This Week in Yamaha History: DV in PHX
Thursday, January 12, 2012 | 10:00 AM
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This weekend, the Monster Energy Supercross tour rolls into Phoenix, and that’s where we find ourselves in This Week in Yamaha Supercross History.
The year was 2000, but the new millennium was just like the old one. Jeremy McGrath was dominating supercross early in the year. He won the first two rounds, but a crash at round three left him coming from behind, and opened the door for Frenchman David Vuillemin, in his first full season in the U.S., to take his first career race win. For round four in Phoenix, MC needed to reestablish himself, and he did by jetting out to his customary early lead. But someone forgot to tell Vuillemin that this one was over. He kept charging until he caught the champ with a few laps to go. We’ll let DV take it from here.
“It was cool to race against him in Phoenix,” says Vuillemin. “I had won San Diego the week before, my first win, but Jeremy had gone down. In Phoenix, I came back through the pack. I did not get a great start. The track was technical, it was rutted, and it had some slick sections that I was good at. I had some good lines, and I felt great. I passed him with a little over a lap to go.”
Vuillemin shocked the world by catching and passing McGrath late, and then holding on for the win. “That was the fourth race of the season,” explains Vuillemin, who today works with Kyle Chisholm. “I didn’t know what to expect, but I got fifth in the first one, second in the second one, and I won San Diego. So I was living the dream, and I was fast! It was definitely one of the best races I’ve ever had, for sure.”
The win was not without some drama, just like any big battle early in this season will provide. After the race, McGrath’s camp said they did not realize Vuillemin was coming, and they didn’t put the lap times on the pitboard until it was too late—McGrath was caught by surprise. This caused some controversy back then, but Vuillemin shrugs it off now. “Yeah, after the race what happened happened, he didn’t know I was there or whatever. For me, that was not a big deal, it was okay.”
[Check out the full race below.]
Vuillemin had a great season, notching two more wins that year and finishing second in the series behind McGrath. Although he grew up in France and raced the GPs, winning AMA Supercross races had always been his goal.
“I finished third in the 1999 250 GPs, which was good, and if I had maybe stayed in the 125 GPs, I could have maybe won a title there,” he says. “But the thing is I never wanted to be World Champion. If it happened, great, but that wasn’t a big deal for me. My dream was to come to America and race supercross. I wouldn’t trade any of my seven career AMA 250 Supercross wins for a World Title.”
And of all seven, none may be more impressive than that night in Phoenix.
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Love the flashbacks Weedge. Good story and thanks for the video. Have to say, that races like these further highlight just how boring 450F's are in SX! (I love them outdoors btw) Short of last season, with 3-4 guys in it each week, since they have gone all four stroke, SX isn't close to what it once was. Too bad. As well, who doesn't miss Eckman and Bailey?
RacerX - How about a "where are they now" on Art Eckman and David Bailey!?
Gotta love the 250cc 2strokes. Also the over lap of the next generation coming RC4 and JM1 in the same moto. and KW14 out there and is still out there.
Pretty cool!
It was great to hear those 2-strokes, what a great video to watch too. DV12 was always a favorite of mine, and real good guy and was super smooth.
The tracks, bikes, and racing was so much better back then, can we go back to this please.
I think its better today than it was last year and so on. The progression that has come from things like scrubbing and the overall "bike skills" everyone seems to have, I've tried to watch mx or sx from the turn of the century or even the 90s and no thanks.
Twelve years later Windham is still going. Awesome
I was at that race, back when it was at Sundevil stadium. It was an exciting race but everyone seemed kind of shocked at the outcome. DV looked like he was ready to take over the sport. If I remember correctly DV also won on the 125s at Phoenix in impressive fashion the year before. Phoenix was good to him.
Bank one......must have had too many beers.
Yeah, I second the comment about Art and David!
Don't forget Davey Coombs.I had forgotten about Davey commentating on Speed at the races.I thought it was cool and kind of funny.
How many times has Matthes "fed the ducks" before bed to part 1 of that video, with Ferry leading and David and Art singing praise to his name?
In all seriousness, I have to agree, racing back then just looked more exciting. Maybe it's the sound of them constantly on the pipe, and spraying out of every corner that gives that impression, but either way, in my opinion, that's more fun to watch than the boys rolling a corner nowadays and seat bouncing halfway down a rhythm lane on a 450.
stop living in the past. IMO the reason the sport has gotten bigger in general is cause the bikes are better the racings better and the tracks are better(bar A1 2012)
yeah bank one ballpark, was a great race that year, preston almost got his 1st win on the demarini rm125...i think lytle passed him with a lap or 2 to go...great night of racing all round
Here is DV killing it on a 125 in Phoenix 1998:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABFe6EtPSRo&feature=player_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXnzFza6TFw&feature=player_detailpage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emaRpKxHzuQ&feature=player_detailpage
I remember you couldn't understand a word he was saying on the podium through the accent.............was a serious kid speaking broken english back then and now he's fully americanized funny dude who's had more than his share of freedom fries. What a difference 14 years make.
Ping got smoked in that one.........
I'd trade Ralph Sheehan for Art Eckman right now! Bring back the voice of super cross!!!