2002 Joliette 250cc Pro Moto 1 (JSR Vs. Morgan -- #1 Vs. #2)
8This is the first 250cc Pro moto from the 2002 Joliette Canadian National in Joliette, Quebec, Canada.
In 2002, Blackfoot Honda teammates, Jean-Sebastien Roy #1 and Blair Morgan #2 were dueling feverishly for the #1 plate. Coming into this 5th race of the 2002 CMRC Canadian National season, JSR was leading Morgan by 16 points after a strong beginning. Blair Morgan, a 2-time National champ in 1997 and 1999, took a little while to get things going for 2002. While JSR started strong with a 3rd overall at Nanaimo (2-3), Morgan started out slow with lackluster finishes. Blair got a 2nd in moto 2 at round 2 at Kamloops after JSR initially won the moto, but was penalized 2 positions and 5 points for passing Diablo Honda's Marco Dube #6 under a yellow flag. Roy still won the overall with his 1-3 performance, but that moved Machine Racing Yamaha's American import, Phil Lawrence #103 into 1st, and Saskatchewan's Blair Morgan into 2nd. Roy took command of the series from then on.
Round 1 winner, Richmond Kawasaki's Darcy Lange #3 swept the first round, but a back injury at round 2 at Kamloops sidelined him immediately. From then on, it was a battle between Blackfoot Honda teammates. At Calgary and Regina (rounds 3 and 4), Roy and Morgan exchanged moto and overall wins. Morgan won Calgary with a 2-1 to Roy's 1-2, but they swapped positions at Regina.
In this moto, Marco Dube got out to the holeshot. Roy and Morgan hounded Dube for about 1/4 of the moto until Morgan managed to force his way past Dube and Roy for the lead. Roy quickly disposed of Dube and the race turned into yet another Roy/Morgan Blackfoot Honda duel. The two engaged in another unforgettable battle for the 2002 Canadian National season. After numerous passes and re-passes, the moto win went to Blair Morgan, which set up another showdown for moto #2. Unfortunately, a torrential downpour of rain in the 2nd 125cc East moto came and claimed riders on the uphills. Due to threats of lightning, the CMRC called the race, and the 2nd 250cc Pro moto was cancelled, deeming Blair Morgan the overall winner for the day, and slicing 3 points out of Roy's 16-point-lead to make it 13.
Roy and Morgan battled all throughout the rest of the season. Roy got on a hot streak and won the next 4 motos at Pleasant Valley and Ste. Julie while Morgan suffered an 8-3 at Ste. Julie after a 2-2 at Pleasant Valley. Roy's 14-point-gain from Ste. Julie vaulted him from 19 to 33 points ahead of Morgan. He rode to a 6-1 for 2nd overall at the final round at Walton, but the 6th in moto 1 was enough for Roy to lock up his 2nd consecutive Canadian National crown. Roy would win the next 5 titles from 2001-2005 before losing to his Blackfoot Honda teammate, Dusty Klatt in 2006. After finishing 5th overall in 2007, JSR called it a career at 33 years young.
Enjoy.