Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126481
; • ~ III .... t 0 00 0) 1""""4 t.O .... ,. tI) So < ;:j .[ .{ uyasu 161. Extremely muddy conditions forced many riders to DNF as a result. ' .. lade n Mid-Ohio USGP its way into the motor in mota one to stop Sun co ld. Su n was uncontested in mota two. Coon was D NF in mo to one, but blasted his way to runner-up in mota one. Water-cooling was the order of the day for most of the world points con tenders. Both Rahier and Geboers brought conventionally suspended twin shock bikes and Suzuki's new float ers, and both opted for the Floater whe n it was time to go to the gate . Kawasaki's Jeff Ward was timed in as the fastest rider with a 3: 11.971 lap .followed by Brae Glover at 3:12 .890 . Complaints were ringing during prac· rice and time trials concerning the al most constant watering of the track the night before which left things soupy. But soon after time trials the skies opened up and the riders could have saved their breath - the track slowly turned into a quagmire. Twenty-nine bikes lay waiting for the gate to drop at the start of mota one. Sun and Coon helped bolster the fact that Honda had superior motors a t the event by running to the front and into the downhill first. Then one of the riders who could have had a shot at the win was out of it. Broc Glover sat at the side of the track with a stuck throttle before he had completed a lap . Ward soon plugged into the fight and took second. Barnett and O'Mara were staying close , ringing the power out of the small bore bikes. trying to hold a straight line when there wasn 't any . Sun was soon approached by Barnett as the fans roared their approval. A few laps into the rnoto it was over for Sun . Just before an uphill he sat on his bike in a deep rut with a motor that inhaled too much water. Barnett took over with Benolkin , Marc Velkeneers, who is fourth in points, and Rinaldi behind. Then came O'Mara . He plugged into second and dialed his Mugen 's sights on Ba rn ett . The two ran out front, and a long ways back Benolkin tried to hold a pace with a now steaming Bentley be hi nd. Barnett got the two lap sign, and Ward pulled off at the line, his motor's crank destroyed by water. He called it quits for the day, deciding to save the one motor he has left for the remaining Nationals . O'Mara let it all hang out and fina lly saw the line past Ba rnett and used it for the win. Ben olkin , Ben tley, Daria Nani and Michele R inald i of Italy followed . "Barnett sort of went outside over a berm and 1 got inside and pushed him over. My throttle grip was coming loose. but it didn't really bother me," said O'Mara as he scrubbed down inthe pits. " I didn't slow towards the end , the ' engine did ," said Barnett. I guess 1 had mud packed all over the radiator . My eyes feel like they're scratched up ." Barnett could barely open his red and swollen eyes from riding without goggles. "No prob lems!" said a jubilant Ben olkin. If Bill (B u ckha) would n't have done a few tricks I wouldn't ha ve m ade it. I'm su re he learned that in Europe." "My bike seized in practice, and then I crashed in lap one. Look at the bars! " said Ben tley, the fast new face on the National and now world scene. LOP's David Taylor. test riding an Italian mad e Cagiva, went d own at the start of mota two . Benolkin ended up knee deep in a rut and lost a good start to most of the pack. Sun, Glover , Mitsuyasu and Velkeneers led the charge. Everts and Geboers were way back. putting in another lackluster perfornance. Rahier was also back, completely covered in mud . O 'Mara again took second with a good amount of ground between himself and Glover by mid-mote. Sun was picking a careful trail and holding the lead , which he would not relinquish. Coon and Bentley fought for fourth. The attrition rate became high. Barnett pulled out with a boggi.ng engine. 7