Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

_. .; • -= • .... E ao r--.. O"l ..... ",.... O"l .... CI) ;:j eo ;:j ~ Ste ve Morehead (42) tries t o hold off Springer's charge w hile Eklund takes t o the outside. place by a scant one-point. ' margin , 119-118, over Ted Boody. Time trials The-word for DuQ uo in's egg-shaped harness track was fast . Hank ·Scott showed just how fast things were going to be by turning the first 100 mph qualifying lap ever recorded in AMA mile track racing. Scott's record breaking time was 35 .956 seconds, a full eight-tenths faster than second fastest qualifier Steve Morehead . Corky Keener, Jay Springsteen and Lance Jones rounded ou t the top five. Heats "I don't care how the track sets up, said Hank Scott as the riders in heat one headed toward the grid. "I 'm ready , and everyone better watch out. " Scott was not foo ling as he banged his way into the' lead as the field exited tum two . Behind Scott there was plenty of action. Steve Eklund sought in vain to close the gap on Scott while Lance Jones a nd Jackie Mitchell debated who was going to make a move on Eklund. Jones won out and proceeded to chase Eklund to the flag, falling short in his bid for second by ' three bikelengths. TEe race was the fastest heat. Steve Morehead, set about claiming the second heat as his own - only he didn't tell Ted Boody of his plans. The pair played swap and swap again all over the track as Mike Kidd, Keith Ulicki, Dewayne Howton and Garth Brow took turns in third. Kidd and Boody soon tired of the hassle and settled themselves into third and first , respectively. Ulicki and Howton stayed glued to each other to the finish with Ulicki the winner by half a wheel. Harley teamster Corky Keener and Scott .Drake played tag in the opening laps of heat three. Chuck Palmgren . then decided he wanted in and moved his Da n Gurney Racing -sponsored Harley up past Drake. Phil McDonald and Billy Schaeffer then dropped Drake another two notches with Schaeffer going after Palmgren. Schaeffer tried every trick in the book to ease his Team Bel -Ray /Schaeffer's H-D XR past Palmgren , but the veteran .played a little ~ig - z ag orrthe straights frustrating Schaeffer's attempts todraft and slingshot past. Jay Springsteen and Gary Scott put on a 10-lap show for the fans. The pair ran high and low, swapping posi lions in every corner and on both straights, Scott seemed to have the edge on the straights wbile Springer was content to make up ground in the corners. On the final lap . Springsteen, apparently tired of the game, wicked the throttle up a bit and pulled away to win, Joey Purdue finally got the best of Brett Braddy and Mike Escue to put ' his self-sponsored XR into third and pick up a ticket to the National. swapfest. The name of the game was the same on . the single file resta rt as both-came out fighting. On the final lap , it was Mitchell leading at the start/ finish line with Ulicki taking over with a low line pass as the pair scooted through turns one/two . Ulicki held with Mitchell remaining only feet awa y right to t he flag . H owever, the Uke's H-D rider was somewhat less than satisfied. "I 'm glad I won ," said Ulicki , "b u t I'm d isappointed because the red flag in sem i one robbed me of a spot in the National. The restart took away the advantage, the momentum I had going. I'm mad. " Semis Nat ional With 12 slots filled and four to go, two tickets to the National were up for grabs in each of the two semis . The first semi saw a five-way fight between Garth Brow, Keith Ulicki , Dewayne. Howton , Randy ' Goss and Jackie Mitchell for the lead. The race was so close that the leader exiting tum two was more often in fourth place as the pack hit tum four. They went on for seven la ps until Howton crashed unhurt in tum four. On the single file restart Garth Brow, riding Scott Drake's spare bike after encountering engine problems with his bike in practice, established himself in the lead of the three lap drag race to the flag . Team Bel-Ray's . Terry Poovey edged out Mitchell , U1icki and Phil Darcy at the flag for the second . The final semi was a heart breaker for Scott Drake who saw his Warren H-DXR expire on the final lap while running second . Phil McDonald quickly estab lished himself firmly in first aboard his Team K&N /Bel-Ray XR on the start leaving Drake to hold off the rest of the field . Drake did . finally breaking free of a race-long struggle only to have his luck run out. Terry Brow , not one to let an opportunity . slip by , moved his selfsponsored mount into second and took the final ticket to the National. T rophy Race The fo u r laps prior to the . Escue /Braddy accident was a Jackie Mitchell /Keith Ul icki marathon "T he National. " said Corky Keener. "will be a race of attrition - the bodies will give out before the bikes. " In the heat a nd humidity at the time of the' statement; it rang true. Bu t later , when the clouds moved in and threatened " it became not a matter of whom or what would break as much as if the race would ger off. Scattered drops were falling as the green light flickered signalling the start. Gary Scott broke through to daylight as the 16-rider field bla sted awa y fr om turn two. Then the backstra ight shuffle began . Morehead , Keener, Hank Scott . Eklund and Palmgren fell in behind with the rest of the field only a breath away . As the six pack moved through turns one/two on lap two , Gary Scott found himself being pushed u p. towards the bales as Morehead. Keener and Hank got past. Hank SCOl!. then squeezed through between Morehead and the track railing on the back st raight to ta ke over the lead . ' Keener quickly dropped Morehead to third . Keener clung to Scott's rear wheel as the duo pulled away from Morehead. . but Keener's ride came to an abrupt end when his mag went out on lap three. Gary SCOll quickly moved back into second spot. . Meanwhile. Boody and Springsteen were hustling through traffic from sixt h and seventh spots. Eklund moved into to challenge Morehead 's ,thir d p.lace, but went high and lost three places. The racing, on a track that saw no preparation once practice started, was run where one felt like it , All lines were good , but some were better t han others. Hank Scott 's was the best. Dark clouds continued to haunt the track as the la ps sped off. Rain anytime after 15 laps (60% ) had been completed of the 25 laps scheduled would stop the event and , at the referee's discretion , it could be called as completed. Boody 's charge, by lap eight had carried him to second with Hank a good distance ahead a nd a pack contain ing brother Ga ry, Scott, Morehead, Springsteen, Brow. Eklund and Jones all looking for a mistake, No one was making a ny, but tire wear and slowing engines cost many places. Springer's move throught the pack was slow and steady. He had a two-lap duel with Morehead and then a short one with Gary before moving in behind Boody . ' With no traffic to contend with, Springsteen quickly closed on his teammate. . Eighteen laps into the National . . occasional drops of rain began to fall. On lap 19 they got heavier and Springsteen . sensing that the finish I . might be coming, pressured Boody and then moved past as the pair exited turn fou r with the checkered flag in sight. . , "It might have been different if we had gone 25 laps ," said Springer later. , "Hank's tire was wearing badly while mine was j ust beginning to work. Still, I'm glad they called it when they did even though the rain lasted less than a minute or so, the track was very slick ." I I I , I 1 ' 'I j Results . NATIONAL: 1. Hank Scott IH-Ol; 2. Jay Springsteen IH-D); 3. Ted Boody IH-D); 4. Steve Morehead (H-D); 5. Steve Eklund IH-D); 6. Gilfy Scott IH-D!; 7. Garth Brow IH·D); 8. Lance Jones IH-D); 9. Phil McDonald IH-D); 10. Terry Poovey IH-D); 11. Mike Kidd IH·DI; 12. Bill Schaeffer IH-D); 13. Joe Purdue IH-DI; 14. Chuck Palmgren IH-Dl; 15. Terry BraY< (H-DI; 16. Corky Keener IH·D!. TIME: 12:25.82. TROPHY RACE: 1. Keith Ulicki IH-D); 2. Jackie MitcheIl IH·D); 3. Phil Darcy IH·D); 4. Joe wnson IH·D); 5. Dickie Goodwin IH-D); 6. Tim Cartwright IH·Dl; 7. Kenny McDonald IH·D); 8. Preston Windom IH·D!; 9. Brett Braddy IH-D); 10. Mike Escue iH· D!. CAMEL PRO POINT STANDINGS : r . Steve Eklund 11941; 2. Jay Springsteen 11 91l; 3. Hank Scott (119): 4. Ted Boody 11 181; 5. Garth Brow 11 02); 6. Skip Aksland (95); 6. Gary Scott (95); 8. Al e. Jorgensen m); 9. Steve Morehead (69); 10. Corky Keener 1 67). 7

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