Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ ~ w w w UJ l:C X w l:C 0 z « UJ z 0 ~ ~ w ~ :z: 00 UJ ~ ::l ~ 1""""4 > III ~ 0 UJ ~ 0 :z: a. 1""""4 ... Q,) ..0 0 ..... u 0 O'Mara (5) and Bailey congratulate each other after the final, which . saw O'Mara build his series lead; Bailey's now second. David Bailey (1) and Team Honda. swept Cal-Expo, lapping almost everybody. O'Mara and Hannah scored 2-3. Insport/Wrangler SUpercross Series: Round 13 Team Honda clobbers cal-Expo By Rex Reese SACRAMENTO, CA, SEPT. 29 David Bailey, along with teammates Johnny O'Mara and Bob Hannah, turned tonight's Miller High Life Supercross at the Cal-Expo Fairgro~nds into a Team Honda benefit as the three riders absolutely dominated the 20-lap final before a capacity audience. Bailey's win capped a successful evening of racing for the reigning Grand National Motocross Champion as he mastered the tight and whoopy-lined track with almost unbelievable ease. O'Mara's second-place finish puts further distance between himself and second place series rival Jeff Ward who may have lost his shot at the Wrangler Supercross crown when he crashed out of the action early in the final. Third place Hannah - who had just turned 28 a couple of weeks earlier - looked disappointed with himself, probably beause he was expecting to win; but it didn't turn out that way. Bailey finished the final less than nine seconds ahead of O'Mara, who stayed just beyond Hannah's grasp. But the really awesome fact was that the three Honda riders had lapped the entire field up to rifth place when it was all over, which is where Yamaha's Ricky Johnson ended up. Last year's Sacramento winner, Broc G lover, finished fourth, after getting a very bad· start; This year's Cal-Expo Supercross featured a few changes over the first one held last year. The major difference was that it became part of the Insport Supercross tour; last year the Sacramento site was host to CMC's Trans-Cal eries. And as an added boAusfor.mcing fan!!:. extra-bleachers \,~rJ~'tl:6'"l!(1l seating was erected in the infield, making it possible for about 15,000 spectators in all to get an eyeful of wide-open competition. Several changes were made to the track, including the start, which was located right in front of the grandstand. With an extra-long straight, featuring some jumps thrown in for effect, riders were able to hook it in top gear before barreling through a hairpin right-hander which sent them back towards the infield area where most of the track lay. There, in front of the grandstand, the track made enough tight turns to resemble a snake pit, and this was where a few riders got bit as the night's festivities wore on. Huts Hannah received one of the largest responses from the crowd as his name was announced for the first heat; CalExpo was his first major race since injuring his wrist earlier in the year. But when the starting gate dropped, O'Mara grabbed the holeshot, with teammate Ronnie Lechien second; Hannah followed in fifth. The eightlap qualifier quickly erupted into a duel between O'Mara and Lechien, with Lechien taking command early into the action. Hannah finally worked his way into the third spot, with Suzuki's Scott Burnworth fourth. The current supercross points leader and the Honda factory rookie kept things nice and tightall the way down to the checkered, with Lechien the winner. (N?ar~ ~,W' b~I'9n.~tp,\n,~ck,fqr) second, and Hannah was third. Kawasaki's Goat Breker was caught in traffic in 19th, transferring to the rirst quarter-final. Warren Reid also finished way back, but would eventually go on to the Last Chance Qualifier, where he would provide one of the better races of the night. Heat two had Yamaha's Broc Glover, who was seen as a sure winner, and Kawasaki's l25cc National Champion, Jeff Ward, who also appeared to have winning potential. Kawasaki's Billy Liles had the honor of getting the drop on everybody, followed by GLover and Yamaha's Keith Bowen; Ward was stuck in traffic and had his work cut out for him. By lap six, GLover began to put the heat on Liles, finally passing him as they passed through a whoop-filled straight. The next couple laps had Li les knocking on Glover's back door until the factory Kawasaki rider faltered, letting Bowen and Ward by. Glover stayed in control to win the heat, followed by Bowen, Ward and Liles. Kawasaki's Kent Howerton took an early lead in heat number three, followed by Suzuki pilot Mark Barnett, who in turn was keeping Bailey at bay. Because he was riding a virtually stock RM250, Barnett had to really hustle to keep ahead of Bailey and his factory RC; "The Bomber" had the gas on so much that he nearly crashed going over a set of doublejumps, but somehow managed to save himself. Howerton slipped back, but before Barnett could do anything Bailey put himself into the driver's seat and rode effortlessly to the win. Barnett and Howerton rolled in next, with Eric Eaton fourth and Husky's Micky Dymond fifth. The sympathy vote in this evem wem to M-Starmoumed Greg Zitterkopf, who finished 10th without any rear suspension whatsoever. In fact, the rear tire on his bike was rubbing against the inside of the fender! Heat four saw Team Tamm's Alan King holeshot the start, with Johnson in hot pursuit; privateer Danny Storbeck (Yam) was in tJtird. The start was marred by a pileup involving a number of riders, including Suzuki-mounted John Black, whose production RM250 was smoking heavily as he motored around the track. After a couple oflaps, Johnson had the heat in hand, relegating King to second place, where things stayed to the finish. Storbeck placed lhird, wilh P,TjY,,~~r 1I4*~llisb,rJ4l#op~ fQ-'rUi. I Quarter-finals Privateer Rodney Smith (Yam) hoLeshot the first quarter-final, but the lead quickly fell to Breker. Breker maintained a firm grip to ensure a transfer into the final. Smith finished second, and Warren Reid was third on a Yamaha. Pete Snorteland (Yam) made it to the semi in fourth. The.second quaner-final was won in the end by Jim Holley (Yam). Holley got an early lead over secondplacer Russ Wageman (Yam), who was about 10 seconds back. After experiencing a nat tire in his qualifying heat, Holley's lead in this event was all that was needed for a spot in the final. "Gentleman Jim" took a very convincing win over the rest of the hopefuls, with Wageman second. Suzuki-mounted Tony Toste was third, and Steve Schmiu (Hon) made the cut-o[£ ror the semi-final in fourth. Semi-finals Both semi-finals were loaded with heavyweight talent, and privateers would be pitted against the factory hotshots, with the top nine from each semi moving on to the main; the next seven riders in each semi would have . to slug it out one more time in the Last Chance Qualifier. In the first semi, Lechien, Glover and O'Mara launched themselves to the front, with Ward, Breker and Hannah running toward mid-pack_ Ward began to berserk his way through the crowd until he was on Lechien's rear fender, and in shon order, O'Show, Ward and Lechien were way out in front running their own race. Breker was in fourth place, being relentlessly pursued by Hannah, who was showing everybody that there's a lot of wind left in the old Hurricane. Glover was holding his own a little ways back, followed by Liles. As the semi wound down, Ward tried one last-ditch move againsl O'Mara in a couple of turns, bUl it didn't work. O'Mara was the winner, with Ward second, and Lechien third. Hannah finally passed Breker for fourth. Bailey snagged the lead in the second semi, with Holley and local hero Dave Coupe (Hon) in tow. In no time at all, Bailey built up an incredible lead to cruise unchallenged to the win. Second-place honors were being decided as King, Johnson and Howerton mixed it up with Eric Eaton and Barnett, who wasn'l having a pleasant evening. Coupe faded towards the back one-third of the pack; and at the checkered nag Bailey was waiting for Johnson, Howerton, King and Eaton. f [By,.. the, WBo/' he [was )J!M!riollrnirlg,

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