Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

E . • ~ t o CO 0') (Above) Wayne Rainey (60), Ricky Graham (41), Ronnie Jones (16) and Mike KidcI battled for second behind winner Scott Pearson (below). Harley-Davidson Dirt Track Series: Final round Pearson wins; Kidd reaps pot of gold By Mike & Anne Adair TAMPA, FL, MAR. II Scott Pearson, with apparent ease, won the final round of the seven event HarleyDavidson Dirt Track Series at Tampa's East Bay Speedway and in doing so moved himself 26 into fourth position in the final standings. However, Mike Kidd, I via his reaped sewnd place finish, $10,000 from the $20,000 point fund. It was heartbreak for Billy Labrie, the series leader going into the event as he had to sit on the sidelines and watch his shot at the big bucks go down the drain. ''I'm so happy'" yelled an ecstatic Pearson. "Everything has been going wrong lately, but tonight I even beat Hank (Scon) out of fourth place money in the series. Hey, it won't be such a long drive back to California now. Bob Bellino, my sponsor at Cir· cle Bell Emerprises, will be happy about this." The event put tremendous pressure on Labrie, who held a slim six poim lead over Kidd and a full 10 points over Terry Poovey. With 20 poims going for a win, 16 for second, 13 for third, II for fourth and one point less for all other finishers on a descending there was plenty of scale, combinations that could shuffle the standings. race time Labrie Before contemplated the situation. "I wish tonight were a half mile," he said. ''I'm trying Mike Hilley's Yamaha in practice. My Harley needs some work and at six feet and 165 pounds, I need all the help I can get." Labrie then praised the track. "This place is what I call racing, it's fast, wide and doesn't groove so badly." Poovey didn't share Labrie's emhusiasm. The Bel· Ray rider shook his head saying, "I don't like it." Promoter Bill West pointed at the stands and said, "Fans here were ready for a race. Can you believe that 1,200 people came out on a Tuesday night for a rain date race?" Referee Darrell Dovel ,'Iccted to combine the 44 Novices. Juniors and Experts into one program. Practice sessions created new drama. Labrie seized Hilley's Yamaha and remounted his Fletchers Harley, Pearson decided to borrow Sal Hoffman's Yamaha and park hi. Bul and 1979 Tampa winner Garth Brow had to sideline his Harley with a stuck top end. ''I've had an awful series," said Brow. "Everything'S gone wrong." In the semi. Wayne Rainey's Bates/S&W Kawasaki set· a track record and earned the pole position for the main. Ronnie Jones and Gene Church romped while Labrie found himself outside the three man advancement. Labrie got on it. but lost the from end in tum one. No red flag came out and he had to watch his destiny from the sidelines. "What a fiasco, ,. said Labrie, "I got behind and just tried to catch up too quickly." Kidd and Charlie Roberts earned from row starts with semi wins, but Poovey found himself on the second row as David Dye poised his flag for . the big hucks showdown. Pearson jumped into the first turn like he had been doing it all year. Graham, Rainey, Kidd. Scott and Jones were in contemion, hut Poovey was in trouble. Rainey moved past Kidd into third behind Pearson and Graham on lap two. Kidd's Dick Powell prepped Honda regained third, only to have Rainey slingshot past on lap four. catching Graham in the process. At the halfway poim it was Pearson, Rainey, Jones, Kidd and Graham; Poovey was still out of comemion. Kidd made his move in turn two and slid in behind Pearson, Jones holding off Rainey. On lap ten, Tom Josephson dumped his Yamaha, the red flag wem out and the Harley·Davidson Dirt Track Series was over. Poovey could not gain enough poims and Labrie finished second to Kidd. Kidd thanked his sponsors: Army, Knight Frames, DFW Honda. Bell· Ray and Hi·Point. He then received a giant $10,000 check from Harley Davidson's Bob Klein. Kidd said. 'Tm proud of Harley' Davidson. They made this series possible. Motorcycling had come a long way." Labrie shook Kidd's hand and said, "Second place isn't half bad." Poovey received the third place cup. Harley's Dick O'Brien praised the riders and series promoters, "I think we did a lot of good down.here. We had good press, great racing and many fine comments. I hope we can swing it again for next year." • Results ,. Scan PelIrIOf1 (Vaml; 2. Mike Kidd (Hon!; 3. Ronnie Jones (Vam); 4. Wayne Rai".., (Kawl: 5. Ricky Graham (H-DI; 6. Hank Scan (Vaml; 7. SIeve Mor_ (H-D!; 8. Gene Church (H·DI; 9. Te

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