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/126621
grounds with full confidence. The day before the event, after blasting around the track, Barnett took his helmet off and said, "I have this track wired." Barnett was pleased by the new track layout and even -more by the surface after having ridden a very slick, clay-based track last year. As for th e opposition, it was led again this year by Jim Gibson , who crossed the line in front of veteran Marty Smith, who was making a comeback to Supercross on a production Honda CR250 R provided by the importer in Canada. Smith finished mere seconds ahead of Canadian Supercross and Motocross Champion Ross Pederson, also mounted on a production machine, a RM250 Full-Floater provided by Suzuki Canada. Pederson stalled his engine on the first lap and rode like a man possessed to finally challenge smooth-riding Smith for several laps, but to no avail. The Alberta rider was the last rider to avoid being la p ped by the event's three-time winner.' Mon tea lers were high ly disap p o in ted at not seeing Johnny O 'M ara ride in Olympic Stadi u m th is year . A firm entry had been sent on behalf of th e team Honda rider a n d every body was eager to see h im challen ge Bar nett, as he has so skillfully done in the past two editions of the Toronto Supercross event. Final Mark Barnett made his intentions clear at the start of the 20 lap final. Halfway into the first lap he already held a sizeable lead over G ibson , Smith, Hofoss, Lamp, McIntosh, H a rn den, Krogh, Mann and Savitski. By lap two, Barnett had six seconds on Gibson, a lead he could not stretch before half-race. " I started going through traffic very early in the race," said Barn ett , "and I was very careful in passing other riders. In fact, I probably got only two clean breaks during the whole final. It 's funny, in Canadian events lapped riders seem to co me in large bu nches o n the track! " G ib so n ha d his own p roblem s in the last h alf of the fi nal. "At some p o in t I started sweating a lo t. It 's very humid here. That cove red th e inside of my goggles wi th beads of sweat so I was more or less seei ng do uble o ut there. I p ulled off m y goggles a nd when I was signaled that Mark (Barnett) was way out front, I deci ded to play it safe in that traffic and la nd a second p lace like I did here last year." As for Smith, he ' was riding very consistently in third. By la p ei ght, Pederso n was ai mi ng at Smi th's rear fender. The Canadian champ had stalled his engine after bu m pig into another rider halfway into the first lap. He got going again and charged through the pack, attacking all the way but not being able to pass Smith before the wire. " I rode like an idiot, " said P eder.. son. "That's the way I feel right now, but I had little choice. I wanted third real bad and that made me get into the whoops and double jumps too fast. I didn 't have the right rh yth m for Supercross riding, and that kills you in a stadium race." Still, the 21-year-o ld repeated as Ca nadian Supercross champ with his seco nd fourth p lace finish in as many weeks. H o foss, twice Canadian 125cc champ, was a surprise fift h place fin isher after taking an exce llent start in • the final. Results 1. M ark Barnett (Suz); 2 . Ji m Gibson (Han); 3 . Mlrty Sm it h (Han); 4. Rosa Peder son ISU1 5. Terry ); Holol s (Ylm); 6. J ohn Slvitslti (SU1); 7. Mi ke Har nde n (yam); 8. Ti m Krogh (Han) ; 9. Steve Bur . dene (SU1); 10 . Jer i Heinonen (VIlli); 11. Jeff Sur wa ll (Hont 12. Rob Hodgson (Kew); 13. Alen Logue (Hon): 14. loli Bereny;. Jr . (Han): 15. Mike Mc into sh (ylm); 16. Buddy Ford (Yemt 17. Ml rio Du Heme l (Klw); lB. Robert Menn (Yemt 19. D.... Mc Gregor (Yem); 20 . .... BeSledo (Hon). • , I : ~ .' t • I • , I C> KENNY ROBERTS DALE SINGlETON 11th ANNUAL CHAMPION SPARK PLUG 200 JULY 10-11, 1982 LAGUNA'SECA RACEWAY MONTEREY, CA WINSTON PRO SERIES RANDY MAMOLA FORMULA 1 FORMULA 2 SUPERBIKE SIDECAR BATTLE OF THE TWINS VINTAGE MOTORCYCLE PARADE WES COOLEY SUPERBIKE FINAL ON SATURDAY!! WIN A YAMAHA 01-175 ON SUNDAY G ENERAL INFO RMATIO 408·372·1516 N CAMPING PERM ITS & TIC T ORDERS 408·373·18 11 (Visa & Masterca rd accepted) KE , Tickets may also be purchased at Ticketron, Bass, including Sears and Record Factory; and the Laguna Seca office, . P.O. Box SCRAMP, Monterey, C 93940. A . 29 .'..