Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

125cc Pros~ The O'Show was trying for an Oscar at Huron! O'Mara led both motos from start to finish with leads of as much as 25 seconds over the assorted second place riders. Me routinely had a 50 second cushion over third place. O'Mara was followed out of the first turn by Rick Ryan's Suzuki that sounded like it had spent the week wolfing health food. It was definitely crisper than at previous races. Yamaha's Troy Blake and Gibson filed in ahead of Mike Beier, Brian Myerscough, jim Anderson and Chris Howard - the latter two Yamaha-mounted. O'Mara was gone from the first lap. Ryan and Gibson had large gaps between themselves and the pack. Blake was back to fourth. Gibson reeled in Ryan and came out of the back section without him on lap four. Ryan came around behind Anderson. At the halfway point of the moto, O'Mara was sitting on a 20 second cushion and smiling through the turns. Gibson had 27 seconds oil Blake and Myerscough was debuting the '83 Honda CRI25R in fourth place. Anderson was behind Myerscough and followed still by Ryan. The only rider doing any serious passing was Burnworth, who had improved his 27th place start to 12th. The only changes in the order were Ryan's drop to 29th position with unknown problems and Burnworth's continued drive to fifth for the moto. Burnworth decided to try it the easy way for moto two, and he exited turn one behind O'Mara followed by Gibson, Ryan, Suzuki's Chris Heisser, Blake, Anderson and Yamaha pilot Rob Engel. Gibson didn't come around where he should have saying later, "I relaxed a little bit around a turn and the bike washed out and I fell down. I could see johnny, but there wasn't enough time." Burnworth .tried to stay with O'Mara, but his bike was not cooperating. By the second lap, O'Mara had another lead and Gibson was passing people right and left. Lap three saw Gibson back into third with the top four reading O'Mara, Burnworth, Gibson and Ryan. Blake and Anderson were involved in an excellent race in the five/six slots that would last the entire moto. Behind them was a large gap. By lap seven the first three were way out front and spread, but by lap nine it was obvious that Gibson was dosing on Burnworth. Gibson passed Burnworth on lap 10 and did what he could to reel in Johnny, but there was no time. Ryan hung in for fourth followed by Blake and Anderson. Old minibike rivals A.J. Whiting and Myerscough had gated poorly and hooked into a battle that carried them from around.20th to seventh for Whiting and ninth for Myerscough, sandwiching Roger Hensley. , The' top three overall were the same as the second moto.. Bailey and Glover i;pped -traffic, Glover lost 10 seconds in the back section. It looked like Bailey might do it. Onlap eight, LaPorte started cruising and later dropped out. johnson was mired in mid-pack at the start, but made his way to lIth before the first lap was over. He was on the move in the pack and was up to fifth on his way to third. Broc took the lead from Bailey on lap 10, and johnson took third from Reid on the 13th lap and the order was set - Glover, Bailey, johnson, Reid, Keylon, Tarantino and Shoemaker. Keylon had a half lap lead over Tarantino. Glover took the second start, and after a few turns the order settled in with Bailey second, then Johnson, Reid, Cates, Tarantino, LaPorte, Shoemaker and Brian Maloney. johnson chose lap two to hold it on over the mechanic area dropaway, go inside Bailey and beat him to the finish line jump. Bailey tried to go back around, saying later, "I was trying as hard as I could, but I couldn't get it together at the beginning of the race. I wanted to get away from johnson, but I blew it and he passed me." LaPorte dropped out on the third lap after looking down at the rear section of his bike. Keylon moved from II th to fourth ahead of Shoemaker, Cates, Maloney and Tripes. johnson began fighting lapped riders, but looked smooth and agressive. He began to reel Glover in. On lap seven he jumped clear to the bottom of the 30 foot high finish jump too close on Broc's rear fender. Johnson got a good drive toward the triplejumps, got beside Glover, then hit him - blowing him out of the tum. Glover lost only about 15 feet. "I got going a little too fast over the triples. I had the inside line, and I would have hit the tires and crashed, so I just held my line and sort of pushed him out," said Johnson. Tripes passed Maloney and Cates for sixth after Keylon got sideways off of the big double-jumps and mowed down a few spectators. The crash looked bad, but no one 'was injured.. johnson took the win and second overall; Glover was second followed by Bailey, Reid, Shoemaker, Tripes and Maloney. o ... C\I M Q) ,.c o -.,l u o (Above) Johnny O'Mara was fast, smooth and stylish, He carded double wins. (Left) Jim Holley (96) and Phil Larson (15) seemed to duel like this all day, Holley won out in the end. (Below) Broe Glover had a few troubles, but for the most part, put in another strong, smooth ride. 500cc Pros The 500cc win was a relatively bloodless kill for Steve Martin. Martin took one look at the sand, thought of home in Florida and let only Phil Larson show him a rear fender, and then only briefly. Fellow Floridian Mark Murphy put his Yamaha through the first turn in second and stayed there for the duration. Murphy was mourited on an '82 YZ490. NorCal's jimmy Ellis held third for severallaps, but fell and either separated or dislocated a shoulder. By lap six, Mike Bell was in third, up from fifth, Larson had moved up from a ninth place start, but allowed Jim Holley to move into fourth. He was followed by Larson, JoJo Keller, Suzuki sup2&Occ Pros " : , port rider Clint Hardick, up from' , 14th, and Jimmy Weinert" Last ~C!ek's, David Bailey looked like the man privateer star. Tim Locey, had~tarted., to beat as the ~ck rounded the second turn of moto one. Warren Reid's facdead last and, was up' to I hh on his way to a moto sixth. ~ tory SuZuki inhabited second ahead ,of Scott Manning, Glover. Honda's' Larson resumed occupanty"of '){enny Keylon, Tean:a' Tamni's Dean , :' fourth, Locey moved to sixth and the . C~ltes and World MotocrOss Champ leaders were set. Danny LaPorte. Dave Gerig stuffed Greg TorgerManning dropped out of the top 20 son in the late laps, causing Torgeron the second lap and Glover and son to bobble and hold up Murphy Keylon took over third and fourth. momentarily. That allowed Bell to close, but not pass. LaPorte took fifth followed by Cates, Jim Tarantino and Mike Shoemaker Martin played follow the leader in on Honda's. Glover moved into the second moto, with Larson, Harsecond on the third lap and Keylon dick, Holley, Bell and Moto-Meister began catching Reid, leaving LaPorte Maico-mounted Scott Johnson. johnson used four feet of welding rod to alone. For seven laps into the race, the top five stayed the same. Then, as repair a pipe between motos and 125 EX: 1. Johnny~ O'Mwa CHon!: 2. Jim Gibeon went on to card the best Maico finish CHon!: 3. Scoa eun-th (Yam):, 4. Troy . . . . of the series, . ' ,', (Yam);5.Jim~lYam);I.BriaiI~ jHon);7.A.J. Whiling (Yam);.1. GaryIGwmenCSuzt , Larson took a loqk out (ron.t on. 9. Mb ~ CHon); 10. Rodney Smith (YeIiI); n. ',' laps three and four then M~inlook. . RoIIIIla Brown (Suzt 12. MIb fiIher (HOnk 13. . . FteIle (Yam~ 14. RIck Ryan (SUz):·15. Tonr.' .it back. Ben arid LoceY go.t, togemer GoIMz (Suzt 11: Todd <:ampbeII (K8wt 17. Taytor and started their drive. They ~opped ....... (Yam); 11. Jim K-. (Yam); 19. Mic:t-' Hardick two notches on lap six and 'WhI!Ien (Yam); 20. RaIl Engel (Yam)., .' 2IiO EX: 1. •oc GIDwM' (Yam); 2:. Riek'M_ HoUey one on lap nin~. That pass .' o.vtd . . . . CHon); , put" Bell in, s,econd and' H.Ql!ev in . , ',', (Yam); 3.ShoeIMUr CHon);, e. 4. ~ Raid CSuzt, , 5. Mike ~ Tripea CHua);, 7. third. Bell got closer to Martin, but· ONn c... CHon); I. Bryan""" (Hon); 9. Jim ~ (Yam); 10. Kenny KevIon CHon); 11. Frill ,not close enough. Holley lost third to Sc:hepl (SuzI; 12. Phillip CMIand CHua); 13. v.Locey two laps from the finish. The McMahon (Yamt' 14. Erin BUIllirIc (Yamt 15. Jim T..mino(Hon); 18. Brian MIInley(Yam); 17. Johnny top three overall was the same as the Gardner (Yam); 18. Jim 8rodia(Hon); 19. Torn Engel second moto finish - Martin, Bell (Suz); 20. Torn 8rowne (Kaw). and Locey. Murphy's second moto OPEN PRO: 1. S1eve M8rtin IHon)Y2. Mike Bell (Yam); 3. nm loc:8¥ (Yam); 4. Mark Murphy (Yaml; eighth gave him fourth. • 5. Jim Holley (Yaml; I. Clint H.-dick lSuzI: 7. Greg Results MINI EX: 1. Bob Moore (Yeml; 2. 08my Storbeck (Yam); 3. Lerry.ooO (Suz); 4. Paul Denis (Kaw); 5. Willie Surraft (K.w); 8. Kyle a..wis CKawt 7. Eddie Hicks (Yem); I. ~ Mc:Cov CHon); 9. T~ Vohland (Hon); 10. Mike Hee'-Y (Hon). , Zittertlopf (Yem); a Juan Benevidez (yam); 9. Clartt ~ (Hon); 10. Phil Lenon (Hon); 11. Scott John-eJn (Mei); 12. Greg Torgers«I (Yam); 13. DIMd Gerig (Hua); 14. Kimo Caey (Hon); 15. Brian Fry (Han); 11. (Hon); 17. Scoa Sargent (Suz); 1a Jimmy Dies (Hon); 19. John Volt CHon); 20. JoJo Don.., K.-.r CHon). '. , .... + .~ 9

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