Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

J ohnn y "a Show" O'Mara jumping o ut to an i m me d ia te lead. H e was closely fo llowed by Ka wasak i's Ward and a cha rging Ma rk "The Bo m ber" Barn ell . Pr iva teer R icky Palmer for ced h is Ka wasa ki int o fo u rth w ith Ya m aha Support rider Ka rl Jorda n in fifth . Team Ya maha 's Ro n Lech ien was in th e process o f movi ng through . the pack. O ' Mara had pu lled a short lead over the duo of Ward a nd Barnell , who were havi ng a close ba il ie. By lap six , O ' Mara had pu lled out a six seco nd lead wi th Wa rd and Ba rn ell still havin g a tight race. Lech ien made h is way up to fourth . ge lli ng ahead of Jordan. Pal mer had fa llen off the pa ce. The order rema ined co ns tant in the to p four positions unti l th e n ex t to last la p , as Barnell fin ally mad e a successf u l turn around Ward to trap th e seco nd spot. O 'M ara went o n to wi n with a 12 seco nd margin , wi th Barnell. Ward , Lechi en a nd J ordan ro undi ng o u t th e top five. . The seco nd mot o sa w O'Mara and Barnell en gage in a dogf ight whi ch would last th e enure rnot o. O 'Mara corn ered th e lead with Barnell in tow an d Ri ck Palmer foll ow ed through in th ird . Before th e end o f th e fir st lap O 'Mara a nd Barnell had traded th e lead th ree tim es. Barnell held o n . throug ho ut O 'M ara 's bombardm ent. for the n ext three la p s . u nti l h e bobbled o n th e bac k sectio n o f th e co u rse to g ive O'Mara th e num ber one spot. O 'M ara held co ntrol for the n ext three la ps, as Barnell tried fever ishl y to rega in the pos ition he had lost. The Ga torback fa ns went wi ld as Ward moved up to join th e bailie and was q uickly closi ng the gap o n seco nd place Barnett. Lech ien was run n in g a dis tant fourth . Ba rn ell made h is move as he a nd O' Mara mad e thei r way over the to p o f the sco ri ng area hill , a nd rocke ted into the lead on la p eight. Barnell opene d up a 50-foot lead ove r O 'M ara , bu t O 'M ara soon closed th e ga p o nce more. Ward had fall en o ff th e pace a bit by th is ti me with Lechien still hol ding h is distance, On la p 10 Ward cras h ed a t th e bot tom o f the scoring a rea hill , as Barne ll a nd O'Mara co nt in ue d to di ce for th e win. Barnell was a ble to keep a few feet ahe ad o f O 'M ara for th e last few la p s, a nd we nt o n to g ra b th e o vera ll. '" just ro de th e wheels o ff o f th e r bike," sa id Barnett. '" kept looking , bac k in the second rno to as Ward moved in . a nd tr ied to hold m y o w n u nti l h e fell back . We've mad e a few cha nges in th e bike a nd have it p re tty well sorted o ut. , was o n th e co n ven tional bike. as was SCOll Burnworth. We are still developin g th e bik e with th e gas tank mounted lower in th e frame, a nd pl an to be a boa rd it later in th e season ." 250cc National T eam Suzu ki's SCOll Burn worth led the field o f 250cc co ntende rs into th e o pe n i ng bend , w ith H onda' s Kenn y Keylon a nd Yamaha's Ri ck J o h n so n in th e ch ase : Jim T aran tino . o n a H onda . and Yam ah amounted' Donn ie Cantaloup i fill ed o u t th e to p five. Burnworth began to pad hi s lead wit h Keylon a nd Caritaloupi hanging o n for second a nd third . J ohnson had fall en back a fte r cras h ing o n th e seco nd lap. Keylon began a cha rge at th e midpoint o f th e mow and began to pi ck up g ro u nd o n lead er Burnworth . Ca nta lo u p i was holding third with T arantin o in fourth. Dav id Ba iley was moving up a fter a bad sta rt a nd was in sixth. a head o f Kaw asak i ri der Da rre n Rhot en . With three laps left to go, Keylon had p u lled to with in four bike leng ths -- - -- ----_.. o f lea de r Burnworth . Bal iey ~~as n ow in fourth, closi ng o n Ca n ta loupi. At the o ne lap sign, Flo rid ian Keylon h ad m oved to w it hi n on e second of Burn worth a nd th e crowd became lo uder st ill. Ba iley scooted aro u nd ' Can ra lo upi and nailed dow n th e th ird position. W ith less than a quart er lap to go. Keylo n cu t inside of Burn wo rt h and had th e win in hi s pocket. Kevl on enjoyed h is lead o nly for a few short seconds, as a thrown cha i n a t th e bo ttom o f the " Devil' s Sta ircase" hill brough t a h ush to the crowd and Burn wo rt h took th e checkered flag firs t. Keylo n fin ish ed a disappointing l lt h after gelli ng back underwa y. Ba iley, Ca n ta loupi, Dave Hollis and C a nadia n R o ss P e d e r son c a me th ro ugh to co mplete th e top five. Mich igan priva teer Da n Wallace was in fro nt af ter the jaunt to the first corner in rno to two , wit h Tara ntino, Yamaha Support rider Do ug J a ck so n a nd Ca rua lo u pi in purs ui t. Several o f th e back runners tang led bu t quickl y rem ounted in th e du st to join th e chase. Ta ra nt i no s li p ped by Walla ce befor e tw o laps had been co m p leted . with Jack son a n d Keylon mov ing p ast Wall ace o n th e next la p . Tara ntin o began to len gth en hi s lead with Keylon mo ving into th e runner-up pos itio n , and David Bailey o nce again work in g h is way th rough .to thi rd posit ion . R ick j o h nson - made h is way to fourth. edging Ca n ta lo upi . T arantino 's lead began 10 shrin k in th e midd le of th e mor o as J o h ns on moved by Keylon a nd Ba iley 10 secure seco nd . Bill y L iles was making tim e o n the lea de rs, a nd by la p II had joine d the chase beh ind Ba iley. Liles fo rced h is way arou nd Ba iley. the n Keylon , as th e crowd o nce again vo iced th eir support fo r th e eas tern Flo ri da rider. Joh nson closed o n leader Tara ntin o with L iles looking to sho rte n the dista nc e betwe en h imsel f and Johnso n. T wo laps from th e fini sh , J o hn son mad e hi s m ove aro u nd T arantino wi th Liles co nti n u ing to mak e. up grou n d. As th e tri o mad e th eir wav aro und a long downhill sweepe r o il th e back of th e co urse. Liles held th e th ro ll le o pen until well into th e co rner a t th e bottom, a nd co rnered past both J ohnson a nd Tara n tino for th e lea d . Keylon a nd Bail ey foll ow ed close ly behind. J ohnson o u tpowered Lil es into a wide sweeper as th e last la p began, wit h Tara ntino still h olding th ir d . As th ey laun ch ed o ff a downh ill, Lil es gra bbe d th e lead o nce mor e but J ohnson won th e ra ce back u p th e hill. Lil es shot into th e lead fo r good as he p u lle d a head of J ohnso n o n the next downh ill . Ta ra nti no, Kevlon a nd Ba iley h eld th eir respective positions to th e fin ish . . Ba iley's 2-5 pl acings ga ve h im th e win, h is fir st in o u tdoor Nat ional co m pe tition . T he re wa s so me doubt th at Bailey would ride th e event, since h e had seve rely sp ra ine d h is an kle a t Dallas one week ea rlier. After a week-l ong session with specia lists. Bailey was showing o n ly a slig h t limp befor e th e race. '" wa s in p ain in the second m ot o . 1 had to hold m y foot in the air in th e co rners," sa id Bailey. '" rode co nserva tively a nd tr ied not to mak e a ny m istakes. This is th e best track we've raced o n a ll seaso n ." T he fir st eas tern o u tdoor National o f th e season provided fan s wi th m an y close bat tles to wat ch , a nd riders seeme d p leased wi th th e event. Kent How erton p roba bly felt th e best. " It' s th e fir st week end in a lon g tim e th at' felt strong. Every thi ng feels rig h t. so if n o th in g else ha ppens .. . th e 500cc title will be m in e." said H ow ert on, (Top) Winner Mark Barnett pursues Jeff Ward (9) in the 125cc class, (Above) Second placer Rick Johnson (8) leads Bailey and moto winner Billy Ules (33). (Below) Alan King was second in the 500cc wars on his Suzuki, H annah a nd Barh'eu are n ow tied for th e Wran gl er Super Series points lead, with 336 poi nts. Bai ley holds do wn th ird with 307. • Results 500cc: 1. Kent Howerton (Kaw) ' ·1 ; 2. Alan King (Su d 5 -2 ; 3 . Ph il Larson (Hon I 3 -4 ; 4 . Warren Reid (Yam ) 6 ·3 ; 5. Danny Chandler (Han) 4 ·6; 6 . TIm Laee y (Yam I8 ·5 ; 7. Steve Manin (Han) 7 ·7; 8 . Brae Glover (Yam) 2 ·15; 9 . M ickey Kess ler (Ma il 10·8; 10 . John F;nkeldey (KTM) 9 -12; 11.. Chuck Sun (Ma i) 13 · 10; 12 . Pete Snonelend(Yamll1 ·13; 13 . Keith Oelerich (Yam ) 15 -11 ; 14 . M ike Tr ipes (12 ~ 16 ; 15 . Andy Stacy (Hus) " ·9; 16 . Gary Dircks (Hon l 17 -14; 17 . M icky Dymond (Ma ;) 14 ·20; lB. Gery Pustelak (Han ) 18 -19; 19. Joe Bak er (Hon) 16 ·'; 20. Dan Conway (Ho n) - · 17 . -Denotes finish out of top 20 . 125cc : 1. Mark Barnen ISuz) 2·1 ; 2. Johnny O'Mara (Han) 1-2 ; 3 . Jeff Ward IKaw) 3 ·3 ; 4 . Ron Lech ien (YamI 4- 4 : 5. Brian Myerscough IHonI6·6 ; 6. Chr i s Heisser ISuzI7-7 ; 7. Rick Ryan (Suz ) 11 -5 ; 8 . Karl Jordan (Yam) 5-16 ; 9 . A .J . Whiting (Yam) 14 ·8; 10 . E, ;k Keh oe (Han) 8 ·14; 11 . Jeff Surwall IYamI1 2· 12; 12 . St eve Bu rdene (Yam) 13·13; 13 . Tim Butler (Hon ) 9 · 17; 14 . Mark Fles ia (Yam) 17 -1 0 ; 15 . Gene Gentsch (Yam) - ·12; 16 . Mike Crane IKa wI 19 -1 1; 17 . A aron Pins (Hon) 10-- ; 18 . Rod· ney Sm ith (YamI 15· 19; 19 . Steve Pate (Vaml - - 15; 20 . Kyle Landr um (Kaw) 16 · - . 25Occ: 1. Dav id Bail ey IHon) 2 ·5 ; 2 . Rick J ohnson (Yam ) 7 ·2 ; 3 . Bill y Lites (Kaw) 13 - 1; 4 . M ;ke Bell (Vam l 4 ·6 ; 5 . Donn ie Cantaloupi lY aml 3-8 ; 6 . Ken n y Keylon (Hon) 11-4; 7 . J im Tarantino (Ho n) 14 · 3 ; 8 . Ross Pederson (Suz ) 8 ·7 ; 9. Scon Burnwonh (Suzll -"; 10. Jeff Hick s 9 -9 ; 11. Da. . Hollis (KTM) 5 · 13 ; 12 . Donny Ben,ley (Yem) 12 ·12; 13 . J im Holley (Yam ) 10-14; 14. Darren Rhoten (Kaw) 6 ·20; 15 . Kev in Dav i. (KIM) 19 · 10; 16 . David McClain (Han) 15-15; 17 . Doug Jackson (Yam ) 2D11 ; 18 . Dan Wallace (HonI16·17; 19 . Clin t Herdick (Suz) • · 16; 20. Tom Corson (Honl 17 ·". Point Standings 125cc: r . Mark Barnett (135 ); 2. Johnny O'Mara 11341 3 . Jeff Ward (129); 4 . (TIE) Ron Loc hien/ ; Br ian Myerscough (94); 6 . Ch r is Heisser (8 7); 7 . A .J. Whi,;ng (731; 8. Rick Ryan (55 ); 9 . Rodney Smi'h (541; 10. Karl Jordan (43 ). 25Occ : 1. Rick Johnson (122); 2 . Dav id Bailey (120); 3. Bob Hannah (100); 4 . M;ke Bell (93~ 5 . (TIE) Bmv Ules/Scon Burnwerth (90 ); 7 . Jim Taran· t ine (72) ; 8 . Kenny Keylon (63) ; 9 . Clint Hard ick (60) ; 10 . Jim Holley (59) . 500cc: 1. Kent Howenon (128); 2. Broc Glover (109); 3 . Alan K;ng (961; 4 . Stev e Ma rt in (85) ; 5. mE) Danny Chandler /Warren Reid (80); 7 . Phil Larson (7 5); 8 . Tim Locey (88) ; 9 . Goat Breker (63); 10 . John Finkeldoy (56). AMA /WRANGLER SUPER SERIES POINT STANDINGS ; 1. (TIE) Mark Barnen /Bob Hannah (3 361; 3 . David Bailey (30 7); 4 . Johnny O'Mara (300); 5 . J eff Ward (291 ); 6. Brae Glove r (274); 7. M;ke Bell (2241 8 . A lan King (20 3 ); 9 . R;ckJohnson ; (200); 10. mE) Goat Breker/ W a.,en Reid ( 18 5); 12 . Br ian Myerscough (17 6)113. Ron Lechien (165); ; 14 . (TIEl Ken' Howenon/B ill y tnee (1561 16. Scan Burnworth (155); 17 . Steve Ma rt in (150 ); 18. Don ; ; n ie Can,aloupi 113 51 19 . Phi l Larso n (11 21 20. Kenny Key lon (110). 9

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