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/126759
(Above) Mertc Bernett finished eecond on e new ...... euspended works SUzuki. (Below) WMd (4) end David B8iIey ~ before the IMin. Jeff WMd. with his Tel18Clege win. leeds the Gnlnd NIItionaI Chempionship end the Triple Crown Supercross point standings by two points. AMAjBel-Ral Grand National MX Championship Series: Round 3 Ward reigns in Talladega By Tom Kolnowski TALLADEGA, AL, MAR. 18 From any vantage point, it was evident that Team Kawasaki's Jeff Ward was the most dominant force of the Talladega Supercross at Alabama International Motor Speedway. Mounted on a works machine, Ward established a comfortable lead early in the 12-lap final event and maintained a blister- 8 ing pace for the win. Team Suzuki's Mark Barnett made a valiant effort to take some of the wind out of Ward's sails, but was forced to settle for runner-up honors. "Luckily, I pulled out a five or six second lead righl at-the beginning of the final," Ward said, "because I had to deal with lapped traffic before the end of me second lap. Other than the traffic, I had no real problems out there. I think the other factory teams know we have our bike dialed in very weJl al this point. and wilh that in mind I'm going for aJl the titles I can get lhis year." Team Suzuki's Scott Burnworth, mounted on a basically stock RM250. came out on the better end of a battle for the third spot over David Bailey. With Team Honda electing to not attend me Talladega and San jose rounds of lhe AMA Triple Crown of Supercross Series, Bailey's effort could be termed as "privateer for a day." Armed with a painfully slock Honda CR250R - wilh no other changes lhan an upgraded version of lhe Showa front fork - Bailey made lhe beSI of me situation and picked up enough points to stay in contention for the Triple Crown of Supercross title. Yamaha also elected to keep their entire factory team home for the event. Wim his win, however, Ward moved into the point lead over Bailey in the standings for the Triple Crown of Supercross title, 55 to 53. The point tally in the AMA/BeI·Ray Grand National MX Championship Series shows Ward leading Bailey, 105 to 103. Similar to but shorter than the layoul used for the Daytona Super· cross at Daytona International Speedway, the Gary Bailey-designed course was constructed in the area between the asphalt oval and pit roads at AIMS. directly in front of the main grandstands. The grandstands, how· ever, were nearly empty. It was no doubt the slimmest crowd in the history of Supercross. Huts With his performance in the first heat, David Bailey appeared very much at home on the production Honda. The holeshot easily went to Bailey over Team Tamm'sAlan King and jeff Hicks. Mark Barnett was mired in mid-pack, and immediately began to pick off riders in quick succession. After four laps. il was Bailey still in the lead by nearly five seconds over King. Hicks retained third, but Barnett was already up to fourth and closing rapidly. Bailey cruised in for a seemingly easy win over King, with Barnett getting a better flight over a set of jumps a quarter lap from the end and pulling ahead of Hicks. Barnett added a few bike lengths to his cushion over Hicks before the checkered flag and came in for second. Hicks was trailed by Louisiana's Allen Semar. Team Tamm'sChris Heisserturned in a fine performance to win me second heal, leading from start to finish. The battle for second turned out as a lOSS-Up belween john Reinholt, Doug Hoover and Tom Carson in the early laps. Scott Burnworth found himself hovering back in 10th place on the first lap, but staged an impressive charge and moved up behind the second-place battle by me end of lap three. On lap four, Burnworth jammed past Hoover and then Reinholt, with only Carson remaining between himself and leader Heisser. With a half lap left to go in the contest, Burnworth railed past Carson into second and took up a distant position behind Heisser. Heisser won over Burnworth, with Carson keeping third over Reinholt and Hoover. Clint Hardick took control of the third beat heading into the first corner and stayed there, while Danny Storbeck, Pete Snoneland and Denny Bentley engaged in a ruckus over second. Hardick extended his lead in each lap over Storbeck, with Snorteland and Bentley falling a bit off the pace. On lap five, Snorteland was able to pull out a cushion on Bentley, as Hardick continued to keep Storbeck at bay out front. Hardick collected me win over Storbeck, with Snorteland and Bentley placing third and fourth. respectively. The final heal was all jeff Ward's. From lhe holeshot to the checkered flag, Ward was in complete control. Billy Liles staged a charge in the early laps and moved up from fifth on me start 10 second behind leader Ward by lhe end of lap four, as A.j. Whiting and Rick Ryan held third and fourth.