Defending Champion O’Mara Heads the Field for Supercross

Defending champion Johnny O’Mara of Simi heads the field for the Miller High Life Supercross race at 8 tonight before an anticipated capacity crowd at Anaheim Stadium.

The playing field of the Rams and Angels has been converted into a stadium motocross track, complete with jumps, pits, berms, whoop-de-doos and a catapult jump capable of sending riders 60 feet into the air.

The event has been a sellout the last six years and last year drew a turnaway crowd of 70,305, the second-largest in stadium history. Only a Billy Graham crusade in 1969 drew more people.

O’Mara, 23, a Honda factory rider, won last year’s event at Anaheim on his way to the national Supercross championship. He won the 1985 season opener at San Diego last week, even though he finished second in each moto.

Under a new format, the riders compete in two, 12-lap motos with the winner declared on the basis of the best overall finish in both. In another format change, a field of 40 pro-amateur riders will compete in a 125cc support class.

Other riders expected to challenge O’Mara tonight include Broc Glover, Ricky Johnson, Jeff Ward, David Bailey and Mark Barnett. Bob Hannah, the winningest rider in American motocross history, has announced that this is his final year on the circuit.

Motocross Notes

The California Racing Club will sanction a day of amateur racing on Sunday beginning at 10 a.m. . . . Defending Anaheim champion Johnny O’Mara on the new racing format: “A 12-lap main event is awfully quick. It seems like you just get going and it’s over. I won last week at San Diego, but I’m in favor of changing the format.” Added Kawasaki’s Jeff Ward: “One main event is better for the spectators. I’d like to see us go back to the original format. I thought everyone liked the old setup, and I’m not happy that the riders had no input on what we’re running now.”