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/126656
(Above) Goet Breker (14) wa. the hole.hot artist in both Open motos, but faded to sixth place overall. (Below right) As David Bailey demonstrates, the atmosphera in the Honda pits was ten.. befora the race. (Below left) Bob Hannah wa. back on form after his wrist injury, winning the 260cc cia... AMA/Wrangler$lfJer Series: RotnI27 Bailey squeaks to title in Minnesota By Tom Kolnowski MILLVILLE. MN. AUG. 28 Honda's David Bailey etched his name deeply into the motocross record books by capturing the first-ever Grand National Championship MX title at Spring Creek Motocross Park's season finale National MX, and also took home the overall 250cc National title. When combined with the Supercross title which 10. he won on August 6, Bailey is the first triple crown champion in U.S. history. Bailey took the GNC laurels away from Team Suzuki's Mark Barnett by the slimmest margin possible, 860-859, after the lengthy 27-event series. Honda's johnny O'Mara claimed the title of 125cc National Champion. while Yamaha's Broc Glover was crowned 500cc Champion. As unusual as il may sttn. none of the til1e-lakers won lheir resp'e.<;I"i)'~ ~laJ!ie" on the Minnesota sand. Factory Yamaha star and rookie sensation Ron Lechien. won his third 125cc National of the season with a clean I-I punch over Barnelt, who could only muster a pair of seconds. Honda's Bob "Hurricane" Hannah scored the day's 250cc overall win over leammale. Bailey, nOlching a 1-2 lally to litlist Bailey's 4-1. Honda's Danny Chandler went 12 in the 500cc class to collect the overall win over Glover's 11-1 finish. Tertsion was thick throughoul the weekend, since all class titles, as well as theGNC. were up for grabs. The stress was mOSl evident in Bailey and Barn~~1 -'Y~.m,p,~l. ~o,wi.t\l$. separating them coming OUl of last weekend's National in Lakewood, Colorado, as they soughllhe firsl-ever Grand Nalional crown. Bailey was on top with a tally of 817, while Barnell slood al 815. Glover held third at 780. Bailey was looking lO add another title or lWO to his collection after winning the Supercross Series. while Barnett was trying lO salvage the GNC honor after losing the Supercross litle to Bailey by only two points. After the firSl 250cc mOlO. Bailey's fourth-place showing neHed him anOlher 18 points. In the opening 125cc molO, Barnelt was unable to catch Lechien, but he still managed to pull two points ahead of Bailey by finishing second, and the score was Barnett 8117, Bailey 8115. The calculalors were geHing a workoul before the second set of mOlOS were run, and it was possible thal some sort of learn slralegies were in the works al both Honda and Suzuki camps. Bailey and Hannah clearly ran away with the final 250cc mOlO. with Bailey leading the lasl few laps for the win. Another 25 points added to his score gave Bailey a season tOlaI of 860. and Barnett was in a must-win siluation for the second 125cc moto. Lechien again thwarled Barnett's game plan by laking another win. and the GNC tille went to Bailey by only a single point. "I was very nervous in the first molO," said Bailey. "I lel Hannah, Rick johnson and Scott Burnworth get away from me al firsl. and I wasn't able to make up enough ground. I was much more relaxed in the second mOlO afler gelting the holeshot, and tried to stay ahead of Bob. He passed me. then [ regained the lead late in the moto. or maybe there was a bit of team racing going on, but [wasn't aware of any. I feel very bad aboul Barnett not winning. He is such a good rider." There was good racing in all classes on the sandy track. which had a better than average amounl of elevation change. PromOlers Perry and jane Hendricks put forth an excellent effort, and the course was liked by most. "It's sandy and it's rough," said Yamaha team mana~ I...a.-ry Griffis.