VIDEO: the toughest race ever on a 125cc
The 1986 MXoN was the first “Nations” with a new format. Each country could send three riders. One for each category at that time: 125cc, 250cc and 500cc. The race would be held in Maggiora that year and no one could have imagined that a single rider would put himself in the spotlight on a 125cc machine in an almost unbelievable way.
In this race the world's best riders competed against each other. Of course, the larger engines had more power than the smaller ones. That is why each category was given a separate ranking. If a 125 finished eighth in the 125-250 race, but first 125, it meant the rider won the class.
Team USA's Johnny O'Mara knew it would be impossible to win the overall classification in Maggiora. He had to compete against seven world champions from different countries. Furthermore, his teammates David Bailey and Ricky Johnson were considered the fastest riders in the world. Still, O'Mara was on a mission. He knew this would be his last race on a Honda. The brand he had been driving for since 1980 had decided not to offer him a contract in 1987. Johnny “O'Show” O'Mara wanted to prove to Honda that they had made the wrong choice.
Series 1: 125-250
All three American riders were on Hondas, O'Mara was on a 125cc, Johnson on a 250 and Bailey on a 500. Johnny O'Mara had a second row starting spot but still passed in fourth into the first corner, battling against the 250's in the first race of the day. A few laps later, O'Mara's Honda CR125 was in second place, just behind his teammate Ricky Johnson. “With the two of us at the top of the race and a gap of almost half a minute to third, I thought we could take it easy“, Johnson remembers. “But that never happened, Johnny kept pushing until the finish.” The crowd of more than 30.000 fans was in ecstasy. O'Mara had just beaten the best riders in the world on a bike with half the displacement.
Series 2: 125-500
In the 125-500 race, O'Mara would certainly have a harder time. Not only did he have to compete against 500 cc motorcycles, reigning 500 cc world champion Dave Thorpe was also present, as were ex-world champions such as Georges Jobé, Eric Geboers, Hakan Carlqvist and Heinz Kinigadner. Thorpe got the holeshot. Team USA 500 rider David Bailey was second and Johnny O'Mara entered the first turn around 15th. Not bad, with a 125 and starting from the second row. Over the next half hour, history was made. Bailey passed Thorpe after two laps. Eight laps later, O'Mara had fought his way to the front and was fourth behind Jobé and Thorpe. First Jobé made a mistake and O'Mara was able to slip past. And then one of the most historic passages ever occurred. O'Mara jumped past Thorpe's Honda RC125M factory bike with his Honda CR500. It was another first and second place finish for the US, but the fact that the 500cc World Champion had been passed for second place by a rider on a 125cc bike was more impressive than Team USA's perfect score. The O'Show had accomplished its mission.
Series 3: 250-500
To make things even better, Bailey and Johnson made it another one-two in the final race. No one was surprised by the fact that the USA dream team won the race. It was the way this happened that stunned everyone.
Ironically, the dominant three would face difficult times after their moment of glory in Italy. Maggiora marked the end of an era. Shortly after the 1986 MXoN, David Bailey died in an accident and became paralyzed. Ricky Johnson had a few good years ahead of him but then suffered a wrist injury that ended his career. And after Johnny O'Mara moved from Honda to Suzuki, he never reached the level of his Honda years. But the way he rode on that sunny September day in Maggiora will always be remembered as the fastest ride ever on a 125cc dirt bike.
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