Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

the top six heading into lap two were Lechien, Ward, Johnson, Stanton, Watts and Fisher. Bowen wa running eighth. Pretty soon Lechien, Ward and Johnson were clearly ahead of the rest of the pack, and Johnson was pushing Ward in every turn until Johnson stalled his motor. This gave Ward room LO breathe, so Ward was able to concentrate on catching Lechien. Near the IS-minute mark, Ward was just three seconds behind Lechien and gaining. A few laps later, Ward and his Sinisalo/Shoei Helmets/Oakley-backed Kawasaki cleanly slipped by Lechien and started pulling away. But Lechien knew he had the overall in the bag if he stayed where he was, so he let Ward go. This made the LOp four positions spread out between Ward, Lechien, Johnson and Watts. But WallS was being pressured by StanLOn and Bowen. Bowen was· on the move until he had moved his way up LO fourth place. By the end of the race, it was Ward, Lechien, Johnson, Bowen and Stanton extremely spread out. The only battle ~oing on was between Watts and Fisher. Ward went on to win easily over Lechien, but it was Lechien taking the overall, with his 1-2 topping Ward's 3-1. Fifth in the moLO went to Stanton followed by Fisher, Watt, Honda rider Ray Sommo and Tom Carson. 125cc National The I25cc class featured the close t racing of the day. A rider jumping the gate forced a restart in the first moLO after Honda-mounted Ricky Ryan had nailed the holeshot and led for a lap, while Suzuki's Erik Kehoe crashed. "In the third turn," said Kehoe, "some guy crashed right in front of me, and I landed right on LOpof him. Then someone hit my bike and bent my handlebars. So I thought it was all over for this moLO, but we had the restart. I quickly ran into the pits and changed handlebars." About 15 minutes later, the restart saw Cooper take the holeshot on his FMF Honda, but he was cut of£ by Holland and Yamaha's Jef£ Leisk. It was a mean dogfight for positions during the first lap in which Holland was leading. He was being closely chased by Leisk, Cooper, Dymond, Yamaha rider Scott Brown and Ryan. But during the second lap while trying to pass Holland in a tightle£thand turn, Leisk went over the handlebars and remounted in 19th. This gave second place LO Cooper, who was holding of£ Dymond's Hondaline-backed CR. Brown was running fourth ahead of Ryan, Honda rider Fred Andrews, Larry Brooks and Kehoe. . Ryan, on his Pro Circuit CR, was on the gas and had passed Brown going into lap three, while Dymond was setting up Holland. During the third lap, Dymond cut to the inside down a long downhill section and stuHed Holland at the bottom righthand turn, forcing Holland over the berm. Holland and his HallmanRacing-sponsored Suzuki maintained second, but Cooper and Ryan had closed in. By the 12-minute point, Dymond had already ,pulled away from Holland, while Ryan was working on Cooper for third. Two laps later, Ryan motored past Cooper and trie.d setting his sights on Holland, who was a few seconds ahead of Ryan. Back in fifth, Kehoe was chasing Cooper, while Andrews looked on. However, two laps later (18 minutes into the race) Kehoe began dropping oH the pace with a nat tire. "I was comin~ in all the corners and I thought It was getting real slippery or something. Then coming down the downhill, I glanced down and I could see my tire wobbling on the rim. I then backed it down, so I could just finish. I didn't want th tire coming of£ the rim. The track was hard enough LO ride with good tires.., From that point on, Kehoe dropped further and further back. ear the end of the moLO, Dymond enjoyed a comfortable lead, while the only' real dice going on wa for econd between Holland and Ryan. A way back followed Cooper then Andrews and Warren. Dymond easily took the "'in, while Holland barely managed tc hold back Ryan for second. Cooper took fourth followed by Andrews, Warren, Honda rider Brooks, Kawasaki-mounted Tyson Vohland, local Honda rider Chris Coleman and Leisk. '.'I'm glad they had a restart," said Malcolm Smith Products-sponsored Cooper. "I fell on the first lap. In the second start, I got a good jump, but rocky tracks are my downfall. I'm not that fast on the rock. I'd rather have it dry and dusty." . "The jetting on my bike was a littleoH," aid Holland. "It wouldn't clean out on top." In between moLOS, Holland had his bike rejetted and he found himsel£ leading the start of the econd moLO ahead of Ryan. Ryan was on the move and passed Holland a few turns into the race. In third was Dymond followed by Coleman, Cooper, Warren, Brooks, Suzuki's Donny chmit and Kawasaki' Bader Manneh, By the end of the first lap, Ryan had built a three-second lead on Holland, who was busy trying LO keep Dymond at bay. Warren was holding oH Brooks (who was riding with a broken collarbone), Cooper and Lei k. Eight minutes into the molO, while cruising ahead of Holland and Dymond, Ryan crashed when he got crossed up in some slick, deep-groove ruts heading into a turn. "The crash knocked the wind out of me and George ~ot back by me, and Micky almost did." Ryan just did stay ahead of Dymond, and once he had regrouped, Ryan started closing in on the new leader, Holland. A lapand-a-half later, Ryan eyed Holland on the downhill and stuf£ed Holland at the bottom, retaking the lead. "In the long downhill," said Ryan, "I went down faster than George and took the inside line, and kind of took his line away." It was a short-lived lead, however, as Holland blasted back inLO the number-one spot a lap later. "I started pulling away from him (Holland) again," said Ryan, "but I got a flat tire." This immediately dropped Ryan to the rear of the pack, while Holland found himsel£ with the lead, a few seconds ahead of Dymond. Meanwhile, Kehoe had suf£ered his second flat tire of the day and dropped to the back of the pack. At the 20-minute point, it was obvious it was going to be a Hoiland/Dymond duel right down to the finish, a fight for the overall win, while Leisk held control of third over Warren, Brooks, Cooper and Suzuki's Ronnie Tichenor. As the race drew nearer to a close, Holland was maintaining a two- to three-second lead on Dymond. Hoiland was riding fast and smooth, forcing Dymond to push a little too hard. Three laps from the finish, the duel ended when Dymond crashed over a jump. Team Suzuki's George Holland won his third 125cc National of the year at Binghampton. He's moved back up to second in the point standings. "I was waiting until the end of the race to try and pass him," said Dymond. "Instead, I went down. I lost a little bit of traction going into the ruts on the jump, and I got sideways. My frOnt tire hit one rut and my back tire hit another rut I was just screwed up. When I got into the air, it was over. I just had to figure out where I was going LO land. " Dymond remounted in third, inches ahead of Warren, but couldn't hold Warren back. Warren took advanta~e of a stunned Dymond and slipped lOto third. With TWO laps to go, Holland raced by the mechanics area and got the news that Dymond had crashed. "I carne by and sawall the Suzuki guys waving their arms up in the air showing me I had a big lead," said Holland. "My pi t board read '+ 13' (meaning Holland held a 13-second lead), but I got a flat tire. I was a lillIe worried there." Even with the flat tire, Holland had built up enough of a cushion LO win the mOLO and take the overall. "He (Dymond) was pretty close," said Holland. "Then I started LO pull away from him a little, but I felt good and strong, and I wasn't gelling tired at all. I knew I could keep the pace the whole moLO, so I was thinking I had him." ''I'd like lO thank Ray, my mechanic, because he did a lot of work on my Suzuki in between motos. It was a whole di££erent bike after the first moto," said Holland. Leisk wound up taking second in the m<;>to followed by Warren, Dymond, Brooks, Cooper, Tichenor, Manneh and Coleman. Shaun Kalos rounded out the top 10. "My points are still good," said Dymond, "and with that, I could maybe win the Championship next week (Troy, Ohio), then all this stress will disappear. Hopefully, I'll win the next one and get it over, with." • Results 500 NATIONAL: 1. Ron Lechien IICaw} 1-2; 2. Jeff Ward (Kaw) 3-1; 3. Rick Johnson {Hon} 2·3; 4, Keilh Bowen (Yam) 5-4; 5. Mike Fisher (Kaw) 4-6; 6, Jell Slanlon (Yam) B·5; 7. Tommy Watts (Kaw) 7-7; B. Dennis Hawthorne (Kaw) 6-10; 9. Tom Carson (Hon) 10-9; 10. Ray Sommo{Hon} 14B; 11. Andy $lacy (Hon) 11-1 1; 12, Mickey Kessler (Kaw) 17-12; 13. Phil Larson 9·32; 14. Clifford Walker (Kaw) 1B-13; 15. Doug O'Donnell (Hon) 12, 36; 16. David Hand (Honl 16-1B; 17. David McLean (Hon) 13·33; lB. JoeWaddinglon IHan) 34-14; 19, Jim Kapilan (Hon}21 -15; 20. Mike Harneden (KTM) 15·24, 125 NATIONAL: 1. George Holland (Suz) 2-1; 2. Micky Dymond IHon} 1-4; 3. Eddie Warren (Kawl 5-3; 4. Jell Leisk (Yam) 10-2; 5. Guy Cooper (Honl 4-6; 6. Larry Brooks (Han) 7~5; 7. Fred Andraws IHon) 5- 11; B. Ronnie Tichenor (SuzI11-7; 9. Chris Coleman (Hon) 9·9; 10. Bader Manneh (Kaw) 13B; 11. Rick Ryan (Hon) 3-0; 12. cerlo Coen (Hon) 12·14; 13. Shoun Kalos (Yam) 1B-10; 14. Tyson Vohland (Kaw) B-O; 15. Scott Brown (Yam) 17-13; 16. Koilh Turpin (Suz) DNF-12; 17, Michl> Iones (Yam) 15-19; 1B. Mika Haaley (Cag) 14·1....':; 19, Donny Schmil (Suz) 0-16; 20. Todd DeHoop (Yam) 22·16. AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 500cc MX SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1, Rick Johnson (1 B9); 2. Jell Slanlan 1147}; 3. Mike Fisher (131); 4. Jell Ward (114); 5, Tommy Watts 1100); 6. Dannis Hawthorne {95}; 7, Ron Lechien IB9}; B. Jim Holley (77); 9. Jell Hicks (67~ 10, Tom Carson (65). AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP 125cc MX SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. Micky Dymond (409); 2. George Holland (354); 3. Jell Leisk (340); 4, Guy Coopar (336); 5. Larry Brooks (307); 6. Rick Ryan 1294); 7. Erik Kahoe 12B2}; 8. Donny Schmil (255); 9. Eddie Warren (227); 10. Fred Andrews (196). 15

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