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/127184
Ward stole the spotlight in front of 38,653 spectators. Jeff Ward's (5) win in Tampa was his first supercross win in over a year. Johnny O'Mara (20) took second. Mike Kiedrowski (762) passes John Kitsch (215). Kiedrowski went on to win the Eastern Regional 125cc main over Damon Bradshaw. AMA Camel Supercross Series: Round 9 Ward tops 'em in Tampa By Kit Palmer TAMPA, FL, MAR. 25 Team Kawasaki's· Jeff Ward captured his first win of the 1989 Camel Supercross Series by taking an early lead in the Coors Extra Gold Super Challenge main event in Tampa 6 Stadium and then holding off a threatening Johnny O'Mara throughout the race. When the checkered flag flew, Ward led Team Suzuki's O'Mara across the finish line by three bike lengths. Taking a distant third was Ward's teamm-ate Ron Lechien, who was tailed by Honda's Guy Cooper and Yamaha's Shaun Kalos. The win was Ward's first upercross victory since February of last year when he won the Houston Supercross. Ward, who missed the first half of the series because of an ankle injury suffered at the series opener in Anaheim, California, and who has no chance of winning the championship, was delighted with the win. "Although I'm out of contention as far as points, I still want to win races," said Ward, the 1985 and 1987 upercross champ. ''I'm feeling real good, I've been practicing real hard and I think things are going to come around for me." The current series points leader, Team Honda's Jeff Stanton, had his three-race win streak come to a end when the transmission in his Honda broke early in the 20-lap main event while he was running third. However, Stanton still maintains a healthy series points lead with 176, while the injured defending champ, Rick Johnson, who did not ride in Tampa, is still in second with 147. Cooper, though, is. now just two points behind Johnson with 145 followed by O'Mara (133) and Lechien (130). In the Eastern Regional 125cc main, Honda's Mike Kiedrowski scored a narrow win over Yamaha's Damon Bradshaw, who fell early in the race and had to come from behind. Bradshaw passed early race leader Mike Jones on the last lap, displacing Jones to third, while Suzuki's Ty Davis finished fourth. Kawasaki rider Denny Stephenson rounded out the top five. More than 38,600 spectators turned out for the race and they saw close racing on a tight, short and hardpacked track. Average lap times were around 40 seconds. For winning the 250cc main event, Ward pocketed $5000 in gold coins out of a total $27,000 purse. O'Mara collected $3000 for second. In the I25cc class, Kiedrowski bagged $1000 out of a $5000 purse with Bradshaw earning $400. Heats Yamaha's Doug Dubach led the start of the first eight-lap heat race - where the top five riders would transfer to the main ~ but was later passed by Ward and O'Mara, who was celebrating his 27th birthday in Tampa. Ward set the pace and went on to win the heat with O'Mara a close second. Third went to Cooper who passed Dubach on the last lap. Fifth went to Suzuki rider Ray Sommo. For finishing sixth in what turned out to be the fastest heat race of the night, Honda rider David Hand earned a spot in the main. Team Suzuki's Erik Kehoe went to the semis after crashing hard over a double jump. Both Lechien and factory Honda rider George Holland crashed in the first turn at the start of the second heat tace and both riders headed to the semis, while Suzuki rider Mike Pascarella took a narrow win over Honda rider Larry Brooks. Brooks was the early leader but was passed by Pascarella at the halfway point. Pascarella and Brooks battled side-by-side for the rest of the race with Pascarella beating Brooks by a wheel length. Third went to Tuf Racing's Keith Bowen, who was followed by Canadian Allan Dyck and Kawasaki rider Keith Johnson. By maintaining second, the press corps voted Brooks winner of the Coors Extra Effort Award and he collected $1000 in gold coins. The third heat race saw Stanton take a fairly easy win after roosting by teammate Larry Ward two laps into the race. Ward was passed again late in the moto by Kalos, making the top five Stanton, Kalos, Ward, Suzuki's Todd DeHoop and Yamaha's Mike LaRocco. Suzuki's Ronnie Tichenor was involved in a first tum pile-up, which also put him into a semi. Semis The first eight-lap semi featured three factory riders: Lechien, Tichenor and Kehoe. Lechien took the holeshot, pulled away and easily took the win over Tichenor. Kehoe finished third, one spot out of the tranfers, so he had to ride the Last Chance Qualifier. Holland breezed to an easy win in the second semi. He led from start to finish over Honda-mounted Fred Andrews, who also earned a trip to the main. Last Chance Qualifier It was no surprise when Kehoe ran away and won the eight-lap LCQ. although he did have to pass Honda rider Tom Carson and Kawasakimounted Brian Manley early in the race. Kehoe was the last rider to make the main.