rpm.espn.com: Drama, agony for Langston and KTM

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Sunday, March 25
Drama, agony for Langston and KTM
By B.J. Smith
MotoWorld.com

HOUSTON -- This will always be labeled one of the most bizarre races in 125 SX history. No, not because Yamaha of Troy's Ernesto Fonseca had trouble starting his four stroke, again, but because South Africa's Grant Langston was less than a half lap from winning his first 125cc main event, and a first for KTM, and threw it away.

On the final lap, over the triples Langston threw a one hander toward the crowd and then lost it over the small double that followed. That error handed the win to Husqvarna's Travis Preston. For what would have been for Langston and his team, was identical for Preston - a first for both he and his team. In fact, Preston had never even been on the podium before this round.

"I don't know what happened at the end there," Preston said. "I was just looking forward and I didn't know if he was a lapper or what, I didn't even know I had won. It hasn't even sunk in yet, I just rode like anyone else would do but I just didn't make any mistakes."

The drama began right from the beginning. Langston took a commanding lead right off the start and pulled away from the pack. Ivan Tedesco, Rodrig Thain and Fonseca rounded out the top four. The current point leader, Fonseca moved into second by lap four and faced a six-second deficit to Langston. But that was the least of Fonseca's worries as he crashed in Houston's huge whoops and rejoined the race in dead last after taking several attempts to kick the bike over.

Fonseca, a hard charger, came all the way back to sixth and still gained points in the standings. His teammate, Justin Buckelew was third in the standings coming into the race behind Danny Smith, who was out with a broken navicular. Buckelew, running fifth, crashed in the exact same spot as Fonseca and could only manage ninth despite rejoining the race in 13th.

Greg Schnell had one of the best rides of the night. The MotoWorld Racing Yamaha rider came from 15th place on lap one to finish in the runner up position by race's end. Frenchman Rodrig Thain rounded out the podium. Langston picked himself up for fourth and Tedesco finished fifth.

Main Event:

1. Travis Preston
2. Greg Schnell
3. Rodrig Thain
4. Grant Langston
5. Ivan Tedesco
6. Ernesto Fonseca
7. Keith Johnson
8. Jason McCormick
9. Justin Buckelew
10. Steven Boniface
11. Erick Vallejo
12. Davis Pingree
13. Johnny Marley
14. Daniel Blair
15. Jeremy Chausseev
16. Danny Carlson
17. Matt Shue
18. Steron Eugenio
19. Jiri Dostal
20. Sean Hamblin
21. Robbie Skaggs

Material from MotoWorld.com.
Visit their web site at www.motoworld.com

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