THQ World Supercross GP/AMA Supercross Series, NotesPackage, Indianapolis
250cc AMA Supercross Series$1,500 SXGP.com Holeshot Award (250cc)
Sebastien Tortelli (Geneva,Switzerland and Arnhem, Holland, Anaheim 2): $4,500
Mike Brown (Anaheim 1): $1,500
Chad Reed (Phoenix): $1,500
Paul Carpenter (San Francisco)$1,500
Mike LaRocco (Anaheim 3):$1,500
Michael Byrne (San Diego andAnaheim 3): $3,000
Ezra Lusk: (Minneapolis):$1,500
Larry Ward: (Atlanta): $1,500
125cc AMA Supercross Series$1,000 SXGP.com Holeshot Award (125cc)
David Pingree (Anaheim 1)$1,000
Craig Anderson (Phoenix)$1,000
Billy Laninovich (Anaheim 2)$1,000
Eric Sorby (San Francisco andAnaheim 3) $2,000
Tiger Lacy (Anaheim 3 and SanDiego): $2,000
Kelly Smith (Minneapolis and Atlanta):$2,000
Last Week’s Recap
ATLANTA
125ccEastern Regional AMA Supercross Series Event Results
1.BrockSellards, Sherrodsville, Ohio, Yamaha
2.Mike Brown,Piney Flats, Tenn., Kawasaki
3.BrandenJesseman, Fombell, Pa., Suzuki
4.ErickVallejo, Mexico, NL, Yamaha
5.MichaelByrne, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda
6.MattieuLalloz, France, Suzuki
7.SteveBoniface, Temecula, Calif., KTM
8.Kelly Smith,Ludington, Mich., Yamaha
9.Troy Adams,Brooksville, Fla., Yamaha
10.Ryan Mills,Clintondale, N.Y., Honda
125ccEastern Regional AMA Supercross Series Season Standings from Atlanta
1.BrockSellards, Sherrodsville, Ohio, Yamaha, 47
2.BrandenJesseman, Fombell, Pa., Suzuki, 45
3.Mike Brown,Piney Flats, Tenn., Kawasaki, 40
4.MichaelByrne, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda, 36
5.Kelly Smith,Ludington, Mich., Yamaha, 29
6.ErickVallejo, Mexico, NL, Yamaha, 26
7.SteveBoniface, Temecula, Calif., KTM, 25
8.MattieuLalloz, France, Suzuki, 22
9.Ryan Mills,Clintondale, N.Y., Honda, 21
10.Jeff Gibson,Thornville, Ohio, Suzuki, 18
125ccWestern Regional AMA Supercross Season Standings
1.JamesStewart, Haines City, Fla., Kawasaki, 147
2.TravisPreston, Hesperia, Calif., Honda, 116
3.Andrew Short,Colorado Springs, Colo., Suzuki, 92
4.BillyLaninovich, Escondido, Calif., KTM, 91
5.Matt Walker,McRae, Ga., Kawasaki, 90
6.Danny Smith,Middleton, Idaho, Suzuki, 81
7.Eric Sorby,France, Kawasaki, 72
8.ChristopherGosselaar, Corona, Calif., Honda, 65
9.Sean Hamblin,Sun City, Calif., Suzuki, 65
10.Josh Hansen,Elbert, Colo., Yamaha, 61
250cc THQWorld Supercross GP/AMA Supercross Series Event Results from Atlanta
1.RickyCarmichael, Havana, Fla., Honda
2.Chad Reed,Corona, Calif., Yamaha
3.DavidVuillemin, Corona, Calif., Yamaha
4.ErnestoFonseca, Canyon Lake, Calif., Honda
5.Tim Ferry,Dade City, Fla., Yamaha
6.Sean Hamblin,Sun City, Suzuki
7.Nick Wey,Dewitt, Mich., Yamaha
8.Mike LaRocco,South Bend, Ind., Honda
9.Andrew Short,Colorado, Colo., Suzuki
10.Danny Smith,Middleton, Idaho, Suzuki
250cc AMASupercross Series Season Standings
1.RickyCarmichael, Havana, Fla., Honda, 185
2.Chad Reed,Corona, Calif., Yamaha, 168
3.DavidVuillemin, Corona, Calif., Yamaha, 147
4.Tim Ferry,Dade City, Fla., Yamaha, 130
5.Ezra Lusk,Bainbridge, Ga., Kawasaki, 122
6.Nick Wey,Dewitt, Mich., Yamaha, 83
7.ErnestoFonseca, Canyon Lake, Calif., 77
8.MichaelByrne, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Honda, 75
9.Heath Voss,Mico, Texas, Yamaha, 75
10.Mike LaRocco,South Bend, Ind., Honda, 73
250cc THQWorld Supercross GP Season Standings
1.Chad Reed,Corona, Calif., Yamaha, 229
2. DavidVuillemin, Corona, Calif., Yamaha,213
3. Tim Ferry,Dade City, Fla., Yamaha, 200
4. MikeLaRocco, South Bend, Ind., Honda, 136
5. Heath Voss,Mico, Texas, Yamaha, 125
6. KeithJohnson, Albuquerque, N.M., Yamaha, 121
7.SebastienTortelli, Temecula, Calif., Suzuki, 121
8.Ryan Clark,Albuquerque, N.M., Yamaha, 110
9.DamonHuffman, Canyon Country, Calif., Honda, 109
10.Grant Langston,Lake Elsinore, Calif., KTM, 76
Clear ChannelEntertainment – Motor Sports Privateer Bonus Awards Summary
Ryan Clark: $9,347.25
Keith Johnson: $9,680.60
Larry Ward: $11,014.02
Damon Huffman: $4,902.59
Ted Campbell: $1,333.40
Erik Vallejo: $4,111.33
Paul Carpenter: $1,851.96
Casey Lytle: $2,407.53
Bobby Bonds: $740.78
Clark Stiles: $2,458.05
Greg Schnell: $1,346.85
Jason Thomas: $606.09
Brian Mason: $606.09
Marco Dube: $606.09
James Polvolny Jr.: $606.09
Joseph Oehloff: $1,717.28
Asterisk Medical Card
Anaheim 1: Steve Lamson
Phoenix: Troy Adams
Anaheim 2: Turbo Reif
San Fran: Tim Weigand
Anaheim 3: Logan Darien
San Diego: David Delgli
Minneapolis: Shane Lusk
Atlanta: Charlie Dagner
Riding to a NewFrontier" Nissan Privateer Program:
Keith Johnson,Albuquerque, N.M., Yamaha, 121
Ryan Clark,Albuquerque, N.M., Yamaha, 110
Damon Huffman,Canyon Country, Calif., Honda, 109
U.S. Smokeless TobaccoCompany Adult Pro Privateer Challenge Awards:
Keith Johnson, Albuquerque,N.M., Yamaha, 121
Ryan Clark, Albuquerque, N.M.,Yamaha, 110
Damon Huffman, Canyon Country,Calif., Honda, 109
Atlanta,Ga., February 22, 2003
Jesseman:"It's a lot different (working through traffic). You have to choose linesthat you wouldn't normally take and aren't the fastest way around the track.You have to try to wig it out a little and make thinks happen. I tried a fewdifferent lines and some of them paid off and some of them didn't.
Brown:"I got a good start and showed my best. I got alittle back behind Brock and tried my best to catch up. I got a little tightagain. It's been a nice week so hopefully next weekend I can improve again.
"I try not to worry too much. My wife (Missy) is pretty goodabout it. I have been staying at Ricky (Carmichael's) for a while. I went homefor about an hour or so when she had the baby and left again. Racing comesfirst so I do the best I can"
Carmichael on Brown and Sellards practicing at his house allweek: "They have been staying at my house so I probably watched the mainevent 20 times this week. They were battling it out at my house."
Sellards: Phil (Alderton) was making some comments beforethe race and everybody was laughing and putting pressure on me. They havealways won a championship since they have been Yamaha of Troy and theydefinitely want another one. I guess I'm the guy that's supposed to do it. It'sa great team. I have a great bike and it gets off to great starts, which theseother guys complain about. That is a key in supercross. Chad (Reed) probably wisheshe had a better start in his race. If you get off to a good start the track isa lot easier. Everybody knows that and I think the bike really helps me outthere.
"Last season when I was on the KTM I was sick with EpsteinBarr. Pretty much I missed most of the supercrosses. Somehow I won one beingsick. I don't know how that happened. I missed a lot of the outdoors andeverybody said 'ah he ended his career and he is never racing again.' I gotBobby Moore on my side. He went after them (YOT) and said this guy is over hissickness. I had all the tests done. I was always getting blood work done. Imissed a lot of outdoors. It came down to I had to have results in the lastcouple outdoors before anyone would even considering hiring me. I didn't knowif I was going to be sick my whole life or what. I did my best. I rode prettydecent and got some good results. I started out and got the bike that I wantedand got Jeff Spencer on my team. He and I worked real good and he has kept mefrom getting sick and from being hurt. That has been my biggest achievement Ithink I have made in my career, is actually to start out a supercross seasonnot hurt or sick.
"I have been spending too much time out in California. Thereare a lot of things to get you sidetracked out there. I finally got to go backinto no man's land in Georgia. We don't have a neighbor around so its kind ofjust hang out, work on the track, work on your bike, and wait to ride, go for ajog, -that's the excitement of the day. He has been one of my best friendssince I was 16. I went to school with him. He lets me come and stay with him. Iappreciate that. Brown comes and stays. We don't have any problems riding witheach other. One of us is going to beat the other every weekend. We don't haveany hard feelings. The track is great at Ricky's and its just like this one sowe just did what we did all week.
"There were some yellow flags out there. There were flaggersrunning in front of me. I just knew I was going to peg somebody. I had to dosome 1-1-1 a couple of times. `Gosh dangit Brown is catching me,' that's all Icould think of. Luckily I got through it all. I figured out where the wreckwas. Even when the wreck was over I about hit a guy running across the track.It was like a never ending process. After the finish line, I didn't know it wasElliott but it was a bad wreck. I about crashed when he did that. I jumped thefinish line and had to shoot to the left to miss him. I had to seat bounce thatdouble and barely made the turn so that was a sketchy moment. I just did allthe jumps and got through all the sections ever lap. I guess it all paid offfor tonight's win."
Vuillemin: "It was pretty good. I got a good start. Idid not jump that tricky triple by the finish line and that's why they madetime on me. I didn't have the guts to do it in the race. Chad did it inpractice a couple of times and Ricky did it in the heat race. I didn't do it. Iam happy with a podium and just need to be a little faster and more fit to ridewith those guys. I was in third and they were getting away from me because theywere going a little faster. My lap times have been pretty good for a couple ofweeks. They were good until we got to that triple. I was good for me to showsome speed after some injuries. The bike is good and I don't need to touch it.
"Yea I think I am 100% (over the injuries). I am not fitness100%. I could be stronger. It will come in the next few weeks. My shoulder hasbeen better. I think the track was good. If it would have been hard dirt itwould have been really easy. But the way it was made it a little technical.Everyone is doing everything and it has been like that since the first race. Inthe past Jeremy was jumping a triple nobody else was but right it comes down tospeed and fitness."
Reed: "Last week I had my speed back, and during theweek I worked on turning that speed into good laps. I didn't really focus on mystarts last week. I guess it showed in the main. This week I have to go backand practice my starts.
"The track was pretty fun. I did that triple in practice andwas thinking about doing it in the heat race. Then Carmichael did it in hisheat race and I thought `well there goes my secret.'
"I definitely was trying to catch Ricky. There is no harm intrying. That is what I was doing, I was just trying to put my laps together. Iwasn't looking at how far ahead he was. There were parts of the track where Icould see him. I was just trying to keep the bike on two wheels and pass thelappers. It seemed like everyone wanted to race me. LaRocco in the last coupleof laps definitely wanted to. I think he was wanting to go for the win.
"In the first couple of laps I really had to be cautious andjust be smart, and trying to move forward without crashing. I need to work onmy starts. When you get a good start you stay out of trouble.
It would be fun. Everyone speaks about it every week. I amsure he wants to race and I want to race. It's unfortunate that we haven't wentbar to bar yet. I think its going to happen. It's going to be fun. I am lookingforward to it."
Carmichael: "I was coming from behind Ernesto and Istuffed him in the turn before the finish which wasn't right, I didn't feellike getting stuck behind him. Once I got by Larry actually Larry Ward was along ways away. I did the turn before the mechanics area and he was alreadyclear across the start straight. I felt really good all night long. My bike wasreally good especially through the big whoops. I had good starts and really noproblems. I felt on par tonight. I am just going out there and worrying aboutmyself.
"The fans definitely made me feel welcome for sure. I lookforward to coming to the east coast. There are a lot of races coming up that Ireally enjoy, Indy being one and of course Daytona. That is one of myfavorites. It's nice to come to Atlanta. It's just like David Vuillemin racingBercy. It is so loud, and it's a good feeling.
"I probably will just tell him I was trying to get outfront. I didn't clean him out, but we did touch but what the hell, if everyoneis going to ride like that I guess I will too. I like clean racing. It is funto race like that. You don't have to look over your shoulder. It is not fun todo that. It becomes a game after a while.
"Obviously the goal is to get out front as quick as you canand tried to reel out some good laps. I was confident in my speed all night. Ifelt that even with a mediocre start I had what it took to win. It always isnice to get out front real quick. As you can see with Larry Ward, the guy wasgone. That guy is unbelievable. I watched his LCQ from the truck. The guy is aone of a kind that is for sure.
"I struggled a couple of times through the baby whoops andgot a little sideways there and made an adjustment. I figured out what I wasdoing wrong. I just felt strong all night. The big whoops were my strong pointtonight. I have been practicing on them a little bit. Still I would like to getthe holeshot. That makes life a lot easier."