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/1542343
continued lro.n poqe 2l T6am Makita Suzuki's lyan Tedesco looked pretty comfonable while leadinS the St. Louis event last week, and he adrnitted in Atlanta that he has learned a lot about rid- int the Supercaoss class since the start of the yeac "l led a few laps at Anaheim ll, and it was good to get out from again in St. Louis," fuerco said. "l kind of got tiSht there at the end of the mce. I am still not used to runniflg up front. but the only way )iou learn is to get up there with those guys. But it feels good, and it was tood for my confidence. At the lirst of the year, I don't know what my problem was. I was really mad at myself after the lirst couple of iaces - I iust wasn't riding like nysell But some- fing ilrst sn+ped after a couple of weeks, and I went out there to race instead of iust riding around, and ever since then, it'! been getting better and better." l'4onster Enerty Pro Circuit Kaw'.saki's Chris Gosselaar was still prrmp€d in Atlanta over his s€cond-place linish at St. Louis the week before in the Lites race. He was also thanHulfor the opportunit, given to him by Mhch Payton, "lt feels realgood to be back up on the podrum after a couPle of years of not being there," Gosselarr said. "l've had some bad luck, and I am real hppy to get that lirst race out o[ the way. I was going to do my own thing on a Honda this year, and pretty much iust race out of the back of my truck, but wl'ten Troy Adams got hurt, I called Mitch several times, but he never called me back. Finallx I drove down and talked to him. lt took a couple of week, but he called me up and said I had the ride, so I was pr€ny happy. Gosselazr's deal repon- edly pays bonuses ont and no salary. the carnage and went on to wage their own battle for the lead; Millsaps took the lead, bur rhen gave it up after crashing over a jump. Grant ended up being the last man standin8 at the finish and crawled back into championship contention by taking the win, while l4illsaps worked back up to second at the checkers. "l didn't have too Sood of a weekend in 5t. Louis," Grant said. "So I ,ust wanted to come out here and show everyone what I am here for." After last week's runner-up, lYonster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki's Chris Gosselaar, easily won the first heat race, and Hansen topped l'4illsaps in the other, the main event got under way with Gosselaar grabbing the holeshot ahead of Grant and Hansen, while l'4illsaps was mired way back in the pack. Luckily for Millsaps, the race was red- flagged after two laps when Honda rider Chad Ward went down over a iump. Grant took advantage of the restart and iumped out ahead of Hansen and Boniface, with Millsaps, who did a much better job of gefting offthe gate this time, running in fourth. The Lites race was pretty much nar- rowed down to a two-man baftle between Grant and Millsaps after the pre- viously mentioned crash that took out Boni{ace and Hansen. Grant cleared the Boniface/Hansen- wreckage first and pulled a gaP on lYillsaps, \yhile Star RacinS's Martin Davalos of Eqr.ndor was p'rfting in the ride of his life in third, in what was only his second race as a pro. Davalos' teammate l'4att Goerke was running fourth, with Red Bull KTM's Jay Marmont in fifth. On lap four, l'4illsaps pulled even with Grant, but Grant slammed on the brakes, stopping Millsaps in his tracks. Grant appeared to b,e willinS to do anything pos- sible to keep Millsaps behind him, and he held Millsaps up again, before MillsaPs final- ly blew by in the whoops to take the lead. lYillsaps appeared to be pulling away for the win but went down when his hand came off the bars over a iump, handing the lead back to Grant. Davalos and Goerke moved into second and third, as l'lillsaps tried to start his bike. Millsaps linally got going in fourth, while Yamaha oI Troy's Branden lesseman moved into fifth, after making his way to the front from a bad start, Grant now had more than a seven-sec- ond lead on the field and 22 seconds on Millsaps, and by the time l'4illraps got around Goerke and Davalos for second, there was not enough time to catch Grant. Grant came home with the win and moved into sixth overall in the series standings, while Millsaps padded his series lead with a second-place finish. Third at the flag was Davalos, followed by Red Bull KTM'S lay I'tarmont (pictured) returned to action in Atlanta after spending the past three fionths r€covering from a broken leg he sustained while practicing for the 2006 season. I haven't raced a Super- cross race in about l0 months, and I feel a bit rusty," lYarmont said. "My leg is a little bit sore, but I am iust tryinS not to think about it while I am out there. I just want to work my way back into the series. M/ goal is to just get back up to where I was before and take it a race at a tillre." Former 125 and 250cc World MX Champi- on Trampas Parker was on hand in Atianta to watch the Supercross racec- Parker had attended the lndy Trade Show the week before to promote a new business venture and then flew into Atlanta to catch up on the action. "l haven't ridden motocross since the fourth round of the 2001 World Championship6, where I ended up breaking my wrist," Parker said. "l rode the Super Morard World Championshrps last year, but I don't find the track in Europe to be that Con inved on Poge 26 ') CyCIE NEi/YS. MARCH8,2006 25 Dovi Millsopr wor leoding when he .rorhed. He got up ond {iniihed second, podding his pointr leod. e o o Brief [y... a t iH .t .a\ I I t I ! AG Afs q T t '*t h4 "u t $* I "tf ru I I I ? E I L t I t II a tt,l J I i I I a l*l .a t After finishing losl week's St. louis SX in rhe hospitol, Josh Grqnt rebounds with Atlontq win t ,L! * j, !a ) I' I ;\ ^! i|) J t' BY SHAN ,{ooRE PHoros BY Sr:vr Bnusru