Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Park hosted the first National of the year, and it was a race that saw Damon Bradshaw lose his first event since the opening round of the Supercross series in Orlando, two months earlier. Stanton played the spoiler by posting 2-1 moto finishes for the overall win. Bradshaw, the first-moto winner, saw his win streak come to a halt in the second moto when he crashed and finished 16th, landing sixth overall. 1992 AMA ~ National Championship 500cc MX Series moto, the Yamaha rider crashed and injured his knee. With the final round of the Camel Supercross Series on the horizon, Bradshaw chose not to finish the first moto, and sat out t:!le second to avoid further damage to the knee. Although Kiedrowski scored his firstever 250cc National that day in Michigan, Stanton came away with a super-eomfortable 45-point lead over now second-place Kiedrowski. Finishes/Points (Left) Team Yarnaha's Jeff Emig went on a tear in the second half of the National Championship 125cc MX Series, winning five of the last six races, as well as the series championship. (Below) Tuner Pete Steinbrecher gave Suzuki's Steve Lamson a hug after he won his first-ever 125cc National. , Jean-Michel Bayle also fell victim to a first-moto crash, ending up with 5-2 moto finishes and second overall on the day. For Stanton, the Gainesville victory could not have come at a better time, as he was beginning to wonder if he would ever win. "It feels good to finally win a race," said Stanton after the Gatorback National. ''It's been a frustrating year up until now;" Stanton carried his new-found positive attitude to the next round more than a month later, at the sandy and demanding Southwick MX 338 track in Massachusetts. Stanton scored another victory and stretched his series points lead to 14 points over Mike Kiedrowski, who finished second overall with 3-2 moto finishes. Once again, Bradshaw proved he had the speed at the Nationals by winning the first moto, but inconsistency was eluding him, as he once again crashed and finished sixth in the second moto. Bayle had yet to show his championship form, as he racked , up lowly - for him - 6-3 moto finishes. After only two races, Stanton was well on his way to his third 250cc National Championship title. He knew at that point that consistency would be the key to success in the relatively short six-race series, and as a result, Stanton would not score an overall win in any of the remaining four rounds. Round three took the racers to High Point Raceway in Mt. Morris, , Pennsylvania. Rain, mud and cold temperatures prevailed, but so did Bradshaw. Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, BrCldshaw performed flawlessly, winning both ~otos easily and moving into second place in the series points standings, passing Kiedrowski. It was a so-so day for Stanton, who posted 2-4 moto finishes for third overall, but more importantly, he still came away with the same 14-point lead. The only difference was that Bradshaw was now in second, as 4-3 finishes at High Point relegated Kiedrowski to fourth overall and third in the series, 19 points behind Stanton. Bradshaw scored his second National win with 1-2 moto finishes a round later at the Hangtown National near Sacramento, California, but he gained only a few points on Stanton, who tallied a 3-1 score. Bike problems knocked Kiedrowski out of championship contention at Hangtown, while Bayle's sore shoulder, suffered a week earlier at the San Jose Supercross, prevented the Frenchman from riding the second moto, effectively ending his title hopes. Bradshaw's expectations for the title ended'a round later at Red Bud Track 'N' Trail in Buchanan, Michigan. In the first Two weeks later and seven days 'after winning the Camel Supercross Championship, Stanton clinched the 250cc National Championship at Troy, Ohio's Kenworthy's MX Park, by placing second in the first moto. Even though Stanton's teammate and defending champion Bayle won both motos, it was Stanton's day. "I'm just glad to bring the number-one plate back to the U.S. and back to . Michigan," said Stanton, who hails from Sherwood, Michigan. Kiedrowski finished an impressive second in the series points standings, and dethroned champ Bayle was third. 500cc Nationals A week later, the five-round 500cc series got underway at Washington's scenic Washougal MX Park, and it was Kiedrowski, competing in his first-ever 500cc National, who scored the overall win via 3-1 moto finishes. His nearest competitor was Stanton, who grabbed runner-up honors with 1-3 moto finishes. However, Stanton and Kiedrowski left Washougal tied for first place with 45 ' points apiece. But the big news of the day was Bayle, who crashed during practice and would not finish the first moto or start the second. "1 hurt my shoulder a little bit and am scratched up all over," said Bayle. "I'm not so sure about the next National." Round two was held at Spring Creek MX Park in Millville, Minnesota, where Stanton scored the overall win but did not gain any points on the series leader Kiedrowski, who matched moto scores with Stanton. So after two events, Kiedrowski and Stanton were still deadlocked with 92 points each. Third in the series was Kawasaki's Jeff Ward, with 74. lb~ ~ ~ !2~ 0>. ~ iii t! 1 2 1 2 1. Mike Kiedrowski Kaw 2. Jeff Stanton Hon 2 1 2 3 3. Jeff Ward Kaw 4 3 6 1 4. Jean-Michel Bayle Hon DNF 3 3 4 Kaw 4 5. John Dowd 8 5 8 DNS 6. Jeff Matiasevich Kaw 4 9 6 7. Lance Smail Yam 5 11 12 13 Kaw, 7 14 10 8. RaySommo 11 9. Brian Manley Hon 15 6 8 9 10. Willie Surratt Hon 11 16 21 7 11. Larry Brooks Yam 13 5 7 DNS 'Hon 12 10 8 12. Kurt McMillen 19 13. Rich Taylor Hon 23 10 11 16 14. Mike Jones Kaw ' DNS DNS DNS 5 15. Tony Graves Hon 17 18 17 9 16. Todd DeHoop Hbg 18 DNF 14 6 18 17. Dag Boyesen Kaw 12 21 13 18. Gene Naumec Kaw 15 7 DNF DN'S 19. Jeff Glass Hon DNS DNF DNF 17 20. Keith Johnson KTM 16 DNS DNS DNS *DNS = Did Not Start DNF = Did Not Finish c Bayle did cO.IOpete at Spring Creek, finishing third overall. Kiedrow.ski broke free of Stanton in round three at Binghampton's BroomeTioga Sports,Center in New York, where he won both motos to Stanton's two runner-up placings. This gave Kiedrowski a six-point edge over Stanton with two rounds left in the series. In the next-to-last MX race of his illustrious career, Jeff Ward scored his first and only National victory of the year a week later at the Steel Gty National in Delmont, Pennsylvania. While Kiedrowski was happy for his teammate, he was even more pleased to gain four more points on Stanton. Kiedrowski ended up second overall via a 1-3 tally, topping Stanton's 4-2 The final round of the series at Budds Creek MX Park in Maryland would decide the series champjon and Stanton knew he had to win both motos and hope fOF the best. The veteran Stanton, did, in fact do what he had to do, but it wasn't enoughc Kiedrowski hung back, finishing second in both motos and winning the series championship with three points to spare. "Do I always make them thrillers or what?" said Kiedrowski of his narrow , championship victory. "Shane (Nalley, Kiedrowski's mechanic) has been more nervous this whole series than me. This is our third championship together, so I guess I'll have to keep him my whole racI ing career." "That's part of racing," said Stanton of losing the championship. "You take the good with the bad and move on." Third in the series went to Jeff Ward and fourth to Bayle. John Dowd, a privateer from Massachusetts, rounded out the top five. 125cc Nationals Going into the l1-round National Championship 125cc MX Series, the odds. on favorite to pocket the title was Kawasaki's Mike LaRocco. In 1991, the Indiana rider proved he was one of the fastest 125cc riders in the country when he joined the second half of the 125cc circuit after competing in the 250cc National series. He won two of the six 125cc Nationals he competed in, confirming that he would be a threat to be reckoned with in 1992. As expected, LaRocco opened the series at Gainesville with a win, while the man many predicted would be LaRocco's main challenge, 1990 champion Guy Cooper of Team Suzuki, finished second overall. LaRocco left Gainesville with a sevenpoint advantage over Cooper, while eventual series winner Jeff Emig eI1ded up sixth overall,lS points arrears of LaRocco. If .~ ~ Ill: IIllll:IIIII!' E~f I ~ "S ~ ::.... -g III 2 229 1 226 195 3 4 158 DNS 114 15 103 97 8 10 92 20 89 7 84 DNS 74 DNF 70 12 63 63 5 18 59 DNF 51 19 48 18 40 34 6 31 9 LaRocco would continue to ride well and win races, while Cooper and Emig struggled with inconsistent rides throughout the first half of the season, and as a result, LaRocco would build upa seemingly uncatchable points lead. It wasn't until the fifth round of the series at Red Bud when Emig would score his first National win of the series and career. The win shot Emig from sixth to third in the series point standings - behind LaRocco and Cooper - and sparked a fire under him. The Yamaha pilot would go on a tear and,win five of the remaining tix races. The only rider who beat Emig during that span was LaRocco at the Spring Creek National. Emig's run at the title was aided by LaRocco's bad luck and an injury to Cooper. Cooper dropped o'ut of the series in round nine at Binghampton where he, crashed and broke his leg, and LaRocco was hampered by mechanical problems. At the second-to-last round in ,Pennsylvania, LaRocco failed to score any points after the clutch broke in the first moto, and the carburetor popped out of the intake boot in the second moto. Emig helped himself out by winning the first moto and then finishing second, which moved him to within one point of LaRocco, 381-380, with one round remaining to be held at Budds Creek. The series title was effectively decided in the first tum on the first lap of the first moto at Budds Creek when LaRocco collided with Tuf Racing's Ron Tichenor. In the collision, LaRocco's bike clipped a protective tire on the inside of the corner and his bike's shift lever was broken off. LaRocco was forCed to pit and replace the lever, while Emig enjoyed a big lead on the track. Emig went on to win the moto, and LaRocco could climb no higher than 13th. In the second and final moto of the event and series, Emig put the icing on the cake by scoring a wire-ta-wire victory over LaRocco, who had worked his way into second after a sixth-place start. Emig earned the series championship title with a total of 430 points to LaRocco's 411. Tichenor ended up third in the series. DGY Racing's Doug Henry and Suzuki support rid,er Larry Ward, who won one National at Southwick, rounded out the top five. The only rider to win a 125cc National other than Emig, LaRocco and Ward was Suzuki's Steve Lamson at Hangtown. Lamson had just returned to racing after breaking his leg at the Houston Supercross earlierin the year. (N ~ C'l ~ ~ ~ "- 00 C'l ~ V ,..0 0 ~ U 0 9

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