Coliseum Motocross : Glover Scores Upset Victory; Johnson 5th

Broc Glover, the oldest active rider in professional motocross at 28, surprised a crowd of 41,892 Saturday night by winning the Coors Super Crown of Stadium Motocross at the Coliseum.

Glover, a Yamaha factory rider, won his first stadium motocross event in three years. He sat out the 1986 and 1987 seasons with assorted injuries.

Rick Johnson of El Cajon was attempting to become the first three-time winner of a Coliseum motocross, but Glover took that honor after Johnson collided with Erik Kehoe at the start and never recovered, finishing fifth.

Glover’s other Coliseum wins came in 1980 when he won both events of a two-day program.

Conspicuously absent was Kawasaki factory rider Jeff Ward, the defending Supercross champion. Ward failed to show after being mathematically eliminated from successfully defending his title four weeks ago in New Jersey.

Johnson, 23, had already clinched the Supercross championship with 9 victories in 11 starts, earning his second title since joining Honda in 1986, so Ward decided to skip the Coliseum event and rest an ailing left ankle that he injured at the Meadowlands.

Roy Turner, Kawasaki team manager, said Ward was vacationing in Las Vegas with his girlfriend. Turner said he had notified the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group, promoters of the race, that Ward would not ride because of the ankle injury.

That didn’t stop the promoters from advertising that Ward would ride all week. They also failed to notify ticket-buyers on race night that Ward would not be competing.

“I called the promoters eight days ago and told them that Jeff wouldn’t ride,” Turner said. “What bothers me is that the credibility of the sport has been damaged.”

Bill Marcel, who was named president of the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group 10 days ago, claimed that he did not know Ward wouldn’t ride until Friday. Ward, of course, was not at a practice and press preview Thursday.

“We expected Jeff to be there on Thursday, and I tried all day on Friday to find out his status,” Marcel said. “I tried calling him at home twice on Friday and never reached him. I never got a definite answer from Kawasaki.”

Bill Amick, director of competition for the sanctioning American Motorcyclist Assn., said Ward could face a maximum fine of $1,000 and a possible suspension for failing to notify the AMA that he would not ride within 10 days after he entered the event nearly a month ago.