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/127976
Not surprisingly, O'Mara isn't very impressed by the training regimen of today's current crop of stars. As they are seemingly more interested in video premieres and the flash-and-glam world of supercross, the former training "animal" believes there is a lot of room for improvement as far as sweat and desire is concerned. "I don't think they work as hard as David and I did," he says. "These riders should learn from what I did. That's what I had to do when I turned professional. All of us were totaUy dedicated, and there was nothing else but motocross and winning. We were hardcore guys, and I think there are a few guys that train hard now, but not at the level aU of us did. These guys today are phenomenal riders and have pushed the sport to another level, but back then we were riding 45-minute motos and it was always a struggle. R.c. will set the new tempo, and until everyone else matches what he is doing, he will keep dominating. Ezra Lusk also busts his bu tt. Those two in particular - and maybe Kevin Windham, though I'm not sure about his work ethic yet - are going to be great riders if they keep working." Montgomery, who watched O'Mara rise from humble beginnings to become one of the world's best-conditioned athletes, says, "Withol,lt a doubt, Johnny is the most competitive person I've ever been around. I've been a'round Dave Scott, Lance Armstrong and Greg LeMond, and no one took a loss or trained harder than O'Mara. Johnny's training was so much greater than the guys' today. For Johnny, it aU came back to commitment, perseverance, preparation and pure desire, because he came from nothing. When he was a kid, he couldn't even buy a Slurpee because he was always so broke. 0 factory rider since him has come from being a teenager with no money in his pocket to become a champion. He- had to win. There was no question about that from the time he was 16 years old. No one has ever gone that fast and come from so little." Today, O'Mara has settled into a more comfortable lifestyle and lives in Southern California, where he is a happily married man. "I've been married to Gina for two year ," he says. "I met her through a mutual friend in 1991, the first year after I retired, and it's going real well." Today, when Johnny O'Mara wanders the pits at an AMA National motocross or supercross representing Oakley or keeping an eye on R.c., he walks with a quiet confidence that can only come from one who has been there - one who has seen both the good and the bad. To countless enthusiasts around the world (including this one), the O'Show personifies everything great about the sport. Because of his charisma, style, dedication, and his never-say-die, winning spirit, Johnny O'Mara is an indelible part of the folklore and soul that make motocross the beautiful and violent sport that it is. And while it may have taken a few years to come to terms with it, O'Mara has also become comfortable with the reality of David Bailey's situation. The two ha ve warmed to their roles as the wise old men of motocross. "Yes, he's my best friend," says Bailey. "Things have come around for us. For some reason, now we have this thing where everything is cool, there are no problems and the (wheel) chair isn't a problem for him anymore. We've come back around. And somehow we've both managed to find wives named Gina. Yeah, he's still my best friend. I have that, and it's cool." _ San Diego SUpere1'OSS • January 16,1999 Buy your Supercross Tickets Irom These Participating Yamaha Dealers and receive your Iree early-entry pass. Plus enter to win the 1999 Toyota/yZ Giveaway. Alba Yamaha Corona Yamaha Fun Bike Center Imperial Valley Cycle Center Mission Yamaha Moto Pro Moto World of EI Cajon North County Yamaha San Diego's House of Motorcycles' Smitty's Yamaha Cycle Center South Bay Yamaha Yamaha Lemon Grove 12255 Poway Road 1245 Pomona Road 4689 Convoy Drive 1334 North Imperial 25891 Crown Valley Pkwy 1425 South Coast Hwy 660 EI Cajon Blvd 1315 Las Villas Way 4904 EI Cajon Blvd 730 Palm Avenue 1West 35th Street 7345 Broadway Poway Corona San Diego EI Centro Laguna Niguel Oceanside EI Cajon Escondido San Diego Imperial Beach National City Lemon Grove 619/486·4380 ,9091738-8111 619/278-6635 760/353-2110 949/582-0351 760/433-4333 619/442-3338 760/432-9501 619/229-7700 619/423-0073 619/420-2300 619/465-5023 Now Available Through Cycle News Video Theater uMlni Wtlrriors" (#154) Mini Warriors features some of the nations top mini-eycle champions ranging from 4 to 15 years old. These kids show the world why they are the future crop of 'motocross stars. Along with spectacular riding and music, the kids and their families give the viewer a glimpse into their lives as they participate in this family oriented sport. Also appearing in the video is 1997 AMASupercross and Motocross champion Jeff Emig, who spends a day riding and talking to the young stars. Mini Warriors include Jeff and Mike Alessi, Shane Bess, Ty Keenom, Jonathan Shimp, Michael La Paglia, Dylan Lord, Ryan Morais, Kyle Partridge, Shana Rhinehart, Cole Seely and Bryce Terzian. 0' 60 minutes from X-Factor. This release $29.95, includes shipping. N ~ CD ~ C To Order Videos, Use the Video Order Blank Elsewhere In This Issue Of Cycle News ..., CD 21