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
. National. going up...(B elow) Boody upsets Roberts' rhythm (Above ) Anothe r year, anothe r launching - Jay's tenth career Sp ri ng st ee n w in s H ou st on A st ro do m e sh or tt ra ek • Sp rin gs tee n lea ds Ca me l Pr o po int s, Ro be rts fif th , Sc ot t las t By Gary Van Voorh is HOUST ON . TX .JAN. 29 Grand Nat iona l Cha mpi on Jay Springsteen quickly foun d the winn ing line in the 20 -lap Yam aha Gold Cup /Ho usto n Chr onic le/ Houston Astrodome short track National , racking up his tent.h career Nat.ional victory and returni ng Harley- Davids on to th e top spot. in the short track victory la ne after an absence of seven yea rs. Springe r. before an enthusi astic crowd of 38 .765 cheerin g spectat ors. dispose d o f initial le ad er St eve Mor eh ead at th e com p letion of -the first lap a nd fro m ther e on was never passe d. Ted Bood v, t he newest member of th e H arl ey-Da vidson Raci ng Team. showed his skill by coming out on top of a tight batt le for second place while Mike Kidd . i.sponsored by Penton /Hi Point . rod e to a hotly contest ed third spot in th e cha m pagne ce lebra tion. The reducti on of th e ma ximum displ acem ent rul e for sho rt track from 360cc to 250cc opened the doo rs for a flood of machi nery with Ossa . Suzuk i. Can-A m . M on t esa . Ca r a be la . . Yamah a and KT M joining Bultaco with Ha rley and Pent on in the brands entered . In retrosp ect . it appear s that Harley benefit ed the mos t- from the change as the orange and black Milwau kee marq ue won three heats and one semi ' to put four in the • Nationa l. Kenny Roberts brough t out the - second of his monosh ock cre a tions. The bik e. like his TT mount . uses an OW31 (road race) monosh ock mated to a Rob erts' d esigned /built fram e with mag wheels a nd extensive usc of other weigh t saving m et als in the brake system and elsewhe re . Robert s' hard work was worth a reducti on of over 30 pounds on t he sho rt tracker whil e his TT bik e showed a loss of 50 pou nds . d own to a light 310 . Also in th e trick, d epartm ent was th e monosh ock specia l designe d and built by Eddie W ilbanks for rider Kenny McDon ald . The bright gold anodized frame used a modifie d aircraft air/oil sh o c k mount ed . und ern eath the engine. and incorpo rated 'ot her timesaving items into a speciall y made swinga rm for case of mounti ng wheels and adjustm ent of the brake system. Unfort unately . the McDon ald did not _ qualify for the program althoug h during practic e the bike had been turning respect a6le times . Qualifying / Qualify ing. as always . was a breathholding affair with 131 riders vying for 60 spots in th e program . A factor of .658 ' second separa ted fast qualifie r Hank Scott ( 14 .857- 15.575) from last man Billy Oliv er. The hea r. races had th eir usual qu ota of top notch action with J ay Springsteen 's aggress ive riding in t he seco nd heat b rin gin g the fans to thei r feet. The sixt h a nd fina l hea t also had the fans scream ing as Ted Boody frustrat ed Ken ny Robert s' every move as he challen ged for the lead. Boody. with savvy beyond his 18 years. repeate dly stole Roberts ' line. and sh ut the door on a final last lap . last turn dash by Kenny to hold him off by a scant foot. Trophy Race T he Trophy Race fell to the Yamah a of Skip Akslan d . Akslan d, aboard his D.A .R.T. sponso red/Ter ry Sage tuned mount . emerge d from a heated battle with Larry Cooper . Rick Hockin g and Darryl Hurst in the final laps to gain th e victory with Bultaco mounte d Cooper holding off the Ossas of Hockin g and Hurst. National The lin e up for the Nation al was definitel y pro eas t coast in direct co n t rast t o Friday 's TT . Ja y Spri ngsteen held t he pole posit ion with Steve Moreh ead . Ted Bood y. H ank Scott . Ra nd y Goss and Corky Keen er