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/126349
Looking back on Camel Pro '78 1978 should go down as the yea r in wh ich Hank Scott finally put eve ry t hi n g together. Consistancy, the type that puts you on the tall y sheet 18 times in 2.'1 dirt track Nationals with three mile wins and a total of six trips to the winner's circle in seven events on the mile was Scott's mark, It was worth third in the final standings, "It's taken a long time," said Scott shortly after his back -to-hack Sacramento and DliQuoin Mile . National wins . " to really get everything clicking, Carl Patrick, my tuner, has it all dialed in and we're go ing to give Springsteen and Eklund hell ," As it turned out , Scott's consistency was overshadowed by tha t of Ja y and Steve, but he was always there lurking in the sh adows, look ing for a wa y to move closer to the top . Pe rhaps the highlight -of Scott's sea son was tu rning in a qualifying la p of just over 100 mph a t DuQuoin , the fir st ~ der ever to do so on the mile. When it counted most . Scott produced. H is eagerness to show everyone that he was a bona fid e contender for the title, combined wit h a n ego that only winning cou ld soo t he ; made Scott a th rea t on any track . . Hank , wh o has la rgely been overshadowed by his brother Ga ry, served not ice th an now th e shoe ma y be on the other foot and that he is the one to watch . o 1"""'4 Ted Boody started out There was a tim e in the middle of the season when Jay Springsteen said tha t he wished th e yea r was over. He was tired and things weren 't goi ng well . Alt ho ug h he was in the midst of his best : ever season . t h e b ooing of the cro wds , to a rider who has always been cheered - was a n u nfa m ilia r experience. Gary Scott's protest that Sp ringst een had used drugs prior to his victory in the Lou isville N ational deeply bothered him , ''I'll pee in a bot tle any time Scott wants me to ," he 'said bi tt erly a few wee ks later, " I do n't need anything to make me go fa st. " H owever , t he boo in g of the fans did not stop, . Springsteen is on e of th e most mil d -manner ed rid ers around , He is rarely flu stered and seldo m lets his temper show. Yet at Indianapolis where he fell 17 points behind Eklund he allowed his blood to boil when he fa iled to make on e of th e Nationals ' a 10 lap battle in the semi. The confrontation be, tween Springer and his tuner was a shouting match that cleared the air and let Springsteen vent some of the pent-up anger he had kept inside. In doing so , it marked a turning point. From there to the end of the season, it was one for all and all for on e . Number One, that is, "Jay doesn't really ride tha t hard unless he's the underdog, " said Werner at the end of the season , " Now tha t doesn't mean that he isn't riding hard the r.est of th e time, because Jay always gives it 100 % . But th ere are times like the Syracuse Mile and Ascot where he rea ch es inside a nd comes up with another 25 % . He's so good, yet I do n' t bel ieve that he has reached his potential and proba b ly won 't for a few more years . He's still learni ng ." • . . I r ~~ .. ,. . L l l t 1 4 ( It took what seemed like hours for Steve Eklund to get to th e winner's circle cer em o ny a t Ascot. There was bitter d isappointment in his eyes, and the weight of a long season seemed to be resting on his shou lders. H is qui etness betrayed his thoughts. What had been a brilliantly foug ht batl-....iIl.'!i~!Il~-.:i::t...._ :-;~~!.I tle spa nn ing the entire year had come u p 20 feet too short when it counted most. " In a situation like this ," said someone in Eklund's pit , "it's to ugher on you r mind and ego to finish seco nd rat her t ha n get tho roughl y trounced ." O f all the challenges by a pri vateer onthe factory in recent years, Eklund's was the most strategically orga nized . Fresh engi nes were ai r freighted in for , ,a lm ost every race. Eklund and tuner, T om Hasler. had a base of ope ra tions in Illin ois tha t allow ed them to relax between races a nd devo te all their time to b ike preparation . wh ile engi ne builder J im Belland tune d in winnin g com bi na tions in San Francisco. In retrospect . it could be said that Eklund m ight ha ve defeated himself with two costly mistakes: Pulling off the track at Loudon while running ninth . thus picking up no points. and the decision change to a fresh engin e after win ning his semi at Syracuse, while holding a 17 po int advantage in the sta nd ings, and being d isqualifi ed for not be ing on the line and running on time . "Do what you have to to win ," sai d one Syracuse observe r . " b ut know the rul es, and a bove all kn ow the referee and how he thinks.' Six Na tional wins, a sweep of Houston and a superb seaso n: Steve Eklund has nothing to be ashal11ed of. I ( ~ oJ s 1 « ~ I ( I ~ r J : , ,, :.) I '. I I ( I , ~ r I the season vowing not to make the same mistakes he had made in '77, ..Last year I started slow • and finished strong," said Boody at Houston, ''This yea r I int end to stan strong and not let up ." Boody stayed close to his word , but in th e crucial season-end ing r a ces whe n h e and Hank Scott were deadlocked in a battle for third in the standings . . Boody ca me up a day la te and a dollar short. In the final three events - Pittsburgh, San Jose and Ascot - Boody could onl y manage 12th , 6th, and l St h place fin ishes , wh ile Scott came on strong with a pair of .'lrds and a 6th. Goodbye, third place. Headstrong as ever, Boody time and again ran against the grain of Harley honcho Dick O'B rien with his attitude of knowing as much or more than the tuner responsible for bikes. Although his consistency was rewarded with 19 Camel Pro Series point, scoring rides and seven trips to the winner's circle, Boody was less than happy with the season. He had not won a National, although he had placed second four times and he had not been able to hold off Scott. Boody has never scored high marks for being humble. He is good and he knows it. Still . when the chips were down , he had failed to produce. While gladly taking all credit for. success, Boody likes to spread the responsibility for failure around. The hunger and drive along with talent on all form of dirt track competition is t her e in large enough portions to have the making of a future Grand Nat ional Champion . Yet Boody continu es to be his own wors t enemy. When he conquers his problems , th en watch out. J ~ r r e v s J J ) .. J~ . l d ' l . " (( I ! i 11