1999 AMA 250cc National Motocross Series, Round 8: D&D Motocross Park, Troy, Ohio
28 July 1999
On a day that saw the Red Riders struggling with crashes and fatigue in the heat, it was once again Honda-supported Factory Connection/Jack in the Box rider Mike LaRocco that put a Honda pilot on the podium. LaRocco posted 3/4 finishes for the day to get third overall. Red Rider Ezra Lusk brought his Mike Gosselaar-tuned CR250R home fourth overall with 7/2 finishes, overcoming a first moto that saw him fall twice, then coming back strong in the second moto. Teammate Kevin Windham went 4/8 for seventh overall. Reigning class champion Doug Henry took the overall win with 1/1 moto finishes on another hot humid day on the series$B!G(B Eastern swing. Team Honda rider Sebastien Tortelli didn$B!G(Bt ride today, after breaking his wrist at last weekend$B!G(Bs race at Unadilla. In the first moto Lusk ran as high as second in the early laps before the first fall that dropped him to seventh. Teammate Windham then took up second position behind race leader Henry, but eventually fell back to fourth, victim first of Greg Albertyn, then of a charging LaRocco. LaRocco was even threatening Albee for second, but time ran out on the 30-minute-plus-2-lap moto. It was Lusk with the holeshot on his CR250R in the second moto, followed by Jimmy Button, Doug Henry, Albee, Larry Ward and Windham. Windham elbowed his way all the way up to third in the early going, before fading back to eighth at moto$B!G(Bs end. Around the sixth lap, Lusk hit a tree branch in the last corner of the track, standing him up in mid - turn and making him stall the bike. He resumed the chase in third, behind Henry and Albertyn, while LaRocco was on the move after getting a bad start, storming up to seventh and looking for the front. Positions up front remained the same for most of the rest of the moto, with Henry leading, followed by Albee and Yogi. On the last lap, though, Lusk stormed past Albertyn for second spot, and LaRocco forced his way into fourth. LaRocco$B!G(Bs inspired riding has pushed him up to second in the points standings, just 30 points away from leader Albertyn. Windham remains third in points, while Lusk has jumped from fifth to fourth in the title chase. With eight races run in the 12-event series, the show moves to the West for next week$B!G(Bs showdown at Washougal in Washington. Moto 1 top - 5 finishers 1. Doug Henry-Yamaha 2. Greg Albertyn-Suzuki 3. Mike LaRocco-Honda 4. Kevin Windham-Honda 5. Jeff Emig-Kawasaki Moto 2 top-5 finishers 1. Doug Henry-Yamaha 2. Ezra Lusk-Honda 3. Greg Albertyn-Suzuki 4. Mike LaRocco-Honda 5. Larry Ward-Suzuki Overall top-5 1. Doug Henry (1/1)-Yamaha 2. Greg Albertyn (2/3)-Suzuki 3. Mike LaRocco (3/4)-Honda 4. Ezra Lusk (7/2)-Honda 5. Larry Ward (6/5)-Suzuki AMA 250cc National Motocross points standings 1. Greg Albertyn-Suzuki-308 points 2. Mike LaRoccoHonda-278 points 3. Kevin Windham-Honda276 points 4. Ezra LuskHonda-268 points 5. Sebastien Tortelli-Honda-245 points Upcoming rounds: Round 9-Washougal Motocross Park, Washougal, Washington, August 1 Round 10-Spring Creek Motocross Park, Millville, Minnesota, August 15
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