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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126423
AMA Grand National Championship/Winston Pro SeriesRounds 17-18 Hocking, Springsteen top Santa Fe, Peoria, Eklund's point. lead cut Santa Fe By Gary Van Voorhis HINSALE, IL, AUG. 3 - PEORIA. IL, AUG. 5 Jay Springsteen, via a second place finish in the Santa Fe Short Track and a win in the Peoria TT, has edged closer to his goal of grabbing a fourth consecutive AMA Grand N adonal Championship title. Steve Eklund grudgingly gave up 14 points of his 42 point lead going into the weekend and now finds Springsteen just 28 points 12 behind, 192-164. Eklund rode to a pair of fourth place finishes in the two Nationals. -It was a disastTow weekend for Randy Goss. He suffered mechanical problems that kept his points tally to a mere 6ft points from 15th and 12th platt finishes, iespectivd y, whicb C05t him Ilia IeCOIId place in the lWIdiap and all~ed Springsteen to open a 25 point gap. Rick Hoeking never skipped a beat on his way to a wire-to-wire Santa Fe win, becoming the 13th different Winston Pro Series winner this year. Springsteen and Tex;lD Steve Gulledge filled out the top three. Peoria, as hot and sticky as ever, provided even hotter racing as Springsteen out·dueled Scott Pearson for the win with Rick Graham taking third from Steve Eklund at thr checkered flag by less than a foot. Rick Hocking, enjoyi~ his best ye~r ever, pushed his Kenny Weese sponsored and tuned Yamaha to a nolJ1istakes 20 lap win in the Sa.nta Fe _ Shon Track National. By doing so he vaulted to within a handful of points of Gary Scott, who controls founh place in the standings. joining Hocking in the celebration were Harley-Davidson's jay Springsteen and Steve Gulledge on his Bultaco Sales of Dallas/Ray Harrington Bultaco. Time Trials Steve ,Eklund. gunning for his sixth straight National win at the Santa Fe facility, picked up fast time on his Tom Hasler·attended Zanotti/Castrol Yamaha with the Patrick Racing/Sure.Fire/Carlisle Yamaha of Hank Scott a few ticks behind. Rounding out the top five were Hocking.. Steve Eto. aboard the Niles' Cycle Yamaha. and Viper Racing Frames sponsored Ronnie jones. Heats Fifty·three riders were divided among six heats with the top two finishen in each going directly to the National. Except for the opening laps. there was relatively little closr racing on the rough, rutted track. Eklund kicked things off with an easy win in heat one while Belleville Suzuki/Neil Keen sponsored Rob Beary emerged from a three-way tangle which included Wayne Rainey and Rick Graham. to take second. _ Heat two fell to the Woody Kyle tuned, Kloa·Wiseco sponsored Harley· Davidson of Ganh Brow, who dropped Hank Scott to second on lap two and split. Scott held off Steve Morehead and Mike Kidd for his spot in the National. Scott Pearson and Rick Hocking dueled for the lead in the opening laps of heat three before Hocking broke away for the win. The founh heat was all Springsteen with a to- the- flag battle for second amem,r; M"Jckey Fay. aboard his Roger