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/126923
The start of the first 500cc moto saw Rick Johnson (5) grab the holeshot ahealit of Johnny O'Mara (3) and Jeff Ward (4). Jim Holley (12, behind O'Mara) collides with downed riders and narrowly takes out winner David Bailey (6). Alan King (17) was top privateer. AMA National Championship 12S/S00cc MX Series: Rounds llLS Warren, Bailey claim Hollister victories By Kit Palmer Photos by Mitch Friedman and Kinney Jones HOLLISTER, CA, AUG. 17 It was the first time ever the Hollister Hills OHV Park hosted a National motocross, and Team Honda's David Bailey and Kawasaki support rider Eddie Warren christened the event with wins in the 500 and I 25cc classes respectively. . .' . Both vlCto~Ies are Important ones for Badey and Warren. 14 ., F<;>r Bail~y, it means he maintains his. sltm pOints lead over second-place finisher Rick Johnson in the standings with one round remaining; for Warren, it proves that his first-ever National win two weeks ago in Binghamton New York was no fluke and db'· d , that he coul e a senous conten er in next year's Nationals. Johnson won the first 500cc moto after dicing feverishly with Kawasaki's Jeff Ward. Johnson and Ward passed back and forth many times in the race until Ward eventually crashed out of contention, handing second to Bailey~ln round two, Bailey came off the starting line breathing fire and led the race [rom start to fini h, beating Johnson fair and square. Third overall went to Honda's johnny O'Mara who went 5-3. Warren swept both motos in the I25cc class for the overall while series points leader Micky Dymond finished second with a 4-3 tally. Dymond maintains his secure 3991.0 353 points lead over uzuki's George Holland, who finished sixth overall via a 6-5 score. A large turnout of spectators was on hand at the all-new Roger DeCosteWVi~ John~6n:d .!gljl cL .Q~r~ which featured two extremely steep downhillsandoff-camberturns. Most of the nders approved of the new track layout, but many said it was hard to pass on and was too dusty. 500cc National d f th 40. As t~e gate droppe or e nder, hrst 30-mlnute-plus-two-l!lp, 50Oc~ moLO, It was Johnson gett~ng the Jump and successful.ly beaung O'Mara and.Ward to the fust turn. A number of nders went down In turn . I di Y h' J' H II one, inC u ng ama a s lin 0 ey an~ Honda nder T<;>m Carson, whIle BaIley narrowly mIssed the pIleup. (Car on was Injured In the crash and w~s out for the rest of the day) In thIrd ~as pnvateer Kaw~saki nder Ala~ King, followed by BaIley, KawasakI s Ron Lech ten , Yam.aha n~er Mark Murphy and Honda nders MIke FIsher and Greg Zllterkopf. Ward qUIckly p.ut the move on O'Mara and settled Into econd place, then closed the gap on johnson and stayed close for a few laps. Ward began a senous assault for the lead during the. third lap, t;Jaking his move by dlvlOg to the mSlde of Johnson In a turn and takmgover the lead. But Johnson fought back and Sluffed Ward in the following turn. A few corners later, Ward attacked again and squeezed his way underneath johnson as they headed down one of lb~,~'Fep>w> ;,~q~ ·'.<;>Pnce a~iCJ:' Johnson returned fire by squaring off the turn at the bottom o[ the downhill, slipping back into the lead. Ward stayed close to j{)hnson entering the fourth lap where the Kawasaki rider pulled alongside johnson over a jump and forged ahead. As they flew over the jump side-by-side, Ward glanced back at Johnson, and the two drag-raced to the next turn where Ward had the inside line and took a secure lead. Meanwhile, O'Mara [ell and dropped back to sLxth behind King and Lechien, while Bailey reeled in both Johnson and Ward. Only a few seconds separated Ward, johnson and Bailey as they battled for the lead. Ward held on to the LOp spot for the next [our laps unLiI they caught up to lapped traffic and dust became a factor. Immediately, johnson took advantage of the situation and slipped by Ward for the lead, while the dust caused Bailey LO drop off the pace a few seconds ahead of Lechien. A lap later, Ward dropped out of contenLion when he lost the front wheel and cra hed. "My front wheel washed out," said Ward, "and some guy ran inLO me. His fork leg jammed into my houlder." Ward recovered, but was in a lot of pain. This gave johnson a five-second lead over Bailey, who was chased by Lechien, King, O'Mara and Liles. At the finish it was johnson holding on for the win while Bailey took second and Lechien finished third. "The start was nearly disastrous," aid Bailey. "In the first turn, a guy [ell right in front of me. and I had a good reflex and barely got by. I ju t missed hitLing his bike and body, then two guys lammed into me. The whole first lap was like that. Then I got through everybody to third. and I had a clear spa e for a while to catch up LO Rick. I got pretty close and into their du t, and it was harder to gain any more ground. So I was at a standstill for a while. After Jeff [ell, I put a last-ditch eHorton Rick, but it wa n't enough." With the starts being so important because of the dust, Bailey knew what he had to do, and stole the holeshot in the second moLO, ahead of Holley, john on, O'Mara and Honda rider Mik Fisher. Even t"1 ( ( it .. took though ( ' .• I , J' Johnson less than a lap to pass Holley, Bailey was long gone. By the end of the first lap, Bailey had developed a six-second lead over Johnson, who led O'Mara, Holley, Liles, Fisher and King. The bruised artd battered Ward was ninth, while Lechien was 12th. As the race continued, Bailey slowly enlarged his lead over Johnson, who was ea ily pulling away [rom O'Mara. By the fourth lap, Ward had only moved up one position while his teammate Lechien tucked in behind him. A lap later, the race ended for Lechien when he bailed 0[[ hard at the bottom of a steep downhill. Lechien' Kawasaki swapped then it £lipped when he hit a large bump, sending Lechien over the bars and out of the race. At the halfway point, Bailey's lead over Johnson had grown to nine seconds, while O'Mara had sole control of third over King, Liles, Fisher, Holley, Ward, Willy imons and Danny Storbeck. The only significant dice going on was between King and Liles. Lile eventually slipped by King and pulled away. Bailey enjoyed a 13.67-second·lead over Johnson at the finish, while O'Mara took third [or third overall. Fourth went to Liles, followed by King, Holley, Ward, Fisher and Simons. "I twas all the start," said Bailey. "I had clear vision the whole time, other than a few lappers, who were very cooperative. Everything went real smooth, and I definitely wentoutand proved LO mysel[ that I'm as good as anybody out there." 125cc National The 125cc class featured very exciting racing in both motos. In the first, Rick Ryan shot his Kawa aki into the lead [ollowed by Warren, Australian Jeff Leisk, uzuki's Bobby Moore, Honda support rider Larry Brooks, Craig Canoy, Jeff Frisl and Brian Myerscough. Dymond wa 15th, while Yamaha's Keith Bowen was 14th. Ryan led for two laps before Warren slipped by on the inside of a tight right turn, while Moore overtook Leisk for third. Bowen was on the gas and had worked up LO sixth by the third lap. He quickly shot past both Biooks'"andt . : ) . takinlY olver fo rtb ei~ k, .~'... I ,,:-_,fPI ·".,;T