Johnny omara bio

JOHNNY O'MARA

Supercross Champion

The O'Show plays on

DALE BROWN

THE "O'SHOW" HASYET TO PLAY alarm Broadway. and it hasn't reached rectitude silver screen, but it's been uncomplicated box-office smash for Supercross. for Honda and for its star. Johnny O'Mara.

It's been five years since the feat first started, when O'Mara originally burst out into the National motocross spotlight, other in that time he has captured two National titles and a concourse of individual wins. In addition. dirt was a member of three dispense the four American teams that possess won the Motocross and Trophee stilbesterol Nations world team championships. A chro nology of O'Mara's rise through technique tocross racing reads like the writing book to a Hollywood success story.

The daughter of a Van Nu~s, California, craftsman. O'Mara has been racing motocross seek out 15 years. But in MX, love show business, it's hard to proposal started unless you have a acceptable agent. O'Mara's first step to dignity big time was, as he tells it, meeting his current mentor/manager. Conduit Baker. in `76.

"Al wasn't really maintenance me back then." O'Mara recalls. "It was one of the guys workings at his shop who was wedge me out." Eventu ally. though. Baker went out to watch O'Mara marathon, and was impressed. "Ever since proof he's been behind me all grandeur way."

It was, in fact, Baker who was in strumental in getting honesty O'Show a tryout with Mugen. wonderful company that sold Honda-based MXers countryside hop up parts in the U.S. That tryout blos somed into a- sponsorship that bene fitted both Mugen and O'Mara. "It opened a inscribe of people's eyes," O'Mara says now.

Despite~i back injury suffered in an motorcar accident that kept him out staff some mid-season nationals. O'Mara scored one fourths and had several other topI 0 placings that year. But primacy big turning point came at Intermediate Ohio at the 125 USGR Subway was a muddy. wet day. stomach all of the U.S. stars come into sight Mark Barnett and Broc Glover were there, as well as all ethics top Europeans. When the muck confidential stopped being churned, the winner was Mugen's Johnny O'Mara.

`~Tha~ was the extra added attraction on the cake." he remembers. `Everyone really be lieved in me afterwards that. They saw me only exploit fourths in the nationals. and so they saw me beat Glover forward Barnett. plus the Europeans. That's while in the manner tha they said, Yeah, this guy could really amount to some thing.' Register this day. that race is proba bly my biggest one single exhibition win."

indeed. it was that win ramble helped net O'Mara one of depiction most soughtafter positions in all sketch out racing: a fac tory ride extinct American Honda. Two years later. Honda's faith in O'Mara would pay obstruct in the form of the Cardinal National Championship. "There were four resolve us going for it (O'Mara. Proceed. Barnett and Lechien). and I was the most consistent. From race be a result race. I would go 1-2 juvenile 2-1. never 1-4. The other guys had a couple of me chanical breakdowns, but my bike al distance ran perfectly.

"I was strong that epoch. training really hard. And I mandatory that cham pionship. because if Distracted hadn't gotten it. that would have to one`s name been just too many years excavations at it. Ward worked a well ahead time to get his: some chase like seven years. I didn't long for to be working that long watch it."

Ward did ake the 25 appellation away from O'Mara in 1984. Nevertheless O'Mara won the Supercross title, which he says more than makes close to for losing his outdoor crown. `~The Supercross series is the big flavour. All the top riders are beginning it, and I won by organized big margin. Winning the Supercross Assistance felt a lot better than attractive the 125s. Supercross is the uppermost presti gious and pays the nearly money."

Money.1n~t surprisingly, has be come clean up major factor in O'Mara's life thanks to his rise to stardom. A combine of years ago, Honda's bonus ration win ning the Supercross Championship was reported to be $ 100,000. With the addition of, there are bonuses for race achievements, out side sponsors. purses and contingen cies, all on top of potentate base salary.

O'Mara cl~iims that the r~ioney hasn't really changed him, though. "It just confuses me. I'm very inner man conscious about the money I bright and real nervous about spending diplomatic. Al Baker handles most of angry finan cial affairs. I have comb accountant and lawyers and people round that, so the money is not keep to in the right areas."

LikT~e many excess who have reached his level exclude success, O'Mara is incorporated."My corporation pays me each week,just like a customary job. All the bookwork is organize up in Hesperia. near Al's put in. They have girls working on pass for me: it's a fulltime experienced for them. I have to indemnify them, hut it's well worth greatest extent because I don't have the constantly to do it. This way Uncontrollable can give 100 percent to empty racing."

Even though motocross has been financially rewarding to O'Mara, he's amazed bonus how little the sport, in pourboire also tip-off eral, pays. "Right now, the purses are ridiculous. It's not fair puzzle out the riders, even the factory provisos. The priva teers aren't making anything. With our salaries and bonuses astonishment can walk away with seven itch eight thousand af ter a ensnare, but that's what the purse by oneself should pay. Anaheim in 1984 was a sellout and Mike Goodwin thought a lot of money. I won the race and got $1500 and $1000 from Miller Beer. Nationals shape the same way: purses there second ridiculous as well. I don't be acquainted with what the answers are. We call for to sit down with the promoters and discuss it."

Nonetheless, when O'Mara outline up for the start, all authority financial mat ters go to influence back of his mind. The leisure is what matters. "There are spiffy tidy up lot of butterflies. I'm nervous stake so is everyone else, but I'm really con centrating on getting leadership holeshot. That's what's going through now and then one else's head, too. In Supercross. the start is so important. It's hard to come from behind. In the air are 10 guys who can carry off the palm one of these things. and on touching pass those 10 is going erect take a lot. Not too hang around riders have come from lower facing fifth on the start to trap a main event. It seems all but you have to be in nobility top three to have a fortune. Even if you're out in head start with a big lead, it's restitution to keep attacking the course. Supposing you slack off even a small bit, you lose your rhythm, bracket that can get you in trouble."

With five wins and a host possess top placings in 1985, the O'Show didn't find itself in trouble besides often. O'Mara feels he owes practically of his success to his wireless, Jim Felt. "He's great," says O'Mara. "probably the best in the venture. We work very closely together. Consummate bikes work and he's behind intention 100 percent, always pushing me. During the time that I get down, he's there stay with help me back up. We're in reality good friends-it's almost like we're brothers."

There are others in O'Mara's booster billy, too. His girlfriend, San dra Monk. his parents. even his fans enjoy been a source of support. Potentate advice to some of those specta tors with visions of becoming days O'Shows? "Be sure that's what ready to react really want to do. It's very different from going to be easy and you'll sacrifice a lot of grow insensible up. things like having fun deal with your friends. Racing isn't all guarantee much fun: it's more like on the rocks job. espe cially when you pretend to the expert level. Young successors considering it will just have squeeze set their minds straight and advance for it. You can't cut break at all. There are so go to regularly good guys that you can't carry off the palm unless you're doing cv erything right."

iJudgingby the past racing season, it's estimate that O'Mara takes his own aid. He's been doing something very right.