Track preparation became an issue and the surface deteriorated throughout the event, making racing more difficult, especially considering the tender condition of Chris' left knee after injuring it the week before. Fourth place would have to be good enough on the night. More importantly, the championship loomed ever closer with only two rounds remaining. Chris left Sacto with a 66-point lead, with a slim possibility of clinching a week early in Phoenix.

Sacramento is sort of your home track - by my understanding of it the track surface was pretty terrible, and they had a lot of problems with it - how did Sacramento go for you?

"Sacramento went okay for us - obviously I was pretty excited to race in front of my family and friends and being from the Sacramento, northern California area I wanted to do well. As for the track I'd have to say it was the worst track I ever remember at Sacramento, I have been going there as a spectator since 1980 and been racing there since 1984 and I can't remember a track that bad there. The worst part was getting in and through the middle of turns one and two. The rest of it was somewhat acceptable, but by all means not up to the Cal Expo that we remember.

"We didn't get a very good start in the main event, got off the line at about seventh and worked my way up and locked into a really heated battle with Joe Kopp - on his Suzuki again - and Jay Springsteen on the Harley and we duked it out pretty much at the last half of the race. Rich King was running real good up front - got a clean break early in the race and made it look pretty easy from where I stood. He kept getting further and further away from our battle for second. I ended up losing out on the battle for second, Kopp's Suzuki was really tough to pass on the straightaways and that thing ran really good up on the big end. He was kind of a little bit slower that us on the Harleys in the turns - on the Harleys we were able to be a little bit more aggressive simply because the bikes handle better - Joe was able to get through the corners just well enough to slow us down a bit and then once we got on a straight line he was hell to pass. But I give him a lot of credit, that couldn't have been an easy motorcycle to ride around that race track and he did a good job with it."

You've got a pretty substantial point lead with two races left with a 66 point lead? Is it possible you can clinch it at Phoenix?

"It's possible yes, but I'd have to have a perfect night and Springer's got to be about 5th - its 80 points for a win but you've got to count in the two points for fast time and two points for heat race win. Maximum total of 84 points can be won. If I leave there with an 85 point lead then we've got her. Springer's is running pretty good, it's a half mile race, the field in Phoenix is going to be strong just like it was here in Sacramento - all the guys from the AMA circuit are out here for the most part so its going to be a tough race. I'm looking forward to it. "

Are you able to go 100% with your knee the way it is?

"Sacramento, I would have to say I was a little tentative whether or not I could go 100%. I think a lot depends on the race tracks that we ride, I certainly don't want to damage my knee any further than what I did in Seattle and yet I don't want to be so kind to it that I ruin my chances of winning the championship, so a lot's going to depend on the track will allow me to get away with. "

Are you going to have to get surgery in the off season?

"They didn't say so, no. I think we'll be okay in that department, I don't think we're going to need surgery, but that's all going to depend on how well I take care of it between now and the end of the season."