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
Bob Hannah came back f rom a 27t h -p lace start to f in ish f ourth in the f irst 250cc rnoto , and then topped t hat off with a w in in the second . In ,the second 125cc moto, Ryan (12) grabbed the holeshot and led Dymond (1 ) for four laps. Ryan wound up taking third overall. jumps than anyone else. Eventually, Hannah labored into fourth and had set his sights on O'Mara. While he closed the gap to within a few seconds, time was running out for the former multi-time National MX and Supercross Champion. With the checkered in sight, and with Lechien and Johnson already wrapping up the first and second positions, Hannah was pushing O'Mara in every turn, but the O'Show held on to nip his teammate. A distant fifth went to Waddington, followed by Pederson, Ohio's Jeff Hicks (H o nda) , Hawthome and Sommo. New York's Kurt McMillen (H onda) rounded out the top 10. , "You can't win with a 27th-place start in 30 minutes," said Hannah. "Thirteen years ago when we were here, it was 45 minutes, and I used to pull 'em off with those starts." "My finger is feeling better," said Johnson, regarding his recent righthand fin~er injury. "But I have to alter my nding style sti ll. I can't blitz through the big bumps like I normally would, because you ' have to hang off the back and hold it wide open, bu t my hand doesn't have enough strength." The second moto kept the crowd screaming and on its feet for every lap wi th Hannah blasting his Suzuki to a th ird-place start behind O'Mara and Kawasaki rider Mickey Kessler. Close behind Hannah pursued Lechien, Ward, McMillen and Johnson. During the second lap, Lech ien put the move on Hannah and passed the "Hurricane." But H a nnah totally surprised Lechien by immediately retaliating and . shooting past the Kawasaki rider. Lechien , ho wever, wasn't finished with H an na h. The first-mote winner forced his way to the inside of Hannah heading down a downhill and into a wide, sweeping left-hand turn. Lechien stuffed Hannah to the outside in th e turn , getting a bike length on Hannah, but Hannah slammed on the brakes and cut back in on Lechien, who flew over th e berm and off the track . Lechien managed to tuck back in behind Hannah. Hannah tried to recall the incident: " I might've tapped him, but I don't know for sure," said Hannah. " 1£ I did, it wasn't intentional, but I'm out racing today. That was nothing compared to ,the way the "Jammer" (former National MX Champion Jimmy Weinert) and I used to do it. H e (Weinert) was watchi ng the first moto today, and he said, 'What in the heck is wrong with ya? You ain't bum p ing into anybody!'." Once behind Hannah, Lechien began dropping off the pace with stomach cramps. According to sources fro m Kawasaki's pits, Lechien drank too much water between motos, causing the painful cramps. Lechien eventually dropped back to ninth. ' During the fourth lap, H annah Hannah (left) and f irst moto w inner ,Ron Lechien (9) battle for second in moto two. Lechien eventually dropped back with stomach cramps. motored by McMillen and set after O 'Mara, who was in command of the race . But Hannah changed all that by reeling in O'Mara and passing him in a turn. "I went off the track; over this one berm," said O'Mara. "He (Hannah) got me, and it ruined all my concentration..Ihen I tried to regroup, but Bob just got away from me." By the seventh lap , it was Hannah pulling out to a sizeable lead ahead of O 'Mara, Ward and Johnson. Two laps la ter , both Ward and Johnson motored by O'Mara. ' " I felt real comfortable at first ," said O'Mara, "but I don 't really know what the problem is. I just started getting tense. I'm not sure what caused it, I'm kind of puzzled about it." At this point, with Ward ahead of Johnson, Hannah had the chance for overall, but the 250cc class points leader put an end to all that by passing Ward and settling into second. ' Hanna h, however, stayed on the gas and was tearing up the track, and J ohnson co uld barely p ut a dent into Hannah's 15-second lead during the next nine la ps. With the checkered flag in sight, and the spectators cheering madly, Hannah wheelied across the finish line wi th the moto win, finis hing comfortably aheadof Johnson, Ward and O 'Mara. Fifth went to New Englander Jo Jo Keller