Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Marshall Update: fames Says Thanks AccordinS ao a release issued by his family and friends, .James Marshall is makin8 improvements from the serious iniuries he suffered at the San Die8o Supercross last month. llarshall is now off the ventila- tor and is breathing on his own. And without the tubes in his mouth, he is able to speak. l4arshall currently ha5 a halo fitted while his spine continues to heal and the swellinS subsides. "l want everyone to now that I will recover from this," Marshall said in the release- "l want to say thank you to everyone involved in my recovery I am realizing more and more that I have a long road in front of me. I hope someday I may ride atain, but the thing that I want most is to have a family someday. lI lcan do that, I will be happy, Words cant express what I am feelint right now. lam full ofappre, caation for the outpouring of love. Thank you." I l.S. Army Suzuki's Angelle Sampey b€tan her quest for \r, a fourth NHRA POWERade Pro Srock Motorcycle champronshrp with a convincing win a! lhe season-openrng Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida, on l'4arch 19. Taking full advantage of new rules designed to equalize the competition bewve€n V-tlvins and inline four-cylinder bikes, Sampey defeated her Army teammate Antron Brown in the all-Suzuki final round when Brown fouled at the starting line. "Most years, I get ofl to a slow start and have to play catch-up so it's nice to start the year with a win and leave here with the points lead," Sampey said. "l've gone three years without a championship, and I'm really focused on gettinS [the ti.le] back this year" Sampey admifted that she might not have won her rhird Gatornationals iale without the help of her teammate Brown. While the Army team worked feverishly to change an engine in Brown's Suzuki before the llnel ror.:nd, Sampey discovered a faulry shift litht on her bike. lnsistint that she would not race until(he problem was flxed, Brown jumped in and made the necessary repairs. "l could have run without a shift litht, but I probably would have run much slower than the 7.13 I ran in the final," Sampey said. "We were back in the pits, my whole team was thrashing and time was running out. Then, Antron said, 'They can't run the llnal until we tet there. and I'm not going up until your bike is fixed.' There aren't many people who would have done [hat for me. ln a way, I real- Armv Marches to Gain6rsville NHRA Win Angelle Sompey got her 2006 NHRA r.dron ofl to winning rlqrt when she defeoted Amy leommole Anlrcn Brown ot lhc reoson-opening NHRA Gotomotionqls in Floridq, p "This is a great way to start the yeari" Sampey sajd. 'rqnytime we have both Army bikes in the llnal, it's a great day. l've raced Antron frve times in final rounds since we both ioined the Army teErn and I've beaten him all five times, but that just means that he is way over due, I know that one of these daF, he's Eoing to * *n'nt,n" Tli; ,"^"nro o z o D.vid Knight swepl the Enduro 3

• Cover