Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Johnny O'Mara (20) held off Ron Lechien to win the first heat, then took third in the main. Lechien fell in the main and finished 13th. horseshoe bend. Honda's George Holland was third at the time. Once in the lead, Stanton easily pulled away and would win by 3.2~ seconds. "I just wanted to get past him as soon as I could," Stanton said. "He made a mistake and I got by. There's lots of traction out there. It's definitelya night for the holeshot" As Stanton disappeared, the fight for second intensified. Holland was there from the fifth lap on with Shaun Kalos right on his tail and Dymond joining the fray after being passed by Stanton. As the race went on Dymond dropped farther back to finish fourth with Holland just holding Kalos back for second. Larry Ward was fifth and Carlos Coen sixth. Semis Suzuki's Ronnie Tichenor had crashed on the second lap of the second heat and was back in the first six·lap semi, which would put the top two finishers into the main. The start was his and, though he was hounded by Keith Bowen during the middle part of the race, he took the victory by about 50 yards. Bowen held second from' the end of the first lap on and would take the only other transfer from the race. The second semi was nearly identical to the first. Yamaha's Doug Dubach and Honda-mounted Kurt McMillen were the lirst pair through the first turn and neither would relinquish their spot Mike Fisher nearly passed McMillen, but mistakes on consecutive laps dulled his charge. Last Chance Qualifier The order exiting turn one and the order· across the finish line was identical and that was good news for only one rider, Kawasaki-moUnted Jeff Frisz. Frisz jumped out front with Kay Sommo in tow and Mike Fisher third. Though Sommo would make a last lap charge, Frisz would not be denied and held a three·length margin at the end of six laps. 250 Main Because thundershowers 'were expected for the North Jersey area, the program had been sped up, but not quite enough. As the 250s rolled to the line, what was a light drizzle turned to a downpour and the once tacky track became more of a quagmire. Kalos jumped out in front of the 21-rider field only to crash hard in the left-hand bend heading down the backstretch whoops. Lechien also got a bad start and crashed into fallen riders in his path. He remounted and finished 13th. Stanton was first over the finish line tabletop jump at the end of the first lap. Ward was hot on his trail with Dubach, Dymond, DeHoop, Holland and O'Mara following in order. A lap later Ward took over the lead which he held until he dropped out near the halfway mark with a bike that wouldn't shift Stanton knew that had Ward finished, he'd have won. "He had some good lines," said Staiuon. "I was trying to pick up on them. He used the inside line in one and that's where he made a good pass on me.. " . After eight laps, Ward was still ahead, with Stanton second and Dubach slipping around in third. Dymond was fourth with O'Mara fifth followed by LaRocco, Holland and Larry Ward. Dymond moved ahead of Dubach on the ninth lap with O'Mara still fifth ahead of a scuffle involving Cooper, Larry Ward and Holland. O'Mara said that he was just getting going at this point, although the rain was washing the mud off the track, leaving exposed plywood. Any hope Dubach had for a top three finish vanished in a pile on the 12th lap when he tangled with a lapped rider. "I had trouble with a lapper, Jeff Frisz, and we both went down," Dubach said. "I think I got back up to seventh. It was slippery with the rain coming down and I was in third when it happened." Frisz finished 19th. Stanton had a hard time keeping upright the last few laps, falling twice, but the win was his and with it the 25 points. "I won, I'll take it," said Stanton. "I wasn't riding as good as I should have. I couldn't get into the rhythm of the track. It didn't suit me. 1 fell twice in the final and picked myself up and just kept going." Dymond held on for second, felling better than he has this year and optimistic about the rest of the season. "I've been working so hard and I want to win one," he said. "I'm getting there. All my injuries are healed up aild I get stronger every race. As the mud got worse I stuck with the pace and found 1 could stay with it" Vision problems hampered O'Mara near the race's end, but by then his third was secure. "My roll-off wasn't working and it was hard to see," said O'Mara. "Two laps from the end 1 went off the track. I was using the same lines 1 used in my heat, but it was .like grease. The important thing is we caught up some points on Lechien and Cooper. As long as Suzuki is in the winner's circle, I feel good. I'd Damon Bradshaw grabbed, the holeshot at the start of the 125cc main and scooted away to a 1O-second win over Mike Kiedrowski. sure like to win; I've been pretty close. " Cooper was fourth, getting the best of his battle with fellow riders Ward and Holland and he said he had added incentive in the final. "My meChanic wanted me to get Larry Ward real bad," Cooper said. "I fell early; LaRocco took me out. I was a little disappointed in LaRocco because 1 thought we were pretty good friends. 1 was on the outside and he came across and tagged me. It bent my clutch perch." Although he. conceded fourth to Cooper, Ward was happy with his best-ever finish on a 250. The Seattle resident, who rides the 125cc outdoor Nationals and 125cc Western Region Supercross races, said, "I crashed in the first turn and got away almost dead last. I got up to fourth then Guy caught me with two laps to go. 1 came from a long way back to get fifth and I'm happy." Behind Ward came Holland, Dubach, LaRocco, Kehoe and DeHoop. In the 250cc main, ~uy Cooper was fourth and is second in points. 125 Main Each of the two six-lap 125cc heats featured 2.0 riders, nine of whom would goilirectly to the main. When the gate dropped for the 15lap main event, Damon Bradshaw moved quickly to dispel any drama. After getting the holeshot, he set a pace no one came close to matching, leading by close to nine seconds at the halfway mark and stretching it to the end. Although a light rain had begun at the start of the race, Bradshaw wasn't fazed. "I fell like 1 rode real good," the 16-year·old from Charlotte, North Carolina, said. "I got a good start then just kept going." Bradshaw said that he'd hurt his left arm in a crash on the second lap of his heat race, but by the time the final rolled around he'd pronounce9- it fit Bill Whitley held second until the fourth lap when he dropped back leaving Barry Carsten in the place position ahead of Jeff Glass and Mike Kiedrowski. On lap five Kiedroswki dropped Glass back to fourth ahead of a charging Denny Stephenson. Stephenson moved into fourth on the sixth lap, as Kiedrowski secured' his eventual second place finish. Stephenson took over third with five laps to go moving Carsten back to fourth, where he'd end up. Dale Spangler moved into fifth with Glass holding onto sixth. • Results . 250: 1. Jeff Stanton (Hon); 2. Micky Dymond. (Yam); 3. Johnny O'Mara (Suz~ 4. Guy Cooper (Hon); 5. larry Ward (Hon); 6. George Holland (Hon); 7. Doug Dubach (Yam); 8. Mike laRocco (Yam); 9. Erik Kehoe (Suz); 10. Todd DeHoop (Suz); 11. Keith 80wen (Suz); 12. Ron Tichenor (Suz); 13. Ron Lechien (Kaw); 14. larry 8rooks (Hon); 15. Kurt McMillen (Hon); 16. Fred Andrews (Hon); 17. Mike Pascarella (Suz); 18. Carlo Coen (Suz); 19. Jeff Frisz (Kaw); 20. Shaun Kalos (Yam). 125; 1. Damon Bradshaw (Vam); 2. Mike Kiedrowski (Hon); 3. Denny Stephenson (Kaw); 4. 8arry Carsten (Suz); 5. Dale Spangler (Suz); 6. Jeff Glass (Hon); 7. Jason Langford (Vam); 8. Chris Coleman (Kaw);. 9. 8ryan Carrol (Suz); 10. Greg 80wen (Hon); 11. Ken Kizzar (Suz); 12. Jim Chester (Suz); 13. Mike Morris (Suz); 14. Rodney Phillips (Vam); 15. Mark Pillion (Hon); 16. Kurtis 8arrow (Vam); 17. Steve Childress (Suz); 18. Dennis Decker; 19. Peter Jastrewski (Hon); 20. Rick Pinney (lion). 250 CAMEL SUPERCROSS SERIES POINT STANDINGS; 1. Stanton (261); 2. Cooper (221) 3. Lechien (203); 4. O'Mara (197); 5. (TIE) Rick Johnson/Ron Tichenor (147); 7. Kalas (139); 8. (TIE) Doug Dubach/Jeff Ward (137); 10. Kehoe (109). . 125 EAS"TERN REGIONAL STANDINGS: 1. 8radshaw (197); 2. Kiedrowski (191); 3. Stephenson (161); 4. carsten (102); 5. Ty Davis (90); 6. La~ford (86); 7. Coleman (83~ 8. Spangler (81); 9. (TIE) Mike Jones/Kizzar (74).

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