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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126978
Suzuki support rider Donny Schmit (401) briefly led Cooper (1 5) early in the fi rst 125cc mota. Schmit went 3-2 for second overall. Cooper swept both 125cc motes, thus capturing his f irst-ever National overall victory. He's now third in the point standings . 8 nie Tichenor said, "Me, (Willie) Surratt, (Keith) Turpin and Vince (DeVane ) all went down in the whoops. 1 was tryi ng to pass some guy, and I got a little sideways and Willie rammed into me, and we went off th e track. I guess Vince got sideways, too, and Keith plowed into him ." Surratt and Tu rpin wer e battered en ough to drop out, while Tiche nor a nd DeVane went on to finish 10th and 14th. By th e th ird lap, Cooper ha~ found the lead and gained a few bik e lengths on Schmit. Manneh was trai ling in third bu t Kehoe was moving up in fourth. About 10 minutes into the race, Kehoe passed Manneh wh en the Kawasaki nder landed short on a double j ump a nd Kehoe flew by. It was also about this time when Ryan, wh o was runnin ~ a ro u nd sixth , cra s hed over a Jump a n d was kn ocked unconscious. " I don 't know wha t happened," said Ryan. " So meo ne said 1cased the Ward (3 ) crashed during the first lap in the first 500cc moto. Here he tr ies to get back underway before most of the pack thunders by. jump a nd went over th e bars, and the bike hit me, knocking me out." Ryan event ua lly walked off th e tra ck a nd was able to rid e th e second rnoto. Sh ortl y aft er , Leisk also crashed hard a nd took a trip to th e hospi tal wi th a broken collarbo ne. H e was th ird in th e po int standings. Meanwhil e, up front , Cooper enjoyed a bo u t a five-second lead o n Schm it, wh o was bein g tailed by Keh oe. About th e 25 minute mark, Keh oe sn uc k by his Suzuki teammat e a nd into seco nd. Manneh main tained co n tro l of fourth but was being hounded by H olland, who was feeling the effects of th e flu . Back in six th , Dymond was cruising after spending the first half of th e moto in 13th, trying to pass H onda rid er Fred Andrews. Behind Dymond was Honda rid er Brooks, who was being do gged by Yamahamounted Sh aun Kalos. Two lap s from th e finish and despite having th e flu , Holland slipped by Manneh for fourth. At the fini sh it was Coo per, Keh oe, Schmit, H olland, Manneh , Brooks a nd Kal os. Cooper, wh o said between motos he was more concerned ab out points mo re than he was worried ab out winn ing the second moto, shot o ut of the ga te a nd into th e lead in round tw o. H e was chased by Schm it, Kawasaki 's Eddi e Warren , Holland, Tichenor, Keh oe, Ryan , Manneh , Brooks, Mu sslem an , Suzuki rider J eff Frisz a nd Dymond. Once out in front, Cooper changed h is strategy a nd decided to go all ou t a nd try for the o vera ll. After ab out 10 minutes, he had devel oped a so me wha t comfortabl e lead over ' Schmit, whi le Holland, T ichenor, R ya n , Kehoe and Brooks had dropped Warren back to ninth. ·Near the halfway point, Cooper had it in cruise control wi th about a seven second lead on Schmit, who maintained a slight margi n over a tight Ho lla nd /Tic he nor/ Rya n / Kehoe dogfigh t. Beh ind them raged a nother baule between Brooks, Dymond , Warren and Manneh. Kehoe eventuall y slipped passed Ryan for fifth but crashed while trying to pass Tich enor, letting Ryan back by. Kehoe regrouped, however, and repassed Ryan , th en T ich enor .a nd Holland. At this point (25 minutes) the battles in th e top 10 positions had d eminished, and all eyes were focused on Cooper, who held a sevensecond lead on Schmit. " It was like at Axton (Virgi nia) where 1 won th e first moto and was o ut in fro nt in the second moto," said Cooper. " Bu t thi s trac k suited me better, and 1 got into th e groove and rode hard. At th e halfway point, 1 sa id to myself, 'I'm not tired,' Then Jayni gav e me th e four lap sign and 1 thought, 'I know 1 ca n finish it.": Cooper d id hold on and fin ished with th e win, concluding a I-I moto : sweep. Second went to Sc hm it followed by Keho e, Holland, Tichenor, Dymond, Ryan , Manneh, Brooks, Warren, Andrews and Frisz. " I defini tely have to than k my sponsors Ameri can H onda, Malcolm Smith Products, FMF, Scott USA, Acerbis, Silkolene, Dunlop and Arai Helmets," said Cooper. " Witho u t their help, I wo ul dn't hav e been abl e to do it." Keh oe, who fini shed third overa ll, said, " I didn 't hav e a very good start, a nd it took me too long to get by Tich enor a nd Holland. Bv the time I fin all y go t by, I was worn OUl. If I cou ld o nly get my starts down." • Results 125 NATIONA L: 1. Guy Cooper (Hon) 1·1 ; 2. Donny Schm it (SUl) 3·2; 3. Erik Kehoe (SOl) 2· 3; 4. George Holland (SUl) 4·4; 5. Micky Dymond (Hon) 6-6 ; 6. Bader Manneh (Kaw) 5-8; 7. Ron Tichenor (SUl) 10-5; 8. Larry Brooks (Hon) 7-9 ; 9. Robert Naughton (Hon) 13-15 ; 10. Eddie Warren (Kaw ) 11·10; 11. Fred Andrews (Hen) 12 -11 ; 12. Todd DeHoop (Yam) 9-17; 13. Vince DeVane (SUl) 14-1 4; 14. Rick Ryan (Hon) DNF-7; 15 . Sheun Kalos (Yam) 8 -DNF; 16. Dean Matson (Hon) 18-1 3; 17 . M ichael Jones (Yam) 15-16 ; 18 . Jeff Frisz (SUl) 24-12; 19. Jason Upshaw (Hen) 16-18 ; 20 . Scon Brown (Yam) 17-1 9. 500 NATIONAL: 1. Rick Johnson (Hon) 1- 1; 2. M ike Fisher (Kaw) 2-3; 3. Ron Lachien (Kaw) 42; 4. J eff Stant on (Yam) 3-4 ; 5. Keith Bow en (Yam) 6-5; 6. Ray Sommo (Hon) 5-7; 7. Jim Holley (Yam) 8-8; 8. Tommy Wans (Kaw ) 11-6; 9. Billy Frank (Yam) 7-10; 10. Tom Carson (Hon) 10- 9; 11. Ross Pederson (Yam) 12-1 1; 12. Denn is Hawthorne (Kaw) 13-12 ; 13. Clay Hoen shell (Kaw) 15-1 3; 14. David Hand (Hon) 14 · 14; 15. Jeff Ward (Kaw) 9DNF; 16. Mark M icelli (Hon) 17-15 ; 17. Mark Mclaren (Kaw ) 16-1 6; 18. Gary Butc her (Hon) 1817; 19. Dean Lane (KTM) 29 ·19; 20. David McLe an (Hon) 19-DNF. ' 125 cc AMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS HIP MX POINT STANDINGS : 1. M icky Dymond (439); 2. George Holl and (3OO); 3. Guy Cooper (386); 4. J eff Leisk (340); 5. Larry Brooks (333); 6. Erik Kehoe (324); 7. Rick Ryan (308); 8. Donny Schm it (297); 9. Eddie Warren (248); 10. Fred Andrews (21 5). 500cc AMA NATIONAL CHAM PIONSHIP MX POINT STANDINGS: 1. Rick Johnson (239); 2. J eff Stanton (185); 3. Mike Fisher (17 3); 4. Ron Lachien (12 9); 5. Jeff Ward (126); 6. Tomm y Wans (125); 7. Dennis Hawth orn e (112); 8. J im Holley (103); 9. Keith Bow en (OO); 10. Tom Carson (88).