Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMNEA Sports Supercross Series Round 1 2: Pontiac Silverdome from about the sixth lap on, and he said it might have affected his con- BRIEFLY••• Fast by Ferracci's Eraldo Ferracci said that former 125cc World Champion Alessio Chiodi has been training and will be arriving in the U.S. next week to begin final preparations for the AMA outdoor season. DKNY/Husqvama's Chiodi, who suffered back and wrist injuiies early in the year. recently began to train and aiso rode a ceremonial lap on his 125cc Husqvarna before the start of the opening round of the 500cc World Championship in Portugal on March 25. Ferracci said Chiodi would begin riding at a track near the Ferracci headquarters in Willow Grove. Pennsylvania, to be ready for the first outdoor National at Glen Helen Raceway on May 14. Ferracci also said Chiodi's broken right wrist had taken longer to respond than they'd hoped. partly because Chiodi had been reluctant to use it. "You don't want to use it, but if you try it. it gets better," Ferracci said. .Jeft Hedden took home the Racer-X Gas Card, a $250 reward to the third-place finisher in the Last Chance Qualifier, who, subsequently, is the closest rider to not make the final cut for the main event. Power Motorsports Todd DeHoop had an unfortunate run-in with the tunnel during Friday's practice. The 32-year-old rider from Michigan who won at Pontiac in 1988, the same year he won the 125cc Eastern Regional title. hit a bare patch in the track just before the tunnel. washing his front end out. DeHoop's left handlebar hit a tunnel support, snapping the bars out of his hands. "I tried hanging on." DeHoop said, but he end up on his left shoulder and head. "My neck, back, shoulder, and wrist are still sore," DeHoop said a day later. The steel beam he hit. " ...they don't give a lot." he said. The tunnel was being used for the third time this year. Team Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's Ricky Carmichael still had a sore ankle, a week after his crash in the Minneapolis Supercross. "It's not bad when I ride: when I sit around it's a little sore." Carmichael said. "I didn't get to ride as much as I normally do." As for the race, Carmichael said it wasn't affecting his riding. "I just rode through it," he said. "I'm riding the same." centration. ace Travis Pastrana with Mazda/Chaparral Yamaha's Jeremy McGrath pocketing the $1000 award for getting the jump on the 250cc field Mo' money. Jeremy McGrath was pleased to find out he was $60,000 richer after Pontiac, McGrath came into the 12th round of the AMAlEA Sports Supercross Series having already won $40,000 in Wrenchhead.com Superfund money, then added another $20,000 with his win in the third round of the four race series within a series. "I didn't even know about it until tonight, " McGrath said after his eighth win of the season. Jeremy McGrath also revealed at Pontiac that he's well on his way to trying his hand at road racing. "We're going testing with Yamaha," McGrath said about his expected pavement debut. The as yet unscheduled test will likely be on a Yamaha R-6 at Willow Springs. alongside the Yamaha road racing team of Jamie Hacking and Tommy Hayden. RS Taichi has already stitched up a set of leathers for the Supercross Champion. "They're the baddesl," McGrath enthused. "I might be kind of slow, but I'll look good out there... Team Chevy Trucks Kawasaki's Larry Ward had a forgettable night. After qualifying for the main event by taking third in the second heat race. Ward was out of the main on the second lap when the engine in his KX250 failed. At the end of the night. the team had yet to determine the cause. Team Suzuki's Damon HuHman made his return to racing after a twoweek layoff due to a bruised lower back that he suffered at the St. Louis Supercross. Huffman said, "I took a hard shot to the bone right above my butt, and it feels all right [now!. but I'm not riding at 100 percent." Huffman finished eighth in the 250cc final. Are the factory teams going to take their 125cc programs in-house? That was one of the rumors circulating at Pontiac. And the SplitFire/Pro Circuit/Kawasaki team was at the center of those rumors. Part of it was 14 APRIL 12, 2000' cue I e neVIl's first half. So far this year I really haven't done too much of that. Even on my better races I've still been a little bit off the pace of the fast guys or whatever." Next came a pair of still-injured Team Suzuki riders, Damon Huffman in eighth and Robbie Reynard in Michael Craig in 1Oth. Pontiac Silvenlome Pontiec, Michigen Resubs: April I, 2000 IRound 12 of 1&1 250 HEAT I (8 laps, 1-4 transfer): 1. David Vuillemin (Yam): 2. Robbie Reynard (Suz); 3. Sebastien Tortelli (Hon); 4. John Dowd (Kaw); 5. Mike L"Rocco (Hon); 6. ISZliah Johnson (Hon); 7. Jason McConnick (Hon): 8. James Povolny (Hon); 9. Jason Thomas (Yam); 10. Grayson Goodman (Hon); 11. Jean-Sebasiten Roy (Hon); 12. Jeff Hedden (Kaw); 13. Zeb Annstrong (Yam); 14. Ryan Terlecki (KTM); 15. Todd DeHoop (Yam); 16. Charles Duffy (Suz); 17. Donald Upton (Kaw); 18. Ryan Huffman (Kaw); 19. Barry Carsten (Suz): 20. Brian Stone: Time: 7 min., 28.600 sec. 250 HEAT 2 (8 laps, 1-4 transfer): 1. Kevin Windham (Hon); 2. Jeremy McGrath (Yam); 3. Ricky Carmichael (Kaw); 4. Larry Ward (Kaw); 5. Damon Huffman (Suz); 6. Heath Voss (Hon); 7. Greg Schnell (Yam); 8. Kyle Lewis (Suz); 9. Marco Dube (Suz); 10. Ted Campbell (SUl); 11. Shayne King (KTM): 12, Jason Frenette (Yam); 13. Todd Downs (Hon); 14. Vincent Kamow (Suz); IS. Michael Craig (Yam); 16. Jason Fink (Yam); 17. Brian Mason (Kaw); 18. Aaron Dfeter (Suz); 19. Shaun Perotio (Kaw); 20. James Evans (Yam). Time: 7 min., 19.510 sec. 250 SEMI I (6 laps, 1-5 transfer): 1. Mike laRocco (Hon); 2. James Povolny (Hon); 3. Grayson Goodman (Hon); 4. Isaiah Johnson (Hon); 5. Jason McCormick (Hon); 6. Jason Thomas (Yam); 7. Jeff Hedden (Kaw); 8. Jean·Sebastien Roy (Hon); 9. Donald Upton (Kaw); 12. Ryan Huffman (Kaw); 13. Barry Carsten (Suz); 16. Brian Stone (Kaw). Time: 5 min., 48.620 sec. 250 SEMI 2 (6 laps, 1-5 transfer): 1, Heath Voss (Hon): 2. Damon Huffman (Suz); 3. Michael Craig (Yam): 4. Greg Schnell (Yam); 5. Kyle Lewis (Suz); 6. Shayne King (KTM); 7. Marco Dube (SOl); 8. Jason Frenette (Yam); 9. Ted Campbell (Suz); 10. Shaun Perolio (Kaw); 11. Jason Fink (Yam); 12. Todd Downs (Hon); 13. James Evans (Yam); 14. Brian Mason (Kaw); 15. Vincent Kamow (Suz); 16. Aaron Dieter (Suz). Time: 5 min., 51.900 sec. 250 LCQ (6 laps, 1-2 transfer): 1. JeanSebastien Roy (Hon): 2. Jason Thomas (Yam): 3. Jeff Hedden (Kaw); 4. Ryan Huffman (Kaw); 5. Ted Come to a race and listen to it on the radio. The noise of the machines and cavernous nature of the domed stadiums makes it sometimes difficult to hear the announcer's call at the Supercross races. Not any more. Pace Supercross debuted a live FM audiocast at Pontiac. the call of announcer Terry Boyd heard clearly on 89.5 FM. The audicasts will be continued at all of the remaining Supercross rounds. The $500 Yahoo! Sports Holeshot Award went to Team Suzuki's 125cc the most part I'm pretty happy that I was putting in the good laps from the Zeb Annstrong (Yam); 14. Charles Duffy (Suz); 15. because Kawasaki's contract with Pro Circuit expires at the end of the When announcer Terry Boyd interviewed American Honda's Kevin Windham after Windham's dominant second-heat win, he asked, "Did you cut any corners?" Windham, clearly baffled. said he hadn't. but Boyd insisted that he was getting word from the AMA that Windham had cut some corners, and the heat win was going to go to Mazda/Chaparral Yamaha's Tim Ferry. That should have been the tip off. Ferry was injured at St. Louis and wasn't at Pontiac. Windham might have been the last person in the Silverdome to figure out that it was an April Fool's prank. kind of started making mistakes and screwing up in the second half. For Ryan Terlecki (KTM); 10. Todd DeHoop (Yam); 11. year. Team owner Mitch Payton anticipated that the team will be back with Kawasaki, but acknowledged, " ...some people have talked to us." Payton said that two things have to happen for the agreement to continue: "One, we have to be happy: and, two, they have to want us there. The sport's expanding and you'd have to be a fool not to listen. I don't anticipate any problems. They've treated us really good and we've had a lot of success." Payton said that even if the manufacturers did take their 125 programs in-house, "We're still going to race." It just wasn't Ernesto Fonseca's night. Yamaha of Troy's defending 125cc Eastern Regional Champion crashed hard in practice, forcing his mechanics to work feverishly to get the Yamaha ready for the second heat. Fonseca got a mid-pack start in the heat, and then tangled with AM Leonard's Joseph Oehlhof before the end of the first lap. Later in the same heat. he and Michigan Engineering's Justin Blake came together in mid-air in about the same spot Fonseca crashed a few laps earlier. Blake landing hard. Fonseca survived the collision, but finished the heat in ninth place, Then, in the final, Fonseca got tangled up in a first tum mess and was away dead last. The Costa Rican persevered and worked his way up to a well-deserved sixth place, keeping him fifth in the Eastern Regional Championship points. or so," Dowd said. "And then I just ninth. First privateer was Moto",:,orld's American Honda's Ezra Lusk has accelerated his recovery to the point that he considered riding in the final Supercross of the year at Las Vegas on May 6. Honda wasn't wild about he idea, though, thinking he should focus on the first outdoor National the following weekend at Glen Helen Raceway. "It's possible," Lusk said of racing in Las Vegas, "but I think we have to make the smartest decision." Lusk spent the two weeks prior to Pontiac training with Jeff Stanton at his home in Sherwood, Michigan. and he planned to stay for another week. Lusk said Stanton does more in a day than most people do in a week. The Georgian was training on a CR125 prior to Daytona. but has been riding a CR250 since then. He recently bought a house in Lake Elsinore, California, and will be going out there to continue training once he leaves Stanton's. Team Suzuki's Travis Pastrana ran away with the first 125cc heat race and celebrated as only he can, landing a fists-in-the-air. no-hands-on-thebars jump on the down slope of the tabletop finish jump "It was kind of a weird thing, because I felt really good the first half Campbell (SUl); 6. Todd DeHoop (Yam); 7. Jason Frenette (Yam); 8. Jason Fink (Yam); 9. Shayne King (KTM); 10. Donaid Upton (Kaw); 11. Shaun Damon Huffman returned to action at Pontiac" Another Huffman returned to action at Pontiac. Roseburg, Oregon's Ryan Huffman, now a privateer with backing from Two Wheels Kawasaki and Kawasaki of Canada, said that. because of injuries, he has not been to a major race since the Millville (Minnesota) National back in August of 1999. "I might do a few more Supercrosses this year. but the plan is to compete in the Canadian Nationals that start in June," he said, Huffman easily won his afternoon qualifier in Pontiac but had a tougher time at night and finished in a non-qualifying fourth in the 250cc LCQ. During a halftime intermission, jumping star "Mad" Mike Jones came out to do a small exhibition for the fans, Jones did severai tricks over the finish line double, and, at the end of his routine, he rode on to the EA Sports Supercross stage where he proceeded to do a standstill burnout that smoked up the entire stage. "I only live about five hours from here. and I work with PACE a lot now, so it's fun," Jones said, "We'll probably do another one in Vegas. too." On Saturday morning, the AMA imposed another random drug test. Five 125cc and five 250cc riders were tested and the results will be back from the lab on Wednesday, April 6, AMA Supercross referee Duke Finch said, "W!!! did it at Daytona also and all 10 riders passed, We'll know about this one later in the week, and if someone doesn't pass we'll let you know, .. Perolio (Kaw); 12. Todd Downs (Hon); 13. Ryan Terlecki (KTM); 14. Zeb Armstrong (Yam); 15. Charles Duffy (Suz): 16. Marco Dube (Suz); 17. Brian Mason (Kaw); 18. Barry Carsten (Suz); 19. James Evans (Yam): 20. Vincent Kamow (Suz); 21. Brian Stone (Kaw); 22. Aaron Dieter (Suz). Time: 5 min., 50 sec. 250 MAIN (20 laps): 1. 1. Jeremy McGrath (Yam); 2. Mike LaRocco (Hon); 3. Kevin Windham (Hon); 4. David Vuillemin (Yam); 5. Ricky Carmichael (Kaw); 6. Sebastien Tortelli (Hon); 7. John Dowd (Kaw); 8. Damon Huffman (Suz); 9. Robbie Reynard (Suz); 10. Michael Craig (Yam); 11. Heath Voss (Hen); 12. Isaiah Johnson (Hon); 13. Jason Thomas (Yam); 14. Jdson McCormick (Hon); 15. Greg Schnell (Yam); 16. Jean-Sebastien Roy (Hon); 17. Grayson Goodman (Hon); 18. Kyle Lewis (Suz); 19. James Povolny (Hon); 20. Larry Ward (Kaw). Time: 18 min., 53.190 sec. Margin of victory: 2,003 sec. AMAlEA SPORTS SUPER CROSS SERIES POINT STANDINGS (Afler 12 of 16 rounds): 1, Jeremy McGrath (282/8 wins); 2, David Vuillemin (250/3); 3. Mike LaRocco (230); 4. Ricky Carmichael (196/1); 5. Kevin Windham (193); 6. Sebastien Tortelli (184); 7. John Dowd (142); 8. Damon Huffman (130); 9. Larry Ward (124); 10. Timmy Ferry (107); J 1. Greg Albertyn (SUl); 12. Heath Voss (72); 13. Kyle Lewis (63); 14. Jean· Sebastien Roy (62); 15. Brock Sellards (57); 16. Michael Craig (56); 17, Jason Thomas (43); 18. Greg Schnell (42); 19. Robbie Reynard (37); 20. Stephane Roncada (34), Upcoming Rounds: Round 13 - April 8, Dallas, Texas Round 14 - April 15, New Orleans, Louisiana

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