Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Wh it e B r o the r s THQ U.S . O p e n Four- S troke R a c e MGM Grand Garden Arena Jonathan Shimp (Yam ); 8 . Pedro Gonzalez (Kaw) ; 9. Ja son McC ormi ck ( Ha n) ; 10 . Se bastien Tort efl i (Ho 11. Mike Cra (Hon). n); ig Lee (8 laps, 1 transfers): 1. John Dowd (Kaw); 2. Sebastien Tortelli (Ha n); 3. Casey Lytle (Kaw); 4 . Isaiah Johnson (Yam); 5. Ryan Clark (Suz); 6. Kyle Lewis (Suz); 7. Jonathan Shimp (Yam ) ; 8 . Denny Stephenson (Ka w); 9 . Jeff Willoh ( Han); 10. Da vid Pingree (KTM ); 1 1. J ason McCorm ick (Han); 12. Jason Thomas (Hus); 13 . Pedro Gonzalez (Kaw); 14. T yler Evans (Han). MAIN (25 laps) : I. Ricky Carm ichael (Ke w): 2. M ike LaRocco ( Han); 3. Kevin Windham (Suz); 4 . Damon Huffman {Suz}; 5. Heath Voss (Han); 6. Greg Schnell (Ya m); 7 . Buddy Antun ez (Suz) ; 8. Larry Wa rd (Ka w) ; 9. M icha el Byrne ( Ha n); 10 . Rya n Hughes (Ha n); t 1. John Dc wd ( Kaw) ; 12 . Steve Lamson (Han); 13 . Phil Lawrence (Yam). Sunday HEAT 1 ( 10 lap s, 1- 3 tr an sf er) : I. Rick y Carmichael (Kaw); 2. Kevin Windham (Suz); 3. Larry Ward (Kaw); 4. Isaiah Johnson (Yam) ; 5 . T yler Evans (Hon); 6. Jason McCorm ick (Hon); 7. Casey Lytle (Kaw); 8. Jeff WHl h (Hon) ; 9. Buddy Antunez (Suz); o 10 . Denny Stephenson (Kaw): 11. J ason T hom as (Hus). HEAT 2 (10 laps, 1·3 transfer) : 1. Greg Schnell (Ya m); 2. Ryan Hughes ( Hon) ; 3. M ike LaRocco ( Hon) ; 4 . Steve Lamson (H us); 5. Michae l Byrne (Ho n). SEMI 1 ( 10 laps, 1·3 transfer): I. T yler Evans (Hon); 2. Isaiah Johnson (Yam); 3. Buddy Antunez (Su z); 4 . D e nny Ste phe nson (Kaw); 5 . Jaso n McCormick (Ha n); 6. Jason Th oma s (Hus) ; 7 . Jeff WHloh (Ha n); 8 . Casey Lytle (Kaw). SEMI 2 ( 10 laps. 1-3 transfer): I . Steve Lamson (Hus); 2. Michael Byrne (Han); 3. Damon Huffman (Sua). Lee (8 laps. 1 transfers): I. Heath Voss (Han); 2. Ja son McCormick (Ha n); 3. Denny Stephenson (Kaw); 4. Ryan Clark (Suz); 5. David Pingree (KTM) ; 6. Jeff Willoh (Han); 7 . Jason Thomas (Hus); 8. Kyle Lewis (Suz); 9. Pedro Gonzal ez ( Kaw); 10. Casey Lytle (Kaw). With top-shelf talent co mpet ing in the ti ght confines of the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the U.S. Open is somewhat of a cross between an arenacross and a Supercross. In other words, it 's a European-style Supercross, as evidenced by the extravagent opening ceremonies. MAIN (25 laps): 1. Ricky Carmichael (Kaw); 2. Kevin Windham ( Suz); 3. Mike LaRocco ( Hon): 4 . Larry Ward (Kaw); 5. Heath Voss ( Ha n) ; 6 . Steve Lamson (Hus); 7 . Greg Schnell (Yam); 8 . T yler Evans (Han); 9. Michael Byrne (Han); 10. Buddy Antunez (Suz); 11. Isaiah Johnson (Yam) ; 12. Ryan Hughes (Han); 13. Dam on Huffman (Suz). O /A : 1. Ri ck y Ca rm ic hae l (Kaw ) ; 2 . Ke vin Windham (Suz); 3 . Mike LaRocco (Hon). With two days of raci ng and only thr ee rid ers advancing dir ectl y from the heats, co ntes tants at the U.S. Op en were prepar ed for lots of racing ov er the week end. Apparentl y , Rick y Carmichael preferred to hit th e ca sino , as he kept hi s tr ack time to a minimum, win ning h is heat races on both days and posting lap times faster than th e othe r heat wins. SATURDAY Th e Chevy Tru cks/Kawasaki rider won ove r the fac to ry Suzuki s of Damon Huffman and Kevin Win dham on Saturd ay , ce lebrati ng with a wh ip over the fini sh line. Hugh es was the winner of heat tw o, but not before Australi an Mich ael Byrne led much of th e race on a Cycle News test bike. Byrn e held off Mik e LaRocco for third, the fi nal direct tr ansfer. "Anybo dy who knows m y circumstances, knows I need that," said Hughes in reference to the $2000 pr ize for the heat- race winner. Steve Lam son scored his first win on a Husqvarna in semi one , pulling a celebratory heel clicker ahead of fellow veterans Phil Lawre nce and Buddy An tunez. "Life is great," Lamson said . "I' m j ust happy to be here, showi ng everyone Husqvarna's back." An other vet - Larry Ward - topped semi two afte r pass ing Chevy Tr ucks/Kawasaki co ho rt John Dowd, who faded out of transfer pos ition. Taking his place was p rivateer Heath Voss in second, just ahead of Motoworld's Greg Schnell. "I didn't want [Dowd's] wife to yell at me back at the truck, so I was nice," said Ward of .his pass on his tea mmate. "As old as John is, you 've got to be nice to him." A nasty fall had put Sebastien Tortelli in the second row for the start of the last- chance qua lifier, and when he gated dead last , it appeared his hopes of transferring were dashed. The Honda rider to re through the pack, however, passing everyone in the field except for Dowd , the winn er and fin al rider to m ake the m ain. "[Ward] is getting up there [in age ] himself," joked Dowd of his teammate's earlier comments . "That's the only reason he can say that." SUNDAY Carm ichael had to hold off attacks by Windham for th e early part of day two 's first heat , but he did so succ essfully to take the win . Ward took thi rd, and each of the to p thre e pulled off a nice whip ov er the finish-line jump. " Kevin was riding good," Carmich ael said. "He 's a good rider." Schnell led heat tw o from start to finish, leaving Hughes and laRocco to argu e over second , with Hughes eventually finishing out in that position . "I' ve been trying reall y har d, and I fi nally got a start," Schnell said, "I've won my first heat race." Planet Honda's Ty ler Evans ov erca me a fourth -p lace semi-one start, pushing his new Planet Honda into th e lead by lap six and notching the win . Isaiah J ohnson was runner-up, passi ng t hird - place fi nis her B uddy Antunez on lap eight to take the posit i on . "A lo t o f peop le h av e do u bted m e," Evan s said . " Hopefully I' m pr ov ing them wro n g , a little bi t , b ut I'm stoked." T heE d geSp orts.com ' s Byrn e once aga in fo und h imsel f leading in se m i two, but Lamson put his Husky aro und in the do uble turn j ust past the halfway point and won . Huffman fi ni shed in third. Voss ga ted thi rd and soon took the lead in the LCQ , the n ga pped the pack to take the weekend's last tra nsfer spot. 8 O C TO B ER 25. 2 000 · c u e I e n e vv sa There's been a lot go ing on wi th the factory Honda squad lately. T he tea m , wh ich is known to be working on a fou r-stroke m otocrosser , was in need of a top -level teste r, as Steve Lam son recently depa rted for Fast by Ferracci Husqvarn a, and it got its opport unity when Ryan Hughes unexpect edly left the European Pamo Honda squad and returned to the United States. Hond a reac hed a hand -sh ake agreement (though the co ntract wasn't expected to be signed until the week after the U.S. O pen) with Hugh es that will see him testing with the R&D department during the Sup ercro ss season and then con testi ng the AMA/Chevy Tru ck s 25 0cc Natio nal Motocross Series (while continuing to test). Hughes, whose bik e was sporting high -tech data -acquisiti on equipment all weekend , will run factory part s when he races, and thoug h nothi ng has been set as yet , don 't be surp rised if you see him racing the thumper before th e yea r is out. (By th e way, th e bike is expec ted to m ake its co m pet ition debut next week end at a Ja panese Nati onal , wi th Sebastien Tortelli at the helm ; Emes to Fonseca is pl anning to debut Yam aha's YZ250F at the same event.) . Hugh es' Statesid e retum was m arred by pro gressively worse cr ashes. Th e fi rst was a mi no r ti p-over in Satu rday 's main, and the second wa s a nasty trip over the bars when atte mpting a diffi cu lt tr iple in Sunday's p ract ic e. Th e last tumble took pl ace in Sunday's main, when the Californian went down hard in th e whoo p secti on , knoc ki ng him out for several m inutes. When he awoke, Hughes didn't know where he was, and he pu shed tho se arou nd him away . When he calme d down , he was able to walk off the track with assista nce, after which he was taken to the hospital for a Cat Scan, and to chec k out some nasty swelling on the side of his face. Also having a less -t han-op t imum weekend was Hon d a' s Sebastien Tort elli, who cl ipped a ju mp and went over the bars hard in Saturday quali fying . T he French m an 's spi nn ing rear tire tore off his jersey and serio usly burned his chest protector, and his back was knocked out of alig nment. Tortelli , who has signed with Thor for 200 I , sucked it up and rode the LCQ, but after a last -p lace start, he could only advance as high as second (despite an inspiring ride) . Tortelli , who has been receiving coaching ti ps lately from MX legend J ean-Michel Bayle, rode pra ctice on Sunday, but elected to pull out of the race and head home earl y . The t eam 's other m ember, Ezra Lusk , was still not ready to race at the Op en, as his wrist is only at 80 percent. Lu sk is expected to be ready in time for the first Supercross of 2001. With all the goings-on, Honda has hired a new technician by the name of Andrew Hopkin s, despite the fact that it will hav e one less rider than last year in the AMA/EA Sports Supercros s Series. As for Hughes ' Pamo m echani c Wy att Seals, the re was unfortunately no p lace for him on the American squad. In addi tio n t o its in- hous e new s, Honda is also making news with its F actory Conn ection satelli te team , wh ich recentl y sign ed Dr. Martens and J ourn eys as titl e sponsors. Th e team , which is taking over 125c c duties fo r the departed FMF squ ad, held a press conference at the MGM Grand, announcing that its 125cc riders w ill be Branden J esseman and Fr enchman Stev e Boniface (Mike LaRocco will return on a 250). Returning title sponsors include Amso il and Competition Accessories, and according to OMS Lt d. boss Fred Br amblett, th ere's a 55 -percent chanc e than an additional major sponsor will also be added. "Mi ke 's goi ng to have to start taking steroids and eati ng more to make enough roo m on his j ersey ," j ok ed Bramblett. The Factory Connection tea m has purchased a semi, and the tr uck it used last year will be used for hospitality purposes and will feat ure a model Journeys store.

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