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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126430
When you',. hot. you',. hotl Steve Morehead C42.I ran ewey with his he8t win, then bleated 'em lIpln In the Netlonel. AMA Grand National Championship/Winston Pro Series: Round 25 Eklund clinches title as Morehead wins San Jose Mile By Gary Van Voorhis Photos by Melissa Mclaughlin and Charles Morey SAN JOSE, CA, SEPT. 23 There were two stories at the San Jose Mile: Steve Eklund became the first privateer since Dick Mann in 1963 to win the AMA Grand National Championship title even though he had to watch from the pits as Jay Springsteen failed in a must-win situation and finished seventh. Meanwhile, Springsteen's Harley- 12 Davidson teammate Steve Morehead was continuing his late season charge to win his second National of the season and mark his fourth consecutive winner's circle appearance. Eklund had the first of two disappointing rides in front of his hometown fans when he finished sixth in the IeCODd heat aboard his Zanotti/Castrol Harley-Davidson XR750. The problem was not lack of power, but rather too much for the way he had his chassis set up. Changes were made before the semi, but did not correct the problem. In addition, Joe Wilson put in a superb ride to block his every effort, sending Eklund to spectate at a National for the first time this season. Morehead, running brakeless on his Steve Storz-tuned factory mount from about the 15th lap on of the 25 lap event, had plenty of company in the form of Skip AksIand and his PJI XR and Alex Jorgensen on the Ray Beck H-D. The trio shared the champagne. Hank Scott and Terry Poovey rounded out the top five. "We're really moving now," said Morehe~d afterwards. ''I'm going to have to see the AMA to see if they can sart the season in late August rather than February." Morehead has moved from a distant eighth to a solid fourth in the point standings in the last five Nationals. "I thought I had Steve on the last lap, but I got into tum one a little too hot and he got away. I should have won," lamented Skip Aksland. Alex Jorgensen, in his first fu)1 National since having surgery on his right knee at the beginning of the season, was happy. "I had a good ride, and if they had the finish line on the back straight I might have won. I was getting a real good drive off turn two, but couldn't seem to get anything off turn four. All I could do was stay close and waiL" Eklund snapped out of the gloom of his failure to make the National and joined in the celebration in the winner's circle. ''I'm glad it's finally over. It's been a long year and everyone connected with Zanotti Enterprises, especially Mario Zanotti, has worked very hard for this." Eklund then apologized to his fans in the stands for not having made the National. While the celebration was going on, Springsteen was cramped up with stomach spasms from his recurring stomach/urinary infection. He left the track almost immediately. Dick O'Brien, boss of the HarleyDavidson Racing Team, was in good spiriu even though the title had been wrested from the factory's grasp. "That's life. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. I don't make excuses." Qualifying Hank Scott took to the quickly changing San Jose surface to clock in at 38.10 seconds, a full second off the track record. Harold Murell and his son had spent plenty of time in preparation, but a bright, sunny day quickly drew the moisture out of the track leaving it slick rather than tacky. Skip Aksland and Steve Morehead were second and third fastest, just a tick off the pace with Garth Brow and Alex Jorgensen filling out the top five. Eklund qualified sixth, Springsteen 11th. Heats Hank Scott did little to dispel the fact that he wanled to win at San Jose as he grabbed the lead in the first heat coming off turn two and never looked back on his way to the fastest heat of the day and the pole position for the National. A four rider dice quickly developed behind Scott as Joe Wilson on the Capshaw Enterpnses/Patrick Racing XR, Billy Schaeffer, on a Doug SehI prepped mount, Harley-Davidson's Corky Keener and Jorgensen mixed it up. The swapping between the quartet continued until the seventh lap when Keener and Jorgensen drew away to battle for second. Jorgensen then put a move on Keener in tum three for second and held on by a half a bikelength at the finish line. Ricky Graham and Skip AksIand began a IO-lap swap-fest for the lead that would find Aksland slipping off the groove in tum three on the final lap allowing Graham breathing room and the win. Steve Eklund, made up for a slow start by moving through to third and joining a six rider freight train on lap three. Among those in the wheel-towheel ballet was Scott Parker putting one of Mert LawwiU's mounts through its paces. Parker moved by Eklund one I.p later with Bubba Rush and then Lance Jones dropping Eklund still farther back. Rush and Parker went at it to the flag with Parker taking third from Rush as the pair raced to the checkered flag. "The darn thing is lighting up the tire," ~id Eklund. "The flat spot low in the power band isn't there anymore and it spins when you get the gas back on." Frantic work ensued in Eklund's pits to change the suspension. Earlier in the afternoon Springsteen had ~id his strategy would be to "just