Rick Johnson captured his second AMA National Championship of the year when he clinched the 500cc tide in Troy after topping both-motos .
Johnson sprays the crowd with champagne after wrapping up his first
500cc Championship. He also recently clinched his third 250cc title.
AMA 125/500ec National Championship MX
Series: Rounds 11/5
Johnson clinches title;
'Cooper tops 125s
By Kit Palmer
T ROY, O H , AUG. 8
Team Honda's Rick Johnson collected the
first 500cc National Championship of his
career after sweeping both 500cc motos at
Kenworthy's GP Club MX Track, while Guy
Cooper captured his first-ever
National overall in the 125cc
I
c ~~s.
.
It feels great; It feels excel-
6
lent, " is all Johnson could say before
getting mobbed by hundreds of fans
immediately following his championship-clinching second rnoto,
start-to-finish victory. "I didn't think
I was 'going to be able to pull it off
a race ahead of time, but it feels real
good."
The Life's A Beach /Moto-X Fox!
Acerbis/Dunlop/Bell Helmet/Oakley-backed Johnson also said, " I
worked hard for it (the championship ) last year but didn't make it, but
I made it this year."
Johnson's victory came just after
the southern Californian inked a
new outside-the-industry sponsor New York Se lzer, a soft drink
company.
Second overa ll went to Kawasaki
support rider Mike Fisher who went
2-3, edging factory Kawasaki rider
Ro n Lec hien, who tallied a 4-2
combo,
.
Just as happy as Johnson - if no t
more - was Honda privateer rider
~per: w~o joined J~hnson in the
winner s c~rcle after ~Cl~g the 125cc
class, beating Suzuki nders Donn y
Schmit (3-2), Erik Kehoe (2-3) and
George Holland (4-4).
Cooper was estatic. "I'm super
happy," said Cooper. "I can't wait
to call home and tell my parents."
Instead of kissin~ the trophy girl
in the winner's CIrcle afterwards, '
Cooper skipped the tradition and
kissed his wife, Jayni, instead. "I
have to thank Jayni a lot," said
Cooper. " We work good together as
a team. "
Series points leader in the 125cc
class , Team Honda's Micky Dymond
also had a shot at wrapping up the
class championship at Troy but
landed just one point shy after
placing fifth overall with a 6-6 score.
"I just wasn't riding good, today,"
said Dymo nd. Dymond leads H olland by 49 points with one round
left to go .
An estimated 8000 spectators lined
the extremely lo ng, dust-free track
that weaved 10 and out of the trees.
The course featured many j umps and
was called a "stretched out supercross" by Team Kawasaki's Jeff
