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Stanton wins fourth-straight Daytona Supercross

It’s no secret that motocross racing is one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. But to see the stars of the Camel Supercross Series in action at Daytona put an exclamation point on that remark. Because even after the rain that fell during practice stopped and the sun broke through the clouds, the track was still a rutted, bumpy mess.

Given those conditions, there were two riders whose riding skills and supreme physical conditioning would hold them in good stead: Honda’s Jeff Stanton, who’d won the three previous Daytona Supercrosses; and Yamaha’s Damon Bradshaw, who’d won all but the first of the six supercross races prior to Daytona this year.

Somebody’s winning streak was going to end.

In the main event, Stanton and Bradshaw both rode as hard as they could, battling back and forth, and leaving the remainder of the field in their muddy roost. Bradshaw led the most laps, but Stanton took the lead for good when, with eight laps remaining, Bradshaw bobbled over a double-jump.

“A lapped rider got in my way,” Bradshaw explained afterwards. “I tried to change my line and ended up jumping off the track. I made a couple more mistakes after that and lost some ground.”

Bradshaw saved his energy for a late-race charge, but could only cut 3 seconds off his 8-second deficit.

Afterward, both riders admitted the race had been difficult.

“Most supercrosses last less than 20 minutes, but this one lasted 30,” Bradshaw said. “Outdoor races are that long, but they’re not near as tough.”

“I think the only time I might have ridden harder was in the MX des Nations,” said Stanton.

After seven of 16 rounds, Bradshaw leads the series standings with 165 points. Stanton’s win moved him into a tie for second with Jean-Michel Bayle (third at Daytona), with 139 points.

Carr smokes ’em in Camel Pro kickoff

Chris Carr couldn’t have hoped for a better start to the 1992 Camel Pro Series. Because not only did he lead the season-opening Daytona Short Track wire-to-wire, he also set fast qualifying time and pocketed the $5000 winner’s share of the five-lap Camel Challenge.

Carr led the start of the 25-lap main event on his Kenny Tolbert-tuned Harley-Davidson (which is actually a 600cc Wood-Rotax), and by lap three had pulled out an insurmountable lead. Behind him, Dan Ingram, Steve Morehead and Will Davis waged a fierce battle for second. Ingram, riding a Mike Moore Racing Honda, eventually took the runner-up position, despite the effects of an earlier heat-race pileup.

“Billy Herndon fell in front of me and I ran over him, and then Jay Springsteen ran over me,” Ingram said later, rubbing his throbbing wrist. (Herndon went to the hospital with a knee injury.)

Davis finished third on his Dennis Town-tuned Rotax after Morehead’s Honda dropped a valve with four laps remaining.

Parker crashed in practice, in his heat race and in the final, but rebounded to finish seventh.

“It was a hectic night,” said the champ. “When I wasn’t running into people, I was falling down.”

Carr nearly lapped Parker in the closing laps. Of that, Carr said, “Part of me was saying, yeah, pass him-it’d be good for my confidence. But I kept seeing yellow lights-guys were falling down all over the place-so I thought I’d better not. I’m happy to leave here with the points lead.” ®