Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

front of the biggest crowd ever: 70,000 people. That night I won my heat, my erni and the main. It was a great way to start off the season, and I was aware for a number of years that the person who won Anaheim went on to win the title." (Donnie Hansen and David Bailey won the event in 1982 and 1983, respectively, and went on to win the upercross title the same year.) While no doubt stoked out on his supercross title, a'Mara desperately wanted to defend his hard-earned 125cc National Championship. Now down to a two-man race, Ward and a'Mara were again dispatched to the 125cc division by their factory bosses in order to duke it out for the number-one plate. For a'Mara, it would a spring and summer of discontent. "I didn't neglect the 125cc class, but I had someone pretty gnarly behind me: jeff Ward," he says. "I can't say I won three 125cc titles, but I had some pretty serious guys behind me during those years, and me and Wardy certainly had some great battles - a very tight rivalry and he really wanted the championship." Ward won the fir t round of the series in Florida. Then, at round two at Saddleback, a'Mara, despite hitting the gravel in the first moto, won the overall in a race that would set the calamitous tempo for the entire season. "Johnny was training hard and I was just riding and lifting weights, but I knew that for the 1984 season I was going to have to start training," says jeff Ward. "It got very competitive, and at round two at Saddleback, I took him out on the last lap of the first moto. We went down into this ravine, where at the bottom we would turn left and head back up an uphill that had a fast outside line that shot you up the bank and up the hill. There was also a tight inside line in tha t corner. I wen t in to tha t section about 10 bike lengths back from Johnny, and at the last second, dove for the inside. I thought I had him, and we collided. I remember he straightened up when I cut in front of him and he could have grabbed a handful and slammed on the brakes, but he didn't - I wouldn't have, either - and we collided and he hit the ground. I ended up getting the better of him and he was pissed off! He thought it was deliberate. In the second mota, I got to the front first and we just went back and forth the entire moto. He won by a bike length after he won a drag race to the finish." And although they would trade mota wins and the majority of the 1984 Nationals, Ward would win eight overalls to a'Mara's two. Truth be told, this would become the telltale sign of the entire campaign. "It was a seesaw battle all summer," explains Ward of the struggle. "He'd win the first mota and 1'd win the second. I ended up winning three races with a 1-1, and because we split mota wins at most of the races, those points were enough for me to win the championship. "If it wasn't for johnny a'Mara, my level wouldn't have been as high, and I think it was the same for him with me," adds Ward. "We both trained very hard, and [ think Johnny maybe overstrained at times. It seemed like he got tired a few times tllat sunlmer, and when I was in front, he couldn't break my lead. I think I may have broke him because it happened so many times, and I got a Jot of confidence from that." CN (Continued next week) HOTELS AVAILABLE Beach or 1.la•• Airfare DiscouDts CODlplete Bike Week Trayel Packages with AUlHoteI/C... Reat" Call 10.. prices CaD NOW to set yo... e olee of kotel.! OVERSEAS BIKE TRIPS KENNY ROBERTS TRAI ING RANCH plus BARCELONA GRAND PRIX plus DUTCH GRAND PRIX June 13-27 Train for 2 days with Randy Mamola and see 2 GPs back to back Tours inc1ude airfare, hotels, race tickets, car or motorcycle rental. Dates are (Jexible. Call for details nnd prices,or vjsit www.truvelcraft.com HIMALAYAS! EXPEDITION TO THE TOP OF THE WORLD August 1-13 Ride some of the most remote roads on the planet, riding above 18,000 feet. Expedition includes airfare, hotels, camping, most meals, and motorcycle. Call for details and prices. or visit www.travelcr.aft.com '" '" '" - 25

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