Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

ter, Nick - that we were very honored to be in japan for this important first Supercross and expressed thanks for the kindness of our hosts. ~he race had been set for Tuesday, WhICh was a national holiday in japan - sort of a combination Labor Day/Thanksgiving. Approximately 20 japanese riders attempted to qualify for the five starting spots in the main along with our 15 riders. The girls were to race in a separate exhibition race. Practice began and it soon became apparent that the local boys were watching the visitors for Supercross riding hints. 1 stood on top of a large scaffold with two japanese officials and spotted David Bailey slowing down a.t the end of the starting straightaway in front of four very tricky four-foot jumps. David sat on his production CR250 and studied the. ~umps. 1 tapped the japanese offIcIal on the arm and motioned for him to watch Bailey - that 1 thought he was going to try to double-jump all f<;>ur of the whoops. Sure enough, DavId backed up about 30 feet and flew over four in the most beautiful double jump I'd ever seen. The official's mouth dropped open and he said one word in English: "Beautiful! " Kent Howerton allowed that the giant "Mount Fuji" might be pretty ~angerous. "You've got to start your Jump about halfway up the front side if you're gonna clear that evil-looking second ledge safely," he said. "I think we'll be able to handle it OK but the japanese riders are gonna have trouble. " Sure enough, johnny O'Mara put on one of his patented spectacular flying leaps and cleared the monster mountain easily. All of the Americans were soon flying over it. The japanese began trying it and many of them crashed to the ground. They just couldn't figure out how to master a double jump. They were trying hard but didn't have the experience that the younger American riders did on a Supercross track. The rider's meeting took place immediately after practice. The japanese race director - sort of a combination Carroll Chandler and Butch J...ee of our AMA - began explaining the starting procedure. Suddenly, Rick j ohoson walked out of the crowd eating a bowl of noodles and waving his arms. "Wait a minute, wait a minute! It's extremely important that you people understand how to start this race exactly because the start is of prime consideration!" The japanese referee stood frozen to the ground watching the six-foot johnson lecture him on the starting procedure. "You take the two minute sign out for exactly one minute, understand?" The official - who spoke no English - nodded his head. "Then you flip it around to show the one-minute mark, OK?" Another nod. "Then, at exactly one minute and 50 seconds, you extend your right arm out straight. Then, at two minutes the sign goes sideways, OK?" Another nod. "Then, at between five and 10 secondsafte.r the sign goes sideways, the gate can drop. You got that?" The japanese nodded. 1 had picked up johnson's bowl of noodles and was eating them. Rick looked at me, said something about hoping I'd enjoyed his dinner, and walked back to the pits. End of rider's meeting. A runner found me and said the FIM rep wanted a meeting with me, alone. My wife, Bev, and 1 hurried to a small room inside the bowels of the stadium. Waiting for us was the FIM rep, a japanese of around 65, one of the promoters, and Nick, the interpreter. After much discussion, we hoped we'd ~otten the main event reduced lrpm 40 laps to 25. ' The next morning we were up and down in the lobby at seven a.m. to catch the bus to the stadium. There was more than a little bitching about the early hour but, generally, everybody was cooperative. .At the stadium there was another meeting with the FIM representative and the promoter. They had met with the MFj committee and had decided to keep the heat races at 20 laps but, at DeCoster's suggestion, would reduce the main from 40 laps to 25. But they wanted the girls' race to be 15 laps. I told them I respected their opinion and felt the American riders would cooperate with the new race length. But I did feel the women's race would be much too long at 15 laps. They understood but felt the japanese people wou:d be very interested in seeing women race for the first time and that would be enough of a novelty to keep the interest up for 15 laps. The women's race seemed to me and to several other people who'd seen Supercross in the states - to be very long and pretty dull. I cautioned the girls beforehand to "stay together and keep it interesting." 1 told them this was not a race - it was an exhibition and they should keep that in mind. Gail Webb requested that they start at five second intervals. The officials agreed and Kimi Douglass ran away with the event. She did manage to crash rather spectacularly on the "Mount FuH" jump in the final lap which impressed the crowd. Kimi still won by three laps. 1 told her afterwards that the next time the women raced, we'd time it with a sundial, rather than a clock. I hoped she realized I was just kidding. But the trophy she received - on national television - in the victory circle later was at least four feet high. Then we were set for the main event: 14 Americans, one Canadian, and five of the wildest japanese riders ever to set foot on a Supercross track. The ambulances had been kept busy carting off their boys to the hospital while th~y tried to master the double jumps. But I gotta give 'em credit: they learned fast. I opened the ceremonies in front of a crowd of 26,000 and national TV cameras and the race was set. just like he did at San Diego three weeks earlier, Broc Glover got the hoJeshot and rocketed away in front of jeff Ward, Rick johnson, David Bailey, and Ross Pederson. Chuck Sun was sixth at the end of the first lap, followed by jimmy Ellis, john Savitski, T. Fukumota (Hon), H. Suzuki, (Yam), T. Suzuki (Kaw), Magoo Chandler, Howerton, Goat Breker, Y. Sugio (Hon), Reid, Kenny Keylon, Marty Smith, O'Mara and E. Karasawa (Hon). The crowd really went crazy for the racing! The japanese riders continued to try to master the double jumps and many of them went down in flames. But, most of the time, each would stagger back on his feet, shake his head a couple of times, and rejoin the fray. And the fans went absolutely crazy when johnson passed Glover on lap I? to take the lead. Glover held off Bailey for second place and Rick took the checkered flag just a few seconds in front of Broc. By this time the 26,000 fans were standing and screaming! Afterwards, 1 told a beaming FIM rep that this race was one of the most exciting Supercrosses we'd ever participated in. He shook my hand and said, through the interpreter, "Please bring your riders back next year." • Results 25 LAP MAIN: 1. RickJohnson; 2. Broc Glover' 3. David Bailey; 4. Jeff Ward; 5. Ross Pederson (S~z)' 6. Johnny O'Mara; 7. Chuck Sun; 8. Kent Hower: ton; 9. Warren Reid (Suz); 10. Jim Ellis; 11. John Savitski (Han); 12. Y. Sugio (Han); 13. Marty Smith (Hon); 14. H. Suzuki (Yam); 15. T. Fukumota (Han); 16. Goat Breker (Kaw); 17. E. Kara.._ (Han); 18. Danny Chandler; 19. Kenny Keylon (Han); 20. T. Suzuki (!,C:lIYVE _. I '. .'.. • From 24020 Narbonne Ave.• Lomita. CA 90717 (213) 534-2311 Check Out These Christmas Specials On New 1982 YAMAHAS T~O _YAMAl-fA 150;0 .. ..... 24020 Narbonne Ave.• l.omita. CA 90717 ON ANY ~~RCHASE OVER OFF $25.00 COUPON ~~ ·C:cmar..... home. •WOIIcs in~ recoil • Stock I power drcuit. wllft5tOCk ! ¥tern pn.Mides. btrilt-lh charging GOKJ's Electric Stan: rot for ItIe 18SS IP.N.1ilC 100) and 185. 200 lP.N. ATCIOI) sells for $221.95 and can be ordered direct 01 see your local dealer. Price SUbject to change wi~hout notice. VI Mastercard accepted. GOKI MANUF~COMPANY 9525 Cozycroft !venue Unit F O1atsv.oeth. 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