Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

5o.thern Caillornl.·Arlzon.....thern Ne••d.·So.tbern C.lllornl•• Arlzon.·5o.tbern Ne••d .....thern Caillornl•• Arb Western hotline P+~E::?1~ri;I Junior winner Jeff Allison C83R) dices with Rich Arnaiz. Graham does It again at Ascot HM By Maureen Lee Photos by Dan Mahony GARDENA, CA, APR. 4 For the second week running Ricky Graham won every race he went out for on the half mile at Ascot Raceway. Graham quali- 26 fied fastest at 22.57 and his heat was three seconds faster of the two Expert heats. Graham came off the line first in his heat with Ted Davidson and Bryan Thompson in tow. Next came Easterner Bill Crabbe, and coming fast, Steve Monger. Monger took Crabbe on the back straight and went after, and then past, Thompson. Graham kept the nice little lead he had over Davidson, althougb none of them were just motoring out there. Next came Monger, and as the race came to its clcse, Thompson fell behind both the Crabbe brothers, Bill and Bob. The second heat had the riders much tighter together. John Wincewicz, who looks very good this season on one of Harley·Davidson West's bikes, was away first, .but a bobble in tum two lost him that spot to Dave Busby. John. just left it on, and taking advantage of the change in Ascot's north tum this year, he went high and came out flying side by side with Busby down the front straight. Close behind were Mike Inderbiuen and Bob Sand~rs. Busby eventually won the heat, but he and Wincewicz swapped the lead at least four times, and right to the last lap Inderbiuen was shuffiing places around with them with Sanders hanging right in there. Sanders had the pole for the semi and did his usual number of getting off the line a micro-second ahead of everyone else, but outside starter Bryan Thompson, along with Bob Crabbe got the threesome into a pass and repass situation. Thompson finally got the lead but it was never fully secure, and on the last lap Bill Crabbe sudden· Iy arrived with the front runners. He'd been working on up 'til he got by Buddy Robinson for fourtb place, then in one swoop he went from fourth to second. The final run down was Thompson, Bill Crabbe, Sanders and Bob Crabbe. The first few laps' shakedown had Davidson leading, then Wincewicz and Graham, while Busby, Sanders and Monger worked for fourth. With Davidson still leading, Wincewicz start· ed leaving the door open and when he did it one time too many on the nortb tum, Grabam was by. Right about lap - seven Davidson's bike started spluttering and he got to fiddling with the e1ectrics to keep going as Graham zapped into the lead. Bill Crabbe was moving on up too and then fourth-place Busby got nailed by another rider going into turn two and he and his Harley parted company. He was safely out of the way as the mob came around again and Davidson's momentarily-healed mount started sounding a bit ratty again but he held onto second. Wincewicz had third and Sanders wasn't about to let Inderbiuen catch up and take away his fourth. For a short time Bill and Bob Crabbe were running sixth and seventh but Thompson got in between them and broke that team up. Graham's bike picked up the right time to start .stuttering, right as the flags came out for the last two laps, but even though down on power be wasn't to be caught. Alex Jorgensen was supposed to ride but meticulous Ron Wood felt the new Harley wasn't quite right yet, so he spectated. Hank Scott was there too but having handling problems in practice and with the Sacramento mile coming next week, he wisely decided to cool it. There's no Junior Invitational for Sacramento but there is for San Jose, and oh boy are the Juniors hot to earn a place in it. Ben Zakarian was off and running with the heat one lead, then Wyatt Scroggins and Jeff McDaniel on 500cc Hondas. Those two made a race of it, but Danny Perkins got them both and took secon.:l behind Zakarian. The next heat was trouble plagued; on the first lap Jay Lewis - on a Honda instead of his usual Yamaha (he works for Suzuki) - got an assist from another rider and went down bard. The Honda set a new Ascot record for the highest flight and number of somersaults in the air for a riderless machine. But tbe Force' was with the other riders and it didn't hit anyone, just paralled the top of the north turn fence for awhile. Jay got a ride in the ambulance and as of Sunday evening is now home resting, still hearing bells ringing and nursing a broken pinky and collarbone. First restart and tbis time Rich Arnaiz got off and Dennis Camp and Arlette Smith got tangled up on tbe south turn, so they had to do it over again. This time Arnaiz did as he intended and took off with first never to lose it, then came Emory Gr.ay, Sal Hoffman and Smith. Arlette had a drive going and passed Hoffman for third but then caught her foot in turn two and dropped back. The heat ended with Arnaiz comfortably out front, tben came Hoffman and Camp. Jeff Allison and Steve Don settled out the next one, Don winning it with Allison, his old smooth self again in second, then Steve Polson and in founh, after taking it away from Randy Griffith, came Dorothy Rowe; lookin' good on her new Harley. The looked·for race between Arlette Smith and Dorothy Rowe in the semi didn't last long as Rowe's motor broke a wrist pin, leaving Arlette and Steve Polson to have at it. Polson took the lead finally and up came Dennis Camp and Jeff McConnell to pass Smith. We'll say right now though that Smith and Rowe are the equal of most of the Juniors in talent, the battle now is get· ting over tiredness - 10 laps on an XR ain't for the weakl So the direct transfers were Polson, Camp, McCon· nell and Wyatt Scroggins. It was Allison stan to finish in the main with Rich Arnaiz in second inspite of a bit of trouble in turns 1-2 on the start, then Ben. Zakarian and coming fast, Danny Perkins. Perkins eventually took third away from Zakarian and went after Arnaiz, but Rich wasn't making any mistakes, although the two almost collided once on the soutb turn. Allison strongly held onto his lead over the pair, tben came Zakarian and, working busily past Steve Dort and Wyatt Scroggins to fifth place, Dennis Camp. Perkins made one more challenge on the outside of the north tum as the checkered flag came out, but it was no go, Amaiz had the line and Danny had to settle for third. The red flag came out at the end of lap one in the Novice main as Charles Montgomery had fallen on the stan, and it came out again after the restart. Starter Hutchins didn't like the way the boys had left the line and had to shape 'em up again. It was Montgomery with the early lead but Jeff Johnson took it away, and along came Tommy Walton to drop Montgomery to third. Montgomery pushed hard, but Walton wasn't to be caught and neither was Johnson. Back a ways, Chuck Carroll and Rob Pfeuing were having their own race with Pfeuing the winner. Results TROPHY DASH: 1. Ricky Graham IH-ol; 2. John Wincewicz IH-ol; 3. Bobby Senders lH-ol; 4. Bryon Thompson IH-ol. TIME: 1:09.87. NOV MAIN: 1. Jeff Johnoon IYam); 2. Tom Walton IVarnl: 3. Chrio MontgOnWy IVaml: 4. M_I Bennett IVarnl: 5. Don Karnp (Yarnl: 6. Bill Scott IVarnI: 7. Mika Bird IHonI: B. Robert Platzing IYarnl: 9. Chuck CorroII lVarn): 10. Bob Garriaon lVaml. TIME: 3:17.20. JR MAIN: 1. Jeff Alliaon (Yarnl; 2. Rich Arneiz IH·o): 3. Danny ""'kina (H-ol: 4. Ban z.karian (H-ol; 5. Danni. camp IH-o); 6. St.... oort IH-ol: 7. Wyatt Scraggi"" IHon); 8. St.... Polaon IVaml: 9. Sal Hoffman IH-o); 10. Jeff McConnalIIHonI. TIME: 3:54.06. EX MAIN: 1. Ricky Graham IH-o); 2. Tad Davidaon IH-ol: 3. John W.,cawicz IH-ol; 4. Bob Senders IH-ol: 5. Mika Indo

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