Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMAlEA Sports Supercross Series Round 1 2: Pontiac Silverdome Iy taken out of the mix. Wey then rode in third for two laps until he passed Evans, but several laps later, Pastrana had caught back up and repassed Wey for second. Wey held third place from that point on. "I wasn't too confident coming in here because of my mess-up at St. Louis," Wey explained after the race. "I guess that I am pretty happy with a podium here though. I'd really like to win one of the final two races, because I've been training really hard, and now I have some confidence back." And what about the block-pass that took out both Brandes and Pastrana? "I don't think that I even really hit him," Wey said of Brandes. "I don't think that he had anywhere to go though, and he just went over the berm. It wasn't intentional, that's for sure." Fourth went to FMF/Hondaffhor's Brock Sellards. After a string of fivestraight second-place finishes, Sellards, who is also looking for his first win of the season, considered it a dismal night. The Ohio-native handily won heat race number two and, like Pastrana, seemed to be a sure thing for a podium finish. Sellards completed the first lap in eighth and moved forward quickly, but a bobble on the third lap saw Sellards lose a handful of positions. Sellards charged the next 12 laps and, at the finish, he was credited with fourth. "There's no place else that I would have rather won, but I guess it will have to wait," Sellards said of the closest race to his hometown. "I'm going to ride the 250s in Dallas next week to just keep riding. I don't want to think about the championship right now, I just want to win races." The current points leader lost several points to both Roncada and Pastrana, and going into New Orleans, Sellards now only has a three-point advantage on Roncada 128-125"; and four on Pastrana, who has 124. Demarini/Pro-Caliber/Troy Leebacked Tyler Evans was next. Evans, who started the season out riding a 250cc on the West Coast, has made a good name for himself in Y2K, and he did so again at Pontiac. Evans was the early leader of the final after blazing by Pastrana in the opening moments. For the next four laps, the Canyon Lake, California, resident led the talented field' until Pastrana cruised past on lap five. Evans then bumped the stopped Pastrana and Roncada passed them both. Throughout the final 10 laps, Evans held his own, occasionally being passed by a factory-supported rider, and, at the checkers, he held down the fifth position. Yamaha of Troy/Fox-sponsored Ernesto Fonseca followed Evans 16 APRIL 12, 2000' c u e .... Nick We)' gave the home crowd something to cheer about. He made the 125cc podium with a third-place finish. across the finish line in sixth. Fonseca had his work cut out for himself all night, as it was one night that he would rather forget. Fonseca crashed in practice and later went to the hospital for X-rays. He chose to race and started the night off by tangling with a riderless KTM on the opening lap of the first heat. AM Leonard/KTM rider Joe Oehlhof violently cased a triple and was ejected off his bike. Fonseca, who was already in mid-flight, somehow avoided Oehlhof but had no such luck with his bike, connecting with it and going down. Fonseca remounted and charged, knowing that the top nine transfer to the final. Shortly thereafter, on the same triple, Fonseca landed on Michigan privateer rider Justin Blake. Blake went down hard, but amazingly Fonseca did not fall. Fonseca instead took the final transfer in the heat, but, once again, he was slapped with more bad luck. Fonseca ended the first lap in 18th and slowly moved forward, eventually taking the checkered flag in sixth. . "It was a rough weekend for me," the defending champ said. "I took some pain pills before the final and I tightened up. I guess that I rode and finished the race is one good thing that happened." Although bummed about his result, Fonseca was fairly open about his disappointing, winless season to date. "I had an injury at the beginning of the series and then my mechanic got hurt and all of it adds up," he said. "Last year, everything was clicking, n _ .... s and I had good luck. I didn't worry about anything, and I was killing everybody. For sure the class has gotten tougher this year, but I still think I can win. I've been working real hard the last couple of weeks, and it's bad that it doesn't show in my results." Seventh went to Fombell, Pennsylvania's Branden Jesseman. The Bill's Pipes/Motorious.com/AXO-supported rider had an uneventful night, but his consistent results have him in seventh in points in his rookie season of Supercross, Following Jesseman across the finish line was another Michigannative, KTM's Kelly Smith. A third place in heat two had Smith ready for a strong night in front of his friends and family, but several mistakes in the final held him back. Ninth was Plano Honda/MSR's Paul Currie, while Husqvarna's Robbie Skaggs took lOth, Bromley Suzuki's Barry Carsten crossed in 11 th, with F&S Suzuki's Matt Shue in tow. Hudson, Florida's Tyson Hadsell rode his Beach Sports Yamaha to his best-ever Supercross finish in 13th, with Husqvarna's Paul Carpenter, Demarini's Ryan Clark and Ohio's Jeff Gibson finishing behind him. The Michigan natives of Jimmy Wilson, DGY's Randy Valade, Brian Stone and Danny Carlson rounded out the top 20. Brandes was credited with 21 stplace after being a front-runner early, but he crashed on the fifth lap. Ironman Jason Thomas qualified, but he decided to not to ride to save his energy for the 250cc fina I. PlIlltiac Silv...... PlIlltiac, Midliga lleselt April 1, ZlIIO (lieu" & '" II 125 HEAT 2 (6 laps, 1-9 transrer): 1. Trl,lvis Pestrllnl,l (Suz); 2. Michl,lel Brl,lndes (Hon); 3. Slephane Roncada (Yam); 4. Tyler Evzlns (Suz); 5. Ryan Clark (So2); 6. Paul Cunie (Hon): 7. Matt Shue (502); 8. Barry Carsten (502); 9. Jerf Gibson (Yam); 10. David 0etteI (Hon); 11. James Evans (Yam); 12. Tyson Taylor (Suz); 13. Aeron Dieter (Suz): 14. Danny Carlson (Suz); 15. Brian Stone (Kaw); 16. Charles Duffy (Suz); 17. Josh Whitmire (Yam); 18. Mark Wundrack (Yam); 19. WilJiom Ursie (SUI); 20. Scott Men (Yam). Time: 5 min., 51.820 sec. \25 HEAT 2 (6 laps, \·9 transfer); I. Brock Sellards (Hon); 2. Paul Carpenter (Hus); 3. Kelly Smith (KTM); 4. Nicholas Wey (Kaw); 5. Robbie Skaggs (Hus); 6. Jason Thomas (Yom); 7. Jimmy Wilson (Yam); 8. Branden Jesse man (Suz); 9. Ernesto Fonseca (Vam); 10. Ted Campbell (Suz); 11. Joson Fink (Vam); 12. Randy Valade (Hon); 13. OaK Kastrin (Yam); 14 Tyson Hadsell (Yam); IS. John Kidd (Suz); 16. Joesph Oehlhof (KTM); 17. Brian Mason (Kaw): 18. Justin Blake (Kaw); 19. Vincent Kamow (502); 20. Chris Wheeler (KTM). TIme: 5:55.040. 125 lCQ (4 laps. 1·2 transfer): 1. Tyson Hadsen (Yam); 2. Donny Carlson (SU1); 3. Randy Valade (Hon); 4. Brian 5tone (Kew): 5. Ted Campbell (Suz); 6. Jason Fink (Vam); 7. Charles Duffy (502); 8. Dax Kastrin (Yam); 9. Mark Wundrack (Yam): 10. Joseph Oehlhof (KTM); 11. Justin Blake (Kaw); 12. Scott Met2 (Yam); 13. John Kidd (502); 14. Tyson Tllylor (5uz); 15. William Ursie (5uz); 16. James Evans (Yam); 17. DtJvid Oettel (Hon); 18. Josh Whitmire (Yam); 19. Brilln Mason (KtJw); 20. Aaron Dieter (5uz): 21. Vincent Kamow (502); 22. Chris Wheeler (KTM). TIme: 4 min., 6.350 sec. 125 MAIN; 1. Stephane Roncada (Yam); 2. Travis Pastrena (Sux): 3. Nicholas Wey (KllW); 4. Brock Sellards (Hon); 5. Tyler Evans ($uz); 6. Emesto Fonseca (Yam); 7. Bl'8nden Jesseman (SOl); 8. Keny Smith (KTM): 9. Paul Currie (Hon); 10. Robbie Skaggs (Hus); 11. Barry Carsten (SU1); 12. Matt Shue (So2); \3. Tyson Hadsen (Yam); 14. Paul Carpenter (HuI); 15. RytJn Clark (Suz); 16. Jeff Gibson (Yam); 17. Jimmy Wilson (Yam); 18. Randy Valade (Hon); 19. Brian Stone (Kaw); 20. Danny Carlson (SUI); 21. Michael Bnmdes (Hon); 22. Jason Thomas (Yam). Time: 15 min., 0.010 sec. Margin of victory: 5.008 sec. 125 EASTERN REGIONAL C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 6 of 8 rounds); I. Brock Sellards (128); 2. Stephane Ronqlda (125/3 wins); 3. Travis Pastrana (124/2); 4. Nicholes Wey (110); 4. Ernesto Fonseca (98); 5. Tyler Evans (83); 6. Branden Jesseman (75); 7. Michael BrtJndes (74); 8. Kelly Smith (61); 9. Paul Currie (46); 10. Mall Shue (44); 11. Ryan Clark (40); 12. Barry Carsten (32); 13. Nathan Ramsey (29); 14. Jeff Gibson (28); 15. (TIE) Paul Carpenter/Joseph Oehlhof (26); 17. Robbie Skag9s (25); 18. Tyson Hadsen (20); 19. DoU9 DeHaan (17); 20. Tony Lorusso (16). Upcoming Rounds: Round 7 - April 15, New Orleans, Louisiana Round 8 - April 29, Joliet, Illinois

• Cover