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/146667
Supercross title at the previous round in San Jose on June 6, passed Kawasaki's Ryan Hughes for the lead on the third lap and roosted away for a seemingly easy win. Buddy Antunez, McGrath's teammate, made up for a fourth-place start to nab the runner-up honors, while Hughes rounded out the top three. McGrath pocketed $2000 from the 125cc class purse. This was likely McGrath's last 125cc supercross race as he will now graduate to the 250cc class in 1993. Not only was the Los Angeles Supercross the last round of the 1992 Camel Supercross Series, it was also the first event held at the L.A. Coliseum since the recent civil unrest and rioting in the surrounding area. A modest 28,322 spectators turned out for the race, which was rescheduled and changed to a daytime event to alleviate concern of being in the area at night. Opening ceremonies began at 3:30 p.m.., with the first race getting underway at 4:00 p.m. The entire program was completed by 7:30 p.m. 250cc (Left to right) Runner-up Mike Kiedrowski, winner Jeff Stanton and third-place finisher Guy Cooper celebrate on the rostrum. Stanton prevails! By Kit Palmer Photos by Kinney Jones LOS ANGELES, CA, JULY 11 t was a night of extreme happihess and bitter disappointment. For Team Honda's Jeff Stanton the 20th running of the Los Angeles Supercross at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum produced perhaps the most memorable day of his life. For Team Yamaha's Damon Bradshaw, it was a day he wishes he could forget, but no doubt never will. With the cards stacked against him, Stanton, the 24-year-old from Sherwood, Michigan, clinched the third Camel Supercross Championship title of his career by winning the final Coors Light Challenge feature of the year. That title came at the expense of Bradshaw, who after 15 races led Stanton in the series point standings by six points going into the event. All Bradshaw needed to do was finish third in the feature event if Stanton won and the championship would be his, but the 19-year-old from Mooresville, North Carolina, crumbled under the pressure and finished fifth, effectively handing the title to an ecstatic Stanton. ''I'm the happiest man in the world right now," said Stanton moments after taking the checkered flag and clinching his third .championship in four years. "I just can't believe it. I'm so happy I can't even talk." After taking a couple of deep breaths, Stanton continued. "I knew what I had to do and everything fell into place. It's all like ,a dream. For the last two weeks I've been dreaming of this; dreaming of holding the I 8 championship trophy above my head on the podium in front of everyone. And I can tell you that dreams do come true. " For Bradshaw the race turned into a nightmare. Starting the 20-lap feature in prime position to clinch the title, the factory Yamaha rider simply choked. Instead of advancing he uncharacteristically dropped back. "I was concentrating too much on the track, riding tense, and I just rode myself into the ground," said a very disappointed, yet gracious Bradshaw. "I felt like I was riding a bull, not a motorcycle. I just couldn't ride. I even tried to slow down a little and be smooth, but that didn't work. I kept riding but just wasn't going. anywhere. I was fighting a losing battle. It wasn't anything physical, just mental." Bradshaw's team shared in his disappointment, as Yamaha was hoping for its first Supercross Championship since Mike Bell won in 1980. Sandwiched between leader Stanton and Bradshaw for most of the feature were Kawasaki's Mike Kiedrowski and Suzuki's Guy Cooper. Kiedrowski ended up finishing second, while Cooper pulled away from Bradshaw .and grabbed third. Late in the race, Bradshaw was passed for fourth by defending series champion JeanMichel Bayle, Stanton's Honda teammate. Consistency definitely paid off for Stanton, who won only three features all year, as compaI"ed to Bradshaw's single-season record of nine main event wins. Both Stanton and Bradshaw, as well as Bayle and 1981 Supercross Champion Mark Barnett, have 16-career supercross wins and share fourth-place on the all-time win list. Stanton's latest title also ties Bob Hannah for the most Supercross Championships. "I used consistency, just like my other two titles (1989-'90)," said Stanton. For winning the championship, Stanton earned $100,000 frQm Camel, as well as a bonus from Honda, reportedly $135,000. He also took home the winner's share of the purse, $5000. For finishing'second in the series, Bradshaw collected $30,000 from Camel and also po<;keted the $25,000 Coors Light Silver Bullet Showdown Award. He collected the most Silver Bullet points throughout the year (by posting the fastest heat times at a half dozen events). He also accumulated $12,000 in Showdown bonus money by having set the fastest heat race times as well as winning the features at four races. Even though Stanton already had two supercross titles under his belt, he admitted that this one was the sweetest of them all. "Nothing compares to this one," said Stanton. "This is the happiest moment of my life." The series points chase officially ended with Stanton on top with 331 points, while Bradshaw ended up second with 328 points. Bayle finished third with 320, Kiedrowski fourth with 262 and Cooper fifth with 251. The top finishing privateer was Tuf Racing's Ron Tichenor, who ended up lIth with 109 points. While most of the afternoon's attention was focused on the 250cc class, Californian Jeremy McGrath, of the Peak Antifreeze/Pro-Circuit/Honda team, won his seventh 125cc Supercross feature of the year. McGrath, who clinched the Western Regional 125cc The two eight-lap 250cc heat races, from which the top four riders in each transferred directly to the main, were won by Yamaha's Jeff Emig and Kawasaki's Mike Kiedrowski. Ironically, both riders scored their first-ever overall wins in the 125 and 250cc National classes at the Red Bud National MX in Michigan last week. In the first heat race, Emig stole the holeshot and proceeded to lead the pack to the checkered flag. His nearest rival was Suzuki's Brian Swink, the Eastern Regional 125cc Supercross Champion. Honda teammates Stanton and Bayle collided and crashed while dicing for third, which created some controversy. Ever since Stanton and Bayle tangled, with Bayle crashing, at the June 6 San Jose Supercross, there has been friction between the two teammates. Stanton jumped into a long section of whoops, got a little sideways, lost momentum and Bayle slammed into the back of him. The two riders struggled to get back into the race, as Stanton went on to finish fifth, one spot behind Suzuki support rider Denny Stephenson. Noleen Yamaha's Jimmy Button finished third with Bayle slowly circulating the track with a bent bike. Regarding the collision, Bayle said: "Stanton went down trying to pass a slower rider and I ran into him." Stanton said: -"I just crashed and he (Bayle) ran into me, that's all there was to it. Tliere was nothing intentional. Basically, I'm riding real bad right now; I'm disgusted with myself." And Bayle wasn't going to cut his teammate any slack. "If Stanton wants to win the championship, he's going to have to ride like he wants it, and he's not doing that now," Bayle said. "I plan to do the best I can to win, that's what I came here to do." The second heat race was all Kiedrowski's. The Californian, who won. the 250cc National at Red Bud, led from start to finish, while Kawasaki teammate Jeff Matiasevich, Kawasaki Team Green's Mike Craig, Bradshaw and Suzuki's Cooper mixed it up behind the leader. When it was over, Kiedrowski had scored a narrow win over Matiasevich, Bradshaw, Craig and Cooper, who trailed him across the finish line in that order. "I hope last week's luck will transfer to the rest of today's racing," said Kiedrowski, who later claimed the $2000 in the season's final Coors Light