Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Rick Johnson (1) pass.. Jeff Ward (3) during the 250cc main Saturday night. Johnson won both nights. "It makes me feel great to win a doubleheader. They say one time is luck, but two times is skill. There's no taking it away from me; I beat everybody both nights." Seattle's Kingdom.e. Johnson easily won both outings, although Team Kawasaki's Jeff Ward had his chance to give Johnson a run for his money. Rut Ward, who went into Seattle with a six point series lead over Johnson, settled for two second place finishes and is now tied with Johnson for the points lead, 129-129. Ward rode in Seattle with a heavily taped right ankle, the results of surgery for a bone chip three weeks ago. "The ankle is pretty sore, and I can't put all my weight on it yet," said Ward. "I also can't be as aggressive through right hand turns as I would like." Team Suzuki's .George Holland had consistent finishes, taking fifth Saturday night and placing third S.unday, to take over third in points. Kawasaki's Ron Lechien, who had been third in the standings, failed to score points either night after crashing out of both main events on the first lap. Rounding out the top five Saturday were Suzuki's Johnny O'Mara and Yamaha's Jeff Leisk, while Sunday's top five finishers were Johnson, Ward, Leisk, Bob Hannah and Holland Team Suzuki's Hannah officially announced that the Seattle Supercross would be his final indoor supercross. "I've made up my tnind," said the 29-year-old Hannah. "There's no sense in pushing it, but if I keep riding like I did this weekend, I'd like to keep racing outdoors for a few more years." In the 125cc class, Suzuki's/MotoX Fox-sponsored Donny Schmit returned to supercross racing after breaking his collarbone early this year and won Saturday's main event over Honda riders Dean Matson and Robert Naughton. Schmit was leading early in Sunday's 125cc ntain before tangling with Matson over a double jump and crashing out of contention. Privateer Honda rider Kyle Lewis wound up leading most of the race, while Naughton edged Matson for second place. Saturday Those were the words of Team Honda's Rick Johnson More than 28,000 spectators were on hand for Satur<4ly night's racing Suzuki factory team riders, George Holland (7) and Johnny O'Ma,. (4), spent Saturday's main event dicing over third place. AMA/Coors Supercross Series: Rounds 6-7 Johnson shines in Seattle Kingdome doubleheader By Kit Palmer . Photos by Brian Barnes SEATTLE, WA, MAR. 28-29 6 I who completely dominated two days of racing inside 250cc (18,246 Sunday), and the first heat race of the weekend featured Hannah who had a so-so jump off the line. As the pack squeezed through the first turn, Hannah was pushed to the outside and stuffed into the hay bales, where he dropped to the back of the field Out in front was Hondamounted Guy Cooper followed by Mike Fisher, Yantaha rider Brian Manley and Leisk. During the first lap, Hannah crashed when he and another rider collided over a jump. "Somebody didn't jump the doubles," said Hannah, "and I landed on his bike." Both riders went down, but Hannah got the worst of it when he was run over by a bunch of riders. "Jeff Hicks cased it on my legs, some other guy hit me on my back, and some other guy ran over my hand," said Hannah. "I was dying out there." While Hannah was getting banged up, Fisher had snuck into the lead and Leisk took over third. From that pOint on, positions remained the same with Fisher taking his first-ever supercross heat win ahead of Cooper, Leisk and Suzuki rider Alan Kmg. King settled into the fourth spot when Manley endoed on the sixth lap. The second heat race was totally dominated by O'Mara. After passing Yamaha rider Jeff Stanton during the second lap, O'Mara put it into overdrive and easily won the moto. Yamaha rider Ross Pederson worked his way up from a tnidpack start to finish third behind Stanton, while Suzuki-mounted Scooter Stafford rounded out the top four. Holland and Yamaha's Keith Bowen were the feature atttaetions in the third heat race. Daytona Supercross winner, Honda-mounted Rick Ryan, stole the holeshot but was quickly passed by Holland and Bowen. For the next three laps, Holland and Bowen battled backand-forth in a nail·biting dogfighL Bowen tried ntany times to sneak underneath Holland but could never make a pass stick until the fourth lap when Bowen out-gassed Holland through a section of whoops. Once into the lead, Bowen slightly pulled away from Holland to take the win. Ryan and local favorite Mike Larson diced over fourth until the final lap when the two tangled, breaking Larson's throttle cable. Ryan wound up finishing fourth behind Suzuki's Erik Kehoe, who cruised the whole race in third. The fourth heat race saw Kawasaki's Eddie Warren take the holeshot, chased by Lechien, Ward and Johnson. By the second lap Lechien was leading, but Ward was hot on his .tracks, while Johnson was a few seconds back in third. A lap later, Ward set up Lechien through a doubleJ' ump section and took over the lea for good By the time the checkered flag waved, Ward was comfortably out in front followed by Lechien, Johnson and Warren. "They smoked me," said Johnson. "I rode too conservatively, but that's. not my riding style. And, as you can see, I got smoked really bad." The first semi had the crowd on its feet throughout the race. Larson took the holeshot ahead of Yamaha rider Doug Dubach, Hannah and Hicks. By lap two, Hannah had motored by Dubach through the whoops and began reeling in leader Larson. For the next four laps, the two riders fought inches apart. Finally, Hannah made his move for the lead and pulled alongside of Larson in a section of whoops. Through the following tum, Hannah had ~e inside line, which he used to his

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