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
Ricky Johnson (5) ha'sthe inside line as the 500cc class hits the first turn at Millville. David Bailey (6), Johnny O'Mara (3) and Danny Storbeck (19) jam up outside. Jeff Ward (4) and Ron Lechien (2) follow Johnson. Ricky Johnson got back on track with his 1-1 moto scores in the 500cc class at Spring Creek MX Parte. Jeff Ward finished second. AMA Mational Championship 115/500ce MX Series Rounds'llt JoHnson back on top in Millville mudbath By Tom Strattman MILLVILLE, M ,AUG. 10 Team Honda's Rick Johnson posted a perfect 1-1 tally to score the overall victory in the Open class at the 125/500cc Kawasaki Pro National Motocross held at the Spring Creek MX Park today. Johnson withstood late moto 'd c h ~rges by teammate. ,Davl Bailey and KawasakI s Jeff 18 Ward to capture his second 500cc National win of the year and he now trails eries points leader Bailey by just seven points, 184-177, in the chase for the Open class crown. "I felt really comfortable today," johnson said on the viclOry podium after the race. "I'm finally riding like I'm able 10; the track was good, the bike worked great and Brian (mechanic Brian Lunniss) is right on top of things. We've been working with the guys from Showa and the bike really ~andled well. I got re~lIy good s.tans In both molOS and I Just rode hke I know I can and I pulled it ofL" Ward finished third in the first molO, but came back to finish a strong second in moto two to capture the runner-up spot. Ward and Bailey tied on points for the day, but Ward got the nod for second overall by virtue of his higher finish in molO two. Ward fail d to pick up any points on Bailey, however, and he remains 20 points back in third place in the title chase. "I didn't get the starts I wanted to today," Ward said in the pits follow- ing the second molO. "The fi rst molO was really tough. I just couldn't make upany timeat thestanof the race and by the time I got going it was too late. I was going faster than anybody on the course near the end of each molO, but when you give guys the caliber of Bailey and johnson a 10-second lead it's real hard to catch up." . Ward was realistic when he discussed his chances of catching Bailey in the point standings. "If I go out and win the next two Nationals then I can do it, but it's going 10 be tough to make up the points." Honda's Bailey finished third overall by virtue of his 2-3 moto finishes. Bailey discussed his ride following the race, "It was just one of those days when things didn't go that well. It was all in the start today and I didn't get them. I had the holeshot at the start of the first molO, but Rick dove underneath me to lead and in the second moto Ron Lechien and I collided at the start and that held me up. My lines weren't coming together that welllOday. aick had some great lines but he was so far in front of me that I wasn't able to learn anything from him. "Rick tightened up the point tandings a little bit today, but he is going to have 10 beat me to win the title." Team Honda' Micky Dymond captured his third 125cc National win of the year with a 2-1 score and he now holds a commanding 41 point lead in the series point standings. Heavy rains hit the Millville area aturday night and turned the already well-watered track into a quagmire. During Sunday morning's practice session the riders were confronted with extremely muddy conditions and they even had to navigate three different water crossings. A small, usually dry creek bed that crosses the track in several places became swollen becau e of the rain and one of the puddles near the start/finish Iine resembled something off an enduro or hare scrambles course rather than a motocross track. The muddy conditions further stressed the need for a good start. johnson didjust that, as he powered his Honda through the inside of the right-banded first turn to lead the pack as the first 500cc molO got underway. At the end of the first lap johnson led Bailey, Ward, Danny IOrbeck and johnny O'Mara. johnson wasted little time in pulling away from the pack and by the end of the lap two john on had built up a five-second lead over Bailey. Meanwhile, Ward was reaUy starting 10 push Bailey and was glued to the rear fender of the Honda pilot for three laps until a tangle with a backmarker slowed his charge. Ward described the mishap. "I was right on David at the time and we came up on a lappeI', he let David by and then he turned around and looked right at me and I thought he wa going to let me by, but he stu([ed me into tl1e corner and I went over the bar. I lost about 10 econds to David and by the time I got going again it was too late." At the halfway point of the moto the pack had spread out. johnson led Bailey by a comfortabJe five seconds and Ward was another five seconds back in third. SlOrbeck wa running a lonely fourth with O'Mara fifth and Lechien sixth. Lechien was able to pass O'Mara at the 25-minute mark for fifth. At the [ront of the pack johnson was starting 10 feel some heat from Bailey and Ward as both riders pressured johnson for the final two laps, but the charge fell short as johnson took the checkers with Bailey and Ward in lOw. SlOrbeck came across the line in fourth followed by Lechien and O'Mara. Mark Murphy, Ross Pederson, jim Holley and AJan King rounded out the lOp 10. Danny SlOrbeck grabbed the holeshot at the stan of the second molO, juSt ahead of Lechien, johnson, Bailey and O'Mara. johnson wasted little time in moving 10 the front and by the second lap he had taken over the lead. "I didn't have any trouble passing Lechien and Storbeck," johnson said. "I moved right around Lechien and I passed Storbeck at the bottom of the first downhill. After that I was just cruisin'." At the Io-minute mark both Bailey and Ward passed SlOrbeck and a lap later Ward passed Bailey and set his sights on Lechien. Ward was setting a quick pace as he passed Lechien for second at the halfway point. Johnson maintained a lO-second lead until the final twO laps when Ward and Bailey really started to move. johnson made the mistake of pulling his goggles off with two laps to go and in the muddy conditions it almost COSt him the race. johnson, however, held on for the win with Ward and Bailey finishing second and third, respectively. Lechien finished fourth with Pederson, Holley, O'Mara, jo jo Keller, Stacy and SCOtt Manning rounding out the lOp 10. Yamaha-mounted Doug Dubach and Honda's Dymond charged into the lead as the first 125cc moto gOt underway. At the end of the first lap, though, Honda-mounted Guy Cooper had taken over fir t place with Dubach, Yamaha's Keith Bowen, Dymond and Suzuki's George Holland in tow. One lap later, Bowen had moved into second and started pressing Cooper for the lead. By the lO-minute mark Bowen had found a way around Cooper, but th.en disaster struck for Bowen. "I just moved into the front," a disappointed Bowen explained in the pits following the race. "When the bike started getting slower and slower, my carb had sucked in a bunch of water. Towards the end of the moto I almost had to push it uph.iIl." . With Bowen out of action Cooper inherited the lead. Suzuki's Erik Kehoe did not gate well, but by the 15-minute mark he was right on Cooper and looking for a way around. He almost found it but just as Kehoe pulled up next to Cooper, he dropped his bike in the first corner allowing Cooper to maintain his lead. Holland was also able 10 get around his downed teammate as Kehoe got