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/127194
Runner-up Ron Lechien (4) le ad s Doug Dubach (16), winner Jeff Wa rd (5) and th ird-place fin isher Johnny O 'Mara (20) through the first turn at the start of the main . Lechien kept Ward a few seconds behind for 18 la ps until he fe ll when he hit a tire in a rutted corner. Guy Cooper (1 0), from nearby S t illw a ter, was t he loca l he ro a nd c ha rged hard a ll day. After a ba d start in the m ai n he worked up to fourth . Damon Bradshaw (45 ) and Mike Kiedrowski battled in the 125cc main . Bradshaw couldn't hold him off, but took the Eastern Regional title. fough t for first a nd th e only tra nsfer throughout the six-la p LCQ. and th e race was decided at the whi te flag. That's wh en Sommo got alo ngs ide Thomson over a j ump befo re a whoop section. T he two touched a nd T homso n was forced off his line. H e then cras hed in the whoops trying to hold Sommo off, and Sommo cru ised o n to take the win. Main 10 Lechien led th e 2 I-rider char ge int o the first turn to start the main event wi th Ward, Voh land, O 'Mara , Stanton, Holland and Dubach tra ilin g. Lechien and Ward quickl y left Voh land, wh ile O 'M ar a held off Stanton's attemp ts to get by in the early laps. " We hit, and I think th at 's wh y he backed off," O 'Mara said. " If he wo u ld've go tten me he probably wo uld 've held third the wh ole way." Lechie n a nd Ward were way o ut front in tight formation when O' Mara took over third wh en Vohland began to slip back. Stanton, who began developing problem s wi th his clutch , backed off and let O 'Mara go. Vohland still held fifth over H olland and Dubach , wh o had a ch argi n g Cooper on his tail. Cooper stayed on the gas after his poor start and got by Dubach and H olland, th en was handed fi fth when Voh land cras hed. " I had to move over on th e start lin e," Cooper said, " and my spot was m ushy and I just kept sin king in th e dirt. I sho uld' ve star ted in first gea r because I bogged and got a real disappoin ting start. " Up front, Lechi en couldn' t get away from Ward, and a t the halfway point the pair held a IS-second advantage on O'Mara. Stanton was a di stant fou rth with Cooper slowly moving in, while further back Dubach , H olland a n d Bo wen were engaged in a tight battle over sixth . A few laps lat er and the leaders were lapp ing up to l I th pl ace, and Ward was abl e to get right on Lech ien as they encount ered a 'string of lap ped rider s. Once they were thro ug h the pack, th ough, Lechien was able to mov e away just slig htly. Cooper contin ued to charge and had Stanton in sight by lap IS, he th en reeled his teammate in and too k fourth two la ps later. Stanton di dn't put up a figh t. • " I was just coasting around, and figured . mi gh t as well let Cooper by to gain some points," Stan ton said. " He was riding conserva tively," sai d Cooper. " He was yelling " get it, get it " as I went by." It looked like th e top five were set, but then Lechi en went down on lap ,18. "Ther e was a p ie ce o f a tire sticking ou t of a rut, my front tire hit it and went out from under me," said Lechien . " I' d gone over it four or five tim es before." T he m istake was all Ward needed and he stayed a few seco nds ahead of his teammat e to th e end. O 'Mara was a di stant thi rd with Cooper still moving in , and Sta nton crossed the