Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126915
Newly-crowned AMA Supercross Champion Rick Johnson sails to victory inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for his sixth win of the series. Insport/AMA Nippondenso Supercross Series: Final round Johnson storms to Superbowl win By Kit Palmer Photos by Mitch Friedman LOS ANGELES, CA, JUNE 7 Team Honda's Ricky Johnson might've sewn up the 1986AMA Nippondenso Supercross Championship Series four weeks ago in Phoenix, Arizona, but the way he rode tonight inside southern California's Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, it looked as though the championship was still on 6 the line. There was no stopping the high-Oying Johnson tonight - not even his teammate Johnny O'Mara, Kawasaki's Jeff Ward or Ron Lechien, all of whom had their chance at taming the new Supercross Champion. This year's Coors Superbowl of Motocross XV drew over 50,000 spectators that witnessed Johnson claim his sixth win of the series. His victory, however, didn't come without challenges along the way. Johnson had to pass both Ward and Lechien early in the main before taking over the lead, then he had to maintain a fast and consistent pace for the entire race to'keep O'Mara at bay. The one rider who's been giving Johnson fits all year long wasn't present at tonight's race - Honda's David Bailey. Bailey couldn't ride after coming down with the chickenpox. Team Suzuki's Bob Hannah made his 1986 supercross debut, but couldn't qualify for the main. Hannah finished fifth in the first heat race, crashed while biding for second in the semis then placed third in the La t Chance Qualifier. A 14th-place finish in the main by Kawasaki rider Alan King was enough for the Michigan rider to capture top supercross privateer honors. King came into the Superbowl with a twopoint advantage over privateer Kawasaki pilot Ricky Ryan, who finished 18th in the main. "It's been a long year," said King. "I didn't think I had a chance the way I started out this year, and I almost quit halfway through t.he series. but I kept going. I'm going to take a three-week. vacation, finish off the 500cc Nat.ionals then possibly retire next. season." In the 125cc Pro-Am class, Honda/FMF rider Willie Surratt finished inches ahead of Honda rider Drey Dircks for t.he win, but it was Donnie Schmidt (Kawasaki) \who wrapped up the Western Regional'Championship Series with a third-place ride. Heats The first heat race featured Suzuki riders Hannah and Erik Kehoe_ However, it was Kawasaki pilot Eddie Warren who captured the holeshot ahead of Suzuki privateer Je£[ Frisz and Kehoe. Hannah was 10th. Halfway through the first lap, Kehoe, in one move, dove to the inside of both Frisz and Warren to take over the lead. Right then, Frisz crashed, making the top five after lap one Kehoe, Warren, Yamaha-pilot Russ Wageman, Ryan and King. Ryan was the first to make a move by passing Wageman, then Warren by the third lap, Meanwhile, Hannah had moved up to seventh. Shortly after, Warren got out of shape in a section of whoops leuing King by for third. At this point, Kehoe was enjoying a comfortable lead before crashingoff the track after the whoops when his front wheel washed Oul. He managed to re-enter the race in fifth, inches ahead of Hannah. Yamaha rider Billy Frank had motored into third after passing Warren mak.ing the top six Ryan, King, Frank, Warren, Kehoe and Hannah. King began pres uring Ryan for the lead near the end of the race, bu t his chance for the win came to an end when he was pitched off his motorcycle through the whoops and had to run alongside his bike to keep from crashing. He lost second place to Frank but held on to third. At the finish, it was Ry'an, Frank. King and Warren. Kehoeand Hannah finished fifth and sixth. Honda's Micky Dymond grabbed the early lead in the second heat race and held that position for two laps before Kawasaki's Lechien slipped by. While leading Lechien by a few feet, Dymond landed a lillIe short over a double jump and lost momentum, which enabled Lechien to take the lead. From that point on, Lechien cruised in for the win, while Dymond, Yamaha's Jim Holley and Suzuki's George Holland placed fairly spread apart for second through fourth. Jeff Hicks finished fifth, one spot out of the transfer. The start of the third heat saw Ward take the holeshot and quickly pull away. Yamaha's Keith Bowen held second after the first lap ahead of Honda rider Mike Larson and Terry Fowler. Just before the end ofthefirst lap, Larson looped-it big time over a double jump which knocked him out of contention. This made the top five Ward, Bowen, Kawasaki-mounted Billy Liles, Fowler and Danny Storbeck. The rest of the race wen t f~irly uneventful with Ward taking the win easily over Bowen who finished way . ahead of Liles. About seven seconds behind Liles was Storbeck. The fourth and final heat featured a start-to-finish romp by Johnson. After passing Yamaha's Scott Burnworth and Honda rider Brian Manley during the first. lap, the race was all Johnson's. But the ballie for second, third and fourth raged on throughOllt the moto. Burnworth, Manley, O'Mara, Yamaha-mounted Brian Myerscough and Honda support rider Jeff Leisk fought side-by-side until the end. O'Mara double-jumped by Manley during the third lap then passed Burnworth three laps after thaI. On the fourth lap, Myerscough found the hot line around Manley in the whoops for fourth. Johnson, O'Mara, Burnworth and Myerscough