week at my house, or anywhere in the U.S., kind of becomes second to what's going on," Windham said. The consummate pro, Windham stepped up in the first moto. And, despite an un-Windham-like wreck near the start put him in nearly dead last place, "K-dub" put on a charge through a field of the world's best motocross racers that definitely ranks as one of the highlights of the season. "It's amazing when you ride from, like, dead last, or with three guys on the ground there with me, to come back to second," Windham said. "I was a little bit of a man on a mission there in the first mota." Despite the title having already been wrapped up, the final round at Glen Helen next week will still be able to wring a bit of drama out of the 250cc class, as the last podium spot is up for grabs between Fonseca and Team Yamaha's David Vuillemin. Fonseca, who has been on a tear as of late, topped Vuillemin at Steel City with 4-3 finishes to the popular French racer's 3-4 finishes. Fonseca's third overall was his best finish ever at 18 SEPTEMBER 14,2005 • Steel City and put him on the podium for the fourth consecutive race. The two international stars of American motocross are tied after I I of 12 rounds with 352 points each. "Seemed like I was making up time, maybe a second or a second and a half each lap," said Fonseca of his secondmoto charge on "DV" that would give him third overall. "When I got close to him, I just passed him - not even really sure where that was. Seemed like he [Vuillemin] was getting tired." Vuillemin, who started the season out on the podium at Hangtown, has yet to return to the top three. His consistent finishes in the top five have kept him up there in the points, but Fonseca's lateseason charge is going to make for one heck of a battle at Glen Helen. "My MX season will be decided with one race at Glen Helen," Vuillemin said. "Hopefully I can score one more point than Ernie and get third overall. My best overall finish in the Nationals has been fourth, so it would be nice to be in the podium on my last MX series ever." Moto one saw Fonseca pull a field of riders to the top of the start hill, including Carmichael, the BooKoo Energy Drinksponsored Robbie Reynard, and Honda's Travis Preston. Within a couple of turns, though, Carmichael was out front and pulling away. And in a rather unique circumstance, at the end of the first lap, two of the Kawasaki two-strokes had caught the front-runners (Fonseca and Preston). Team Kawasaki's Michael Byrne and Richmond Kawasaki's Evan Laughridge entered the top-seven fray, including fanfavorite Ryan "Ryno" Hughes and Honda- CYCLE NEWS