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RACE WATCH

Supermoto-A-Go-Going

Supermoto didn’t bust into the mainstream-where the money is-overnight. There have been ups and downs, and earning a spot in the X-Games, the new-wave Olympics, certainly paid big dividends. The bottom line, though, is that a thorough description of the AMA’s newest two-wheel discipline no longer has to be the lead to every story about the sport.

The conclusion to the second season of the AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship took place last November on a purpose-built racetrack adjacent to the Ballys Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. X-Games gold-grabber Ben Bostrom won the spectacular, winner-take-all 2003 finale at the Rio on a factory Honda, netting him a national number-one plate. This year, the AMA reverted to a traditional scoring system, with the final round of the seven-race series paying double points toward the title.

Taking top honors would require an earnest effort, what with Supermoto World Champion Eddy Seel and series runner-up Boris Chambón listed as wildcards in what was billed as “The biggest supermoto event in the world.” As for the championship chase, points-leader Jeff Ward and his Troy Lee Designs Honda teammates Doug Henry and Chris Fillmore were ready to duke it out with a slew of lesser-known talent. And yes, Bostrom was there to defend his title.

When the 18-lap final got underway, Superpole winner Jurgen “Krazy” Kunzel took control, with Ward and the rest of the swarm in hot pursuit. Passing was difficult, and mistakes were costly, as Kunzel discovered. With only a handful of laps left, he caught his KTM’s rear wheel on the edge of the last roller exiting the motocross-style rhythm section, allowing Ward to close. The next time around when the duo entered the dirt, Kunzel slipped sideways and Ward made the pass for the lead. Kunzel made his second mistake when he mistook the white flag for the checkers, giving Ward a lead that proved insurmountable. Ward rode uncontested to the win. French KTM rider David Baffeleuf was third, while Bostrom finished a disappointing 13th.

“1 had to take chances to stay close on the pavement,” Ward said. “I knew I had to get it done in the dirt whether Kunzel made a mistake or not.”

In the Unlimited class, Kunzel took control from the start and opened a gap on KTM race team manager Kurt Nicoll, who had equal distance on the rest of the field. Halfway through the event, Kunzel suffered a flat rear tire, forcing him to retire. The 40-year-old Nicoll won the race and the title. “Just wait ’til I’m older and have more experience,” he joked.

So, where from here? Can supermoto live up to the hype? Nicoll, a four-time bridesmaid in the 500cc World Motocross Championship, summed it up well when he accepted his championship trophy at the AMA awards banquet: “Winning this is as important to me as winning a world title.”

-Mark Cernicky