MOTOCROSS : Bayle Among Contenders Tonight at Anaheim

Jean-Michel Bayle of France has won two world motocross championships in his brief career, but the title he wants most is that of Supercross champion of the United States.

Bayle, who lives in Redondo Beach during the racing season, came close last year but finished second to his Honda teammate, two-time champion Jeff Stanton of Sherwood, Mich. Bayle won five races to four for Stanton, but the Frenchman missed two races because of injuries and that cost him the championship.

Round 3 of the $1-million Camel Supercross series will be held tonight at Anaheim Stadium with Bayle, Stanton and defending race champion Damon Bradshaw of Charlotte, N.C., expected to battle in the Coors Light Challenge 20-lap main event.

“I plan to be more cautious this year and not take unnecessary risks,” Bayle said after winning last Saturday night in the Houston Astrodome. “Last year I could have won (the championship), but I got hurt. This year is going to be different. I know I must be consistent to win and that is my goal.”

The winner of the 17-race series will collect a $100,000 bonus.

Bayle, 21, won the world 125cc championship in 1988 and the 250cc title in 1989. During the off-season, he returned to France and won three of four international races at the Palais Omnisports in Paris.

Stanton, who won the Supercross series opener two weeks ago in Orlando, Fla., also has extra incentive. He wants to become the second rider to win three Supercross championships in a row. Bob (Hurricane) Hannah won in 1977-78-79.

“I started off too tentatively last year,” said Stanton, who had to win two of the last three races in 1990 to overcome Bayle and Jeff Matiasevich of La Habra Heights to win his second championship. “This year I plan to be more aggressive from the start--the way I rode in Florida.”

Stanton, who also won the national 250cc championship and finished second to Jeff Ward of San Juan Capistrano in the 500cc class last year, won the one race in Paris last month that Bayle did not win.

Ward, 29, the oldest rider on the stadium racing circuit, missed last week’s race after falling during a heat and spraining his wrists.

“I’m going to try to race Saturday night,” he said after practicing Thursday on the twisting track laid out on top of the playing field at Anaheim Stadium. “I’ll have to wait and see how it feels.”

Ward, the 1985 and 1987 Supercross champion, won at Anaheim in 1987.

Bradshaw, 18, also won five races last year, including the opener at Anaheim and the season finale at the Coliseum. Yamaha, in hopes of regaining the glory it had with Hannah and 1980 champion Mike Bell, hired Brian Lunniss away from Honda to tune Bradshaw’s bikes this year. Lunniss was the tuner for Rick Johnson when he won a record 28 stadium races and also was a tuner for Hannah.

“I started out the year trying to be more consistent, to be a finisher, but after two races I’ve got to think more about winning races if I’m going to win the title,” Bradshaw said.

Bradshaw finished third at both Orlando and Houston.

Tonight’s program will start at 7:30 with races for both 250cc and 125cc motorcycles.