Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

G Briefly... Contanucd Irom poge t7 the evenint. The dirt was the same dirt that is used for the rodeo events held at the sta- dium, so there was a fair arnount of manure mixed in. Stewart posted the lastest time in both practice sessions. His hste6t lap was a 42.814-second l+ that was over a second faster than Ricky Carmichael's fastest time of 44.352. Team Honda's Travis Preston looked impressive in practic€ and claimed the third fastest time with a 45.550, with Reed lourth Iastest with a 46.661. ln the Lites division, Davi Millsaps led the field with a 45.427-s6c- ond lap, while Jo6h Gram lvas next with a ,16.417. Grant's teammate Tommy Hahn was 6ird fastest with a 46.499. "l was not a fan of the track," said lfth-place finisher Ryan Clark, "which had very short lap timer, no mechanic-signal area and an uninspired lay- out, But the track ir the same for eveD/one, and somehow that James Stewart guy has no problem passing regardless ofthe situation." Arenacross star losh Demuth was compet- ing in Houston as a part ofthe BooKoo Honda team, Demuth and Brock Sellards ioined BooKoo Honda after David Vuillemin and the team part- ed ways. "l had actually planned on retiring after s nacross season," Demuth said. "l was iust so b€et up and e-yhausted after the Arenacross Series that I iust n€eded a break. But I thought I mitht trf some other avenues ahd see if I could make them work. I went to the Orlando iace and that was the ,irst race I had been to sihce the Arenacross Series, and I just tot the bug again. I was able ro talk to Lucky Nichols and Mike Holigan of BooKoo Honda in Orlando and they offered me a chance to ride. lwill ride in pla.e of David for the last foua Supercross rounds and pos- sibly for the outdoor rounds." Demuth miss€d the main event by one position after finishing thi.d in the LCQ. Kyle Lewi. had a spectacular crash in the first turn of the Supercross-class LCQ. The Unbound Energr-sponsored rider was crowded to the outside in the first turn and catapulted off of the berm and into an ad,a- cent part of the track, brinting out the red fla8. Lewis walked away from the cmsh brrt was not able to make the restart. Bloodshot Suzuki's Tyler Evans iniured his knee while practicinS the day before the Houston race and decided to sit it our. The iniury was to the same kne€ that was previ- ously givint Evans problems, and he was scheduled for an MRI on Saturday. For Chad R€ed, the first hreak in the s€ries will be a welcome one, which 8i!€s him tirne to rest his iniured shouuen "The tirst week I will definitely be able to regroup and try to get heak up witfbut havinS a w€€k€fid of rdcinS, ' Reed said. "Then I would like to riJe tle last part of the ne)( wEek. I wEs f€€ling a litde rusq at the beginning of today ard I need to pick up ff ryy ridinS. k is afilalt getting better- [Hdrs- tonl was the first race I ha\e ridden without painkillers or a shot." Wth the East Retioi Lites Seris finbhed, Motosport.corn's l(dly Smith will ride the Dal- las Supercro6s in t|e 450 class in preparation for the c'otdoor seri6. "l will be riling d1e outdoo. series on a 2508 but I have talked .rD, team manager lnto letting rne ride a few of the vt/est rounds on a 450 so I can tet more track tiane," Smith sail. "Hoptully I can do well on tt€ 450 ard eam more poinE tow_art ny number." The $ 15fi) Progressive DirEGt Holeshot AwE 'd in tfie Supercross dass went to Team Kawasaki s Midael Byrne, while Honda- mounted Chad Ward chimed $ 1000 for SraE binS the holeshot in the Utes dMsion. r6h Demuth collecl€d the $750 Rac€r X Gai Card for finishin8 third in the Supercross LCQ, while GPS RacinS/Storm trke Honda's Mictrael Blooe won the $250 Asterisk Motile l.,ledk Card Awerd pres€nted b/ Dr rohn Bodner for finishing fifth in the Lites dMsion. Buder Broth- e6 l4x's Cole Siebler took home the Wonder War$og Racing/Decal Wod

• Cover