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/126924
saw The start of the first 125cc mota (above) Erik Kehoe (8) stuff Stacey Cook (94) and take the lead. Rick Ryan (20), George Holland (11), Micky Dymond (43) and Larry Brooks (30) follow. Kehoe (below) used acupuncture therapy on an i'njured thumb before the first mota. who had to back off of the gas. Johnson and Bailey went into the first turn side-by-side, while Eaton and his Hi-Point-sponsored, Kenny Almquist-tuned Yamaha nailed the holeshot. But Eaton washed out and crashed hard in the [irst turn, taking out a number of riders with him. Johnson, Bailey, Ward and Kawasaki's Ron Lechien managed to avoid the pile-up. Eaton was shaken up in the crash and sat out the race. Johnson led coming out of the first turn, while Bailey, Ward and Lechien followed. During the first lap, Ward pulled alongside Bailey and outpowered him up a long uphill. That's exactly what Bailey didn't want to happen, because if they finished in this order, then it would be a mustwin situation for Bailey in round t\Vo in order to clinch the championship. Despite knowing this, Bailey couldn't keep pace with Ward. "I knew this was a serious situation," said Bailey, "but I was so tense, I couldn't do anything right." Ward pulled ahead and started to gain slightly on leader Johnson. "I thought that would be good if Jeff could pass Rick," said Bailey, "because that would give Rick two points on me for a second- and third-place finish, opposed to three points for a first and second finish." While all this was going on up front, Kawasaki rider Billy Liles and Tuf Racing's Alan King (Kawasaki) were following in fifth and sixth, while O'Mara was 13th and stuck in the dust. As the race progressed, J ohnson maintained a secure lead over Ward, while Bailey hung back in third, comfortably ahead of Lechien. Bailey wasn't gaining any ground on Ward..and the situation looked bad for Bailey but good for Joh·nson. However, right at the halfway point, Ward suddenly started to slow, then he stalled his big Kawasaki in a turn. It took Ward three kicks to get the bike fired up again, but the damage was already done - Bailey had squeezed by. Bailey took over second, and Ward couldn't catch the Honda rider. "My knee brace snapped," said Ward, "and I couldn't straighten out my leg, and that's why I stalled it." With the brace pinching his leg, Ward had no choice but to cool down his pace and maintain his advantage over Lechien. Meanwhile, King pulled of[ the track with fork problems, giving Bullet Racing's Liles a secure fifth. O'Mara had moved up to sixth, while Yamaha riders Jim Holley, JoJo Keller and Mark Murphy followed. Johnson easily won the moto over Bailey, while Ward held onto third over Lechien, Liles, O'Mara, Holley, Murphy and Keller. Both Johnson and Bailey did what they had to do, and between motos, the two factory Honda riders didn't say a word to each other. At one end of the Honda pits was Bailey's crew, and at the other end was Johnson's. In the middle were Dymond's and O'Mara's Team Honda box vans. Bailey sat alone with an ice pack on his forehead, trying to cool down in the upper-SO° heat, while Johnson rested [Jat on his back in his box van. Both riders were very quiet and wanted to be left alone. Again, Bailey lined in the middle of the starting gate next to the starter's box, while Johnson lined on the opposite side, three riders over. With the serious dust problem and no water trucks or any means of a water system used between motos, the start was crucial.