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/126246
IAbove left) KR's trick tracker.IAbove right! Jimmy Morales leads a Jimmy Mayo - Corky Keener - Darryl Hurst sandwich. Jammin' timel
making up the front row . Terry
Poovey , Randy Cleek, Kenny Roberts,
Dave Hansen, Mike Kidd and Jimmy
Mayo held the. second row positions
with Scott Pearson and Steve Eklund
holding the handicap of the third row .
In contrast to past 'Dome short
tracks, the track did not set up as a one
line groove although a sweeping of the
surface prior to the Trophy Race
I
caused a_lot of concern over tire choices
before the National, The choice was
debated in the Harley pits until the
final minutes with Springsteen and
Bood y electing to keep their hea trace
Pirelli/Carlisle combination intact.
The same was true in Mike Kidd's pits
where ISDT Go ld Meda list Carl
Cranke was twisting the wrenches and
making his fina l check before th e
National. The tire choice. proved right
for all three.
On th e flash of the green light. Steve
Morehead and J ay Springsteencharged side by side for the first tum
with Morehead winning the da sh. He
kept his advantage through th e first
lap with Springer taking the lead as
the pair crossed the finish lin e followed
by Scott, Boody, Kidd (a lread y on the
move from the second row), Goss and
Hansen with the rest of the field close
behind.
Morehead continued to challenge
Springer for the lead, but the
realization was slowly dawning on
Steve that if the track did not groove
up , he was stuck with a wrong
'decision on gearing. The gamble
slowly dropped him back to seventh.
Kidd and Boody had already moved
past Scott with Hansen moving up
with Keener in tow . Roberts, the
victim of a bad start and a lot of
traffic, was back in 12th.
Roberts pulled out all the stops in
the next two laps and sliced his way to
sixth on the fifth of 20 laps . Two laps
later, he dropped Keener to sixth and
closed on the battle royale o f
Morehead and Kidd for second with
Boody ready to jump into action . On
the next la p the trio began to mix it up
with Roberts lurking behind. Poo vey
got into the action dragging . along
.Eklund as th e pair charged to eighth
and ninth .
At the halfwa y flags , Boody
pounced on Kidd for second as
Roberts a pplied the pressure to
Morehead in fourth. Keener trailed
th e action in sixth with Eklund closing
and Poovey, Scott, Goss, Hansen and
the rest now strung out.
The action cont in ued on lap 12 as
Roberts moved into fourth with
Eklund putting the pass on Keener. '
Springer, by this time, had a safe
cushion built up leaving the fight to all
who trailed Number One. Eklund
continued his move , challenging
Roberts for fourth whil e Kidd was
back pushing Boody for second on lap
13. Two more tours of the track and
Boody had pulled away from Kidd as
Eklund swept past Roberts for fourth .
.
,
•
~
I
_
(Above) Stev e Moreh ead's got the point as Springer swings wide on the first lap of the
National.IBelow) The Boody/Roberts duel, a repeat from 7 6.
The tally read Springer, Boody , Kidd ,
Eklund , Roberts, Morehead , Keen er ,
Poo vey, Goss, Ma yo, Cleek, Pearson,
Scott and Hansen on lap 16. The front
five were set for th e fini sh with Keen er
moving into sixth. Cleek pitted a lap
later with Ma yo dropping back rapidly
to last by th e checkered flag .
The champagne flowed for Springer
and Boody while Kidd remained
subdued in the winner's circle, the
victim of an attack of the flu that
almost had him withdraw before time
trials because of a queasy stomach.
Luckily he didn't , and Penton earned
its first -ever National points. The two
nights of consistency by Springer and
Boody put the pair one-two in the
point standings with Roberts fifth and
Gary Scott tied for last.
•
Re sults
1. Jey Spr ingS1_ (H-DI. 2. Ted Boody IH-DI. 3.
Mike Kidd (Pen). 4. Steve Eklund (Yam). 5. Kenny
Roberts (Yam). 6. Ca