1998 Phoenix 250cc Main (FULL RACE)
22This is the 1998 250cc Main from Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ.
In 1998, Chaparral Yamaha's Jeremy McGrath #2 was having a much better beginning to the Supercross season as opposed to his failed title run in 1997. An eleventh-hour change to Suzuki due to contract disagreements with Honda put Jeremy behind the rest of the field. McGrath had started out '97 with an ugly 15th at L.A., but hit the podium in the next 3 races before a clutch problem sent Jeremy to a 9th at Indianapolis -- his 2nd bad race. McGrath had only won 2 races in 1997 but hit the podium 9 times in the 15 races. A 4-race run of bad luck beginning with a fall in Pontiac on lap 18 prevented Jeremy from winning his 5th consecutive AMA Supercross Championship, which he lost to Team Kawasaki's Jeff Emig, who won 5 races.
For 1998, McGrath started out with a modest 3rd place at L.A. before taking a 2nd at the last race in Houston. The 4-time Supercross champion had yet to lead a lap in Supercross 1998. Jeremy was currently tied with Jeff Emig in the points standings at 60 pts. apiece; Jeff Emig had the same results as Jeremy, except his results were mirrored (a 2nd at L.A. and a 3rd at Houston). The two winners were Kawasaki's Sebastien Tortelli #103 at L.A., and Team Honda's Ezra Lusk #3 at the last race in Houston. Unfortunately, Tortelli hurt his knee before this race and was absent for 2 races.
As for Jeremy McGrath, he was ready for his first win of the 1998 season after a dominating heat race victory. In the main, Jeremy started out in 2nd place behind Jeff Emig, who squeaked out with the holeshot briefly, and Honda of Troy's Michael Craig #13. McGrath got around Craig early and built as much as a 5-7 second lead... until lap 18. McGrath got behind a group of about 5 lappers who didn't obey the blue flags. Ezra Lusk came from about a 6th place start to pass Jeremy McGrath for the lead with 2 laps to go. McGrath couldn't pass Lusk back due to the lappers, and Lusk won his 2nd consecutive race. McGrath's 2nd place finish, coupled with Emig's 4th, put MC in the points lead by 4 over Emig. Not to worry, McGrath would bounce back at the next race in Seattle, which started a 4-race win streak for Jeremy, en route to his 5th Supercross title.
Enjoy.
NOTE: I do have both parts of this race (and the full broadcast) posted on YouTube already, but I decided to make it all into one whole video just for the fun of it.