Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

(From left to right) Jeff Ward. Rick Johnson. David Bailey and Broc Glover are presented their trophies after the final outdoor national of the year. Rick Johnson will be wearing the number one plate in the 250cc class next year. (Inset) Johnson takes the checkered flag - the championship his. Ronnie, and I passed him kind of e£fortlessly. I was waiting for him 10 start something and try 10 knock me down or someth ing. He did make one attempt, but it didn't work. I just rode my own race and I sort of just cruised to the win." 125cc Ward had a IS-point advantage over O'Mara going into Washougal, so Ward said he didn't feel 100 much pressure before the race - a IOp-lO finish would do it. Yamaha rider Cory Klaudt from Kent, Washington, led the field through the first turn. In tow were Team Tamm's A.]. Whiting, Yamaha's Jim Anderson, Suzuki's Gary Bowman, Ward, Suzuki rider Clay Hoenshell and Yamaha's Mike Beier. However, Klaudt's lead didn't la t for long after he rashed during the first lap. This gave the lead to Whiting, but Ward and O'Mara were on the move. Ward moved into third by . lap two and had the lead a lap later. O'Mara' drive came 10 a hault when hecaughtuplO uzuki's Ricky Ryan. Ryan managed to keep O'Mara from passing for the next five laps, but once O'Mara finally passed Ryan for sixth he had second two laps later. O'Mara wanted Ward, so the Honda pilot tarted 10 reel in Ward about a second a lap until the two were side by side with four laps left. As the two leaders exi ted a tight left turn, Ward ·crashed. "I didn't fall," said Ward afterwards. "He knocked me over. He said I bobbled, but it was part of h is strategy to knock me down." t I O'Mara inherited a comfortable lead that would take him 10 the checkered first ahead of Ward. Whiting rode an excellent race, finishing third ahead of an exciting duel between Bowman and Ryan. Bowman held fourth for most of the race, but Ryan pressured. On the final lap, Ryan made his move and passed Bowman. Fifth went 10 Anderson ahead of Hoenshell, Beier and E,ik ..W.eh~ L I ~ 1 • ~ '. I Yamaha rider Rodney mith said before the second malO that he would take the holeshot - he did just that, handily. However, Smith's lead ended during the first lap when Ward sailed by. Lap twosawO'Mara do the same; after Smith followed Ryan, Anderson, Beier, Whiting and Bowman. O'Mara couldn't gain distance on Ward, unlike the first malO. Instead, Ward tretched his lead about a second or two every lap. Eventually, Ward had a l2-second cushion over O'Mara, who had nearlv 40 seconds on Smith. About 15 seconds behind Smith brewed a dogfight between Ryan, Anderson, Whiting, Beier and Bowman. Anderson dropped out, letting Ryan, Whiting and Beier have-at it. The three were never more than two seconds apart. At one point, Beier out-braked Whiting inlO a wide right turn and took Whiting'S spot, but Beier drifted too far outside, giving the Team Tamm pilot enough room on the in ide to retaliate. Three laps from the end, Smith took a slight tumble, but he remountedintimelOkeepthi~.butthegap between him and Rvan narrowed considerably. Smith said he lost his momentum because of the fall, a Ryan, Whiting and Beier caught up. On the white flag lap, after Ward had already finished way ahead of O'mara. the battle for third wa very tight, but mith managed to hold Ryan, Whiting and Beier behind. I rode con ervatively the whole race," aid Ward. "I decided I wanted 10 make up for the first malO. I'm really happy I won the championship. but I couldn't have done it without my mechanic Mike McAndrews. If we had one DNF all year, that would have been it. His work was probably more than I put in." 500cc Yamaha-mounted Steve Burdette grabbed the early lead in the first 500 c malO with Honda's Danny "Magoo" Chandler inches behind. Micky Dymond, on a water-cooled, jngl shock 500

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