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/126963
Micky Dymond (1) holeshots the first moto ahead of Rick Ryan (12), Mike Healey (38) and Todd DeHoop (808). Team Honda 's Rick Johnson plows throug h one of Southwick's m any sandy and loam y berms. Johnson went 2-2 for the 250cc w in . AMA 125/250cc National 'Champion. ship MX Series: Round 3 Johnson, Dymond win Southwick By Kit Palmer SOUTHWICK, MA, MAY 15 - • It might not have been the prettiest victory of Rick Johnson 's Team Honda career, but the current 250cc class series points leader used a consistent 2-2 score to wrap up the class overall, while his teammate Micky Dymond easily handled the 125cc division witl~ a I-I tally at Southwick's Motocross 338 racing facility. johrisons overall victory was a lmost overshowed, however, by T eam Suzuki 's Bob "Hurricane" Hannah, who put on a spectacular come-from-behind charge in the first moto to finish fourth , and topped th at off with a thrilling runaway vic to ry in the second round to cap ture second overall. Third went to Hannah's teammat e johnny O'Mara (3-4), while Kawasaki 's Rim Lechien (1-9) and Yam aha rider Ross Pederson (6·6) rounded out the top five. " I don't like to win with two. seconds," said johnson, "but, hey, I'll tak e what I can get." " I'm happy, man. I don 't win that many a ny more, and I lik e winning a mo to , just to sho w 'em I can," said th e 31-yea r-o ld Hann ah. ''I'd be cur io us to hear everybody 's excuses, I'm sure th ey've all got one." The defending 125cc National Champion, Dymond, proved to th e cro wd wh y he's carrying the numberone plate by completely dominating both motos, " I' m not quite in as good of shape as I wi ll be in soon," said Dymond after his first moto, wire-to-wire romp. Regarding his recent bout with monon ucleosis, Dymond continued, "Today, those guys have a chance to beat me. But I think after this race, I can't lose." Second in the 125cc class went to Suzuki's Erik Kehoe , who worked hard for his 3-2 moto finishes, while Honda privateerrider Ricky Ryan (25 ), Suzuki support rider Vince DeVane (7-4) and Honda-mounted Guy Cooper (6-7) filled out the first five places. The event drew a large turnout of spectators tha t lined much of the hilly, sandy track. Weather conditions were ideal for raci ng - clear and sunny. 250cc Forty-one riders lined the gate for the start of the first 250cc moto, and as the pack headed up a gradual incline to the first turn , it was Lechien powering his Kawasaki into the lead with local favorite from South Windham, Connecticut, Honda-moun ted joe Waddington hot on his tracks: After completing lap one, Lechien and Waddington were 1-2, followed by O 'Mara, john- ' son, Kawasaki rider john Dowd (C h ico pee, Massachusettes ), Ray Sommo, Yamaha's Keith Bowen and Dennis Hawthorne. Ward was running . around 20th, while Hannah was back in 27th. Up front, Lechien began pulling away while O 'Mara found a hot line around Waddington on the sandy, dust-free track. A lap la ter, johnson also slipped by Waddington, set after O 'Mara and began reeling in the Suzuki pilot. After four .laps, Hannah had alread y moved into th e II th spo t, while Ward was running 16th with a sore a nkle - th e same a n kle he broke earlier in th e year. "I ca ugh t my ankle in a hole, and I almost passed o u t from the pain," said Ward. " I got all queasy and I just couldn 't get it going again, so I had to back it down. There was nothing I co uld do. " From that point on, Ward just cruised through the moto, finishing 15th . In the meantime, johnson started pushing O'Mara for second place before crashing. " I just came down the big downhill, and my front end washed out, putting m e on the ground and stalling my bike," said johnson. But johnson quickly recovered without losing a place. Once again, he slowly reeled in O 'Mara and eventually motored around the Suzuki rider over a , drop-off jump and took over second. "Rj (Johnson) basically wore me down," said O 'Mara. By this time, Lechien was way out in fro nt, feeli ng no pressure wh ile johnson put distance between himself and O'Mara. . Bu t all the attention was on . Hannah, who was picking off riders one at a time, much to the delight of the crowd. Hannah was on the gas, plowing hard er through the berms and flyi ng farther off the