Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

American Donny Schmit blasted his Team Rinaldi Yamaha to 1-1-5 finishes to earn the overall win in Ireland, and continues to lead the series points standings. Schmit shines in Ireland By Alex Hodgkinson KlLLINCHY, IRELAND, JUNE 27 merican Donny Schmit .won his third 250cc MXGP of the season on the 'hard-packed and rockladen Killinchy course in Northern Ireland. The Minnesotan blistered to the first two moto wins, and rode to a steady fifth in the final moto to clinch the overall win and lead the Rinaldi Yamaha team sweep of the top three positions. Schmit's win extended his series points lead to 37, as he leads Alessandro Puzar, 274-237. Former 250cc World Motocross Champion Puzar and American Bobby Moore finished second and third, respectively, aboard the two other Rinaldi Yamahas. Schmit holeshot the first moto ahead of Bader Manneh, Puzar and Paul Cooper. Throughout the moto, Schmit was never headed, and finished with a comfortable margin over Kawasaki's Jamie Dobb. Though he led wire-towire, Schmit was unhappy with the way he rode. "I was lucky. I got the holeshot and had a clear track all race," said Schmit. "I was fighting the bike, and Dobb got close at the finish. I couldn't push any harder." Dobb had started fifth, but edged past Paul Cooper on lap two and snuck past Puzar at the halfway point. Manneh crashed out a few seconds later, leaving Dobb in the runner-up spot. "I grabbed the front brake in some bumps and lost the front end," said A Manneh. "I got up in seventh, but I couldn't find my rhythm after that." After passing the downed Manneh, Dobb closed the gap on Schmit but ran out of time. "I think I could have caught Donny," said Dobb. "I had the speed, but my forearms pumped up." Schmit crossed the finish line ahead of Dobb and Puzar, who was not to be found between motos. "Alex hurt his right knee," explained his team manager Michelle Rinaldi. "It is the same knee that cost him the title last year. The doctor is with him right now." Defending 250cc World Champion Trampas Parker struggled with the track and1inished a distant ninth. Schmit grabbed the holeshot in moto two and led Puzar, Moore and Herring around .the rocky course. Herring looked to be on fire, as he blazed past the entire Yamaha ,team and assumed the lead by the third lap. On the fourth lap, Herring enjoyed a four-second lead, but suffered a flat rear tire on the next lap. Schmit, Puzar and Moore quickly reeled in tlie ailing Herring and easily found their way past. . "I don't actually know where I got the front flat, but I first felt it' on the downhill," said Herring, who eventually pulled off the track. "I know I am faster than the rest, but it just won't happen." Rinaldi, manager of the Yamaha team commented, "We use mousse tires at every race in every moto. You never know when you might get a puncture. It really pays off on a rocky track like this." Cooper was next to challenge the front-running Yamaha team. He quickly closed in on the top three, but at the halfway mark the pressure got to him. "I realized that I might win and I tensed up," said Cooper. "Then I got a flat tire." Schmit went on to earn the win, with Puzar and Moore second and third, respectively. Parker finished sixth behind Edwin Evertsen and Marnicq Bervoets. Nearly half of the field suffered flats or were stu'ck by flying rocks. Dobb suffered a front flat, and Manneh finished the race in a daze after being tagged in the nose with a rock. Malin took a: rock in the goggles, and failed to finish. Dobb was the fastest out of the gate in the third and final moto. Once into the lead, Dobb set a blistering pace and pulled clear of the fielq., but pulled off the track on the second lap. "It's something in the motor," said Dobb, who pulled off the track, threw his bike down, and proceeded to kick and stomp on it. "It just stopped dead off a jump." . After gating fifth, Herring blitzed through the field and assumed the lead when Dobb broke. No one would 'challenge Herring, as he suffered no flats in this moto. Puzar finished second, again followed across the finish line by his teammate Moore. Evertsen held on to fourth, while Schmit finished a secure fifth. "I had laid the foundation with the first two moto wins. I wasn't about to throw it away," said Schmit. "I knew . I had the overall." Parker failed to finish the race after striking a trackside post while running sixth. Parker feared serious damage to his knee, but upon later examination leaPlled that it was not serious. CN Results TIMED PRACTICE: 1. Rob Herring (two minutes, 11.80 seconds); 2. Trampas Parker (2:11.80); 3. M. Gazzarta (2:11.90); 4. Donny Schmit (2:12); 5. Marnicq Bervoets (2:12.20); 6. Jamie Dobb (2:12.20); 7. Alessandro puzar (2:12.30); 8. Peter Johansson (2:12.40); 9. Paul Malin (2:12.60); 10. Bob Moore (2:13); 11. Edwin Evertsen (2:13); 12. Bader Manneh (2:13.40); 13. Micky Dymond (2:13.50); 14. Simo Heljartko (2:13.70); 15. Paul Cooper (2:14.10); 16.' Alex helvoet (2:14.20); 17. Willie Van Wessel (2:14.40); 18. Mark Eastwood (2:14.50); 19. Mike Healey (2:14.50); 20. Peter Iven (2:14.60); 21. Michele Fanton (2:14.80); 22. William Burgess (2:15.40); 23. Gert Van Doom (2:·15.80); 24. Erik Schut (2:15.80); 25. Yanning Kervella (2:15.90); 26. Jaimy Scevenels (2:16); 27. Pekka Vehkonen (2:16.20); 28. Alex Lyons (2:16.60); 29. Phillip Neill (2:16.60); 30. Matt Bates (2:16.70); 31. Brian Steele (2:16.80); 32. Ryan Hunt (2:16.80); 33. Jarkko Amala (2:16.90); 34. Werner Dewit (2:17.20); 35. Dai Smith (2:17.30); 36. Stephen McCreery (2:18); 37. David White (2:18); 38. Alwin van Asten (2:18.90); 39. David Tougher (2:19.20); 40. Robert Bengtsson (2: 19.30). MOTO 1: 1. Schmit (Yam); 2. Dobb (Kaw); 3. puzar (Yam); 4. Fanton (Hon); 5. Herring (Hon); 6. Moore (Yam); 7. Iven (Kaw); 8. Johansson (Yam); 9. Parker (Hon); 10. Manneh (Hon); 11. Healey (Suz); 12. Eastwood (Suz); 13. Vekhonen (Yam); 14. Van Doom (Kaw); 15. Kervella (Kaw); 16. HoJvoet (Kaw); 17. Cooper (Yam); 18. Scevenels '(Hon); 19. Hunt (Yam); 20. Bates (Yam); 21. Burgess (Yam); 22. Steele (Kaw); 23. Smith (Yam); 24. McCreery (Hon); 25. Schut (Kaw); 26. Anderson (Hon); 27. Bengtsson (Hus); 28. Bervoets (Yam). Time: 30 minutes, 30.5 seconds. MOTO 2: 1. Schmit; 2. Puzar; 3. Moore; 4. Evertsen; 5. Bervoets; 6. Parker; 7. Iven; 8. Healey; 9. Vekhonen; 10. Kervella; 11. Hunt; 12. Cooper; 13. Holvoet; 14. Van Doom; 15. Amalia; 16. Heljanko; 17. Burgess; Ill.. Smith; 19. Schut; 20. Manneh; 21. Wessel; 22. Scevenels; 23. Bengtsson; 24. Andersson; 25. Steele. Time: 30:48.00. MOTO 3: 1. Herring; 2. puzar; 3. Moore; 4. Evertsen; 5. Scmhit; 6. Bervoets; 7. Healey; 8. Ve1

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