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Pontiac. MI • Feb,...uery 1 S. 2CCX:J AMA,/EA Sports Supercross Series Round 7: Silverdome Two of the night's best rides came from Sebastien Tortelli (above), and Damon Huffman (right). Both made the podium for the first time in two years. of the whoops, and Sebastien got around me." After picking his bike up in around 15th, Windham charged through the Tigers of the 250cc class, putting his Honda in fifth by race's end. "At this point, as bad as the season's been, I'm going for good rides," he said. "If I get ninth, and I feel like I rode good, then I'm alright with it at this point. [I've gotJ no shot at anything; I don't have any goals anymore except just to go out there and ride good. Like I said, [whether] it's first, or second, or ninth, or 10th, if I ride good then I'm happy, and tonight I feel like I did." After extending his lead to as much as 11 seconds, McG rath backed off at the checkers with six seconds over TorteJli. "I'd like to congratulate Damon Huffman for a great ride," said McGrath between coughs on the podium. "And Sebastien Tortelli, he's really improved this year. It's great to see different guys up here." "I worked hard, and I'm very happy to be on the podium," said Tortelli, adding that he likes rutted tracks. "There's no secret. If you get a good start and ride nice and smooth, you can finish on top. "It feels good to be up here in third, 8 MARCH 1, 2000' cue I but I wish I would have held onto that second," said a bearded Huffman from the podium. "I've been healthy for over a year now. I'm going to build from this definitely next week. I know I can do it, and hopefully I can better myself." Silverdome Pontiac, Michigan Results: February 19, 2000 [Round 7 of lSI 250 HEAT I (8 laps. 1-4 transfer to main): 1. David Vui1lemin (Yam); 2. Sebastien Tortelli (Hon); 3. Greg Albertyn (Suz); 4. Mike l..llIRocco (Hon); 5. Heath Voss (Hon); 6. John Dowd (Kaw); 7. Jean-Sebastien Roy (Hon); 8. Greg Schnell (Yam); 9. Larry Ward (Kaw); 10. Shayne King (KTM); 11. Ryan Terle<:ki (KTM); 12. Mark Dube (Su.); 13. Jason Thomas (Yam); 14. Dustin Nelson (Yam); 15. Matt Karlsen (Yam); 16. Brian Mason (Kew); 17. Michael Koch (Yam); 18. Bany Carsten (Su.); 19. Tom Welch (Su.); 20, James Povolny Jr. (Hon). Time: 7 min•• 40.750 sec. HEAT 2 (Slaps. 1-4 transfer to main): 1. Jeremy McGrath (Yam); 2. Kevin Windham (Hon); 3. Timmy Ferry (Yam); 4. Ricky Carmichael (Kaw); 5. Damon Huffman (Su.); 6. Kyle Lewis (50)); 7. Michael Craig (Yam); 8. Isaiah Johnson (Hon); 9. Jason Frenette (Yam): 10. James Evans (Yam); 11. Vincent Kllmow (Suz); 12. Zeb Armstrong (Yam); 13. Todd Downs (Hon); 14. Justin Blake (Kaw); 15. Ron Boyas (50'); 16. Jason Fink (Yam); 17. Donald Baker (Hon); 18. Nick Walsh (Soz); 19. Jim Neese (Yllm): 20. Davey y.,ek Jr. (Suz). Time: 7 min., 36.630 sec. 250 SEMI 1 (6 laps, 1·5 transfer to main): 1. Jean-Sebastien Roy (Hon); 2. Larry Wllrd (Kaw); 3. Heath Voss (Hon); 4. John Dowd (Kaw); 5. Jason Thomas (Kaw); 6. Shayne King (KTM); 7. Gre9 Schnell (Yam); 8. Ryan Terlecki (KTM); 9. Marco Dube (Suz); 10. Dustin Nelson (Yam); 11. Matt Karlsen (Yllm): 12. Brilln Mason (Kaw); 13. Tom • n e _ s In 1998, Jeremy McGrath (right, with mechanic Randy Lawrence) crashed out of Pontiac's main event, and in '97, Jeff Emig took away his Supercross title at the venue. but McGrath has since come to terms with the facility. He won last year, and in addition to winning this round's main event, he also took the second heat race. Ricky Carmichael challenged McGrath in that qualifier, grabbing the holeshot and then fending off McGrath's initial, hairy-looking pass attempt. McGrath tried to jump over Carmichael on the uphill double just after tum one ("I thought we were going to collide a little bit: said McGrath), but failed and made his pass soon aftelWard in the whoops. CarmJchael didn't back off, however, bUZZing the leader's rear tire until McGrath built a slight cushion. Carmichael was second until the penultimate lap, when he went down in a turn. McGrath won over Kevin Windham and Timmy Ferry, with Carmichael remounting for fourth. "I think the reason I got away from him that time was maybe I was a little bit better In the whoops," said McGrath. "R.C. has taken a lot of tumbles this year. He needs to slow down a little bit. I think he's learning a lot this year." "He had the whoops dialed," said Carmichael. "Other than that, I think we were the same. I enjoy racing with him because I believe it makes me faster." Heat one had been a foreign affair, with Frenchman David Vuillemin leading from start to finish (though his time was four seconds slower than that of McGrath), and countryman Sebastien TorteJli finishing second. Third was South Africa's Greg Albertyn, and gringo Mike laRocco was fourth. "I just want to start like that in the main, and get another podium," said Vuillemin. Planet Honda's Jean-Sebastien Roy pulled off a literally last-second pass to win the first semi, moving by Larry Ward, who had led since passing Roy in the whoops on lap three. Heath Voss was third, followed by John Dowd and Lineman Cycles' Jason ThOmas. Semi two saw Damon Huffman pull the holeshot and barely slow down in' time to make the first turn. He led to the finish, with Kyle Lewis - who almost went down over a triple· claiming second. Michael Craig was third in front of Planet Honda's Isaiah Johnson and Mountain Ridge Yamaha's Jason Frenette. Motoworld's Greg Schnell - winner of the third 125cc Western round - took the lastchance qualifier, while A.M. Leonard/KTM's Ryan Terlecki held off the charging (and booming) KTM four-stroke of Shayne King.