Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

(Left) He can fly: Jeremy McGrath stretched his points lead with yet another victory, this time In Atlanta's Georgia Dome. He is the winningest Yamaha rider ever. (Above) Jeremy McGrath (1), Ricky Cannichael (4), Mike LaRocco (5), Timmy Ferry (15) and John Dowd (16) launch from the start line In the main event. (Right) Though displeased with his riding, Ricky Cannlchael made the podium. David Vuillemln (below left) focuses before the main-event start. He was runner-up In the race and the point standings, but he's losing ground. just before the end of the sixth lap, after Carmichael was tossed around over the whoops. The Frenchman set off after McGrath, closing to less than four seconds at the halfway mark in the 20-lap main. Then McGrath picked it up, and by the 14th lap, his lead was back up to nearly nine seconds. McGrath wasn't going to allow a repeat of Phoenix, where Vuillemin ran him down and passed him late in the race, handing him one of his two losses this season. "I didn't really know he was in second again," McGrath said. "It was no big deal. I just thought R.C. [Carmichael] was in second. I was kind of easing up a little, and then 1 saw him on the track, so 1 was like, 'Okay, I'll just start picking up the pace again.' This time, not like Phoenix, I had plenty of time to gain speed again and pull back away." Vuillemin confirmed that the numbers didn't lie. It was, he said, after the midpoint of the race that he lost touch with the six-time defending champion after making a few mistakes. "I did a good start, and 1 had to pass Ricky [Carmichael] and Damon [Huffman], and after I was catching a little bit Jeremy [McGrath]," Vuillemin said. "But I did a couple mistakes after 13 laps, and after that I just rode safe in second place. I had a bad ride last week at Pontiac, and it's good to be back on the podium." One of Vuillemin's mistakes came when he over-jumped the finish line. "I had to roll through the doubles just after, because I could not take the right ruts," Vuillemin said. "I also had problems with lappers. Lappers stayed on the middle of the track." Vuillemin said that the track rutted up more than he was used to, which caused him to have to concentrate harder. "The ruts are very tiring," Vuillemin said, "because you have to stay very concentrated, so I got tired a little bit after 15 laps." Even so, he was safe from Carmichael, who was having problems of his own. The Floridian didn't appear comfortable on the track, a fact he confirmed at the end of the night. "Every weekend that's the story: I make mistakes and then fall backwards," Carmichael said. "I was in survival mode this weekend. I wasn't totally comfortable, and I salvaged a third despite not being comfortable. I think I could've done a lot better if I was a lot more comfortable, but I don't want to make excuses. Those guys beat me, and I'm just going to go home, do some hard work and try to do it in Daytona." Carmichael, like Vuillemin, said the ruts were the problem. "In the ruts and stuff, I just was haVing a hard time more than I usually do, but it's nothing to worry Ruts and backmarkers hindered the Hoosier, especially since he had to come from 10th on the first lap. "The ruts are difficult because you're not as maneuverable; you have to pick a rut and stay in it, and that makes it difficult to switch up for passes, but it also creates more mistakes," LaRocco said. "So it's kind of give and take. For me and for the guys I was around early, I felt like it was a hindrance, because I didn't trust what they were going to do, so I was tentative." The last rider LaRocco passed was Honda's Sebastien Tortelli, who LaRocco passed when he moved from sixth to fourth on the 11 th lap. The Frenchman said that he tired as the race went on, riding tighter than he should have. Behind Tortelli came his teammate Kevin Windham. Windham had a rough race, getting a little out of control on the first lap, which allowed the top three to get away. He then tangled with Michael Craig on the second lap just before the finish jump. "Tonight just seemed to be one of those instances when 1 was in the about," Carmichael said. "I just was a little uncomfortable." After a dismal start, Amsoil/Competition Accessories/Jack in the Box/Factory Connection/Honda's Mike LaRocco gutted his way to fourth, then he lamented that the race wasn't longer. "I think we should have 25 laps," said LaRocco, who is one of the strongest riders in the field, but one who never seems to get good starts. "I had a tough start of the race. It's getting to be ridiculous. Actually, I felt like I gated really good and Carmichael got just a wheel on me before those jumps and kind of jumped over on me; I had to back down, and I came out horrible. It was just a big cluster with that double and that right-hander. It was difficult working through the pack, because riders were making a lot of mistakes and were going this way and that way. So I had to be careful working through like the first 10 laps. "Once 1 got clean, 1 felt like 1could go a good pace, and I caught [Sebastien] Tortelli and Carmichael," LaRocco added. cue. e n e _ s • MARCH 8. 2000 9

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