Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126062
.. ~ :::i'~ . F ' .-, ..,:, _. ~ v~ downer for Springer & I(eeri:ir "The bike is running really strong," said jay Springsteen. "Hey, look at this. I busted off a shock at the eye in the heat race and thought I was getting a flat tire (mo ti onin g with the shock). The other side just about busted also . That problem made me glad that I've spent the last week wo rking ou t to strengthen my shoulders, arms, wrists and hands . .. I feel good, real good." Gary Scott, qu iet and pe nsive while tuners Carl Patrick an d Sal Acosta worked on his bike , was doing his pre-race mental warmup . Chuck joyner, whom Burres called his biggest threat for the victory , sat comfortably in th e shade awaiting the start. "I loo k forward to co m ing to Peoria every year because I like to rac e and Peoria is a track designed for racing. Let's talk abou t winning after the race ." "It's suprising," said Steve Eklund's tuner Frank Ny e , " b ut it appears that no one else has gon e to a 21 inch front wheel ; that's esp eciall y surprising since handling is at a premium h ere. We've also gone to motocross shocks and the combo worked good in th e heat rac e." Track preparation of the ju mp took up a few sweating minutes as the 6-6-4 grid sat on the lin e wi th j oyner, Eklund. Roberts, Burres, Springsteen and Gary Scott on the front row. Caves , Hock in g, Skiver, Hank Scott, Wascher, and Ran dy Scott sat on ro w two with Beauc h am p. Bostrom, Boody and Steve Droste fillin g out the field. A first turn crash at the start left Rick Ho cking hobbling and Mike Caves ' crew working to change a flat rear tire. Sonny Burres took a slow lap to che ck the track. Springer blasted away on the green light as the field again fanned out with Hank Scott going down in a cloud of dust outside tum one and remounting · quickly half a lap down. (UI alm os t pulled in t o the pits be cause m y back hurt so bad, but I kept on go ing.") Eklund immediately settled into second with Gary, j oyner, Burres. Caves and Roberts faIling in behind. Springer kep t up the pace while the p ack shuffled behind with Gary taking Eklund for second as Burres b umped joynet for fo urth. Wascher, Skiver . Bostrom and Hocking battled a short distance behind. Skiver struck machine trouble abo ut eight lap s into the event, and ignit io n problems sid elined Randy Scott soon after. Burres ' charge was halted by a suspected blown transmission . Eklun d regained second as he and Springer p ulled away while Gary fought to h old off joyner, losing th e spot and then winning it back a lap later. (UI co llided with some on e on th e first lap an d it bent my brake lever so that I co uldn 't reach it, " j oyner said la ter. "Then , ju st when ' I finally go t it bent back and working. I snapped off th e foot b ra ke lev er just af te r passing Scott." ) Scott, fo r his part. was grateful for even a little lessening of the p ressu re. He go t ' it and his second wind at the sam e tim e. Sp ringer was slo wly losin g some ground to Eklun d, but th en as if by some sixth sense picked th e p ace back up . . . until h e in adv ertently shut th e gas off. Battles within battles for all positions past fourth were going on, bu t all attentio n in the last lap s was cen tere d on Springer , Eklun d. Scott and joyn er. Th e smiles o f tuner Bill Werner turned to somber silence as Springer sputtered past and Eklund quickly clos ed the gap . Eklund passed, Scott passed, j oyner p assed, the ch ec kers fluttere d on jay in fourth and he pulled into th e pits. La ter, in the sh ade of th e to we r, Steve Eklu n d , while vigorously farming hims elf with his Camel h at to get a bre ez e going said, U ay was riding such a j s tr on g r ace , that I don 't beli eve I could have caught him. Man, he was reall y flying .. . lowe everything to m y sponsor Mario Zanotti and to th e long hours that m y tuner Frank Nye has p ut in on my bikes. We worked almost two week s (be tween races) gettin g ready for here and it paid off much, much better than expected." And with th at said, Steve set off in search of something co ld . to drink. • Results 25 vamJ. l LAP NATIONAL; 1. St eve E klund 2. Gary Sco tt rr rn, 3 . Chuck Joyner T rl) . 4. Jay Spr ingstee n (H ·D) . 5. Mike Caves H·D) . 6 . Kenn y Ro be rts (Vam) . 7 . Pau l Bo strom (H-D) . 8. R ick Hock ing (Vam) . 9. Rex Beauchamp (H ·D ) . 10. R ich wasener Ted Y (H 12. 13. 14. IT r. ). 11.(Tr l). BOOdSColl -O ). SCottSteveriDroste Burres 15. RandY (T ) . 16. H-D). Han k (Vam) . Sonny Randy S k iver (Tri) . Time : 12 .28.06 treco rc) , 12 LAP TROPH V RAC E: 1. Ale x Jo rgenson (BS A) . 2. Ge ne R omer o (H-D) . 3. G u y McClure (H-D ). 4. T er ry Sage (T rl) . 5. Rand y Cleek (Yam) . 6 . Brad Hurst (T rl) . 7. Mert Lawwlll (HoD). 8. Mark Sm ith (Vam). 9 . Buddy Po w e ll (Yam) . 10. Walter Mundt (Trl ) . Ti m e : 6.08:82 (record). UNOFF IC AL AMA GR ANO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP/CAMEL PRO SER IES POINT STANDINGS : 1. Ga ry scot t (195). 2. Kenny Robert s (18 9). 3. Jay Springsteen 174 1. 4 . Steve Eklund (lIS). 5 . Randy Cleek 108. 6. Ted Boody (92). 7. R ick H ock ing 8 . Han k SCott (84) . 9 . Corky K eene r 76 . 10 Gen e Romer o (68) 1 5. 81 l (Opp. page) Steve Eklund didn't th ink he co uld do it, but he did. (Ab ove) Ja y Springste en had a humongous lea d until his knee clo sed a gastap; t hen (be low) Eklund, Gary Scon, and Chuck Joyn er ca me f re ight-train ing by to fill ou t t he t op t h ree. 9