Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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00 I:"'(j) (Above) Winner Steve Eklund close. on Terry Poovey (18). (Right! Trophy race winner Eddie Lawson. AMA Grand National Championship/Camel Pro Series - Round It Eklund's record-settBy Gary Van Voorhis HINSDALE, IL, AUG. 4 It took Yamaha-mounted Steve Eklund just five minutes, 11.78 seconds to achieve a recordsetting third straight win in Santa Fe Park's Camel Pro Series Short Track National. Eklund grabbed the lead from Terry Poovey on lap 12 of the 20-lap event and went on to lead Jay Springsteen and Rick Hocking to the winner's circle celebration. 6 "I was waiting for Poovey to make a mistake," said Eklund afterwards. "Poovey had the best line around the track, so there wasn't much I could do but follow. The engine seizure he had saved me from making some sort of last lap gamble." Springsteen was pleased with his second place ride. "I thought I was a goner in those first few laps because I was so far back, but the bike was working good," said Jay. "I began to move real well. I'm not about to let Eklund get out of my sight. " "If 1count the wages I lost by taking a week off from work and the expense of getting here and back to California," said self·sponsored Rick Hocking, "then I didn't make any money. 1 could have done better than third." Eklund's victory marked his sixth National win of the season and added an . extra four points to his championship tally increasing the margin over Springsteen to seven points, 221-214. Rain washed out Wednesday night's National Warm·Up at Santa Fe as it had events for the past three weeks. In effect that put every rider on equal footing. but the track had the advantage and became slick, bumpy and grooved. Many riders complained of poor track preparation and of the rough surface. There were many spills but only one serious injury. Marty Bushman suffered two broken bones in his lower left leg after being involved jn a spectacular crash in heat six. Time trials Hank Scott's 14.215 seconds clocking set the pace for the rest of the 74-rider field to shoot for. (60 would qualify.) Eklund, Randy Goss, Springsteen, self·sponsored Alex Jorgensen and Niles Cycle Salessponsored Steve Elo were the six who would hold pole positions for heats. Bart Markel was among the qualifiers, but he failed to transfer out of his heat. Heats Action in the six IO·rider heats which transferred the top two finishers from each was basically follow-theleader. Terry Poovey, on the Team Bel-Ray Fox Distributing Bultaco, led track favorite Rob Beary and his Suzuki of Belleville Suzuki on a 1O·lap chase in heat one. Poovey left little doubt in the fans' minds that he had the track wired and intended to make the National his. Steve Eklund needed four laps to move his Zanotti Enterpri~/PJl Lubricants Yamaha past the Sure· Fire Distributing Yamaha of Lance Jones. With Eklund pulling away, Jones was left to worry about defending his transfer spot from a steadily closing Bubba Rush and Scott Pearson. Time and laps ran out for the challengers. Restart was the name of the game in heat three. Gary Scott, the leader before the red flag, quickly found himself following Boss Racing Frames· sponsored Rick Graham's Yamaha and the Harley-Davidson of Ranay' Goss. Goss moved to the front of the pack on lap four. On lap seven Scott moved his KK Motorcycle Supply/ Sizemore Traveland Ossa in to challenge Graham, but slid out in turn one. Scott was a spectator for the rest of the evening. . Tim Cartwright had his mind set on a spot in the National. Heat four was his ticket. Cartwright aboard a Viper Racing Frames-sponsored Yamaha made winning look easy. Meanwhile, Mike Green was fighting a losing battle on his Bultaco Unlimited Bultaco with Jay Springsteen. On lap eight Green found himself in third and on the way to the semis. "It's been five years since I made a National here so 1 figured it was about