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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126917
Danny Storbeck (19) leads the Honda trio of Ricky Johnson (51, Johnny O'Mara (3) and David Bailey (6) early in AliA National Championship 500cc MX Series:, Round J IJ takes led 'Bud SOOce • serIes opener By Tom Strattman BUCHANAN, MI, JULY 6 Team Honda's Ricky Johnson celebrated his 22nd birthday in winning style today by capturing the overall victory in the first round of the AMA 500cc National Motocross Series at Red Bud Track-NTrail. The 1986 Supercross and 250cc National Champion 6 backed up a solid fourth place finish in the first Malcolm Smith-sponsored moto with a convincing win in the second moto, and in doing so, served notice to the rest of the class that he is a threat and the odds-on favorite to capture the Open class title as well. johnson, seeking relief from the scorching Michigan sun and high humidity in 'the pits after the second moto, said, "The heat was a real factor in the first moto. I got really tired and the bike wasn't working that well. It was my fault because I didn't have the suspension set up properly. Both Roger and Brian (team man· ager Roger DeCoster and mechanic Brian Lunniss) suggested some changes between motos and they seemed to work." Second overall went to johnson's teammate and rival, David Bailey. Bailey finished second in the first moto and then survived a midair collision with teammate johnny O'Mara in moto two, finishing third and tak· ing the runner-up honors. Kawasaki's Ron Lechien finished third overall, coupling a first moto fifth with an impressive second in moto two. Micky Dymond ca'pped off Honda'sday by winning the overall inthe 125cc class. Dymond won the first moto and then finished second in moto two to win his second National of the year. "It ~as really, really hot today," Dymond said. ~'In the first moto I think I came through the pack too quickly. I felt well until I got in front and then I started to get really Iightheaded. Between motos I was able to sit down and get cooled off and I £elt really com£ortable in the second moto. 1 set a good pace and 1 knew 1had the overall victory wrapped up so 1 didn't push it." Yamaha's Keith Bowen garnered the second overall position with a sixth place finish in the first 125cc motoandan impressive victory in the second. The Michigan native, who had many supporters in attendance at Buchanan, said, "I £e1t really good in the second moto, but 1 had some problems in the first race. The heat was so bad and the humidity was terrible. It drained all my energy out. 1 think 1 set too quick of a pace in the first moto. 1 was able to move up to fourth, but when I got there I started to get really tired and I couldn't go any £arther." Suzuki's George Holland finished the day with a ~-4 tally which was good enough for third overall. The 95° temperature and the high humidity turned the rough, challenging Red Bud track into a real physical test for most o£ the riders. And despite the high temperatures the track was in surprisingly good shape and dust was not a major problem. Texan Danny Storbeck grabbed the holeshot in the first 500cc moto and opened up a sizeable lead after one lap. O'Mara was running second £ollowed by Bailey, Lechien and johnson. . By the 10-minute mark, both O'Mara and Bailey had moved by Storbeck. O'Mara held on for the ' first·moto win, but Bailey pressured him for the rernainderof the race. Try as he' might though, Bailey just couldn't find a way around his team~' mate. As Bailey explained after the race, "I think johnny's just in a little better shape than I am right now. He's a little bit stronger in the heat because he has been training in it. I'm not trying to make excuses, but I'm just getting over the chicken pox 'and strep throat and I'm a little weak." Kawasaki's jeff Ward gated 10th and had charged into third by the 20-minure mark, just five seconds behind Bailey but that was as close as he got and he finished the moto in third place just ahead of johnson and Lechien. Storbeck finished a distant sixth. It was all Honda at the start o£ moto two as Bailey led teammates johnson and O'Mara into the first corner. johnson didn't wait long to make a move, diving inside Bailey on a sweeping right-handed turn. Bailey took the slower outside line and, as johnson described later, "Everyone was sweeping wide and I just shot down inside him, went through the mud and was able to get around him." johnson never looked back and at one point led by a whopping 40 seconds. Behind johnson there was a titanic struggle going on between secondplace man Bailey and O'Mara. Finally O'Mara made a bid at the 2O-minute mark, over a jump on the back o£ the course. Somehow the two riders came together in midair, collided and were sent crashing to the ground. Bailey described the mishap afterwards. "When I saw johnny coming towards me in midair, I said, 'Man, is this gonna hurt.' He tried to make an aggressive pass and it didn't work. He made a bid on me on the inside and the line he chose sent him across the jump and pretty far over in the 'air. I knew we were going to hit." Bailey was able to get up while holding second and O'Mara got going in eighth place, which cost him his chance for the overall. After the race a dejected O'Mara said, "We hit in the air on the back of the course. 1 don't know what happened. I'm a little bruised up, but it's nothing serious. If 1 could have gotten by David 1 would have given Rick a run for his money. 1 ride better at the end o£ a moto. I'm in better shape than the other riders and the heat really didn't bother me." Meanwhile, Lechien, who had been running behind the three Honda riders for the entire moto, saw his chance