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/126752
(Top left) Phil Larson broke Goat Braker's winning streek in th_e 500cc Pro class with a 1-2 tally. (Top) Johnny O'Mara (21) leads the 250cc Pro class atthe start
of the second moto. In pursuit is Bob Hannah (1), Jim Tarantino (11), Scott Rebuck (74) and Rick Johnson (80). O'Mara won both motos.
bars and pitched me on the ground
hard," said Ward. Ward recovered, still
in second.
By the end of the race, Holland's
lead was CUt to half by Ward. "I gOt a
bit of a lead and then I slarted to
slow," said Holland. "I should of
kept up my pace, but I saw lhe white
flag come out and I knew I had it
made."
Holland took lhe win ahead of
Ward, Manneh, Bowman and Rodney Smith.
Ward shot LO the front of lhe pack
at the start of the second moLO with
Holland, Manneh, Smith and·Bowman in hOl pursuit. During the firSt
lap, Holland dove underneath Ward
through an "S"turn section and LOok
over the lead. Again, Holland jumped
toa two-second lead over Ward which
kheld on to for three laps, until.
Ward outbraked HOIfand illtoa left
tur_n and overtook the lead for goode
"My shoulder is still pretty sore after
the first-moLO crash, so it took me a
lillIe while to get flowing again,"
said Ward aherwards. Holland finished second ahead of Smith, Kawa~ki's Manneh, who spent almost the
whole moto in an exciting dice with
Yamaha-mounted Mike Beier. Beier
finished fihh.
250cc Pro
Suzuki mounted jim Tarantino
OUt-gated the pack at the Slart of the
lirst moto, closely followed by Team
Tamm-back Australian Champ jeH
Leisk, Yamaha's Keith Bowen (a firsttimer LO the Golden State/Skoal
Bandit Series), Hannah, johnson and
O'Mara.
Tarantino quickly leaped LO a fairsized lead over Bowen, who snuck by
Leisk in an uphill during the second
lap. However, on the next go-around,
Tarantino slid out on a fast le£t turn,
handing the tOP spot to Bowen. Tarantino had problems reslarting his
mount, and when he did, his thrOllle
slarted to stick which pUt him OUt of
the race. During the same lap, Hannah slipped by Leisk for second and
set after Bowen. Hannah looking
much more aggressive than in past
r.aces, reeled in and passed Bowen for
the lead. Six laps into the race, Leisk
dropped to fifth while O'Mara and
johnson worked their way intO second
and third. Bowen fell back to fourth.
A lap later, both O'Mara and johnson put heavy p :ssure on Hannah
and took over tne first and second
spot from Hannah; all in one turn. "I
gOt real tired," said Hannah. "So I
didn't bother blocking when I saw
'O'Show' behind me."
From that point on, it was a dogfight between O'Mara and johnson.
The ballle lasted for five laps, then
johnson finally found a way around
O'Mara. Unfortunately for johnson,
his lead was short-lived. A lap later
his rear wheel started to collapse and
putlhe Yamaha pilot out of contention. All the way LO the checkers,
O'Mara enjoyed a comfortable lead
over Hannah, Bowen, Ross Pederson
and Leisk. "This is lhe best I've felt
yet," said Hannah after the moto. "And
I'm going to ~l beuer!" _
MoLO twO saw O'Marajam into the
lead ahead of Hannah, Tarantino
and johnson. During the first lap,
johnson pUt the move on Tarantino
for third, then set his sights on Hannah. johnson caught up LO the Hurricane butcouldn't find a way around
him until hal£ the race had already
passed. "Bob's a good rider," said
Johnson. "But he was making a few
mistakes, so I had LO pinpoint them
and I finally gOt around him."
While Hannah and johnson were
busy fighting over second, O'Mara
was cruising his way out in fronl. He
crossed the finish line first ahead of
johnson, Hannah, Kawasaki's Billy
Liles and Pederson. Hannah took
second overall with his 2-3 tally while
consistent rides by Canadian National
Champion Pederson took third with
a 4-5 combo.
500cc Pro
In lhe first moLO, Phil Larson took
an early lead ahead of Yamahamounted ScOll Manning, jim Ellis,
Eric Eaton and Breker.
Larson quickly extended his lead
while the rest of the pack baUled. On
lhe third lap, Breker looped his watercooled factory Kawasaki up "Godzilla" hill which put him in lllh
place and 30 seconds behind Larson.
During the next couple of laps, Breker
managed to work his way up through
lhe field but couldn't gain any time
on Larson. Near the end of the moLO,
Eaton slipped by Manning for the
second position while Breker labored
into fourth. Larson captured the win
easily ahead of Eaton, Manning,
Breker and Ellis.
Breker managed his first holeshot
of the series in the second moLO, but
that didn't bOther Larson tOO much.
Even if Breker LOok the moLO win,
Larson knew all he had to do was
finish second and the overall would
be his. So Larson's second-place start
was all he needed and he rode conservatively LO the checkered flag. Breker
Canadian National Champion Ross Pederson took third overall in the 2505.
easily took the win, but his win streak
was snapped. "Today was JUSt a bad
day," said Breker afterwards. "It SLaTted when I crashed in practice and
hun my ankle. A rider ran into my
bike and smashed the gas lank and
messed up one of the radiators. We
had to epoxy the gas lank and hoped
it didn't leak. After all of that, I'm
glad we still gOt second."
Honda-mounted Gary Semics took
third in the second moLO after dicing
with Manning. Manning also succumbed to heavy pressure from Eaton,
who finished founh. Manning had LO
seule with fifth and fourth overall.
Third overall went to Eaton.
•
Results
BO EX: 1. Eddie Hicks (Vom) 1-1 ; 2. Mike Heoley
(SUl! 2-2; 3. Scan Brown (Hon)4-3; 4. Shown Kolos
(Hon) 3-5; 5. Mike Kiedrowski (Kow) 5-4; 6. Gene
Baldwin (Han! 6-6; 7. Terry Bastard (Hon) 7- 10; B.
8rad Kodau (Kaw) 11·7: 9. J.J. Toylor (Kaw) 10-8;
10. Junior Jackson (Kaw) 5-4; 11. Mike Pascarella
(Han) 8- 12; 12. Steve Lomson (Kow! 13· 11; 13.
Kyle Lewis (Kow) 12-13; 14. Shaun Wooten (Han)
14-14.
125 PRO: 1. Jeff Word (Kow) 2· 1; 2. George Hoiland (SUl) 1-2: 3. Bodo, Monnoh (Kaw) 3-4; 4. Rodney Smith (Yam) 5-3; 5. Mike Beier (Yam) 7-5; 6.
EriC Kehoe (Han) 8·6; 7. Danny Storbeck (Yam) 117; 8. Brian Manlev (Hon) 10-9; 9. Doug Dubach
(5Ul) 12-B; 10. Tyson Vohlond (Vom) 9-12; 11.
Doug O'Donnell (SUl! 15-14; 12. Richord Halstead
(Kaw) 14·17; 13. Gory Bowman (Suz) 4-18; 14.
Dietmar Lacher (Suz) 19-13; 15. Doug Hoover
(Vom) 18-16; 16. Fred Andrews (Vom) 29-10; 17.
8illV Fronk (Vom! 28-1 1; 18. Steve Vlohos (Hon!
27-15; 19. Stocov Cook (Kow! 23-19; 20. Ron
Turner (Cog) 13-30.
250 PRO; 1. Johnny O'Moro (Hon) 1-1; 2. Bob
Honnoh (Hon) 2-3; 3. Ross Pederson (SUl) 4-5; 4.
Keith Bowen (Vom) 3-7; 5. Rick Johnson (Vom) 142; 6. Gory Semics (Hon) 6-8; 7. Jeff Leisk (Hon) 5-9;
8. Bowen (Yom) 3·7; 5.Monfred Scho~e (KTM)
8-13; 9. Ludwig Reinbold (KTM) 10-14; 10. Ion
FitzGibbon (Vom) 9-15; 11. Allen Silhonelt (Yom)
17-12; 12. Scon Rebuck (Hon) 13-18; 13. Pete Hon
(Hus) 12-20; 14. Shown McConn (Yom); 15. Robert
Loughlin (Kow) 16·19; 16. Worren HM:ttmon (Yom)
19-17; 17. Loren S~ey (Hon) 22-16; 18. Doug
McRoe (Hus) 15-23; 19. Billy Liles (Kow) DNF-4; 20.
Tim Krough (Han) 18-22.
500 PRO: 1. Phil Lorson (Yom) 1-2; 2. Goot Brel