McGrath Loses Grip on Supercross Event

Jeremy McGrath won his first supercross race in 1993 in Anaheim and kept right on going, winning five of the last six American Motorcycle Assn. Supercross Series championships.

McGrath, of Menifee, had never lost a race in Anaheim at what is now known as Edison Field.

But Saturday night in front of an announced sellout of 45,050 where, for once, the rock pile beyond the outfield wall didn’t look out of place, McGrath finally found his match.

Several of them, in fact.

Ezra Lusk of Bainbridge, Ga., led a Honda sweep of the first four positions in the 250cc main event as the AMA Supercross Series began its 25th season.

McGrath, riding for Team Chaparral Yamaha, finished seventh overall.

Lusk overtook Larry Ward of Florence, S.C., on the seventh lap of the 20-lap main event and smoothly negotiated the 10-turn layout.

Ward, in a Suzuki, fell off the pace as Mickael Pichon of France, Mike LaRocco of South Bend, Ind., and Kevin Windham of Baton Rouge, La., followed Ward across the finish line.

McGrath, who won seven of 16 races last year to win the title, collided with his heir apparent, Ricky Carmichael, on the eighth lap. Carmichael, the first rider to sweep a 125cc season, was running fourth at the time.

Carmichael, 19, fell back to seventh, McGrath eighth. Carmichael finished sixth.

“I was doing good, but McGrath and I collided and it cracked my throttle housing,” said Carmichael, who was making his 250cc debut.

“I’m disappointed. I wish I could have been on the podium.”

Riverside’s Jeff Emig, who broke up McGrath’s streak of Supercross titles in 1997, finished eighth.

In the 125cc race, Casey Johnson of Lake Elsinore held off Casey Lytle of Santa Clarita for first.