Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Johnny O'Mara finished second Saturday and came back with the win on Sunday. O'Mara's 2-1 performance gives him a comfortable points lead. On Saturday, Bob Hannah rode like his old self after coming from a 12th-place start to take command of the lead a lap before the finish. In.port/Wrangler SUpercross Serie.: Rounds ,-. Hannah, O'Mara electrify Silverdome By Tom Kolnowski everal seconds. Howerton, Kenny Keylon, Greg Bigelow, and Andy tacy followed. PO TrAC, MI. APR. 28-29 Team Honda's Bob Hannah and Johnny O'Mara left a pair of indelible marks in the hearts' of their fans at the Miller High Life Supercross doubleheader in the Pontiac Silverdome, Hannah winning aturday night and O'Mara winning on Sunday afternoon. Hannah's .ct h" th . Vl ory - 1 mn . I1verdome W1l1 - was a claSSIC come-from-behind feat in the typical wild Hannah style. In a stirring race that had three differemleaders before Hannah assumed control - Rick Ryan, jeff Ward and O'Mara Hannah mounted a charge that carried him from 12th on the start to the lead only a lap from the£inish. Aided by an extremely high level of support from his roaring fans, Hannah cored his first Supercross win of the year. O'Mara, on the rebound after losing to Hannah on the final lap on S~lUrday, surfaced as the runaway w~nner ~unday over Ward. The wm, O. Mara s fourth of ~e senes,. gave hIm an even. larger pomt lead m the ~upe!:cross utle chase. Saturday 6 Heats Billy Liles, Johnny O'Mara and Ron Lechien led the parade in the first heat, and after a lap the rest of the pack was left far behind. Lechien slipped past teammate O'Mara and into second behind Liles on lap two, then made his break for the lead on lap three. While the trio remained tight on lap four, O'Mara succeeded in his effort to drop Liles to third. Rick Ryan, George Holland and Eric Eaton were having a dice over fourth. O'Mara charged in the final lap, but Lechien won. Liles, Ryan and Holland rounded out the top five. Quarter-finals Rodney mith, Eric Kehoe and RossPederonledtheearlyactionin ~~~ U~~toi~~~~~-l~~~~e~~~onrr~~ one and two, and Pederson charging past the pair on lap four. Mark Barnett and Ricky johnson By lap five, Pederson was all alone showcased the econd heat, with Barout front, while Kehoe was forced to netlleadmg thehrstlap and johnson deal with pressure from Scooter Stafonly mche behmd. john on nudged ford. tafford made his advances pal' ahead in mid-air, but Barnell swept off on the final lap, and he finished past a half lap later. Two Michigan second behind winner Pederson. riders - Alan King and Keith Bowen Kehoe was third ahead of Smith. - were locked in a ballie for third. Quarter-final two saw jeff Frisz Barnett led through lap three, but take an immediate lead over john johnson again made a bid for the hay and Mark McLaren. McLaren disposition and railed past on lap four. placed Shay for second on lap twO, King and Bowen (or Bowen and but Fri z was still motoring away. King) were Hill fighting over third, Fri z held a two-second lead going circulating the track literally glued into the final lap, but McLaren together. trimmed the difference to only inches Johnson pulled ahead to the win a half lap later. By the time the pair over Barnett, with Bowen getting the reached the finish line, McLaren had upper hand on King on the final lap made a successful pass and nelled the to finish third. win over Frisz. Micky Dymond tore Jeff Ward appeared destined to run through the pack to place third, with away with the next heat, but Broc hay fourth. Glover sailed past on lap two and left Semis Ward behind. Jim Holley and A.]. O'Mara and Lechien went at it Whiting held a tight 3-4. again in their semi, and left Barnell, Glover cruised to the win by four King, Holland and Bowen in their seconds over Ward, with Holly finwake after a lap of sorting out. ishing third over Whiting. Lechien, allempting to pass O'Mara David Bailey was the leader at the all around the track, often got out of start of the final heat, ahead of Kent shape but stayed upright through it Howerton, Bob Hannah and Denny all. Bentley. After two laps, however, After three laps, O'Mara left Hannah was in second and closing Lechien and was in sole possession of -fast. the lead. Barnett was kept busy with Bailey led for another half lap, but pressure from Bowen, with Holland was helpless in the hands of Hannah. and Pederson in a deadlock over fifth. "I got caught in one of the ruts and johnson, nearly last on lap one, was my bike was pitched sideways," Baimaking tracks through the pack. ley said. "Bob passed me right after Once free of Lechien, O'Mara set that." off on a race of his own and took an It was all Hannah from that point "easy" win ahead of Lechien, Baron, and the. crowd loved it. Bailey nett, Bowen. King and Holland. finished second. but dropped bacls. ••• JQ'.tI}~qlJ~qrppJ~t~pN lJ,!r.&.e.i~.ril1e •• fashion, passing Pederson only feet before the finish line in a wild maneuver to finish seventh. Semi two saw Bailey with another hole hot, as Glover and Goat Breker followed. Hannah, in 10th on the start, pulled imo fourth after only half a lap. On lap two, Bailey was still in company with Glover, but Hannah was past Breker for third and set his sights on the leaders. By lap three, Glover fell victim to Hannah's seemingly unstoppable charge, with Bailey all that stood in his way. By this time, the crowd was again fully behind Hannah, and he pressed on. It was only a matter of time seconds in this case - and Bailey found himself side-by-side with Hannah and then qui kly disposed of. Hannah lunged ahead and Bailey assumed econd, with Glover third but losing ground fast to tbe leaders. Breker held fourth over teammate Ward. The crowd rose to its feet and loudly greeted Hannah as he took his second win of the night. Bailey was three seconds back, with Glover keeping Ward at bay to finish third. Breker was fifth. Last Chance Qualifier Early action in the Last Chance Qualifier pitted Tom Carson against Rick Ryan, the two swapping the lead several times. But after two laps the event belonged to Ryan, with Carson locked in battle with Kreg Bigelow. Billy Lilesjoined the action, pulling into fourth with Kenny Keylon fifth. While Ryan went about his winning bu iness, Liles passed Carson and Bigelow, leading a persistent Keylon along. Two seconds was as close at Liles could get. and the win wen-tto Ryan. Keylon finisheda close third, but only the top two riders transferred to the fi nal. Final By the final, deep ruts had developed in many of the corners, a factor that would cause many riders a handful of problems. But as the pack launched imo the fast right-hand sweeper at the end of the starting grid, Ryan appeared to have little trouble with the ruts as he pulled cleanly into the lead. George Holland and Barnett were ?fl)}: a !>ik.ele'l~~, I

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