Henry Again at Shawano!

Henry x2

By: Scott Rousseau

Photography By: Larry Lawrence

Thanks to a heroic last-lap pass, Graves Motorsports Yamaha’s Doug Henry pulled off the double at round two of the AMA Supermoto Championship at USA International Raceway in Shawano, Wisconsin, today.

The former multi-time AMA National Motocross and Supercross Champion got off to a poor start in the 16-lap race, running fifth, behind polesitter Jurgen Kunzel on the Red Bull KTM, GP Husqvarna’s Troy Herfoss, HMC/Generations of Sonoma KTM’s Benny Carlson and Troy Lee Designs Honda’s Chris Fillmore. Henry appeared mired there for several laps, as the Kunzel began to gap Herfoss. Herfoss then began to eat into that lead and, at about the midway point in the race, pressured Kunzel hard, only to stall his Husqvarna on the urban jump section on lap 10 and lose several positions.

That handed Kunzel a 5.148-second lead, but Henry was on the charge, having worked his way into second place. Henry then began taking a half a second per lap out of Kunzel’s lead, saving the best for the last lap when he cut a one minute, 32.932-second lap, which stood as the fastest lap of the race, while Kunzel was stuck in the high 24s and low 25s. Henry drew up on Kunzel and made the pass for the lead over the Parts Unlimited urban tabletop and then pulled clear to score his eighth career AMA Supermoto victory by .579 of a second. Kunzel was second, with Team X3/Leo Vince USA Yamaha’s import from Europe, Max Verderosa, coming third after Benny Carlson crashed out and another Italian, Massimiliano Gazzarata, dropped out of the race, both of them on lap 14.

Reigning AMA Supermoto Champion Jeff Ward rode his Troy Lee Designs Honda to fourth place after getting off 11th at the start. HMC/Generations of Sonoma KTM’s David Baffeleuf was fifth, followed by Red Bull KTM’s Kurt Nicoll, Team X3/Leo Vince USA’s Andrea Bartolini, Red Bull/Parts Unlimited KTM’s Eric Bostrom, and Troy Lee Designs Honda’s Chris Fillmore.

Baffeleuf had a fairly easy time in winning the 16-lap Supermoto Unlimited final. Baffeleuf had to fend off Leonardo Bagnis early in the race, but he then pulled out a comfortable lead while Bagnis fell prey to All Access KTM’s Micky Dymond, who was able to capitalize and take an easy second place when Bagnis tangled with a backmarker and crashed off the track. Bagnis remounted to finish third.

SUPERMOTO RACE 2

1. Doug Henry (Yamaha)

2. Jurgen Kunzel(KTM)

3. Max Verderosa (Yamaha)

4. Jeff Ward (Honda)

5. David Baffeleuf (KTM)

6. Alexandre Thiebault (Honda)

7. Kurt Nicoll (KTM)

9. Eric Bostrom (KTM)

10. Chris Fillmore (Honda)

SUPERMOTO UNLIMITED

1. David Baffeluf (KTM)