Larry Lawrence | November 16, 2016
The dawning of a new decade saw the 1990 AMA Supercross season become one of the more interesting contests in the history of the series. It was a meeting of two generations of riders. On the established veterans side, you had Jeff Ward, Johnny O’Mara, Guy Cooper and Rick Johnson. Those talented riders of the 1980s came up against young guns of the ‘90s such as Jeff Matiasevich, Larry Ward, Jean-Michel Bayle, Mike Kiedrowski and Damon Bradshaw. In the end Jeff Stanton, the rider wedged just in between those two generations was the one to emerge victorious, but there were a lot of surprises along the way.
Part of the reason the 1990 Supercross season generated such a buzz, was the way it opened in Anaheim in front of 66,141 eager fans. They came to cheer on their favorite son Rick Johnson in his comeback from injury. Johnson, the all-time AMA Supercross wins leader at the time, looked poised to win the ’89 Supercross title after beginning the year with five-consecutive victories. Johnson was seemingly untouchable when a bizarre practice crash in the outdoor national season opener at Gatorback, where another rider crash landed on top of him, badly broke his right wrist and put him out for the season.
So, no doubt the headlines coming into Anaheim were almost all about Johnson’s return and that generated a tremendous amount of anticipation.
It was 17-year-old Yamaha rider Damon Bradshaw however, who stole the show. The 125 East Region Supercross Champ came out of the opening gate swinging. In the season kickoff Bradshaw and fellow series rookie Kawasaki’s Matiasevich delighted the largest crowd of the season by battling up front for the win. It was a brilliant duel between the two young guns before Bradshaw finally took control to score his AMA Supercross premier class victory.
The win made Bradshaw the youngest rider to capture a Supercross victory since Marty Tripes, who won at the Los Angeles Coliseum in 1972 when he was 16.
The youth movement continued at round two in the Houston Astrodome when Larry Ward and Bradshaw diced for the lead, with Ward holding the point in the early going before Bradshaw slipped by and sped on to a second-straight win. Anaheim was no fluke. Bradshaw was the real deal.
Bradshaw appeared to be en route to making it three for three at San Diego, but early in the race he crashed on a tabletop while leading and injured his foot. It was a broken foot that went undiagnosed for nearly a month that would ultimately sideline the highly-talented rookie Bradshaw and drop him from championship contention.
A freak snowstorm slowed Seattle to a crawl, but that didn’t stop 37,309 fans from braving the elements and be rewarded with the victory of hometown hero Larry Ward (born and raised in nearby Snohomish). Ward and Matiasevich had a riveting race with several early bumps and passes back and forth bringing the enthusiastic Kingdome crowd to its feet. It was not only the first Supercross main event win for Ward, but the first victory in the series for Suzuki in nearly seven years.
Even though he finished second, Matiasevich took over the series lead after Seattle and would hold it much of the season.
The next round in Atlanta was considered by many long-time followers, one of the best races of series history. Early in the race there were as many as seven riders battling for the lead and swapping positions multiple times per lap. Most of the 43,100 fans in Fulton County Stadium were on their feet for the entire main event. The lead group consisted of Bradshaw, Matiasevich, O’Mara, Cooper, Kiedrowski, Johnson and Jeff Ward. Halfway through Bradshaw and Kiedrowski tangled and both ended up in the haybales. Cooper then took the lead with Johnson on his tail. Those two traded the lead nearly every lap with veteran Ward laying back in third waiting for an opening. With two laps to go he made his move past a surprised Johnson, who didn’t even realize Wardy was there. Then he made a picture-perfect block pass on Cooper and held on to take his first victory of the season. Chalk one up for the veterans.
Stanton won Daytona comfortably, but Matiasevich, who finished fourth, continued to lead the series in spite of not having a victory to his credit. He took care of that with a win at the next round at the Silver Bowl (now called Sam Boyd Stadium) in Las Vegas, becoming the fifth winner in seven rounds and extending his series lead.
Jeff Ward came back to win again in the return to the Rose Bowl for the first time in five years. That was followed by the first AMA Supercross victory World 250cc MX Champ Bayle at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, adding to the tally of victorious riders at mid-season. There would be no others added to that number in the second half of the season when just three riders – Bayle, Bradshaw and Johnson – traded wins at the remain races.
Bradshaw sat out a couple of weekends with his foot injury, and returned to his winning ways at the in the first race of the doubleheader at the Silverdome in Pontiac, Michigan. Bayle won his third race in Tampa, joining Matiasevich and Stanton in the championship battle with six rounds remaining.
Charlotte’s Memorial Stadium, at just 20,000 seats, was possibly one of the smallest venues the series ever visited, but an enthusiastic crowd was thrilled when home state favorite Bradshaw took victory in a tight battle with Stanton.
Bayle got on a hot streak and gave fans a preview of what was to come in his career after scoring consecutive wins in the northeast swing to Giant Stadium and Sullivan (Foxboro) Stadium.
With just three rounds remaining it was a straight up three-way battle for the championship between Matiasevich, Stanton and Bayle.
In triple-digit heat at State Fair Speedway in Oklahoma City, the Honda pair of Stanton and Bayle had their own personal duel for the win, with the ultra-fit Stanton taking control in the final laps. The victory vaulted the Michigan rider into the series lead, by just six points over Matiasevich.
The penultimate round at San Jose, California’s Spartan Stadium went a long way in deciding that year’s championship. Stanton took his second straight victory ahead of Bayle, who moved to second in the standings, with Matiasevich struggling to a 10th-place finish.
Stanton enjoyed a 14-point lead over Bayle going into the final round at the Los Angeles Coliseum on June 23. He only needed to finish ninth or better to clinch the title.
Stanton looked as if he wanted to win the championship in style by taking the lead in the final. But he later admitted he nearly through it away a couple of times while trying to hold off a surging Bradshaw. Bayle was surging late and he and Bradshaw put on the most entertaining final lap of the season.
Bayle took the lead heading up the hill to the peristyle end of the Coliseum. Bradshaw regained it as they swept under the columns at the far end of the stadium. The two riders weren’t giving an inch and banged into one another a couple of times as the crowd roared. Bradshaw gave his Yamaha too much gas and nearly lost it coming up to the finish-line jump and he took the checkered flag more off his bike than on with Bayle just inches behind.
The victory tied Bradshaw with Bayle for the most victories on the season with five each.
Stanton cruised to the championship in sixth, ending the campaign with four wins and a slew of podiums.
The riders of the ‘80s showed they still had the speed on occasion to win and the young guns definitely put their stamp on the first season of the ‘90s, but in the end the man in his prime, Stanton, took home the 1990 AMA Supercross title in the generational clash.