Mid-Ohio Inter-Ama
MidOhio InterAMA
Victory for Velky in Middle America
Fernando Belair
MID-OHIO MOTOPARK is a beautiful place for racing. In the middle of a hidden valley, the track stretches for hundreds of yards in all directions through a vast clearing in a relatively small forest.
When the riders arrived on race day, they found the track to be well prepped. As a dust-preventive measure the promoters oiled the track rather than watering it.
The crowd was amply covering the perimeter of the track. By the end of the day more than 6000 people would have passed through the turnstiles. Almost as though a switch had been thrown, they all rose in unison to cheer as the 125s went out for practice. Soon after, the 250s followed.
For many of the fans it was the first time they had seen a motocross involving Europeans. Both of the CZ riders, Jaroslav Falta and Zdenek Velky, showed up, as did former World Champion Roger DeCoster. We say former because, as of this writing, DeCoster is back in Europe and has lost his crown to Husqvarna’s Heikki Mikkola. Roger s out for fun this day. Oh sure, he s going to race, and race sincerely, but as he put it, “Not too crazy today, I have to save for Heikki.”
Practice went smoothly as the riders broke in the track and began cutting grooves and building up berms through their favorite lines. It wasn’t long before practice, pre-race introductions and patriotic formalities were over and the racing began.
Rex Staten jumped into the lead at the start of the first 250 moto. Close behind him was Falta. As the two pulled away from the rest of the pack, a rather vicious battle began to take place.
Staten had told me before the race that he was going to get the lead right from the start and hold it to the end. But Falta had different ideas and began pressuring Rex. Not only was he pressuring him, but he was also running into the
tnda rider whenever he got the mce. They say that at times the Czechs play dirty motocross, but I hadn’t seen it until Falta continually overshot braking points going into turns and tried to use Staten’s bike, leg or anything as a berm.
Believe me, the Czechs do play dirty. Fortunately, Rex would not give in.
He’s got sort of a hot temper, and it didn’t figure to take too long before he’d try giving the CZ some of its own medicine. When he did, the crowd went wild. They’d seen the antics of Falta, who did little to alter their middleAmerica view of “them Commies.”
Falta tried to pass Staten on the outside. But before he did, he gave the Honda an unkind nudge. When the Czech made his move, Staten just drifted farther and farther to the out-
§' ’e, finally stuffing his opponent into haybales. But soon after, Jaroslav caught up and made a clean pass on Rex, taking him on a mild uphill. Staten, it seems, developed stomach pains that eventually caused him to slow up considerably.
Gary Chaplin had put his Maico into 3rd by now and it didn’t take him long to take over Staten’s position. DeCoster and Velky were having their own private battle as they passed rider after rider in unison after starting poorly. Velky was the first to get by Chaplin and set out after Falta, who had accumulated a 30-second lead. DeCoster had much more trouble getting by Gary. The thought of being pressured by a World Champion seemed to get the adrenalin flowing in the veins of the tiring Maico pilot. When Roger did overtake Chaplin, Velky was 10 seconds in front of him. The Champ really poured it on and managed to get by as the two powered out of a left-hander on the very last lap. Top American in this race was Jim Pomeroy (Bui), who ended up 4th after starting 9th.
Roger and Jaroslav took each other out in a first-turn tangle at the start of moto two. The only damage seemed to be a broken rear fender on the CZ. But you could tell that Falta’s pride was also suffering somewhat. He took off like a madman after teammate Velky, who was leading and was never headed. DeCoster stayed within striking distance, but waited until much later in the moto to make his move.
American heroes Marty Tripes and Jim Pomeroy both made strong bids. Jim’s was stronger, as he passed Tripes near the end of the moto to take 2nd position. But Jim slid out on a fast sweeper and watched Marty, DeCoster and Falta slip by before he could remount and take the final lap.
The 125s put on an equally good show. Marty Smith (who already had the 125 National title wrapped up), took his Honda out to do battle with Tim Hart and his special nine-port, sixspeed Yamaha monoshocker. Smith got the lead two laps after the start when he passed Honda teammate Bruce McDougal and held off a determined effort by Hart to take the win in the first of three 20-minute motos.
In the second go-round, Smith mistimed the starting gate and hesitated just long enough for half of the pack to scamper away. Marty tried to pass the whole world on the outside of the first turn, but instead he got boxed in behind a tree and some haybales. As everyone exited the first turn, Smith was very uncomfortably sitting in 37th place.
Jan Eric Sallquist put his Kawasaki into the lead and faced the same problem that Smith did in the first moto... relentless pursuit by Hart. The Canadian Sallquist was not as fortunate as Smith, and allowed Hart by on the second to the last lap.
Tim led the Kawasaki across the finish line way ahead of the Honda trio of McDougal, Mickey Boone and Smith, who, in his charge from back in the pack, had turned lap times within 1.5 seconds of Velky’s fastest 250 tour.
Mickey Boone, from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, blew off everybody at the start of the final moto and never looked back. He stretched his lead consistently and finally held a 20-second advantage over 2nd-place Hart. McDougal was next, trying to hold off both Smith and Sallquist. Both of them got by on the same lap and set out after Hart, who was five seconds ahead.
Smith caught up, Sallquist didn’t. Marty also managed to pass Tim towards the end of the moto by outbraking the Yamaha going into a turn. But Hart wasn’t too bothered, since he knew that he only needed to stay ahead of Sallquist (who was fading), to take the overall win. He did.
The events at Mid-Ohio left Falta and Velky as the 1st and 2nd-place leaders in the Inter-AMA standings. The 125 series closed out with Honda—lead by Marty Smith—sweeping the top four places. But most importantly, Tim Hart had proven that he and his Yamaha were a potent force in the 125 class.
Tim planned to ride the 125 class at the World Cup event at Springville, N.Y. the very next week. Smith wanted to win the World Cup in the worst way. The warriors were ready and it promised to be a great race.
