Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

IAbovel Mike Kidd 1121 won his heat race at the Meadow Lends facility. IBelowl Eklund: "I guess you could say that I played it safe." • (Abovel Billy Schaeffer won the Trophy Race. IBelowl Springer sprays while Lynn Griffis, Teriy Poovey and Stave Morehead check his aim. [alI Mile: Springer third, Eklund fifth Semis The final two spots in the 14-rider National were on the line in the two semis, with only the winner of each transferring to the points paying feature. Repeated watering between each heat and semi solved most of the dust problem, but many ride.rs complained that the only way to see was to be in front. The first semi was an instant replay of the Boody/Mitchell battle for fourth in heat two - this time for the win. Boody, on the Arai Helmets sponsored XR, led Mitchell's privateer Harley for the first five laps. Mitchell turned the tables on lap six with an inside pass in turn three. On the white flag lap, Mitchell kept as much of the groove as possible to himself until a bobble in turn three let Boody by for the lead and the win. Semi two was a star-studded cliff hanger that went down to the last lap before the winner was decided. Rick Hocking, Steve Morehead, Scott Parker, Bill Schaeffer and Gary Scott bunched up for the first three laps with Parke~ trying an outside line off the groove only to find it didn't work. On lap five Hocking slipped off the groove entering turn three, letting Morehead by for the lead. Schaeffer tried his best but could not get by Morehead's Steve Storz tuned factory H-D at the OaR. Trophy Race .. It only took me three tries to find out how to get a good start today," said smiling Trophy Race winner Billy Schaeffer. "It would have been nice if this was the National." Schaeffer, aboard a Schaeffer's H-D/ Zeckman's Cycle Center/Taylor White sponsored XR, grabbed the lead at the start and never relinquished it. Jackie Mitchell held second until lap three when Gary Scott got past. The. trio circulated in that order with Scott alternately gaining and losing ground to Schaeffer while Mitchell waited for a mistake. On the final two laps, Rick Hocking moved in to challenge for third. He grabbed that spot when Mitchell's engine expired two corners from the checkered flag. National "The race will be won on the dash to the first corner," said Jay Springsteen in the pits prior to the start of the National. "I've got a good grid position on the groove. Eklund won't clinch the championship here if I can help it." Mike Kidd, winner of the fastest heat, put his Army sponsored Harley on the grandstand pole for the 14rider one-row start, with Poovey, Springsteen, Goss, Eklund, Hank Scott, Pearson, Drake, Labrie, Keener, Jones, Brow, Boody and Morehea'd filling it out. Drake won the shuffle and squeeze to the first turn with Labrie and the field in tow. Positions changed rapidly on the back straight as riders with poor starts sought to make up lost ground quickly. Labrie got banged going into turn three and lost three positions. At the end of lap one the order was Drake, Poovey, Morehead, Springsteen, Labrie, Goss, Eklund, and Boody with the rest of the field in a cloud of dust behind. Poovey made his move for the lead in turn three on the second lap. "I waited a lap and saw turn three would be the easiest place to get by Drake," said Poovey after the race. For the remainder of the 20-lap event Poovey was in total command. '" checked over my shoulder a couple of times to see who was there and just kept on cooking." Eklund moved by Brow for sixth on the third lap while Keener was in eighth and cutting through traffic. Keener had been last off the line, but was .making up for it in superb fashion. LilP four saw more fireworks as Morehead grabbed second while Eklund lost two positions after being bumped off the groove. Drake saw his chance of a good placing go away when a valve spring hroke: He ended the race still running, but in last place. With Springsteen's move into third, the first three positions were set. Springsteen continued to challenge Morehead to the finish. "I tried to catch him," said Jay. "Damn, , tried, but I just couldn't seem to get a good drive when' needed it." Meanwhile, Keener was continuing his charge toward the front and by lap eight had moved past Eklund and Brow into fifth. He immediately began to hound Labrie. Two laps later Keener had grabbed fourth - his finishing position. However, his work was far from over as he spent the last 10 laps holding off the persistent chal- lenges of Eklund. Only in the closing laps did Keener gain a bit of breathing room. ''I'm satisfied with fourth, considering all the ground I had to .makeup," said Keener later. "I didn't want to risk slipping or being bumped off the groove in the late laps," said Eklund. "That early ride in the marbles caused me to break concentration. I guess you could say I played it safe." Although the top five spots were set by lap 10, there was plenty of racing left. grow and Labrie were arguing over sixth with Kidd, Goss and Pearson in a pack. Brow gradually pulled away for sixth with Goss coming up for seventh followed by Kidd, Jones and a slowing Lallrie at the finish. "Don't forget to mention Bel-Ray," said winner Poovey. "They've been helping me for years. And say something about Doug (Sehl) because that monoshock XR of his is the coming thing. For Sehl, POOvey's win coupled with Morehead's last year, made it two in a row for the likeable racer turned tuner from Canada. • Results NATIONAL: 1. T..ry Poovey (H-DI; 2. 5 _ MorohMd IH-D); 3. Jav Springsteen IH-D); 4. Corky K _ (H-D); 5. 51.... Eklund IH-D); 6. Glwth Brow tH01; 7. Randy Goss (H-DI: 8. Mike Kidd tH-D); 9. Lance J"'- (H-D): 10. Billy Labrie (H-D); 11. Scott -.on IH-D); 12. Hank Scott (H-DI: 13. Ted Boody (H-D); 14. Stoll Drake (H-D). TROPHY RACE: 1. Billy Schaeffer (H-D); 2. Gary Stoll IH.DI: 3. Rick Hocking (H-D); 4. 51.... Freeman (H·DI: 5. Tom BMry IH-D); 6. MOfIY Bushman (H-D): 7. Dewayne Newton (H-DI: 8. Pet.. GranllH-D); 9. Jackie M~chell (H-DI: 10. Phil McDonald IH-DI. AMA GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIDNSHIPI WINSTON PRO SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. 5 _ Eklund 12601: 2. Jav Springsteen (221): 3. Randy Goa 12061: 4. 51.... Morehead 11351; 5. Gary Scott 1132); 6. Hank ScottIMike Kidd (128); 8. Rick Hocking (1241; 9. Cprky K _ 1111); 10. Scott Parker 11 06); 11. Glwth Brow (99); 12. Stoll " - 181); 13. Skip (79); 14. Terry Poovey 172); 15. Ricky GnIhom (154). 9

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