This Week in Kawasaki SX History: Atlanta 1990
Thursday, February 24, 2011 | 2:00 PM
Share
Comment
Email
Print
It’s one of the supercross races the series is most often judged by, and one that, in this author’s opinion, is the greatest race in the history of the sport
The Battle for Atlanta, 1990.
Yes, the legendary Anaheim 1986 battle between David Bailey and Rick Johnson gets a lot of “best race ever” play, but that race merely featured a one-on-one duel. Atlanta 1990 presented the mother lode: no less than eight riders battling for a win, for the full twenty laps, with the race winner not even taking the lead until the last lap.
When we make our weekly Saturday night wish for great racing, Atlanta ‘90 is the type of race we are wishing we will see.
It was so good, that not only did the eventual race winner not even get into the lead until the last lap, but he wasn’t even anywhere near the front for the first ten laps. Johnny O’Mara led early. Then Damon Bradshaw took the lead; Jeff Stanton, Jean-Michel Bayle and Jeff Matiasevich made appearances near the front. Mike Kiedrowski and Guy Cooper were next, and Cooper battled forward and got the lead from Bradshaw. Cooper made a mistake, putting Bradshaw and Kiedrowski up front again, until Kiedrowski crashed and took Bradshaw down with him.
Ward was the winner of the epic 1990 Atlanta Supercross.
Photo: DC
Cooper had the lead for the second time but was now under fire from Rick Johnson, the former king of the sport who was logging his last, best race. RJ had been struggling for a year with a trashed wrist, but he fought through the pain on this night, went after Cooper and got the lead. By about that time, RJ’s old rival Jeff Ward began to appear on the scene. Then RJ’s wrist started to give out, Cooper turned it up and passed him back for the top spot. With two laps to go, it looked like Cooper was finally going to nail down his elusive first-ever supercross win. But Ward found a sneaky line through the whoops and passed Johnson on lap 19 then mounted a last charge after Cooper as the white flag flew. He used the same line through the whoops to sneak up on Cooper, snagging the lead with just a few turns left, and winning in ultra-dramatic fashion.
Of course Ward was on a KX250, his weapon of choice for all of his career wins. It was the best supercross ever, and Wardy can always brag that he was the man who won it.
Share this article:
Did you like this article?
Check out THE DARK KNIGHT
in our Latest issue of Racer X available now.
Tyler Bowers has become a star on the Amsoil Arenacross circuit, but the often-controversial racer just hit another peak—a surprise win at the 2013 Las Vegas Supercross. Page 148.
Look for the verified symbol 
Impulse Studios
Just watched this race on youtube a few days ago. It was amazing! So many lead changes with different riders. I felt bad for Guy Cooper, he was so close to victory.
It is worth a look for sure.
I was there this night. I remember that when Cooper passed Johnson for the lead around lap 15 he went inside RJ pinned, pivoted that RM250 and didn't touch Johnson....I mean they were 1/2 an inch from each other, right up against the hay bails...
Much better race than 1986 Anaheim, as far as diversity for brands and racing.
hmmm??? 8 guys in 1990 7 guys in 2011, 8 is stretching it a little, but still, its close..
like I said in the other thread, The start of lap 2 this weekend... RD, CR, DM, RV, TC, JS... Now that would be SICK!!!
I remember Wardy Pumping his fist like 6 times over the finish line jump!!
Best sx ever...can we please have a race like that this weekend...I remember I had to wait for weeks to see that one on ESPN...
Classic race for sure. I relayed to this Atlanta 1990 race a few weeks back when the Dodger Stadium race was being called best race....not even close if you saw this battle back in 1990. The 1989 Atlanta race was pretty good too....Cooper in the lead again and through it away to Stanton, ending RJ's 5 race win streak....the good ol days...course I was just starting high school back then.....some should post that link and they should show races like this during the long downtime at the actual events.....
A 1990 version of Atlanta in 2011 would be Awesome! RV2 will play the roll of Ward, CR22 will play RJ, JS7 is Stanton, TC41 will play Bradshaw and Dungey will play Cooper .....sorry getting carried away here...
But I have a feeling we are going to see someone who played it rather safe last week smoke them this week...Its a pattern,,,,
Atlanta's had its share of good races. This was the best of those, though. I'm not sure if having more riders involved made it more exciting than the RJ-Bailey mano-a-mano, but it was a classic. Johnny O' hadn't won a race in years, so when he took the lead, it was even better than K-Dub at Houston. Disappointing to see him fall back, but then Cooper took the lead, and I rooted for his first win. (Never happened.) Wardy was probably my least favorite of the group, so the finish wasn't so happy for me - but you had to respect the guy, and as time has passed, the respect has only grown. (It helped that he became friendlier with age.) Also, it was a damn shame what happened to RJ's wrist the year before. Could happen to anyone, but in this case it took down one of the all-time greats in his prime.
I was there as well. Awesome race.
How about Atlanta 2005. Langston vs. Walker battle.
That was a classic as well
What about Larry Ward and JMB queit 4th and 5th in that race.
Wow, that really was one of the best races ever...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqwR0Gt4Y1Q
Just watched it! Thanks awesome for the address. Haha Camel supercross and Dave Despain.
as long as we have these 1 lined no room for passing in corner tracks , we will never see a race like that again !
Why can't the tracks be like that nowadays but making an exception for the increased power/torque modern bikes have...that was dirt not the clay they bring in to the georgia dome nowadays...can't they till in sand with the clay to loosen the it up and so that multilpe lines form like what we saw in the 1990 race and many supercross races since? Now racing is like a follow the leader congo line and we have become so accustomed to it that some people cry dare a rider throw an elbow or rub!
Go Barcia!! Dare I say it go Stewart! Just don't land on squirelly riders who aren't rtunning your pace...wink wink.
Atlanta 2011 - I am pulling for RV, but when ever people doubt JS , he usually comes back and opens a can of whoop ass.....so we'll see.
1. Stewart
2. RV
3. Reed
Yes I still have the mag and the video.
Wardy should write a book.
Hey, my dad, Todd Ulmer, was in this supercross. He was in the qualifiers. He actually ran into one of the camera men. Does any one have any footage of that or the qualifiers of this race?