Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

(Continued from page 1 J) the leaden. The battle for third place and last direct transfer to the National shaped up at the midway point as factory H-D mounted Corky Keener , northerner Ricky Graham and Steve Morehead all stepped up the pace. Hunt and Scott at this point were the fastest men on the track as Brad reeled in riders one after another. The first l O-lap heat ended with Scott , Jorgy and finally Keener transferring directly to the main event. leaving Morehead and Hunt to join the other nine riders in the first Expert Semifinal. Springsteen wasn't feeling well after time trials, but it didn't seem to affect his smooth, fast riding one bit . Charging into a big lead over the field in the second heat. he powered on the win as young Mickey Fay and Don Dodge bested Terry Dorsch and rookie Eddie Lawson for positions in the final. Triumph-mounted Hank Scott grabbed the third heat holeshot, but Eklund wasn't in a generous mood tonight and immediately positioned himself in a lead that was to be challenged by Randy Skiver and Scott all the way to the finish. Eklund, Skiver and Scott left Team Dahmen/ Yamaha-mounted Dave Aldana and Mike Myers (Tri) filling in fourth and fifth. . John Hateley, starring in a preview of the final, worked his way up from a terrible start in the fourth and final heat race with factory H ·D rider Ted Boody pushing him every inch of the way. Boody didn't want to settle for second, but that's what he got. Hateley wasn 't leaving any doors open along the way. Scott Pearson (H-D) was the third and last rider of the heats to transfer to the final, leaving Randy Goss (H· D) and Frank Word III (Tri) to the semi. Semis Brad Hunt and Steve Morehead. after much "to-do" about everything, finally found themselves bound to the National in the first of two make-it-orelse Expert semifinal events. Danny Hackie literally nudged Morehead into the turns and almost made it to second on the last lap after Steve missed a shift. But Morehead regained his composure on the final turn and took the checkered flag with a sigh of relief. Randy Goss on the Klou/Wiseco/ Full House /Vista Sheen HarleyDavidson and Texan Mike Kidd (H-D) were the last two riders to make the National program. Kidd had to pull a come-from-behind last ditch effort around the middle of the race in his last-minute charge to the finish line. Trophy race Oregonian Gary Davis on his Gary Davis and Dad-sponsored Triumph came from next to last to earn the well deserved White Motors Cycle Specialties Trophy Race award after early leader Bill Schaeffer (H·D) lost his cool halfway through the dash and ended up at the back of the IO-man freight train, Dave Aldana crashed out of , the race on the first lap. leaving Dorsch and Word swapping positions constantly to the finish with Word finally having the last say for second. National Springsteen sat at the pole as the National field came down to the final. Eklund. Gary Scott, John Hateley, Mickey Fay and Randy Skiver took their positions on the front row. Hateley and Scott got the jump on the field and powered their Triumphs into the fint turn simultaneously as Eklund, Springer, Jorgy, Hank Scott and Brad Hunt jammed into the tight hairpin bar to bar. Eklund was closing on Scott while at the same time Springer was gaining on Eklund. By the second lap , it was evident that Springer was having mechanical difficulties; the Bill Werner ·tuned factory Harley was spitting a blue flame out the exhaust. He pulled off the track on lap three for a quick pit stop (which you don't make during a 25 -lap National race). Hateley and Eklund ,who had gotten past Scott, were all in a comfortable lead away from the rest of the line when Springer pulled back on the track a full lap off the pace. Eklund moved up on Hateley while Scott maintained third trailed by Fay , Jorgy, Hank Scott and Keener. Springsteen finally pulled off the track with ' obvious engine problems, out of the National. Hateley was hot, but Eklund was going for the win. Jorgy was on the move, passing Fay for fourth on lap eight. Eklund overcooked it in the north tum but regained just in the nick of time and started to close once again on Hateley. The leaden were too close for comfort on anyone's part at the midway point. Suddenly, without any forewarning, Gary Scott slowed in the hairpin tum and pulled off the track at the jump while pulling angrily at his clutch as his chances for a sixth straight Ascot National IT win went down the tubes. It was all Hateley and Eklund "llOW with Jorgy. Hank Scott and Mickey Fay following in pursuit, The top three leaden were neck and neck through the turns and over the infamous IT jump on lap 19 when near disaster struck. Hateley went down, and Eklund, with no place to go , plowed into Little John. The red flag came out immediately and the riders held their positons, Eklund was up right away, but Hateley wasn 't as fortunate. Although he wasn 't seriously hurt, he was unable to join the restart as the medics took him to the infield for a thorough check-over. A new race began with Eklund relegated to the back of the pack after his fall . Jorgensen, Hank Scott, Fay, Boody, Keener, Goss,Skiver, Kidd, Pearson, Eklund and Hunt (who was one lap down and motioned for to go ahead of him) restarted in their new positions for the rest of the final event. The crash hurt Eklund's chances for the win , but Jorgy wasn't crying in sympathy for him. On the restart, Fay missed a shift, and Boody took advantage. Eklund moved past riders quickly and was up to seventh in half a lap. Jorgy maintained a good lead over Scott as Eklund jammed full bore to pick off Keener for fifth . He headed for Fay next and got a little wild under the pressure. On the last lap , Jorgy had the National in his pocket. Boody and Scott were next in line. and Eklund powered into fourth ahead of Fay and Keener. As fate would have it , Alex Jorgensen pulled off his second Ascot National win for 1978. Boody and Scott shared the spoils of victory while Steve Eklund , by virtue of his fourth place finish , became the new Camel Pro series points leader and took off for Sean Point with hopes of bettering his new position. • Results NATIONAL FINAL: 1. Alex Jorgensen (BSA); 2. Ted Boody (H-D); 3. Hank Scott ITri); 4. Steve Eklund (Yam); 5. Mickey Fay ITrij; 6. Corky Keener (H·D); 7. Donald Goaa IH-D); 8. Mike Kidd (H-D); 9. Randy S~ ITri); 10. Scott Pearoon IH-D); 11. B

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