Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

(~~ove ) ~ob Hann~h. r~covered from ~he f lu. stormed to a second place finish. (RIght) David Ba iley took the Win and stands In third place overa ll . (Belo w ) Jeff Ward led for much of the race. but finished in fourth . ...... a n d Suzuki Support rid er Clint H a r- di ck h u n g cl o se. H a rd ick made hi s wa y a ro u n d Wa rd a few co rn ers la ter , but nearl y wen t down in a whoo ped sectio n . Wa rd m o ved ba ck up to cha l- lenge J ohnson a n d cr uised u p a lo ng- side a s th ey m a de th eir wa y throu gh a set o f tr iple jumps. Wa rd ca me O U I a h ead as J ohn son slo wed exi li ng the whoo ps , a n d went o n to build up a sl ig h t lead. H a rd ick was still in thi rd, foll o wed by Ya m ah a SuPPOrt ri der Wa rr en Reid . On th e fo llowi ng lap, Wa rd cra she d after a j ump a n d Joh nso n o nce agai n was in co ntro l. J oh n so n h eld o n fo r th e win , wi th Wa rd p laci n g a di stant second . Kenn y Keylon wor ked h is wa y into th ird o n a factor y Honda. Quarter-finals With o n ly 44 rider s sig n ed up to co mpe te in th e event . th e q ua rt er- fina ls ha d an unusu a l lv low number of competitors . The trip eig h t from eac h of the hea ts go d irectly into th e semi -fina ls, so wi th o n ly I I r id ers per h eat a m a xim um of 12 riders wou ld be left to co m pete in quarter-f inal s. P rom ot er Goodw in req ue sted th at a si n g le q ua rt er- fin al be held instea d o f th e n o rm al two , bu t cu rrent AMA reg ul at io ns wo u ld n ot a llow it. Pri vat eer P at O 'D onnel p u t h is H onda into th e lead a head o f Rodney Gabriel and H onda -mounted Ri ch ard Westfall. Competing in his second Supercross, O 'Donnel totall y d orni- n at ed th e ra ce, finishing with a large lead 'ove r G abriel. Fi ve rid er s wer e o n th e lin e for th e next event, with Suzuki S u p port ride r Ri ck Ryan jumpin g to a n im media te lead over Honda-mounted Carlo Coe n a n d Kris Bigel ow. R yan began to b uild a n impressi ve lead, with Bige- low moving in to seco n d . Three laps la ter, R yan ex pe r ie nce d en gi ne prob- lem s, lea ving Big el o w 10 lea d the rest o f th e wa y. Hu sqvarn a -m ount ed H a rol d Ro biso n moved up to fin ish seco n d. Sem i -f i na ls H a nn a h , O ' Ma ra a n d Ba rn e ll led t he c ha rge in to th e fi rst of two eig h t- lap sem i-fin a ls. O'Ma ra flew p ast H annah a fte r th e firs t two j u mps, as G lover put o n a ch a rg e for th e front po s iti o n a fte r sta rt in g fo urt h . Gl over passed H an n a h a n d th en O 'M a ra , bu t H an n a h pro ved stro nges t as h e lea ped out front once agai n wi thin a la p . Barn ell h ad falle n ba ck to fourth behi nd O 'Mara . wit h O 'Mara laki n g a jump aro u n d G lov er soo n a fte r for second . H a nn a h remain ed in co ntro l a he a d o f O 'M ara unti l th e fla g fe ll , with Ba rn ell pr ess uring G lo ver b u t unab le to ge t a ro u n d . J o hnson rac ked up h is seco n d hole- shot o f th e da y, co mi n g o ff the banked wall a hea d o f Be ll a n d Ba ilev i n the seco n d semi. Ba iley sho t mi t fro nt a fte r half a lap, with Bell g ell in g a ro u n d Ya mah a tea mmat e J oh nso n a la p later. Lech ien a n d Wa rd were a bit o ff th e pac e, h oldin g fo ur th and fift h . In a re peat of their h ea t , Ba iley a n d Bell o nce again en ga ged in a close baule as Jo h nso n wat ch ed , Bell man aged to co me wi thi n a b ik elen g rh , b u t was un abl e 10 ge t a ny cl ose r to Bail ey' s works H onda. Bell th rew a hand into th e a ir a s h e ca m e across th e fla g behind Bail ey, with J ohnson a n d Ward foll ow ing th rou gh sever a l seco n ds lat er. Ta m m R acing's G ar y Denton a n d Mik e Sh oemaker pl a ced th eir H on - da s o u t fron t in th e last cha nc e q ual i- fier. Tea m H onda 's Keylon a nd Team S uzu ki 's Burn w orth cr u i sed pas t Denton a n d Shoe ma ker o n th e seco nd lap . Burn worth flew a hea d o f Keylon o n th e n ext lap, but went d own in a corner. Team H onda 's La rson we n t b y to n a il second durin g th e mi sh a p , a n d soon inher i ted th e lead as Keylo n a lso we nt down . Lar son a n d Burn - worth n etted sta rt ing slo ts in th e final as th ey fin is h ed 1-2. Fi nal The skies o ver Wa sh in g to n cle a red as O ' Ma ra became th e fi rst lea d er o f th e fin a l" wre st li n g h is wor ks H o nd a aro u n d th e banked wa ll in front o f Ward . G lov er . H a nn a h a nd Ba i lev. Ka wa sa k i 's Ward h arn essed a charge th at pu t h im o ut front a fte r a half la p , foll ow ed by G lo ver , H annah a n d Ba i ley. G lover su ffered a cras h, kn ock- in g him back to six th behi nd Ba rne tt. Soon a fter claim in g th e lead , Ward im me d ia tely bega n to pu ll ah ea d of H a n n a h . O 'M a ra co rne red aro u nd Bail ey to n et th ird , while Barn ell wa s resid in g behi n d Ba iley. Ward was performing flaw lessl y. pl a cin g a stra n g le ho ld o n the lea d whi ch h e h el d for n ine o f th e 20 laps. Ward h a s n ever been a b le to win a S u pe rcross , a n d was fo iled aga in . Hanna h began to ch a rge at the half- wa y point a n d sn at ch ed th e lea d whi le a irborne among th e jumps. Han n ah immedia te ly pu ll ed a way from Ward , followed bv O 'M a ra a n d Ba il ey. . Ba il ey a tte m p ted a pas s a ro u n d O ' Ma ra o n th e n ext la p , bu t. was unsu ccessful. " I tri ed to ge l b y on.th e in side si n ce I was go ing fa st er than O 'M ar a in th at co rner, " Ba il ey sa id . " I was u p o n the la n k a n d lo st co n tro l in the bu mps a fter th e turn , sm ac k- ing m y fo ot . After th at, I h ad to cha nge m y rid in g sty le to avo id PUl- ti n g p ressure o n i t." Bail ey took o ver th ird a fter O' Ma ra . ba il ed off in a corner fo llowi ng a j ump, Ba i ley wa s in pain , but a p peared to eas ily ca tch a n d pass Ward o n th e , fo llowi ng la p . a nd bega n to cl o se o n H annah . fron t-runn er With five la p s le ft, Bai ley h a d mou nted h im self o n th e fen de r of H annah . As th ey too k fli g ht o n th e n ex t set o f j u mps, Bai ley m a de a cl ea n pass. Ba rnett worked h is way a ro u n d Ward and was h o ld- in g in at th ir d . Bell had join ed th e figh t by thi s lim e, a n d was tig h t to th e rea rof Wa rd . Ba i ley co nt in ue d to be clo sely pu r- sue d by H annah, but H an nah kep t h is d istan ce to th e fin ish . Ba rn ett was going stro ng in th e fin al laps, fini sh - ing thi rd a hea d o f War d a nd Bell . At b it o f Tea m H o n d a p o liti cs co u ld h a ve p layed a p art in th e o u t- co me of th e fin al , but never m at er ial - ized. " Bo b (Ha n na h ) came up to me before th e ra ce a n d sa id th at h e wo u ld pull. over for me if I was bei ng h eld up by him ," Ba i ley said . " T h a t ne ver happen ed du ri ng th e race. bu t just befo re I went aro u nd him I was abo u t rea dy to yell a t h im so th a t he wou ld move o ver." Barn ell seeme d to be hand lin g hi s third p la ce fi n ish well . " We st ill h av e th e poin t lea d , so I' m n ot feel in g too badl y. I kep t telling m yself th a t I wa s. goi n g to pass Ba iley a n d H a n n ah , but it d idn 't happen ." • Results FINAL: 1. David Bail ey IHonl; 2. Bob Hann ah (Han ): 3 . Mark Barn ett (SUl ); 4 . Jeff Ward (Kaw) ; 5 . M ike Bell (Ya m ); 6 . Rick Johnson (Yam l; 7. Br ian M yerscough (Hon) ; 8 . Br ae Glover (Yam) ; 9 . Steve Ma rt in (Hon ); 10 . A la n King (Suz); 11 . Warren Reid IYaml; 12. Billy Lile s IKaw); 13 . Scott Burnwonh ISUl); 14 . Ron Lec hien (Yam ); 15 . Ph il Lar son (Han) ; 16 . Clint Hardick (Suz) ; 17 . Johnny O 'Mara (Han) ; 1B. Rodney Sm ith (Yam). AMAlWRANGLER SUPERSERIESPOINTSTAND· INGS : 1. Mark Barnell (465~ 2. Bob Hannah (44 5); 3. David Bail ey (4 22); 4 . Jeff Wa rd (3B3 ); 5. J ohn ny O'Mara (35 9); 6. Broc Glove r (354); 7. M ike Bell (329 ); B. Rick Jo hnson (26B); 9 . Alan King (254); 10 . Warren Reid 12 51); 11 . Brian Myerscoug h (24 2); 12. Ron Lech ien (2 29); 13. Bill y Lil as (200) ; 14 . Sco tt Burnworth (19 6 ); 15 . Steve Mlrtin (194': 16 . (TIE) Kent How.non /Goat Breke r 11B5); 1B. Donnie Cantaloup; (14 6); 19 . Phil Larson (1 29); 20. Kenny 7 Keylon (119). • , . ... ~ L ~ " "

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