Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Goat Breker (19), eventual winner David Bailey (1) and Eric Eaton (42) lead the 500cc pack in thefirst-moto start. Breker came out of the turn first, but Bailey won the moto. with wins in both moLDs and O'Mara had LO settle for second overall with a 2-2 score. In the 250cc class, Honda's Bob .. Hurricane" Hannah emerged as the overall winner via a 2-1 tally. Yamaha's Ricky Johnson was clearly the fastest rider and led Hannah across the finish line in a tense first moto. Johnson appeared destined to do the same in maLO two, but rear suspension problems relegated him to the back of the pack and Hannah paced the remaining laps for the overall" win - his first of '84. 125cc Jeff Ward styled en route to winning both motos in the 125cc division, HI felt really good out there:' said Ward, AMA Grand National Chamnionshi~ MX Series: Round 1 Bailey glistens in Gatorback sun By Tom Kolnowski GAINESVILLE, FL, MAR. 4 Team Honda's David Bailey put on a silky smooth display of racing talent en route to a clean sweep of the 500cc class at the Miller High Life/Skoal Bandit/Honda-sponsored National Championship MX at GaLDrbaek Cycle Park. Bailey nOlehed "easy" wins in both mOLDS, besting Yamaha's Broe Glover in the season opener under picture-perfect weather conditions. Kawasaki's Jeff Ward, the current point leader in the Wrangler Supercross Series, sailed to victory in the I25cc ranks. Honda's Johnny O'Mara was forced LO watch Ward run away O'Mara, the reigning 125cc National Champion, picked the center of the starting gale before the opening maLO, with Ward taking the extreme inside position. As the pack roared off the line for the 30-minuteplus-twa-laps mota, Ward's choice of starting positions proved to be the hot tip as he led through the first turn, a sandy sweeper. Floridian Jeer Frisz, Team Tamm's A.]. Whiting and Yamaha Support rider Mike Beier found a clean line through the corner ahead of O'Mara. After a single lap, Ward had extended his lead to a full five seconds over Whiting and Frisz, with O'Mara making the best of the somewhat dusty track conditions and moving into fourth. By lap four, O'Mara had worked his way past both Whiting and Frisz, but found himself nearly 20 seconds off the pace of leader Ward. While Ward was nota'ble LO extend his lead much past25 seconds through the next five laps over O'Mara, Whiting and Beier continued to dice for third. Californian Doug Dubach sliced through the pack and found himself in fifth. Ward built up a 35-second lead to score the win over O'Mara, with Whiting another 20 seconds behind in third, ahead of Beier and Dubach. MaLO two proved to bea somewhat closer contest - again between Ward and O'Mara - who were riding the only two facLOry prototypes in the class. Ward jumped out to another immediate lead over Suzuki Support rider Rick Ryan, O'Mara and Beier. On lap two .. O'Mara easily found a way into second behind Ward, but till found Ward pulling away. After five laps, Ward had builta six-second lead over O'Mara, with Whiting making a successful pass on Ryan LO nail third. Tom Rice, the '84 Florida Winter Warm-up Series 125cc class winner, worked up past Beier in the final laps to finish fifth. "I felt really good out there," Ward said. "I was £lowing through every Broc Glover. the 500cc runnerup. and Jeff Ward compare notes. corner. I've been riding a couple of hour-long motos every day, and when I got out front it was simple to keep up the pace since I've been trained for the long haul. We've got our bike working really well, but it would be foolish LO count O'Mara out at any time. He rode really well, but we seem to have our bike dialed in beller. I hope I can do this more often this year." "We're running basically the same motor as we did last year," O'Mara said, "and we seem LO be a little down on power compared to the bike Ward is riding. There was not much I could do LO catch him. We have a month until the next National, so we hope to get all of the bugs worked out by then. Gelling a pair of seconds was basically as good as I felt I could do today - I hope LO turn things around next time." 250cc In contrast LO the l25cc class, the 250cc division boasted a full assortment of facLOry equipment-mounted riders. Suzuki's Mark Barnett held the throttle wide open on his works machine at the start of the opening moto, beating Bob Hannah through the first corner. Kawasaki's Kent Howerton led teammate Billy Liles and Ricky Johnson as the rest of the pack followed in a cloud of dust. After two laps, however, Hannah made a clean pass on Barnett for the lead but was unable to pull out any sort of a cushion. Howerton, Liles and Johnson were only a second off the pace and were engaged in a tight battle ovenhird. Further into the lap, Liles overshot a corner and quickly lost over 10 positions after an excursion through the weeds. On lap five. Johnson made a successful pass on Barnett and set out after Hannah. It took Johnson. mounted on a production YZ250, another two laps to move within striking distance of Hannah. On lap eight, Johnson gOt a beller drive in a sandy sweeper and motored past Hannah. Barnell retained third ahead of Team Tamm's Alan King and Honda's Ron Lechien. In an exciting battle, Hannah stayed within several bikelength_s of leader Johnson through the next severa) laps. Barnell and King continued to dice back in third, approximately 20 seconds off the pace of the leaders. Johnson mOLOred in for the win by five seconds over Hannah, with Barnell holding off the pressures of King to finish third. Lechien came in for fifth over Howerton. Mota two began as another HannahJohnson contest. Hannah won the

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