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RACE WATCH

The hurt report

In supercross these days, It seems like if you’re not hurt, you’re winning. Yamaha’s teenage fireball Damon Bradshaw hurt his ankle back in the third round. His teammate Doug Dubach also is recovering from an ankle injury. Jeff Ward hurt his elbow in the first outdoor MX of the year, and Rick Johnson broke his hand at the Daytona Supercross.

So who’s healthy? Just look at the point standings. As of late April, supercross-wonder Jeff Matiasevich is out front with a 14-point lead, while Suzuki-mounted Larry Ward is in second. Both of these riders have won only one event apiece, as has Jean-Michel Bayle, who is in fourth. Double-winners Jeff Stanton, Jeff Ward and Damon Bradshaw are in contention, too, in what has to be the closest supercross season ever. >

Kocinski makes it two in a row at Laguna

John Kocinski’s 250cc world championship chase improved when he won the second round of the series at Laguna Seca.

Kocinski qualified third behind

Luca Cadalora and Rinehold Roth, but once the flag dropped. Kocinski immediately passed everyone but Carlos Cardus. For two laps, Kocinski followed Cardus, who was riding with an injured shoulder, then “Baby John” motored away from> the field.

After the race. Kocinski said, “If they showed me I had a nine-second lead, I wanted 10. If they showed me 10, I wanted 1 1. I just kept on going.”

Kocinski dominated the field at Laguna, in stark contrast to his 14thplace finish in 1990’s first GP at Suzuka, Japan. There, he was run into from behind, and had to make a pit stop to repair his bent exhaust system. Kocinski is 15 points out of the lead in the series, which is held by Cadalora.

Bubba returns to Laguna

Bubba Shobert, who was injured in a post-race crash last year with Kevin Magee, returned to Laguna Seca for a "parade lap before the start of the 500 GP. Four-time World Champion Eddie Lawson. just out of the hospital with a broken heel, joined Shobert for the lap. Shobert. now a consultant to American Honda. was on hand to sign auto graphs and watch the race with friends. Lawson had to watch the race from inside the Team Roberts/ Marlboro motor home, but rumors are that he will try to be ready for the next race, held at the Jerez, Spain, circuit in early May.

FIM inspection puts USGP in jeopardy

A fter the running of the 1990 USGR the FIM held an inspection of the racetrack, as the number of accidents this year refueled the controversy about Laguna Seca Raceway being a suitable site for a grand prix race. The results of the inspection won't be made known until later this summer, but Ed Youngblood, president of the AMA, said the 1 991 event is on the calender, and there are no plans to hold the USGP at another track .

What has turned the event into a world-wide controversy is a statement by former World Champion Barry Sheene who lambasted the track as unsafe and dangerous. “The place is a dump. If I was still riding, there is no way I'd race there,” he said in an AP newswire story. According to AMA records, Sheene has never raced at Laguna, though he is now urging a rider boycott should the race be held at Laguna Seca next year.

Most of the controversy revolves around lack of run-off room in Turns Six and Eleven, and the lack of on-site medical facilities. But until the FIM report is released, details of the recommendations and the track management’s decisions are unknown.

Doug Polen ready to race

Texan Doug Polen was at the Laguna Seca GP before heading to Japan to defend his Japanese F-l and F-3 titles. Polen, who lost four toes when his Yoshimura/Suzuki crashed during testing last February, is walking fine and ready to get back on a bike. “I haven't ridden yet,” said Polen. “But I feel great and I'm ready to go.” Polen will also be at the Road Atlanta track on May 7, to compete in the second round of the AMA Superbike championship. E3