Three decades after one of the single greatest performances ever put forth in the history of the fabled Motocross des Nations, Johnny O’Mara returned to the teeming hillsides of Maggiora, Italy, to take part in the pomp and circumstance of the 2016 Motocross of Nations. Having now attained a sort of living legend status for what he accomplished on a 125 that sunny afternoon in helping to lead Team USA to victory—he finished second only to David Bailey (500cc) and Rick Johnson (250cc) in his two motos—he was back in the Old World of motocross to commemorate that sensational day with ’86 teammates Bailey and Johnson.
While there, O’Mara, who also rode on winning Trophee and Motocross des Nations teams in 1981, 1982, and 1984, was front and center and sweeping his eyes all over last Sunday’s 70th annual running of the world’s greatest motocross race. We were keen hear what the 1983 125cc National Champion and 1984 Supercross Champion had to say about what went down at Lake Maggiora in northern Italy. Referring to the trip as “a once in a lifetime deal,” O’Mara spoke of the people, places and things—not to mention the serious sense of déjà vu he experienced while present—that made the 2016 MXoN an instant classic.
Racer X: So you made it back home from Italy?
Johnny O’Mara: I made it back late Monday night, so I’ve had a couple days back at home and just adjusting to getting back to normal life. Last weekend was pretty special. The MXoN at Maggiora was definitely an amazing event. It was a great thing they did for all of us on the old 1986. Man, the U.S. just missed it! They just had that bad luck and almost had the victory there right towards the end. If anything, that was the only bummer on the whole weekend. Those guys were so close and they tried so hard and they just missed it.
You’re a good friend of mine and I know it really bums you out when we lose, doesn’t it?
[Laughs] Yeah, I know. Last year when I was there with Jeremy Martin and I said a few things and I ruffled some feathers, but I was just speaking from my heart. I like to see the American team win. I think we all do. Like I said, I saw the guys race their hearts out this weekend. You can’t say they didn’t give it 100 percent because I watched them firsthand and they did. We’ll move on. We’ve got to beat France here soon because they’ve got a few in a row. Maybe next year. It would definitely be nice to see that trophy come back here to the United States and to get a win streak going on.
Should we have won? Was it our race?
Absolutely, because what happened to Jason [Anderson], I mean everybody is still shaking their heads today. He had the race of his lifetime and straight-up beat Jeffrey Herlings in a grudge match. They were probably the two fastest guys on the track. Maybe [Romain] Febvre was in there a little bit, too, but on lap times, those two were the guys setting the bar. Jason just rode great. He handled the pressure when Herlings came up on him, and in my opinion, frustrated Herlings and then Herlings fell over. And then there was that thing at the finish—that was a freak thing. That was like, “Pinch me. What just happened?” It was just the weirdest thing. Jason just lapped that one guy from Japan and I think that guy just didn’t even realize it was the last lap because he never got a one lap board. He probably went around that last corner and was not really looking up and thought there was one more lap left in the race. It was just unfortunate deal and something you couldn’t even think about possibly happening. If Jason could have rode he could have just cruised that last race and not put so much pressure on Cooper [Webb]. It was just Coop in that last race and that’s a lot of pressure.
There was a pretty big uproar about the finish line incident involving Anderson and the Team Japan rider Chihiro Notsuka, but I just sort of looked at it as more of a bizarre racing incident. Thoughts?
I don’t blame anybody. It was just a freak thing. You know the one thing about the ‘Nations that maybe people can understand a little bit is that we’re racing against people that we’re not racing against all the time. That’s what makes it a little bit dangerous sometimes. You race in the United States, you know everybody’s strengths and weaknesses and their style of racing. The good guys read that stuff really well. That’s just the nature of the business—you learn your competitors. When you race over there, we don’t race against those guys all the time, you know? That’s what’s a little risky out there and stuff like that crash is bound to happen once in a while. There are so many different levels of racers and everybody wants to do great at the MXoN. It’s like the Olympics for us so everybody is giving it everything they have and I’m sure the Japanese rider was too.
What was the vibe like back in the Team USA pits before that third and final moto?
I’ll say before that last moto it didn’t look good over there. They just knew the impact of the Jason thing was like, “Damn. No way.” I mean, they knew they didn’t have a throw out score because Jason wasn’t going to ride that last moto. That was a lot of pressure on Coop. And Coop had it in that final moto. That’s just the bottom line. That’s what happens in racing. Sometimes you just can’t be perfect. I know the guy personally and he’s a champion.
What happened with that small, and I guess costly, miscue Cooper had with just a few laps remaining?
I know the turn. I know that track well and that turn was there when I raced. That’s a pretty gnarly corner, just to be honest. It’s pretty vertical and it caught Cooper with that rut that was on the inside. Some guys went high and some guys went through the middle or to the inside like he did and I think he just got a little off balance.
"That’s very cool that they’re still talking about us after 30 years. They basically still call us the Dream Team. I may not be so comfortable with that, but it is what everyone seems to think."
Cooper performed well in that moto, didn’t he? Maybe he was a little tight and conservative during the initial phase of it, but he picked it up and came through and made the passes he needed to make.
Yeah, in that last one he was catching up the whole time. He was holding his own. He was up there with the leaders and he didn’t really need to move up any more. He just needed to hold that position right around fourth or fifth and they had it. He was doing what he had to do.
All things considered, as far as the riders go, who really impressed you over the race weekend at Maggiora?
For me, I was really looking forward to seeing Jeffrey Herlings on the big bike. I really wanted to see that and he didn’t let me down at all. I expected him to ride like he did. He’s outgrown that small bike, the 250, so what I saw him do on the big bike is what I kind of expected. He’s going to be an instant threat to be the champ next year. There’s no doubt everyone saw that at Maggiora. Jason, of course, rode unbelievable. He basically matched Herlings on speed. Herlings probably had the most impact on me all day. And obviously I’m always going to throw Tony [Cairoli] in there. Tony rode unbelievable to get a couple of seconds. He’s amazing. That’s why he is a many-time world champion. Febvre was unreal and helped hold up the flag for the French team. On the small bike, I was most impressed with [Jeremy] Van Horebeek because I know how hard it is to ride a smaller bike against the bigger bikes. His lap times were low and he looked very fast. And I thought Alex [Martin] looked great. Alex did exactly what I expected and it was more than good enough hold up his part for the team. He rode great and came through the pack. That’s my read on the race right there.
Was the track similar, or were certain track sections similar, to when you raced on it back in 1986?
That whole section from the Elevator Shaft, to the right turn at the bottom, and then to the next left turn—the turn where Cooper fell over and the next right turn, the turn where I passed Dave Thorpe (1986 500cc world champion)—was identical to the ’86 track. Those turns were literally almost identical. I knew what the guys were feeling, basically, or how they were approaching those sections. Those corners were pretty key to that track.
While you were watching the races last Sunday, could you almost visualize or conceptualize yourself riding on the same track that those guys were?
Yeah, I think as a past racer we all visualize that and can understand it. When I watched Herlings do a couple sections, I just sat there and shook my head. I could really appreciate it because on the technical-side, that was what I was always about. Watching Jeffrey I thought, Wow, that was really beautiful. I can really appreciate good riding like that. Jason was also unbelievable in sections and so was Cooper. I could always take away things from the best riders in the world. Everybody has something special about them. Especially the champions. Those guys always shine. There is always something that they do that is a little bit different from everybody. You find yourself saying, “That’s how to do it. That’s textbook.”
How was race day? How was the atmosphere and the overall vibe of it all? Was it similar to what went on three decades ago?
I think there were so many similarities. Like the weather was almost identical. It was just beautiful. It couldn’t have been any better. The fans and all that were similar. It literally had the same feel to me and I wasn’t racing! And I’m 30 years older. It was crazy. It felt the same. That place is very magical. No doubt. It was the same deal but, hey, my days are done and I was just there on behalf of the 1986 team that is still considered one of the best all-time performances by the United States. That’s very cool that they’re still talking about us after 30 years. They basically still call us the Dream Team. I may not be so comfortable with that, but it is what everyone seems to think. When I do think about that race and our time when we won in ’86, we were all, all three of us, at the all-time pinnacle of our careers.
As far as you being at the race and being out amongst the fans, industry people, and even all the former racers present, what were some of your own highlights at Maggiora?
The whole thing doesn’t happen without Giuseppe Luongo. And Maggiora Park, in general, was almost shut down for a lot of years. Paulo [Schneider] and Stefano [Avendero] have regenerated that place in the last five or six years and have done a tremendous job with the facility and their passion for it is just unbelievable. And my family got to come with me to Maggiora and feel what I used to do. Obviously, my wife Gina, she knows moto and we’ve been married for almost 20 years now and has been around the sport at the highest level. She’s seen Ricky [Carmichael] and seen [Ryan] Dungey and she’s seen all the people that I’ve worked with and knows the sport well, but she really didn’t see me race. At Maggiora she saw the impact of that. For my nine-year-old son JJ and my 12-year-old daughter Shelby, they were like, “Wow! Dad must have done something right.” They know that I was good at what I did, but they were pretty amazed with following me around there. That was super-special for me. If anything was a highlight, that literally was the biggest highlight for me. We’re still talking about it today and I’m sure it’s something we’ll never forget.
What do you say to the racers that, for whatever reason, back out of competing in the MXoN? I’m not asking you to name names or choose specific years, but what do you think about the guys who don’t go and race it?
It’s a sensitive question to answer. I try to be politically correct on things. All I can do is speak for myself. Over the decades racing has changed and I always hear people say there is more racing now, but I don’t know if that’s totally accurate. I really think the number of races is still the same. It seems like the guys are so scientific on their training now and need to have a little off time. I totally understand that. I’ve been an athlete my whole life and we all need a little break and rest to get ready to start hammering again in October to do your 12-week prep for Anaheim. I get it. I’ve been there and done that stuff. All I can say on my side as I’m way past my racing days, still today the championships I won in the United States are very important. I reached my goals of winning those. But to be honest, my seven MXdN victories, they’re just as important, if not more important than my U.S. championships. I know my name is more worldwide because of that. I’m not just known in the United States for what I did. I’m a global brand because of what I did being a part of the MXdN and being on the winning team every time I was on it. I really looked at it that it was like my Olympics. Our sport really doesn’t have the Olympics like we watch on TV with Michael Phelps. The closest thing for us is the MXdN at the end of the year in September. For me personally, I was just praying that I got chosen for the team. There were probably even times when I would be thinking about being on the team that motivated me to do even better during the season because I really wanted to be on the team. That was an honor that I really looked up to. That being said, that’s how I looked at it. I know during the early days when I worked with Ricky Carmichael, he’d say, “What is that Motocross des Nations thing?” I’d say, “Trust me, you’re going to appreciate it just as much as I did.” I know he would speak about the race just like I am today. Those victories were very important to his legacy. All I can say on my behalf is that I would never turn down the MXdN. It’s too much of an honor.