Lusk’s Crash Paves the Way for McGrath

The racing didn’t start until Saturday night, but some of the biggest news in the first round of the EA Sports Supercross Series happened in the afternoon.

It was during practice that Ezra Lusk, who won both Anaheim events last season and finished second in the season standings to Jeremy McGrath, crashed with two other riders.

Lusk suffered a dislocated shoulder and didn’t compete on his factory Honda, clearing the way for the field to get a giant head start in the competitive 16-race series.

Benefiting most was McGrath, who won the 20-lap 250cc main event in front of 45,050 at Edison Field. McGrath is the favorite to win the series for the seventh time in eight years, and he continued his domination of Anaheim; until last season, he had not lost at Edison Field since 1993.

Lusk, who resides in Lake Elsinore and won five races last season, crashed with John Dowd and Greg Albertyn, both of whom reached the 250cc final with Albertyn finishing seventh and Dowd 10th.

Lusk joined one of the other top riders, Riverside’s Jeff Emig, on the sidelines. Emig is out five more weeks because of two broken wrists.

McGrath had a spectacular race. Fifth off the starting line, he began passing riders in front of him on Lap 3, and moved into second place by the end of Lap 4. At the time, he was about 50 yards behind Ricky Carmichael.

But Carmichael wasn’t safe, and by Lap 6, McGrath had squeezed past him.

Carmichael, who has been heralded as the sport’s next McGrath, took the lead back on the next lap, only to see McGrath and Corona’s Mike LaRocco sprint past. Carmichael finished eighth.

It soon became a two-man exhibition as McGrath, on a Yamaha, and LaRocco, on a Honda, raced away from the pack. Kevin Windham finished third.

El Cajon’s Dustin Nelson left the course on a stretcher with bruised ribs after his 250cc qualifying heat.

Menifee’s David Pingree rode his 125cc Suzuki to the victory stand in the 125 Main. Pingree, third off the starting line, advanced steadily over the 15-lap race, passing Danny Smith and Chatsworth’s Billy Payne.

Payne had broken away from the pack with the top five riders in the 125cc main, but crashed into barriers on both sides of the course on the fifth lap and fell from third place. He finished 10th.

Yamaha riders Casey Johnson of Lake Elsinore and Greg Schnell of Rancho Cucamonga took second and third.