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/126283
0') ~ l-< Q) ..0 O .... · u o PHOTOS BY FELIXADAMO Scott wins fifth Ascot n; Springer clinches second No.1 IBy Dale Brown GARD EN A, CA , OCT. 7 Gary Scott, riding the eight-year-old Eve! Knievel-sponsored, Sal Acosta-tuned Triumph, ran away from the field to win the AMA/Camel Pro Series TT, his fifth straight win ' on the Ascot TT course and sixth National of the year. But it was Michigan's Jay Springsteen, gliding his Bill Werner tuned factory HarleyDavidson to a sixth place finish, who took the ultimate win - his second straight Grand National/Camel Pro Series championship. The win meant $25,000 for Springsteen in Camel Pro and AMA point fund money. When it came down to the last two events . the Ascot TT (re -scheduled from the rained out Peoria . III., TT) and the following night'S half mile, only three riders had a slim chance to catch Springer. Though two of them - Scott and Ted Boody - finished in . the top four, Jay's sixth-place finish left him out of reach. For the third man who stood an outside chance of catching Springer. it was another night of dirt- track disaster . Kenny Roberts set fastest qualifying time and was leading his heat race when the Yamaha's transmission started popping out of gear. Roberts tried to hold it in gear with his foot in hopes of making it through the heat and into the semi. But the gearbox locked up and Roberts was a spectator for the night. Asked about Yamaha 's dirt track program for next year , Roberts replied, "What din track program?" Unofficially, there won't be one; next year KR will probably concentrate on world championship road racing in the 250 and 500cc classes. Steve Eklund, riding a Tom Hastier tuned Zanotti Enterprises Yamaha, finished second in the National, while Mike Kidd ignored his broken wrist and finished third on the Men Lawwill Racing Prod ucts Harley. Ti me Tr ials Roberts set fastest time with the Babe DeMay /Nick Deligianis tuned Yamaha, a 45 .55·second clocking. Alex Jorgensen. who finished as runner-up to Scott in the July TT, had the second fastest time at 46.09. Announcer Roxy Rockwood pegged the age of jorgy's BSA at 10 years ; Alex said , " I really don't know how old it is." Castle Rock winner Randy Skiver (Torco/KRW/ Messler Per. Tri) qualified third fastest , just II100th of a second back from Jorgy at 46.10. Runner-up for Rookie of the Year honors (behind Garth Brow) , Randy Goss took his Vista Sheen /Bel Ray /Full House Harley to fifth fastest at 46 .37 behind Hank SCOtt, who was riding a Bill Kennedy Triumph for the TT. rather than the Carl Patrick H -D. Scott clocked a 46.33. Gary Scott, having problems shifting the Triumph. qualified 10th at 46 .53. Heat races Kenny Roberts started on the pole of the first heat. but Goss and Eklund ran one-two going into the first comer. Roberts made his move th rough the second left hander to come up third. KR passed Eklund as they entered the infield on the thi rd lap. By the end of that lap , Rob erts was in the lead. But the sixth lap spelled doom. The transmission started popping out of gear and entering th e last infield right hand er , dropping to third, the tranny locked up. Iron ica lly. he finished IOth, one position ou t of a transfer to the semi. Eklund, who had passed Goss on the same lap Roberts went into the lead, went on to win . ahead of Goss and Kidd. Rick Hocki ng put his Shell Racing Specialties Yamaha into the second heat holeshot. Gary Scott passed him going into the infield and led for the next six laps. Jorgensen had been third through the first four laps, but he passed Hocking on the fifth lap. then passed Scott two laps later. Jorgy went on to win ahead of Scott and Terry Dorsch (Racecrafters /CRC Chem.lBei R ay/ j a rd ine Tri). Hocking faded to sixth. "The brakes went out, " he said later. The third neat was minus polesitter Randy Skiver . who was down with a broken transmission. Springsteen. who had a close call when the mag failed on the line and he had to switch to the back-up battery, jetted off to the lead, but on the next lap he was passed by Dave Aldana (H-D). Aldana, who earlier had broken a bolt that holds the foot peg and primary case together, ha d his bike break again the lower end - on the second lap. Springsteen went on to. win easily, "That alone was worth the extra work ." said Bill Werner of the back up battery that saved Springer for the night . Ted Davidson (K . Barlow's Team Happy/Blendzall /Lillie/NPD Yam) took second after Aldana dropped out, only to be passed by Houston TT winner John Hateley (PJl Lubricants/Hateley Ent. Tri), Mickey Fay (BSA). who qualified eighth fastest , grabbed the holeshot in heat four. which was red-flagged after one la p, Fay took the lead on the restart ahead of. factory Harley rider Ted Boody. Hank Scott held third in front of Garth Brow (Bel Ray H-D). Corky Keener w,ent out on the secon d lap with a bu sted mag, That might have been the end of Keener's effort for the ni ght, but. Gene Romero crashed his Triumph on the followin g lap. Romero was very sore and had a possible broken wrist. Du ring the delay. Keen er's tu ner AI St angler ("1 had a lot of hel p.") replaced Corky's mag in time for the restart. The restart was lined up according to the second lap positions. Fay took the lead for the third time with Boody. Hank Scott and Brow following , Boody challenged, took the lead briefly, but Fay fought back into the number one spot. Bood y then dropped to fourth. Hank Scott manuevered into the lead on lap nine and held it to the finish . Boody was fourth until the white flag , where he pulled into second with Brow third and Keener fourth . Fay went out on the last lap when a rod went through the cases, creating a gaping hole in th e engine, Scott, Boody and Brow took the final direct transfers to the National. Sem is Rick Hocking took charge of the first semi from start to. finish. >Rich Wascher (Tri) was second before getting displaced by Brad Hurst (Tri). Hurst's time in second was brief; fellow northwesterner Ra n d y Sco tt. (Tri) passed him on lap seven and made the National. Corky Keener took the second semi lead in front of Steve Morehead (K&K Insurance/KK Supply H ·D) and Terry Sage . Sage, who spent most of the year tuning for Skip Aksland , put himself out of action on lap three with a first tum slide out. Mike Caves (Yam) took over third, which he held until the eighth lap. when Morehead dropped 7