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/126414
• (Above) Jay Springsteen slid to his third straight win. closing S18ve Eklund'. point lead to 21. (BelOwl The National field Eklund. MIke KIdcI. Scott Pearson. Scott Parker. Randy Gosa, Ricky Graham and Ted Boody. By Gary V~n Voorhis LOUISVILLE. KY,JUNE-2 . Jay Springsteen continued his recent domination of Winston Pro Series events by racking up his third consecutive win and 24th career National with a green-light-to-checkered-flag ride in the LouisvilIe Half Mile. Springsteen was again flanked by close friends from Michigan in the winner's circle as Rookie 10 'da S P k off' .thhe dYear cadnd I . te Rcottd aGr er InIS e secon Wit h an y ass h'rd t ~'D'amn,,, said Springsteen as he showed his expertise in opening the champagne. "I'm beginning to feel like a Klotz/Wiseco sandwich in these ceremonies." referring to the sponsors of Parker and Gass. Last week it had been Garth Brow, also Klotz/Wiseco. sponsored, and Parker who did the sandwiching. Earlier in the day. Springsteen's tuner Bill Werner was questioned on whether Steve Eklund's 50 point lead was an insurmountable one. "lOt were anyone else but Springer trying to close the gap I think it would be. But Springer is fired up. he doesn't like to be behind." Winston Pro Series points leader Steve Eklund saw his margin chipped away again. His founh place f"mish, combined with. Springsteen's win na~owed the spread down to 21 pomts, 94 to 75. Randy Goss is also sweating. "He's getting too dOle fOl' comfon," said r _ boo S . -~ rds "I . UUN a t pnngsteen ... terwa • can f~l his hot breath; melting my ~wo-~mt sprea~Kt~him. ~::r he oem t want seco ' . wams • Mother Nature got mto the act With ~ storm warning ~t put ~ program m!o rush status; 11 ,:nded JUSl a few mmutes before the ram came. Qualifying Californian Rick Graham. aboard his RG Racing/MlkM Apparel/ND Plugs/Boss Frames·sponsored HarleyDavidson XR750. surprised himself and a few ot.hers in quali~ng fastest. "I just held it on all the way around," said Graham. "SpriDF and the rr-st taught me a te-m last ..Tdr. at l.aurel. I just wanted them to know I brnnI it well." Following Graham's 25.502 second run was Army's Mike Kidd at 25.561. Springsteen's 25.445 looked good for third until Scott Parker bumped him to founh with a 25.599 run. Steve Eklund put his Zanotti E~terprises XR into fifth spot with a 25.472 run. Heats Hank Scott, wearing a set of leathers borrowed from Corky Keener, led the .first heat off the line. However, Tommy Duma had other ideas and grabbed the lead on lap two. Duma put his XR into runaway mode to leave Scott to f"tght off the advances of Billy Schaeffer, Rick Graham, Steve Eklund and Steve Morehead. For five laps, Duma looIr.ed lilte a winner, then the engine expired. bringing a loud groan from Duma's cheering section. . In those five laps Graham had worked his way to second with Scott holding off Eklund. Eklund didn't like that, dropped Scott to third, and set his sights on Graham. Eklund and Graham ran side by side at the stan/ finish line going into lap nine and by turn two it was Eklund's show with Graham holding off Scott for second. The second heat was an all Mike Kiddl.Randy Goss baule as the pair broke away from early hanger-on Willie Crabbe to go their own way. Crabbe put his self-sponsored mount into a safe third by lap five after Jackie Mitchell c·rashed and decided to I'C*'S off the One with (Iof') SprI~. watch. Crabbe later credited Rich Ingram with building a "dynamite engine," Kidd and Goss played high line/low line all around the track, but when the checkered flag came out it was to wave at Kidd. Corky Keener, a privateer once again having split from tunct Doug SehI, gave Scott Parker a shot at the lead in the fiIlIt lap and taen put his Harley into the lead with a tum four pasi of Parker and challenger Randy Ralter, . Bushman stayed dOle to Parker on his Archies Gas and Oil-sponsored XR and would gain a few yards every time Parker would looir. over his shoulder to see how cIoee he was. The pair went on to finish second and third. Raker battled with Skip AksIand for fourth waiting for a mistake among the front runners that never came. "I can't believe these things are happening to me," said Gary Scott after moving into a challenging position only to have undisclosed engine problems end his charge for the second week in a row . . The . fourth heat found Jay Springsteen sitting on the inside pole although he said that he had asked for the outside. It didn't matter. He put his Harley into overdrive and left the field exiting tum two. The real race was for second with Harley·Davidson West·sponsored Scott Pearson taking on Ted Boody