McGrath Shares Spotlight With Pastrana

The EA Supercross Series, otherwise known as the Jeremy McGrath Victory Tour, began its season Saturday at Edison Field.

McGrath, the seven-time champion, opened defense of his title in dominating fashion in front of a sellout of 45,050.

McGrath ran away from the field--once he caught the early leader--taking an eight-second lead into the last of his 20 laps.

But the night may not have belonged to McGrath, an Encinitas resident who makes his living riding a Yamaha. It belonged to another . . . boy?

Travis Pastrana, the 17-year-old X Games freestyle motocross champion who made his debut on the 250cc motorcycles, finished fifth.

Pastrana plans to compete in the first five races of the season, but will join the 125cc Eastern Division only if he is not competitive in the 250cc class.

So far, he is.

Pastrana, riding a Suzuki, made some spirited passes of veteran riders, but was never in the race for first place.

Then again, neither was anyone else.

After McGrath caught Stephane Roncada at the end of lap three, he pulled steadily away from the others.

Ezra Lusk of Acworth, Ga., finished second, Ricky Carmichael of Havana, Fla., was third, and Mike LaRocco of South Bend, Ind., was fourth.

It looked like McGrath’s pursuit of his seventh victory at Anaheim would be made easier by an incident earlier in the day.

Sebastien Tortelli, who finished fourth at Anaheim in last year’s opening round and sixth in the series, did not race. Tortelli, a Team Honda rider, fell in practice, injured his shoulder, and was flown to Phoenix for an MRI examination and further observation.

It was another tough break for Honda at Anaheim. Last year, Tortelli’s teammate, Lusk--who won both 1999 races--injured his shoulder during practice and sat out most of the season.

The 15-lap main for the 125cc riders was won by Ernesto Fonseca of Costa Rica in the debut of Yamaha’s four-stroke engine. Most 125cc engines are two-stroke, but the four-stroke delivered a powerful punch.

Fonseca won and teammate Justin Buckelew of Albuquerque took third place. Breaking up the Yamaha of Troy team sweep was Danny Smith of Middleton, Idaho, on a Suzuki.

Fonseca was the 1999 champion, and he got off to a good start, winning the spirited battle with Smith until Smith went off-course on the 14th lap. Fonseca also won his heat race.