Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

,r ~ ~ i2 Ul ~ 0 ... 0 Z '" 0 :E ~ > lZl Ul 0 ~ 0 ~ J: ... 00 O"l .... VJ ~ bJ.J ~ ~ Atthe start of the second 250cc motor Rick Johnson (171 takes the holeshot ahead of Mark Barnett (21. George Holland (351 and Billy Liles (121. Despite a sore knee. Kawasaki's Jeff Ward used a 2-1 tally to beat Honda's Johnny O'Mara in the 125cc Pro class. Ward enjoys a 12-point advantage over O'Mara in the point standings. "O'Show" lo rest and won molO two for the overall win. Team Tamm's A.J. Whiting, Suzuki's Rick Ryan and Orange Coumy Cycle· backed Jim Anderson finished 3-4-5, respectively. Bailey, the 1983 Grand National MX Champion, appears lo be set on a course destined lo earn him another GNC title: He leads thepoimcha e by 10 points aver Ward, 400 lo 390, with three rounds remaining to be run. 125cc AMA/Be1-Ray Grand National Championship MX Series: Round 9 Bailey, Johnson & Ward score in New York By Tom Kolnowski CENTER LISLE, NY , JULY II Honda's David Bailey and Yamaha's Brae Glover are as evenly matched as two riders can be on a race course, yet the final outcome in the 500cc class at Broome-Tioga Sports Center's National MX reads precisely as it has in all seven outdoor rounds run thus far in the series: 1. Bailey; 2. Glover. 12 )n addition, the record book shows that Bailey has won 13 out of 14 molOS, while Glover has won but one. Yamaha's Ricky Johnson carried home his third 250cc win in a row via a clean I-I molO showing as he clearly outclassed the field. Kawasaki's Billy Liles and Suzuki's Mark Barnett pounded to second and third overall, respectively. The Je[[ Ward/Johnny O'Mara face-o£[ in the 125cc ranks ultimately shifted lo Ward's corner for the third consecutive time. Honda's O'Mara scooped up the win over Kawasaki's Ward in molO one, then Ward put the Bright sun and temperatures well imo the eighties greeted the first molO of the afternqon, and when the gate carne down it was Johnny o 'Mara and Je[[ Ward, who had taken the twO extreme in ide starting positions, 0[[ and running. But the pair soon locked horns. ''Jeff and I tangled not far oU the start," said O'Mara. "We got inlO the first corner probably running around seventh." While O'Mara and Ward were mixing it up, Yamaha pilot Jim Anderson found himself at the from of the parade. ") pulled a pretty good holeshot," said Anderson, "and tried lo pull clear of Rodney Smith right away." By the end of the first lap Anderson held a solid twO lo three seconds over Yamaha Support riders Smith and Danny SlOrbeck, while O'Mara had railed inlO fourth ahead of Yamaha Suport rider Mike Beier. Ward was buried in the pack after a mishap. "Je[[ had pulled ahead of me in the first half lap," said O'Mara, "but he fell right in from of me." Anderson led through lap three, then finally yielded to Smith early in lap four. O'Mara quickly moved in and by lap five was solidly in the lead after squirting past Anderson and then Smith on a long uphill stretch. SlOrbeck had fallen 0[[ the pace. By lap eight O'Mara had cruised to a 15-second lead over Smith and Anderson, while Ward had worked his way all the way to fourth after dispensing with Beier. "I was running strong until then," said Beier, "but ) got a fiat and dropped back - fast. By lap II Ward had jetted into second ahead of Anderson with Smith mnning fourth after unloading. O'Mara, with a 25-second advantage, won easily over Ward. Anderson and Smith followed. while Rick Ryan heido£[ A.J. Whiting by a bikelength. MOlO two immediately fell imo the hands of Ward. "I had used a lot of energy to get into second in the first molO but still felt really good," said Ward, "and I was feeling even better and stronger as I led through the opening laps of molO two." Whiting assumed second for only a bit over a lap, then O'Mara rushed past. Ryan, Honda Support rider Erik Kehoe, Beier and Sam Dell Kawasaki's Tom Rice trailed. O'Mara stalked Ward for the first nine laps of what would turn out to be a 14 lap race, but by lap II was clearly 0[[ the pace: Ward enjoyed a 10-second cushion that O'Mara couldn't touch. "I was simply doing all ) could," said O'Mara. "Nobody could help me - I have lOdo my best lo beat Jeff if I want lo make up some points." Whiting, a lone third, was far removed from an intense battle over fourth that included Ryan, Kehoe and Beier. Ryan managed lo hold the upper hand, sometimes by only inches. Ward smoked on for the win over O'Mara, Whiting, Ryan, Kehoe, Beier, Anderson and Rice. "It feels good to break even with Johnny on points," said Ward. ''I'm sure I'll win at lea t a few more molOS and the championship is a real possibility." Anderson's seventh locked up fifth overall. ") was hoping to do better," said Anderson. ") was coming up fa t in moto two when ) tucked imo a berm lOO soon and smacked a tree with my head. ) recovered pretty fast. " 250cc Yamaha's Keith Bowen has been making plenty of waves in the 250cc in the past weeks and was off and sailing at the start of molO one with a holeshot over teammate Ricky John· son, Mark Barnett, George Holland, Alan King and Billy Liles. Ron Lechien fell on the rocky course early in the first lap and was on the !'Dove from 12th. Bowen left Johnson one lo two seconds behind through the first four laps. "Keith was setting a real hot pace," said Johnson, "and ) wa going all-out lo stay with him. All ) could do was wait for a mistake." Johnson edged closer and finally passed Bowen on lap five, while Barnett and Holland led a heated dice going on between Liles and Lechien, who had made quick work of bunches of riders lo get into sixth. Bowen stayed in close company with Johnson until lap seven - then disaster struck. ") was following Ricky and) watched him nearly crash on a rough stretch," said Bowen. "I took the same line and crashed real hard. I got shook up and the bike came out of it with bent handlebars." Bowen rode one slow lap and then retired. Johnson cooked lo an eight-second margin of viclOry over Barnett, while Lechien pulled clear of Liles in the waning laps to finish third. Holland carne in for fifth behind Liles and ahead of Kawasaki's Kent Howerton. "I feel I could've held off Lechien if I would've had my front brake," said Liles. ") hit some loose rocks near the start/finish line four laps from the end and wem down. ) was up fast, but

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