It Turns Out to Be Tortelli’s Day

What was supposed to be a celebration of Jeremy McGrath’s motocross successes Sunday turned into a day for Sebastien Tortelli, a Frenchman who rides for American Honda. In a stunning reversal of form, Tortelli won both motos of the AMA Mazda Truck Motocross Nationals at Glen Helen Raceway before an estimated 16,500.

A veteran of European Grand Prix racing, the 20-year-old from Bethune, France, beat McGrath in a tense duel in the first moto and then came from far back to win the second moto after McGrath suffered clutch problems.

The day was quite a contrast from the recently completed Supercross season, in which McGrath won eight of 16 races and his sixth championship, while Toretelloi had a lackluster season.

In the combined scoring, Hondas swept the first five positions, with Tortelli followed by Mike LaRocco, defending champion Mickael Pichon, Ezra Lusk and Ryan Hughes. It was the second time Tortelli had surprised American riders. In the 1998 Supercross opener at the Coliseum, he was not even listed in the program, but he rode his Kawasaki to a stunning win.

“I like these outdoor races best. They’re longer and faster,” he said in Victory Circle. In the second moto, he was 12th after the first lap as Jimmy Button got a holeshot and led McGrath through the first three laps. Then McGrath took over and it appeared to be one of his patented victories.

But on the 10th of 14 laps on a course almost two miles long, McGrath dropped from first to eighth and eventually finished 19th.

Tortelli, who had passed Pichon, another French rider, and Larry Ward on Lap 7; LaRocco and Lusk on Lap 8; Damon Huffman on Lap 9; and Button on Lap 10, took over when McGrath’s clutch gave out.

“I don’t know if I was thinking victory when I got such a poor start, but I just kept riding as hard as I could, and when I didn’t make any mistakes, I kept catching riders,” Tortelli said. “I don’t know when I passed Jeremy. He slowed down so much I don’t remember.”

Ricky Carmichael, rebounding after a disappointing 250cc Supercross season, returned to the 125cc class and picked up where he left off by easily winning both smaller displacement events. Carmichael has won six consecutive motos at Glen Helen, having swept the 125s in 1997 and 1998.

“It was great getting back into the winner’s circle,” said the 19-year-old Kawasaki rider from Havana, Fla. “I’ve always liked Glen Helen.”

Carmichael passed teammate Nicholas Wey on the second lap and was never challenged in the first moto. In the second one, he gave up the lead briefly in mid-race to veteran Tallon Vohland, who has been riding on the European Grand Prix circuit.

Vohland made his pass of Carmichael at the crest of the 45-degree hill that is Glen Helen’s signature, but Carmichael regained the lead four laps later when Vohland slid out on a backstretch turn.