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/126421
AMA Grand National Championship/Winston Pro Series - Round 15 Eklund's point lead grows with Ascot. TT win By Dale Brown Photos by Patrick Behar and Brown GARDENA, CA,JULY21 Leading laps eight through 25, Steve Eklund pushed his Zanotti-Castrol 750cc Yamaha to win J.C. Agajanian's 18th annual Ascot TT and opened up a wide gap in the AMAGrand National Championship/Winston Pro Series point standings over the riders who chase him from second and third. 12 Randy Goss moved his HarleyDavidson XR750 from a third row start up to third behind early leader Rick Hocking's Honda XR500 single. Still, Goss now trails Eklund by 25 points, 161-156. Even funher back after another poor-luck night is defending Grand NationaIChampJaySprin~teen. The factory Harley rider was suffering from shoulder and torso ligament pulls, as well as a horrendous start in the National. After running well back in the pack for much of the race, Springer put on a brilliant late-race char:ge, but only could advance as far as seventh. His 115·point total is now 46 points behind Eklund. The four brands represented in the night's race each made an appearance in the top four. Behind Eklund's Yamaha, Hocking's Honda and Goss' Harley-Davidson came the Trium~h of Gary Scott, the combination that had won this race four times previously. Honda's Mickey Fay fmished fifth, followed by Hank Scott (Tri), Spring· steen and Skip Aksland (Yam). Harley·Davidson·mounted rookie Scott Parker and Yamaha-mounted rookie Rod Spencer rounded out the top 10. Time trials Interestingly enough, the top four riders in points coming into the event were the four fastest riden at the conclusion of time trials, and in the same order. Eklund and his Zanotti Enterprises-tuned Yamaha twin had the fastest lime, at 45.84 seconds. Harry Lillie, who you might remember for building the only Yamaha to' make the field at a National mile last year (rookie Don Bailey did the riding), prepared Eklund's engine. Randy Goss and his Wiseco/Klotz/ KRW/Esprit Harley were just a blink behind Eklund's time at 45.94. Springsteen took. his Bill Werner-tuned XR750 past the clocks at 46.05 while Gary Scott's elderly, KK Supply/Size. more Traveland·sponsored Triumph posted a 46.16. John Gennai (Tri) and Scott Parker qualified 5·6, right in front of the flnt two 500cc singles. Hocking, one of the riders involved in Honda's '78 din track effon, was the fastest of the· 500cc riders at 46.75. Right behind him was Skip Altsland, riding a Men LawwiU·tuned and framed Yatnaha ITSOO, at 46.76. Hank Scott was ninth fastest, followed by the defending Ascot IT winner, Alex Jorgensen. This was Jorgy's first National appearance Unce breaking his knee at the Houston Astrodome IT, and he and his familiar BSA got around the track in 46.87 seconds. Heat races By the time they entered the infield in the flnt heat, Steve Eklund already had a good·sized lead on the pack. John Gennai's self·sponsored Triumph and Mike Sullivan led the paclr. in punu.it. Terry Poovey (H-D) and Patrick Racing/Bames Wheels/KRW/ BranchiCarlisle/Sure-Fire . sponsored Hank Scott held founh and fifth, but by the second lap, Scott was by Poovey and working on Sullivan. Two laps later, Scott was not only past Sullivan, but by Gennai as well. Sulli· van had dropped to sixth behind Gennai, Poovey, Corky Keener (H·D) and Frank Word (Yam). With the exception of Poovey also dropping bad, the order ~ned relatively the .same for_~e retnainder of the heat. However, in the closing laps, Scott had whittled Eklund's huge lead down to 'almost nothing and was challenging Eklund through the last two laps, but Steve held on to win. .The second heat staned as a three rider batde with Castle Rock IT winner Brad Hurst (Messler Perfor· mance Tri) leading Scott Parker (Klotz/Wiseco/H·D/Riclr. Told H·D) and Randy Goss. This order stayed consistent though turbulent - the three were running over each other's wheels at times - for the next five laps. Steve Morehead setded his Steve Storz-tuned factory Harley into Eounh ahead of Rod Spencer's NO Spark Plu~·sponsoredYamaha twin. On the fifth lap, Goss swept past Parker entering the infield, and passed Hurst on the same lap to talr.e over the . lead. The lead was soon gone when Goss fell over in a tight left·hander. Parker had passed Hunt and took over the lead. Steve Morehead also got by Hurst, whose transmission was beginning to have a hard time staying in third. At the dOle of 10 laps, Parker took the win with Morehead a close second and Hunt held off a closing GoIi for the last direct transfer out of the heat. The Army led the troops in to the fint tum of the first heat, or more specifically, Army·sponsored Mike Kidd's Storme Winter-tuned XR750 did. The Hondas of Mickey Fay and Rick Hocking were 2·5, and ahead of Ryan Gifford (Yam) ~ Jay Sp~-