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/1542352
Salminen Rolls On With Big Buck Win ll,7Tl4'sJuha Salminen captured hrs fourth strai8ht win in the 2006 Grand National Cross l\Country Series at the Pirelli Bi8 Buck GNCC in Union, South Carolina. on April 9. The defending GNCC champ and lo-time World Enduro Champion jetted out to his patented early lead and simply rode away from the field, collecting his seventh straight win if you count the last three rounds of 2005. Had Salminen not pulled away, the fight for the win would have been amazing, as six riders battled hard all day for second place. In the end, it was the 2O-year-old rookie Charlie M'-rllins who pulled through on the Am-Pro Yamaha. Once Mullins got awa)., another battled formed over third place, and jt was a familiar face finiihinS on top of that battle, with five-time GNCC Champion Rodney Smith ofTeam Suzuki gettint the nod. lt was Smith's first podium in l8 months. "l wasn t exp€ctin8 to be up here today, I was iust trying to get in the top five," said Smith, who was sidelined for most of last year with a le8 in,ury "l got stronger at the end like I usually do. The last few races I've been getting tired, but today I felt strong all the way to the end.' Former GNCC champ Barry Hawk ended up fourth after a llerce battle with Smith. KTM s Mike Lafferq/, the seven-time AIYA National Enduro Champion, rounded out the top live overall. Juho Solminen picked up his fourtlr GNCC win ia South Corolino. NBC To Air teremy McGrath Invitational Hayden's Practice Starts o ? o NBC Spors has completed adealwith Wasserman Media Group and Jeremy Mccrath to broadcast the first-ever Jeremy McGrath lnvitational, the McGrath-promoted Supercross thaCs scheduled for October 6-7 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. Via a partnership between reremy Mccrath, the seven-time AMA Supercross Champion, and Vy'asserman Media Group, the Jeremy Mccrath lnvitational will invite the top 20 racers from Supercross to compete for $500.000, the lartest purse ever offered in rhe sport. Mccrath will also pafticipate as a rider. The NBC protram will air on October 22. ''l am thrilled abour rhe fact thar we've captured the interest of a maior newvork like NBC," Mccrath said. "l know we areSoing to have a race like no one who follows the sport has ever seen before, and I am really proud to have my name associated with NBC and this event." The broadcast agreement is between MCISX, LLC, the McGTatVWMG partnership entity, and NBC Spors. Wasserman Media Group will tap its marketing and event divisions to produce and promote this full-scale event. TheJeremy HcGrath lnvitational will mark adeparture from traditional Supercrostmotocross racing events due -E-rI Jeremy MrGroth getr televi- sion deol. to a unique t.ack design as well as new and challenSing race formats. To challenge the 20 riders, track desiper Randy Mennenga will build a customized, larSe-scale track- The invitational will also feature multiple formats with both a main event and head-to-head racinS. For more information, visit www.mctrathinvite.com. "Wheelie" Good Repsol Honda's Nicky Hayden avoided a huge embarrassment after wvice nearl),, loop- rng his RC2llV while practicinS stans alter Friday morning's free practice for the Qatar Grand Prix. Both times the front end of his Honda pawed the sky, once when he was wrlh a parr oI other riders - that one delivered a strong punch to the family jewels - and the second time by himsell The issue was his clutch. ''There was something wront in the clutch and they found some preces of debris in there where it was hangint," he said. "This afternoon it soll felt like lhere was somethrnt else wrong. When I disengaged it the lever iust went dead. The front came way up and instead of trying to bring the front back in, lhere was nothing to gmb. So it was ,ust hold on..lust those little wheelie contests I used to have with Rog lHayden] in the driveway paid off, because I had one foot down." Hayden said the team doesn't have launch control. "We have a button we hit that just helps tame the power for the start," Hayden said. "lt, like, puts a lot of anti-wheelie in. lt comes out after third gear. But you've tot to work the clutch, work the throttle- lt's the same thing we've had for two or three yea6." Henny Roy Abroms o o o o o o Aaron, LeRiche Split Oklahoma Trials Wins Notionol triols chomp Geoff Aorcn scrw hir three-round win rtrcqk come to qn end in Oklohomo, but he still owns lhe points leod. Notionol Triols chomp GeoIf Aoron sow his throc-round win 5k€ok (ome lo on end in Oklohomo. bur he rrill owns the pointr leod. Geofl Aaroh and Bruce LeRiche traded wihs at rcunds thrce and four of the AMIy'NATC National Trials S€ries held in the Arbuckle Mountains neat Tishomingo, Oklahoma, April 8-9, On Saturday, Aaron put his Extreme Riding Entertainment-sponsored 280 Gas Gas on top of the box after dominating all three laps, which was held on large Sranite rocks ,ound in the area- Aaron post- ed a total score of four points for the win, while Montesa-mounted Brent LeRiche of South Africa rode a steady pace to finish second with a total of eiglt points. LeRiche's brother; Bruce, riding for Sherco USA finished third with 16 points. On Sunday. Aaron recovered from a disastrous first lap. one rhar saw him sitting in sixrh posirion after the first l2 sections. to salvate a second-over- all finish. ln the meantime, Bruce LeRiche iotged impressive rides on the steep but grippy climbs to Iake his firct win of the year. Gas Gas USAS Chris Florin finished rhird overall after losing out in a tiebreaker with Aaron for the runner-up position. After lour rounds, Aaron leads the series stand- ings with ll5 points, followed by Bruce LeRiche with 94 and Floran with 79. Shon /Vloore \ r-f I d it IT \ r I I {i rp 5 CYCLE NEWS . APRlL le,2006 9