SUPERCROSS: AMERICAN MOTORS INTO CONTENTION.

Byline: Frank C. Girardot Staff Writer

American Ezra Lusk won the second leg of the Supercross World Championship at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, and he did it with ease.

Lusk, riding a Honda 250cc motorcycle, led the field of 19 from start to finish in the 20-lap event. The race is the second of three to determine the World Supercross Champion. Larry Ward, riding a Kawasaki for the first time in his career, finished second. Jeremy `Showtime' McGrath, aboard the Chapparal Yamaha, was third.

Frenchman David Vuillemin, also riding a Yamaha, finished fourth. Thanks to his win in the first race, Vuillemin remains the series points leader with 33.

Saturday marked the first time the race had been held in the United States. Promoters expected a crowd of 40,000, but turnout was sparse and exact figures were unavailable. Approximately 18,000 attended the event.

The third and final leg of the series will be run next weekend at an indoor stadium in Leipzig, Germany. A total of $1 million in prize money will be awarded, with the winner taking home $100,000.

The win was a big boost for Lusk, who had no points entering the second round.

``It's nice to come back and redeem myself,'' Lusk said. ``I'm definitely excited about winning the American arm of this event.''

The 20 points catapulted Lusk into fourth place.

Through the 20 laps, Lusk recorded a finish time of 14 minutes, 22.197 seconds. McGrath had the best overall lap, timed at 42.021.

McGrath, who finished 16th in France, said he was satisfied with his performance at the Rose Bowl and complimented Lusk for the win.

``The track was small, so it was important to get a good start,'' McGrath said. ``Ezra got out by himself, and he was good enough to hold on.''

Lusk, of Bainbridge, Ga., easily won the first heat with Vuillemin second. Ward took the next heat followed by American Brock Sellards. Sellards took 11th in the final.

Organizers said they hope to return to the United States next year.

Wolfgang Srb, a member of Federation International Motorcycyle, which sanctioned the event, termed Saturday a success.

``It was a great race,'' Srb said. ``We would like to continue to be in the United States where supercross is run on the highest level.

The co-main event, a 15-lap race for 125cc bikes, was won by Travis Pastrana, of Annapolis, Md. It was his first victory, and finding the winner's circle wasn't easy.

Riding a Suzuki, Pastrana, 16, held off David Pingree (Suzuki) and Costa Rica's Ernesto Fonseca (Yamaha) to win.

During the first half of the race, Pastrana, best known for his freestyle motorcycle stunts on David Letterman's show, dueled with Pingree and the two traded the lead three times.