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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126792
(Above) O'Mara won a new truck and high-centered it over a plateau jump.
(Below) Scott Manning finished third in the 600cc class.
(Above) The start of the first 80cc Expert moto saw Eddie Hicks (30) in the
middle of the pack, (Below) Ricky Ryan (24) and Brooks dice.
six laps, Manning managed'to keep
control of the lead while pulling
away from Larson, As Larson dropped
back, Fisher got closer. While Fisher
pushed Larson, the two riders caught
up to Manning, With the three riders
within inches, Fisher made his move,
On the 12th lap, Fisher successfully
passed both Larson and Manning
retaking the top spot. At the same
time, Larson put the move on Manning for second. From this point on,
the top three riders started to spread
out. While trying to recover from his
poor start, Magoo crashed in a turn
which put him out of contention
with the leaders. By the end of the
race, Manning started to slow his
pace down letting Phil Larson, Honda
rider John Reinholt, Jim Ellis and
Donnie Cantaloupi to close in. At the
checkers, Fisher captured the win
ahead of Mike Larson, Manning,
who was closely followed by Ellis,
Cantaloupi, Phil Larson and Reinholt.
"I felt really good out there," said
Fisher. "But my arms pumped up a
bit because of the bent bars, but I had
a lot of fun out there, and the track
was excellent."
260cc Pro
The 250cc Pro race was completely
dominated by O'Mara. The O'Show
started things off with the holeshot
followed by Honda riders Eric Eaton,
Brian Manley, Jeff Hicks and Billy
Frank. During the first lap, Hicks
started to swap in the whoops and
eventually crashed, dropping to the
middle of the pack.
Up front, O'Mara effortlessly expanded his lead over Eaton, who was
doing the same over the rest of the
pack. Fisher held firm control of
third, while feeling peavy pressures
from Frank, Manning followed Frank.
Six laps into the race, Manley
dropped back to sixth letting Frank
and Manning by. For the next II
laps, top positions remained the same,
but with a few laps'to go, the race for
fourth, fifth and sixth was tightening
up. When the checkered flag appeared,
it was O'Mara way out in front, while
setting the fastest lap times of the
night, followed by Eaton, Fisher,
Frank, Warren Reid, Manley and
Micky Dymond. Manning finished
eighth.
125cc Pro
The I25cc Pro main turned out to
be the most exciting battle of the
evening. Honda-mounted Erik Kehoe
jumped out to an early lead while
pursued by Kawasaki rider Eddie
Warren, Honda-mounted Larry
Brooks and Yamaha pilot Tyson Vohland.
However, during the second lap,
Kehoe crashed, surrendering the top
spot to Warren. Warren inherited a
huge lead over the new second place
rider Brooks. Breathing heavily down
Brooks' back was Vohland, Two laps
later, Brooks got out of shape in the
whoops and almost crashed. Instead,
Brooks lost two positions to Vohland
and Suzuki's Ricky Ryan.
At this time, O'Mara was found at
the rear of the pack. During the firs t
lap, O'Mara became caught in a pileup that put him dead last. He had to
back his mount out of a pile of
downed riders, turn around backwards
on the course, make another 1800
turn and take another shot at a plateau hill where the pile-up happened.
Once on his way, O'Mara became
very aggressive and started to pass
riders in every turn and straight.
Meanwhile, Warren still enjoyed a
very comfortable lead until the seventh lap when he stalled his Kawasaki
at the bottom of a plateau jump.
Warren quickly restarted his mount
and held on to his lead, now much
slimmer. By this time, Ryan had
passed by both Brooks and Vohland
for second. Brooks had passed Vohland for the second spot a few turns
earlier.
Warren's lead began to lessen by
the eighth lap with Ryan closing.
Then O'Mara got in on the act by
passing his way into fourth behind
Warren, Ryan and Brooks. During
lap II, O'Mara slipped into second
while Brooks passed Ryan for third.
Soon after, O'Mara caught Warren
and passed him, taking over the lead.
Once into the lead, O'Mara still rode
very aggressively and almost crashed
a few times; however, he settled down
and stretched his lead.
Two laps later, Brooks also passed
Warren, who faded slightly, While
trying to make a move on Warren,
Ryan became outof shape over a plateau jump and stuffed himself into a
haybale at the bottom of the jump. It
took Ryan a quite a bit of time to pull
his bike out of the haybales. Before reentering the race, he had dropped to
the back of the pack, This gave Warren
a stranglehold on third; about five
seconds behind followed Suzuki rider
Doug Dubach and Kehoe.
From this point on, positions remained the same with O'Mara easily
claiming the win and a new Mazda
pick-up truck for being the top rider
of the evening. Warren finished third
ahead of Dubach, Kehoe, Dennis Daft
and Vohland.
"A bunch of riders went down
halfway up a plateau jump, and I
plowed into them," said O'Mara.
"Then a couple of riders plowed into
me, and I had no place to go. So I just
turned around, got out of the mess
then continued. I knew the race was
20 laps, so I felt pretty confident I
could catch up."
•
Results
MINI EX: 1. Eddie Hicks (Vern) 2-1; 2. Williem
Surratt (Hon) 1·3; 3. Scott Cheaser (Kew) 4·2; 4.
Nicky Pounds(Su.) 5-4; 5. Mike Voung (Yem)6·6; 6.
Sheun Kelos (Hon) 9·5; 7. Ty Davia (Hon) 3-12; 8.
Gery Dellegette (Hon) 10-7; 9. Shene Trittler (Kew)
8-10; 10. Mike Peocerella (Su.) 7-11; 11. Sheun
Wooten (Kaw) 11-8; 12. Mika Wioae (Vam) 12-9;
13. Robby Gordon (Kaw) 14·13; 14. Colin Karcher
(Yam) 13-30; 15. Terry Bollard (Hen) 30-30.
125cc PRO' 1. Johnny O'Mara (Hen); 2. Larry
Brooks (Hon); 3. Eddie Warren (Kew); 4. Doug Dubach (Su.); 5. Eric Kehoe (Hen); 6. Dennis Daft (Vam);
7. Tyson Vohland (Vern); 8. Craig COnoy (Hon); 9.
Billy Frank (Hen); 10. Mouse McCoy (Kaw); 11.
Chad Perker (Kaw); 12. Mike Healey (Su.); 14.
Steve Stewart (Kaw); 14. Dennis Parker (Vern); 15.
8ryan 8runer (Kaw); 16. Rick Ryan (Su'); 17. Bryan
Abernathy(Hon); 18. Ray Sommo (Kaw); 19. Robert
·Mason (Yam); 20. Rodney Smith (Yam); 21. Ron
Turner (COg).
250cc PRO: 1. Johnny O'Mara (Hen); 2. Eric
Eaton (Hen); 3. Mike Fisher (Hon); 4. Billy Frank
(Hen); 5. Warren Reid (yam); 6. 8rian Manley (Hon);
7. Micl