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/127212
O"l 00 O"l ...... ......"' ...... .... Cl) ..0 o .... u o Mike laRocco (19) edged Matiasevich for third in the first 125cc moto and took fifth in moto two for fourth overall. his best finish of the season. Jeff Ward (5) passed Bayle to w in both 500cc motos and take his third overall victory in four Nationals. He leads the six-race series by 16 points. Privateers Dav id Hand (42). Tom Carson .(25 ). Kurt McMillen (3 2 ) and Fred Andrews (17) led the charge altha start of the second 500cc moto. in one of his best fini sh es o u tdoors thi s sea son. " I didn 't ride as well as I co u ld have," La Rocco said. " I h aven 't won o ne all year and I don 't have much time left." Cooper was sixth over Gadd is, while local favorite Mik e J on es took eig h th a hea d of Brook s a nd Steve Childress. 500cc M ike Kiedrowski (762) fell twice in the second 1 25cc moto and missed the chance to gain on series points-leader Bradshaw. Sta nton led everyone to the first tum at th e start o f th e first 500ccc moto, but the Fr en chma n Ba yl e swep t a ro u nd th e o u tside to lead th e procession. Ward began th e ra ce third ahead of Steve Lamson, 500cc National Champion R ick J ohnson, Kurt McMillen and Lech ien. A few turns into the rac e McMillen fell over in a corner, taking Lechien and Micky Dymond with him. Bayl e quickly surged ahead as Ward moved by Stanton and Johnso n took over fourth. The four riders q uickly sp re a d out with a few seconds between eac h to begin what loo ked li ke a parade for most of the rnoto. 8 " It 's been a lo ng , hard season," he said. " I' ve been trying ha rd and finall y won it. I would've liked to have won a rnoto; last week I was close and then again this week. Hopefully, next week." LaRocco took fifth in th e moto and fourth overall behind Tichenor Lechien got up and running near last, but began a fight through the pack that saw him pass several riders and then Dymond. But hi s drive came to a tragic end on th e fourth la p. Reportedly, Lechien got off line approaching a long tabl e-top jump and the outide line sh ot him up with the rear of the Kawasaki co mi ng up much higher than the front. This is normal Lechien style, but he apparently landed beyond the la nding ramp of the jump and he was driven into th e ground by the bike before ca rtwhee lin g into the distance. While the attention turned to th e downed rider, Ward was slowly reel ing in Bayle. On lap 10 of the l2-lap moto, Ward got by Bayl e while Stanton slip ped back and was passed by Johnson, setting up the top four fini shing positions. " We were in lappers,' exp la ined Ba yle. " I tried to go outside, and I th in k Ward yelled and th ey moved ove r for him but pushed m e out." " We sh o u ldn' t have cha nged th e bike from last week," sa id Stanton, add ing that his bike wa sn 't handling as well as it did th e previous week when h e won. " We did a nd I got beat. " Lamson stayed in fifth throughout th e race aboard his 360cc Yamaha an d was never in danger from six thplace finisher Fred Andrews. Doug Dubach , also aboard the 360cc-kit Yamaha YZ250, had to pass nearly th e ent ire pack to get seventh over T om Carson and Yamaha teammate Sha u n Kalos, while Dymond came back from his first- lap pileup to round o u t the top 10. " Fo u r or five people went down near th e sta rt and I got stuck on th e wrong side of a hill," said Dubach. "T here wa s a guy on top o f me a n d I co u ld n' t move. I wa s o u t of operatio n for about 30 seconds." Dubach got a better start in rnoto two as he cam e out fourth behind h ol eshot-winner Carson , David Hand a n d Bayle. It wasn't long, how ever, before Bayle occu p ied first a head o f Stanton, Ward and Johnso n. On th e third lap Stanton and Ward went ba ck and forth in a fierce battle, th en a lap la ter Ward took second for good. It only took Ward a couple o f laps to pull Bayle in , then he ' grabbed the lead for good on the sixth lap . Bayle also dropped back behind Stanton but was well clear of Johnson. . " In Europe Bayle's so far above everyone he can ease off, " Ward to ld the spectators after win ning the rnoto. " I knew I cou ld push and get him. I wish Ro n Lechien all the best. " The only other pass within the top five came when Bayle stalled in a comer and Stanton got by. Bayle tailed ' h im to the finish but was unable to charge due to a sore wrist from hitting a hole in the track. Johnson once again had a frustrating ride, finishing alone in fourth as he was unab le to stay near the top three. " I'm trying everything (to come back from wrist and chest injuries)," said Johnson, " m aybe trying too hard. I'm not doing a n yth in g outside of motocross, I have to put some fun back in my life. I'm not having fun out there at a ll. " Win n in g is the worst drug of all," h e continued. "Once you win you want to keep winning. But I'm not a nd I'm doing everything I know how. It br eaks m y heart because I know I sho u ld be winning and I'm not. " Dymond go t by Dubach ear ly in th e mota to fini sh a lonely fifth , his best finish of the series as he stru ggles wiih a foot injury. " I onl y went at a very co m fortable speed, I didn't want to push it ," said Dymond. "I've been on the ground so much I didn't want to end up th ere again. I'm sti ll rea l cautious in right turns with my foot; it's still tender." Ka los took seventh and McMillen fought through to eig h th over Lamson and Carson. • Results 125 : 1. Jeff Matiasevich (Kawl 4-2; 2. Guy Cooper (Han) 1-6; 3. Ron Tiche nor (Suz) 8-1; 4. Mike laRocco (Yam) 3-5; 5. Donny Schmit (Honl 6-3 ; 6. J immy Gaddis (Suz) 7-7; 7. Mike Kiedrowski (Hon) 2-17 ; 8. Steve Childress (Suz) 13·10; 9. Erik Kehoe (Suz) 11·12; 10. Damon Bradshaw (Yam) DNF·4; 11. Larry Ward (Han) 12-13 ; 12. Jeff Emig (KawI5-21 ; 13. Mika J onas (Vaml DNF-8; 14 . Jeff Glass (Han) 10-19 ; 15. Larry Brooks (Honl DNF9; 16 Buddy Antunez (Suz) 16·14; 17. Keith Bowe n (Suzl 9·DNF; 1B. Ty Davis (Suz) 15-16; 19. Jimmy Butt on (Han) 30-11 ; 20 . Stacey Cool< (Han) 17-1 5. 500: 1. Jeff Ward (Kaw) 1-1; 2. Jean ·Michel Bayle (Han) 2-3 ; 4. Jeff Stanton (Hon) 4 -2; 4 . Rick Johnson (Han) 3-4; 5. Doug Dubach (Yam) 7-6; 6. Steve Lamson (Yam)5 -9; 7. Micky Dymond (Yam) 10-5; 8. Shaun Kalas (Yam) 9-8; 9. Tom Carson (Han) B-l0; 10. Kun McMillen (Han) 12-8; 11. Mike Stahlman (Yam) 14- 12; 12. Fred Andrews (Han) 8-DNF; 13. Mike Fisher (Kaw) 17-11 ; 14. J oe Maurer (Han) 13-15; 15. Dag Boyesen (Kawl 1117; 16 . Ray Sommo .(Hon) 16 -14; 17 . Greg Zinerkopf (ATKI34-13 ; lB. Michael Voung (ATKI 18-18; 19. Keith Johnson (KawI15-30; 20 . James Kapitan (HonI 21-16. AMA NATIONAL CHAM PIONSHIP 125cc M X SERIES POINTS STANDINGS; 1. Damon 8radshaw (4061; 2. (TIE) Guy CooperI M ike Kiedrowsk i (387 ); 4. Donny Schmit (3541; 5. (TIE) George Holl andl Mike laRocco (3 181 7. Larry Ward (293); 8. Jeff ; Matiasevich (2781; 9. Erik Kehoe (229 ); 10 . Ty Davis (199); 11. Todd DeHoop (173); 12. Denny Stephen son (1471; 13 . J immy Gaddis (14 6); 14 . Ron Tichenor (126); 15 . Jeff Emi g (921 16 . Dale ; Spangl er (891 17. Steve Childress (791; 18. M ichae l ; Craig (75); 19 . Johnny O'M ara (67 ); 20. Will ie Surr att (59 ). AMA NATIONA L CHAMPIONSHIP 500cc MX SERIES POINTS STANDINGS: 1. Jeff Ward (181); 2. Jeff Stanton (165); 3. Rick John son (145); 4 . Doug Dubach (127); 5. Ron Lechie n(l 06); 6. Steve Lamso n (10 2); 7. Je an-Michel Bayle (86); 8. Fred Andrews (82); 9. Shoun Kalas (74); 10. Mike Fisher ( 70~ 11. Kun McM ill en (62); 12. Brian Manl ey (56); 13. Tyson Vohl and (551 14. Chris Coleman (42); ; 15. Tom Carson (411; 16. (TIE) Micky Dymond/Joe Maure r (381 18. (TIE) Dog Boyesenl Jeff Hicksl ; James Kapitan