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/126332
Once again the weatherman played a role in the day's activities. Grey skies and the threat of rain hung over . the event, cutting the crowd at the first National in Pennsylvania since 1971 . The Meadows , a harness racing track with a surface sim ila r to the limestone of Louisville, was a groove from the start. All that remained was to see how wid e it would be. Although a mechan ical t r a ck sweeper wa s employed to widen the groove, it never got to be much more than one bik e wide. Time Trials A slim field of 45 riders vied for the honor of setting a track record in time trials . The honor fell to Sure -Fire Distributing/Carl isle T ire-sponsored Lance J on es who turned the only 28 second la p. a 28 .792 tou r. Terry Poovey, Morehead . Corky Keener and Kenny McDonald rounded out the top five. Du e to th e slim field . all riders qualified for the heats . That was Hank Scott's lucky break. Clutch problems at the end of practice necessitated a te ar -d own that was not completed by the end of time trials . Scott was listed as 45th qualifier with no time. Rick Campbell and Roger Crump qualified Bill Kennedy American's in 26 and 27th positions. Both went to th e semis with Campbell making the Trophy Race. He fin ished 10th. "T he power is there," said Campbell. "But we have to get it to hook up ." Heats ' Winner Steve Morehead is chased by runner-up Bill Schaeffer 196) and fourth-place Corky Keener. AMA Grand National Championship/Camel Pro Series - Round 26 16 Mo torcycle Suppl y. " It was on e of th ose races where by rid ing a little slower an d sm oother you were go ing faste r tha n those guys who tried to gas it and risked slipping off the groove . You know . champagn e never tested so go od before ." " I was hop ing I wou ld win." sa id T eam Bel -R a y/ Sc h a e ffe rs H -D spo nsored Billy Schaeffer after the race. " Bu t I'm proud of second pl ace . I've bee n go ing too fast la tel y not to have my luck change. In a ll. it was a go od weekend . I wrapped up th e Eastern Regiona l Ch ampionship Expert tit le yesterda y and adding that to a N ikon Rookie of the Year.candidate Lance Jones wasted little time in the first heat letting everyone know that he was ready. Jones led the ent ire 10 la ps wh ile positions shuffled behind him . Steve Eklund and Hank Scott were quickly on th e mov e dispatching Steve Freeman 'a nd Kenny McDonald from . transfer positions. Scott bumped Eklund to third with a last lap pass in turn three wh ile Jones romped home . The second heat went int o restart sta tus when Terry Poovey on the Team Bel -Ray/Tex Peel XR tagged leader Dave Sehl's Poole's H ·D·sponsored Harley sending Sehl int o the ha ybales in tu rn one. Poovey was later fined $50 for rough riding tactics. Poovey took it easier on the restart and wa ited three laps to drop Sehl to second as Mike Kidd came up to pu sh Sehl down another spot. Kidd closed on Poovey's rea r tir e in the final laps, but slip ped off the groove in turn one and lost the cha llenge . H e at three fo u n d Boody an d Mor ehead goi ng at it wheel -to -wheel for th e lead as Scott Dr ake held his Warren H -D-spon sor ed XR in front of Jay Springsteen in a duel for third p lace. I The battles went do wn to th e fina l two laps with Morehead get ting a drive off turn four on the next to last lap to tak e the lea d and hold it. Boody was a bikelengt h behind at the flag . In a ca rbon co py si t u a t io n. Drak e fru strat ed Sp ringer a nd took thi rd by less t h a n a bik el ength sendin g Springer int o the sem is. ' J oe Wil son got suc h a good start in hea t four tha t th ey had to red flag it a nd sta rt aga in . This tim e it was Corky Keen er letting th e field ea t his du st. Dann y Cart wri gh t put his Viper Ra c ing Fram es -sponsored XR into second q u ickly, but was im media tel y hounded by Sch aeffer. By the fift h lap . Schaeffer ha d moved by and th e fina l three rid ers to go to th e Na tional from the heats were set. Semis Ga ry Scott clut ch ed his tic ket to t he Nat iona l for nine laps and two turns before Jac kie M it c h ell a boa rd h is T eam Be l-R a y/B a yn e's H -D XR sna tc hed it away with a late braking pass into turn three fo r a two