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/128607
AMA/EA Sports Supercross Series Round 1 1 : Metrodorne BRIEFLY••• During opening ceremonies. a specia/live phone hook-up, arranged by PACE MotorSports' Seth Rouse, was made with Team Yamaha's Jimmy Button. who is recovering from spinal injuries that he sustained at the San Diego Supercross earlier in the season. His voice. aiong with interviewer Jim Holley. was piped into the Metrodome's sound system so everyone could hear him speak. Button thanked his friends. family and fans that have supported him through his ordeal. Button told the large crowd that he is walking unassisted with a walker and that his coordination is coming back. but he still feels weak. He also added that he hopes to be on hand for the Supercross Series final at Las Vegas (May 6). as well as several outdoor Nationals. Suzuki Team Manager Roger DeCoster says that Greg Albertyn is healing quickly after his Atlanta Supercross fall that left him with a broken femur... He just had some X-rays taken that showed that the bone is already mending." DeCoster said. When asked when the defending 250cc AMA National MX Champion might return to action. he answered, "If all goes well, he might. just might. make the first round of the Nationals to at least get some points." Team Suzuki was missing another rider at Minneapolis. Damon Huffman. Huffman injured his back at the previous Supercross round in St. Louis and just did not have enough strength in his right leg to compete. According to Roger DeCoster, Huffman is expected to return to action at the next Supercross round in Pontiac (Michi- gan), April 1. Chevy Trucks/Kawasaki's Larry Ward (right) suffered one of the strangest DNFs of the year so far, While running in second place in the Windham rode well in Minneapolis. He held down second place tor much ot the race betore settling tor tourth. eighth ahead of MotoWorld of EI Cajon's Mike Craig and Moto XXX's way to the front. Along the way he got into some serious battles with John Dowd, Sebastien Tortelli, Brock Sellards and Kevin Windham, before slipping into third on the 16th lap. By then, though, the damage was already done - he trailed LaRocco by five seconds and Vuillemin by some 13 seconds. "I was bummed at the beginning Kyle Lewis. Newly recovered Robbie Reynard, ironically now the only healthy Suzuki 250 rider on the factory team's squad, ended up 11th after suffering through a first-turn mishap with a couple of other riders. Planet Honda/Dr. Martens/Answer's JeanSebastien Roy finished out the race in 12th, followed by Lineman [of the race], because I had so many guys to pass, and I saw David out in front," McGrath said. Windham, who had held down second place for much of the race after Carmichael went down, ended up Cycles/Pro Action's Jason Thomas and Dr. Medsker/Tom Morgan Racing's James Povolny Jr. KTM's Shayne King, Pro Works/Highland Kawasaki's Jeff Hedden and Lynnwood Yamaha's Billy Binkley rounded out the field. fourth after getting passed by LaRocco and McGrath. The only race still in high gear when the checkered flag came out was over fifth place between Tortelli and Dowd. The two riders went at it the entire race, with Tortelli coming out on top of their personal duel, but it was close. "I was on TorteJli the whole race," Dowd said, "but I just couldn't make everything, but he was being pretty good about it, he seemed to know where I was going." Finishing behind Dowd was fellow Chevy Trucks/Kawasaki team rider Larry Ward, who had a long night, having to ride the heat, semi and LCQ before getting into the main. Brock Sellards, on the FMF/Honda, had a stellar night. Despite currently putting in steady laps, and those guys were behind me and pressuring me, and I hit this jump the same way I'd been hitting it all night. My back tire slid a little bit and kind of went sideways and went over. That was the end of that." Carmichael was slow to his feet. "My foot got caught in the rear leading the Eastern Regional 125cc Supercross Series, the Ohioan didn't want to play it safe and just sit still while the East Series waits for next week's round in Pontiac. Instead, Sellards wanted to stay sharp, and he came out and raced and did well. The young Honda rider ran as high as fourth before some of the more experienced riders got the best of him. Sellards still finished a respectable APRIL 5, 2000' cue I whoop section for no apparent reason, but evi- dently there was a reason. • The device they use for scoring. the transponder [which is mounted to the bikes' upper fork tubel - spun around and it was hitting on my ignition box so I couldn't turn," Ward said. "So. going into the whoops, I couldn't turn my handlebars, and I crashed. I picked the bike up and I still couldn't turn, so I thought my steering stem broke, or maybe one of the stop bolts broke or sheared, so I jerked real hard on the handlebars. and when I did, it snapped my ignition off and it [the engine] quit." Ward's mechanic. Anthony Paggio. bolted on a new ignition. and Ward turned around and went out and won the LCQ. Larry Ward, on haVing to ride the Last Chance Qualifier: "It sucks. Mentally, you're so stressed that you gotta make it. and anything can happen. because - no offense - but some of the guys in the Last Chance Qualifier just aren't capable of doing all the jumps. and it's just scary. I don't want to get hurt. Plus, you get a bad pick on the line lfor the mainl." Double Duty: Uneman Cycles/Pro ActionlThor Yamaha rider Jason Thomas (below) was a busy man at Minneapolis. Thomas, from Melrose, Florida, qualified for both the 125cc and 250cc mains. He qualified for the 125cc through the first heat race, and then qualified for the 250cc main through the second semi. Thomas chose to sit out the 125cc main in order to save his strength for the 250cc main. where he finished a respectable 13th. For Chevy Trucks/Kawasaki's Ricky Carmichael, the Minneapolis Supercross was a disaster. After looking good and winning his earlier heat race, Carmichael was running a promising second in the main - having nailed the horeshot - when he suddenly went down, putting a premature end to his night. "I was riding pretty consistent, but I didn't really feel comfortable all night," Carmichael said. "I was it [a pass] stick. I guess I could've been a little nastier, but ... I tried 8 second semi, Ward suddenly went down in a wheel," he said. "And it twisted my ankle all up. It's a little sore, and I'll get it checked out next week. "I guess I'm disappointed because I've been riding good, and I wasn't riding over my head," Carmichael went on to say. "It was just a stupid mistake - it was a little one, but a big one. My only hope now is just to redeem myself next weekend." e n e vv s Ricky Carmichael and Justin Buckelew were the big winners of the YahooSports.com Holeshot Awards. Carmichael pocketed an extra $1000 for nabbing the holeshot in the 250cc feature, and Buckelew won the $500 up for grabs by nailing the holeshot in the 125cc feature. Jason Frenette also pocketed the Racer-X Gas Card, worth $250, for his third-place finish in the Last Chance Qualifier. James Povolny Jr. was the top-placing rider from Minnesota in the 250cc main. The Dr. MedskerlTom Morgan Racing-backed Honda rider, from Mendota Heights, finished 14th in the 250cc feature. He ran as high as 10th - on the 12th lap - before slipping back a few positions. Jeremy McGrath went into the Minneapolis Supercross with a perfect record. Up until this year's race, McGrath had won every 250cc main event held at the Metrodome since 1994. FMF/Honda's Danny Smith returned to action in Minneapolis after being sidelined by a collarbone injury in January. "I've been riding hard for three weeks now, and I felt a little tight yester· day [Friday] but it's not too bad." Smith said before the Minneapolis Supercross. "It's still sore because I had plates put in too hold it together. but I'm just going to ride to my potential." Smith qualified for the 125cc feature where he placed ninth.