Restored Supercross Footage: Hurricane Hannah and More [0:00-5:02]

Hello everyone, I'm your host Larry Huffman bringing you the history of Supercross on Two Wheels. In this episode we have a dual-rave Supercross special from the 1985 San Diego Supercross and the 85 Anaheim Supercross. Let's join my colleague David Stanfield as he originally called the race from Motovideo Home Entertainment. Are you ready for some hot racing? First, it's down to San Diego for the kickoff at Jack Murphy Stadium. Then we go up to Anaheim, super highlights, a sellout crowd is going nuts, the best superstars of Supercross are there. Tonight, it's a season opener at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California. This is stadium motocross racing, it's called Supercross, quite possibly the biggest spectator attraction in American motorcycle racing. It's an NFL football field transformed into a Supercross track for the experts in the sport of motocross. In order to make the main event, the riders have to qualify. In heat number one, it was a great battle between Alan King and Jim Hawley, but scooter staffer number 58 on a Yamaha got the coveted whole shot, watched this. It was short live though. Alan King and Jim Hawley moved up to pass scooter staffer in the whoops. Jim Hollywood Hawley from Northridge, California on his Yamaha and Alan King, the 25-year-old from Troy Michigan on his Kawasaki moved in to battle for first and second position. Now watch, the number 10 green Kawasaki of Alan King, battling for first place, trying to overtake Jim, Hollywood Hawley through the whoops, Hollywood Hawley, also known as the Hazard. Hey, hey, this says Hollywood, but everybody knows he has Hazard. That's true, friend of mine, Julian from 100%. He likes to watch the dukes of Hazard and he thought it looked like John Snyder for some reason and he goes, he goes, we're going to call you Hazard and I go, I don't know if the guys will like that because maybe they'll think I'm causing a hazard on tracking, so that's how I got the nickname. Back to the final turns in heat number one, Alan King outbreaks Jim Hawley, but Hawley comes out ahead, King now is going to try the inside, watch this move. And now over the jumps, they touch in midair and Hawley goes down, Hollywood Hawley's down. Last place gets the wife flag, checkered flag for Alan King, first place in heat number one, and there you have AJ Whitey's second place, scooter staffer third, Jim Hollywood Hawley ends up sixth place. Heat number two was a great ride for Scott Bernworth, number 39 on the Suzuki, watch this kid, only a lad they call him 20 years old, five foot nine, a hundred and fifty, five pounds of dynamite. And at this point, the number 80 Honda Mike Fisher is in second, third place, the number nine Kawasaki Mark Burnett, Molly Alabama, 25 year old veteran, a former supercross champion in 81, but watch Scott Bernworth land on this hey bail. Even maintains his balance and keeps the throttle turned on all the way. Fifteen pro riders in this heat number two, and only first, second and third are going to advance right up to the main. And this man looks like a sure thing, number 39, Scott Bernworth, and moving into second place, Mark Burnett on the Kawasaki through the sand, but it was Bernworth with the checkered flag and the victory. That coming in second, Goat Brecker in third, Jojo Keller fourth, and Mickey Diamond with a fifth place finish in heat number two. It was Rick Johnson, Brock Glover and Ron Lachin, all three from Elkahome, California, right outside San Diego, racing all out. The hometown favorites put on a great show, Glover trying to reel in Ron Lachin and coming on strong, Ricky Johnson on the number five Yamaha, here Ron Lachin on the Honda, really being pressured by Brock Glover. One mistake, just one mistake by Ron Lachin, and all of a sudden the lead changes. Team Yamaha, Brock Glover out in first now, Rick Johnson, second and Ricky Johnson, told us how important the start is. Okay, let's go through the start sequence here. Okay, everything set, all your equipment set, you're revving your engine. Are you at full throttle, half throttle? Well, everyone does a different, a lot of riders hold it wide open, so there's plenty of power to the tire when they drop the clutch. I don't like to do that, I think it either makes the tire spin or grab too much to make you loop out. I like to hold it about half throttle and roll the clutch out at the same time so you get a real positive, real progressive feeling to the rear tire. You know, it's so important, you want all that weight on the rear tire, but at the same time, you don't want to loft the front up. So are you shifting your weight as you're taking off, shifting gears, picking up speed?