Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Kawasaki's Goat Breker tallied a 2-3 score to capture second overall in the 500cc class; his best finish yet this year. . few bikelengths back of them in fourth ahead of Orange County Cycle's Jim Anderson 'and Suzuki's Rick Ryan. After only two laps, O'Mara had burst to an eighl-second cushion as Ward maneuvered into second and pulled clear of Whiting, Anderson and Ryan. Hoenshell was back in seventh behind Yamaha Support rider Mike Beier. Ward closed on O'Mara and by lap eight had sliced the difference to four seconds. Whiting held a safe but distant third, with Anderson, Beier, Yamaha Support's Rodney Smith, H,oenshell and Honda Support's Erik Kehoe following. By lap 12 O'Mara and Ward were racing wheel-to-wheel and they did so for the next three laps. But with less than two laps left, Ward had lost his bid. "Johnny and) were real close as we went into the deep whoops in the back section of the track. A lapped rider moved in front of me and) got sideways - which in that spot was enough to make you lose fi ve seconds just that quick," said Ward. O'Mara pressed on to win over Ward by 12 seconds. '·'There was no way) was going to make up the time in a lap and a half so ) just cruised in," said Ward. Whiting finished third ahead of Anderson and Beier, with Kehoe taking sixth from Pro Circuit's Doug Dubach. The start of moto two brought Ward and O'Mara into a confrontation over the lead as soon as the gate dropped. Ward got the upper hand and roosted away from O'Mara through the' first few corner, then O'Mara got into trouble. ") was trying to make up what little ground Jeff had on me," said O'Mara. ") cooked it too hot.into the whoops, thinking) might slip inside of him, but instead) got sideways and slammed against a whoop. ) didn't crash, but came to a stop and about five guys went around me before) got going." O'Mara was back into second by the end of lap two, but Ward was gone - to the tune of a 12 second lead. Smith held third over Dubach, H{)nda rider Guy Cooper, Whiting and Kehoe. As Ward continued to pull away from O'Mara, Dubach and Kehoe broke free of a pack to run third and fourth. Beier had his hands full with Smith. By lap 13, Ward's lead over O'Mara read 27 seconds, and another minute back Kehoe and Beier were dicing after both had passed a slowing Dubach, . Ward took the checkered flag 30 seconds ahead of O'Mara. Kehoe, Beier and Smith rounded out the top five. ") wanted to show what) could do," said Ward. "It's easy to run away when you're out front, and that was my plan. From here on in alI) have to do is be consisten t to take the l25cc title - ) don't want to do anything stupid. " ") simply couldn't make up the difference," said O'Mara. "Things just went Jeff's way this time." 250cc ") haven't had a good start in a long time," said Ron Lechien as he readied himself for the first 250cc moto. ") hope to turn things around." And that he did as he led the field away from the gate in the lead which he stretched to five seconds after a mere half lap. Suzuki's George Holland and Mark Barnett, Bob Hannah and Ricky Johnson formed a line behind Lechien. Billy Liles was on the ground shortly after the first corner. ") got hit by someone," said Liles. "My bars were bent, the controls were messed up, and) was in pain." After five laps, Lechien had 15 seconds over Barnett and Holland, with Johnson fourth ahead of Hannah. Two laps later, the Johnson/ Hannah duo dispensed with the Barnett/Hoiland faction to reap second and third in a whoop section. Team Tamm's Alan King was sixth. On lap eight, Hannah broke away from Johnson, but still 18 seconds behind leader Lechien. Hannah began to clip a second per lap off Lechie'n's lead, as Johnson held a lone third over Barnett, Holland and King. Lechien, still with an eight second cushion, stole the win over Hannah with Johnson taking an easy third over Barnett. King caught and passed Holland on the last lap to finish fifth. And Liles? A great comeback ride David Bailey continued to blow away his competition after winning both 500cc motos at Millville. Second in points. Broc Glover took sixth. took him all the way to seventh behind HolIand. Lechien was also the fleetest off the line in moto two, but nearly lost it all as he made the pivot at the end of the straightaway and got sideways. He recovered and kept the lead as Hannah, Yamaha's Keith Bowen, Liles and Johnson dropped into formation behind him. Hannah stayed close through the first five laps, then pulled alongside and passed Lechien. Liles got a better drive on an uphilI and pulled into third ahead of Bowen, while Johnson was on a course that brought him closer and closer to teammate Bowen. As Hannah and Lechien kept close company out front on lap 10, Johnson rai led past Bowen and focused on third-place Liles. Bowen, King and Kevin Foley trailed the front four. Hannah steadily crept away from Lechien and held a five second advantage at the end of lap 13, but Lechien began to close the gap at nearly a second per lap. ") was beginning to tire," said Hannah. "My wrist still isn't in the best of shape." On the final lap, Lechien was latched to the rear wheel of Hannah's bike and he got his break. "1 was following Bob through the deep whoops," said Lechien, "and he got a bit out of shape. That was all it took. ) rammed on by and into the lead. All ) had to do was keep him back there," Lechien did so and hung on to win over Hannah by a two bikelengths. Johnson, Liles, Bowen and Kent HOwerton took the next four spots. "I've had some bad 1uck in the past few races," said Lechien, "and it feels great to pull off another win. Now all ) have to do is have some good Iuck in the last two races and maybe I can still pull off the 250cc title." • Results 500cc: 1. David Bailey (Han) 1 1; 2. Goat Breker (Kaw) 2-3; 3. Mickay Kessler (Hon) 3-4; 4. Broc Glover (Yam) 6-2; 5. Mark Murphy (Yam) 5-6; 6. Andy Stacy (Hus) 9-7; 7. Steve Burdette (Yam) ll-B; 8. Scott Manning (Yam) 8-11; 9. Pete Snorteland (Yam) 10-12; 10. Mike Harnden (Hon) 14-9; 11. Mike larson (Han) 4·*; 12. Tim Coombs (Yam) 1510; 13. David McClain (Hen) *·5; 14. John Collins (Hon) 13-13; 15. Ron Dunfee (Yam) 12-15; 16. Micky Dymond (Hus) 7-'; 17. Jeff Stevenson (Yam) 19-14; 18. Terry Hobbs (Hon) 17-16; 19. Troy Luhmann (Hon) 16-'; 20. Mark Howell (Yam) '-17. • Denotes placing out of top 20. 500cc POINT STANDINGS; 1. David Bailey (397); 2. Broc Glover (346); 3. Goat Breker (303); 4. Pete Snorteland (197); 5. Mark Murphy (195); 6. Mickey Kessler (179); 7. Micky Dymond (176); 8. Andy Stacy (149); 9. David McClain (137); 10. Kenny Keylon (131). 125cc; 1. Jeff Ward (Kaw)2-1; 2. Johnny O'Mara (Hon) 1-2; 3. Erik Kehoe (Hon) 6-3; 4. Mike Beier (Yam) 5-4; 5. Jim Anderson (Yam) 4-9; 6. David Weak (Hon) 9-6; 7. Rodney Smith (Yam) 13-5; 8. Jeff Frisz (Hon) 11-8; 9. Guy Cooper (Hori) 14· 7; 10. Eric Hall (Hon) 12-10; 11. AJ. Whiting (Hon) 3- '; 12. Mike Crane (Kaw) 15-11; 13. Doug Dubach (Suz) 7-*; 14. Rick Ryan (Suz) 8-*; 15. Mike Duncan (Kaw) 16-14; 16. Clay Hoenshell (Suz) 10-'; 17. Allen Semar (Yam) *-12; 18. Corey Cope (Yam) 1716; 19. Terry Tinney (Kaw) *·13; 20. Taylor Marcell (Kaw) 20·15. 125cc POINT STANDINGS; 1. Jeff Ward (382); 2. Johnny D'Mara (370); 3. Mike Beier (260); 4. AJ. Whiting (248); 5. Erik Kehoe (205); 6. Jim Anderson (195); 7. Guy Cooper (139); 8. Rick Ryan (136); 9. Danny Storbeck (134); 10. Eric Hall (133). 25Ooc: 1. Ron Lechien (Hon); 1-1; 2. Bob Hannah (Hon) 2-2; 3. RickyJohnson (Yam)3-3; 4. Billy Liles (Kaw); 7-4; 5. George Holland (Suz); 6-7; 6. Kent Howerton (Kaw) 8-6; 7. Alan King (Hon); 5-9; 8. Keith Bowen (Yam) 10-5; 9. Jim Holley (Yam) 9·13; 10. Jeff Hicks (Hon) 12-11; 11. Ed Arnet (Hon)1211; 12. Mark Barnett (Suz) 4-'; 13. Kevin Folay (Yam) 17-'; 14. Chuck Partridge (Hon) 13-12. Carson (Hon) 15-15; 16. John Reinholt (Hon) 1616; 17. Johnnv Spaw (YamI11· *; 18. Bruce Gates (Hon) 20-14; 19. John Shay (Hon) '-17; 20. Jim Kapitan (Han) * -18. 2500c POINT STANDINGS; 1. Ricky Johnson (328); 2. Ron Lechien (319); 3. Billy Liles (292); 4. Alan King (246); 5. Mark Barnett (231); 6. Keith 80wen (230); 7. Kent Howrton (225); 8. Jim Holley (174); 9. Jeff Hicks(157); 10. George Holland(146). AMA/BEL-RAY GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP MX SERIES POINTSTANDINGS: ,. David 8ailey (450); 2. Jeff Ward (437); 3. Johnny O'Mara (396); 4. 8roc Glover (359); 5. Ricky Johnson (352); 6. Ron Lechien (337); 7. Billy Liles (323); 8. Goat 8reker (303); 9. Mark Barnett (275); 10. Alan King w (264). 15

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