Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

o 00 0') .- Filice fast at Wichita Falls ST By J . K. Lacey WICHITA FALLS , TX . MAY 16 SanJose'sJim Filice (Yam) started the three-race Texas Pro Series off right with a win on the Wichita Falls Speedway track . Showing why he was the nation 's top Novice short tracker last year . Filice grabbed the lead from a mid front -row start and never looked back. Giving chase were the th ree Texans. Bubba Shobert (Yam) , Mike Kidd (Hon) and Terry Poovey (H -D). Midway through the ' 15-lap event , Shobert got into the loose stuff in turn three and Kidd went underneath into second. James Bradley (Bul) gave Poovey a good run for fourth. almost pulling even a few times but the laps ran out and Poovey had lost his first ma in event at the Wichita Falls track ever (he'd won eve ry Pro race held there). Novice Will iam Herndon (Bul) d id both himself and his fellow first -year racers proud. copping a sixth and being the only No vice to make it through the even ing 's program and into the main . Results TEXAS PRO SERIES-ROUND ONE: 1. J im Filice (Yam);' 2. M ik. Kidd IHon l; J . Bubba Shobert (Yaml ; J. Terry Poovey IH-D); 5. James Brad ley [Bull; 6. William Herndon IBul); 7. Steve Hall (Yaml; 8. Odell Davis (Bull ; 9. Steve Penderll'aft (Vam); 10. Jay 8 each (Yam). Shobert shines at Ross Downs ST By J. K. Lacey DALLAS, TX , MAY 17 18 The second round of the Texas Pro Series moved into the Dallas / Ft. Worth area at Ross Downs on this Sa turday evening. finding the qu arter-mile fla t track in its best sha pe yet. Playing to an overflow crowd. the riders put on a short tra ck show th at would be hard to eq ual any where. even though for many it was their first ride at the Downs. With the Novices having their own progra m . Bill Herndon (Bul) served notice he wants to be th e Central Region champ this year as he won his heats and semi by better than half a lap . With little competition in the Main he ra n away with it likewise. but the action was for second. Billy Haynie (Ya m) stayed with Herndon for a few laps. but the Euless . TX . leader stretched it out and slowly the pack overtook Haynie . Somewhere in the dogfight. J ohn Johnson (Kaw). Warren Roberts (Suz) and Mike Mosel (C-A) bumped Haynie aside . Mosel establishing second. Johnson third and Robe rts fourth . The Junior/Expert Main pitted six different brands of motorcycles. riders from five different states. nine Experts and one lonely Junior . Mike Kidd (Hon) dropped the clutch at th e same time starter Phil Dyson flashed the green . and it was thought by Phil that Kidd had an unfair advantage. Red flagl Kidd d isplayed his displeasure with motions and hard looks. while the crowd. depending on whose side they were on . likewise voiced th eir op in ion . But Kidd , always the gentleman that he is. returned to his proper place in line , Bubba Shobert (Yam) led laps one through four until a charge by "Ca ptain" Kidd saw him up front and he brought along Ron Jones (Ya m) . This left Shobert in third . Terry Poovey in fourth . Steve Pendergraft (Ya m) fifth and Jim Filice (Ya m ) sixth. Lap eight saw Shobert again wangle his way to the front . Kidd being able to pull alongside but not hold position through the corners. Shobert began to lengthen his lead . Filice's motor went dead. J ones settled in thi rd and for the second consecutive night , Poovey garnered fourth. Results JR/EX M AIN : 1. Bubba Shobert IVaml ; 2. M ike Kidd IHonl ; J . Ronnie Jones (Yaml; 4. Terry Poovey (H-D); 5. Steve Pendergraft (Varni; 6. James Bradley (Vaml ; 7. Steve Gulleg. IBull; B. David Rush (Kawl ; 9. Bret Braddy (Yam); 10. Jim Filice (Yam ). NOV MAlN: 1. Bill Herndon IBull; 2. Mike MoseI ICAl ; J . John Johnson IKaw); 4. W."en Robert s lSuzJ. ca me ou t a nd he was given the usual eight minutes to clear his head and make repairs. On the single file restart. Hall was up to seventh in two laps. fourth with one lap to go and the crowd went wild . Trying for a third in a do-or-die situation he pulled even on the outside of Steve Oort (H -D) down the backstretch, but finding his throttle stuck. wisely threw it away. Sad finish for such a fine effort. Gerald Bowman (H -D) had no trouble maintaining second. Oort third . Scott Adams (H -D) fourth and Jay Beach (H -D) fifth . In the Expert Main. it was Mike Kidd (H- D) grabbing the lead with Bu bba Shobert (H-D) trying the inside , then the outside. Shobert finally managed to get inside a nd led briefly. but the Captain ca me rig ht back to snatch his lead back. m aking all the Army fans happy. Just after the halfway mark. Terry Poovey (H -D). who had been lurking in fourth all weeekend , made his move past Ronnie Jones (H -D) . O ne lap later. he dove under both Shobert and Kidd but his charge carried him out into the loose stuff in tum one and he lost.it , A nice . rather easy slide down. but the Harley flopped over once or twice at the last moment and into the path of the oncoming Jones who caught a footpeg and fell. Bub ba Rush (H-D). following Jones. threw his Harley down to avoid them both. Kidd and Shobert circled the tr ack finishing first and second when the red flag, then the checkered came ou t followed by James Bradley (H -D), _ Steve Pendergraft (H-D) and Bre t Brad dy (H-D). ' All in all it was a good weekend. T he tracks were in good shape and close together, the purses right, and because of Royal Sherbet of Royal Enterprises , professional motorcycle racing returned to Texas in the out of doors . Capt. Kidd collects Devil's Bowl HM win By J . K. Lacey DAL LAS . TX . MAY 18 For the first time in over five years, m otorcycles returned to the Devil's Bowl half-mile dirt oval for an AMA Regional race and to complete the three-race Texas Pro Series . With sunny skies putting the temperature in the low 90s, the fans that packed the stands were in for some good racing as the big iron took to the track . Don "Bubba" Shobert (H -D) topped the Expert field in time trials with a 21.27 clocking. followed by Terry Poovey's (H -D) 21.28. Mike .Kidd's (H D) 21.37 . and from the Junior ranks a 21.38 from Sa n Jose 's Jim my Filice (Ya m) . Novice action saw the local favorite . Bill Herndon (Bul), lead his heat by a straightaway length only to have his motor seize. Badly needing the regional points and cash. he borrowed another 250 and qualified for the ma in surviving another seizure. only to have it happen again in the main . Meanwhile. down from Newark. DE, John Spence (Yam) led wire to wire in the Main and the first five places never changed; Don Hamilton (Kaw) was second. Shon Stovall (Yam) third. John Johnson (Kaw) fourth and Bill Haynie (Yam) fifth . Up through the pack to finish sixth was the River City rider on the only Can-Am, Mike Mosel. Filice served notice early, setting the fastest qu alifying time of the secondyear pr ofessionals. a time only three Expe rts bett ered . His 500cc Yam aha single was putting the power to the ground as he ran off with his heat race and the Main. Rid ing one of the few competitive Triumphs left was Millville, NJs. Steve Hall. and did he thrill the crowd! Working his way up from a bad start, he lost his front wheel in tum one while attempting a pass into fourth place a nd found himself pinned beneath said Triumph. The red flag Results I NOV M AIN : 1. John Spence (Vam); 2. Donald Hamilton IKaw ); J. Shoo Stovall (Vam); 4. John J ohnson IKaw ); 5. Bill Haynie (Vam); 6. M ike MoseIIC· AI; 7. Kennv Gregoi re (Hen); 8. Dennis Gauetzmachel (Vam); 9. W arren Roberts (Suz); 10. Jay Halpain (Yam). J R M AIN: 1. J im Filice (Vaml ; 2. Gerald Bowman IHD); J . Steve Oort (H·D): 4. Scott Adams IH·D); 5. Jay Beach (HoO): 7. Taylor White (Yam); 7. James Pyle (HOI: 8. Torry Bernes (Vam); 9. Kennth Creasy (SuzJ; 10. Phil Culver (Yam); II . Steve Hall (Tri); 12. But ch Brando n {H·DI. ; EX MAIN: 1. M ike Kidd IHoDt 2. 8 ubbo Shobert (HOI; J. James Bradley (H-D); 4. Steve Pendergraft lHoD); 5. Brei Braddy (HoD); 6. Kenny McDoneld (H-D); 7. Mark Strother IHoDt; 8. Rusty Gourley !Yam ): 9. Jel1 Davis (H-D): 10. OlI\/id Rush (H-DI: 11. Ronnie Jones (HOI: 12. Torry Poovey (H-D).

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