Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Roland Sands out-dueled Rich Oliver to win the 17-lap AMA 250cc Grand Prix race at California Speedway. Jason DiSalvo was third.

The field was decimated by an AMA decision to hold timed qualifying instead of heat races, and to then apply the 112% qualifying rule used in classes that use timed qualifying. Competitors were not warned that the 112% rule would be applied, and about one third of the field, including riders who had fitted new pistons and were breaking them in during the qualifying session, were excluded from the grid.

“I’ll never race AMA again,” said one of the excluded riders. “They didn’t tell us they were going to use the 112% rule and when I asked them about it (after seeing the grid sheet) they said they’d think about it and get back to me. Then they gridded up the race.”

Just 19 riders made the grid.

The last time we can remember AMA officials switching from heat races to timed qualifying was in the Pro Thunder class at Daytona in 2001. In that case, AMA officials did not apply the 112% rule.

Heard in AMA staff radio traffic at Fontana, AMA Operations Manager Gary Mathers and AMA Road Racing Manager Ron Barrick wanted to let the entire 250cc GP field grid up because the riders had not been warned ahead of time that the 112% rule would be applied.

AMA Pro Racing Director of Professional Competition Merrill Vanderslice heard their radio discussion, in which they agreed to allow the entire field to grid, came on the radio, stated that “everyone knows that you have to be within 112% of pole” over-ruled Mathers and Barrick, and ordered that the riders who recorded times slower that 112% not be allowed to grid.

Results follow (Yamaha TZ250 unless indicated otherwise):

1. Roland Sands
2. Rich Oliver, -1.151 seconds
3. Jason DiSalvo, Honda RS250R
4. Simon Turner
5. Chuck Sorensen, Aprilia RSV250
6. Perry Melneciuc
7. Ed Sorbo
8. Colin Jensen, Aprilia RSV250
9. Frank Aragaki
10. Darren Fulce, -1 lap
11. Cory West, -1 lap
12. John Williams, -1 lap
13. Thad Halsmer, -2 laps
14. Richard Denman, Honda RS250R, -2 laps
15. Ty Piz, -7 laps
16. Chris Pyles, -12 laps
17. Jim Filice, -12 laps
18. Jason Candelaria, -15 laps
19. Al Salaverria, Aprilia RSV250, -17 laps