Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126486
o 00 0) (Left) It was a winner's smile for Hank Scott; the fifth time he's had such a reason to smile this year.lTop and bottom right) Catching his front end and then crashing cost Scott Pearson the race. AMA Grand National Cbamplon8blpIWln8ton Pro Series; Round ZZ Fifth of Scott's at Topeka 'two-day By Dale Brown TOPEKA, KS, AUG. 3I·SEPT. 1 "I can't believe I've won five Nationals," grinned Hank Scott after winning the KRW/Davis Cycle Topeka Gold Cup half mile at Sunflower State Expo. Fewer still were able to believe that promoter Don Brymer was able to run the event after a major thun. . de rstorm mterrupted t he ev~nt between the second and thud 10 heats and then proceeded to rain all Sunday evening. The race was postponed until 9 a.m. the following morning, and then until noon. They had a semi-dry racetrack by then, and though it developed many, many holes, racing was com· pleted, avoiding a double rainout weekend. Peoria winner Scott Pearson had looked to be an easy winner, holding a huge lead through much of the race. But Pearson went down when he caught his front wheel in one of the aforementioned holes. That left the lead to Hank Scott, who h~Id off the cbaJp of Randy Goa and Billy Schaef· fer for victory in the 20·lap National. The points situation still finds Goss leading with 161, but Scott c10l1ed the gap and moved into second with 153. Ricky Graham, who had been in second after the Indianapolis weekend, was one of three to fall in the main event and he is back to third in the standings with 142. Four Nationals remain. When the rain was still coming down at 6:30 a.m. Monday morning, no one believed the races would be run. Honda's Jerry Griffith reported that an AMA official - not the referee - told him that the races were "going to be cancelled." He told his riders, Mickey Fay and Jeff Haney, to go on and get a commuter plane to Kansas City where they could catch flights for home. When he was informed of the decision that the race was not cancelled, but put off until noon, he was very angry, but managed to get hold of both Fay and Haney ~t the KC airport - Haney heard his name being paged as he was boarding his flight - and they made it back to the race. Haney and Fay then proceeded to place 1-2 in the 500cc Invitational. Alex Jorgensen wasn't so lucky. He finished founh in Sunday night's second and final heat but never had a chance in the semi. Jorgy's sponsor, Ron Wood, and race announcer Roxy Rockwood were in the race headquar. ters hotel coffee shop when the hotel clerk came in and said that "Duke" had called from the race track and said the race was cancelled. (Duke Olliges, the referee, reponed that he wasn't near a phone all morning.) Rockwood offered Wood a ride to the airpon so Ron told Alex that he could get on the road to Canton, IL, where he was staying. Five minutes later Roxy got a telephone call from Brymer telling him of the decision. It was too late. TIme trials Valvoline/Circle Bell/JB Racing/ MX L/Shoei/Magura/lnter·Am-sponsoTed Scott Pearson put the Ray Beck XR750 on the pole of the first heat with a 25.61-second tour of the track. Army's Mike Kidd was close behind with a 25.70 lap, and Hank Scott and Bill Schaeffer also earned pole posi. tions in the heats. Of note was Jeff Haney's 26.14 lap on a 500cc Honda, which put him on the top half of the qualifying ladder. Rick Sexton was the 48th qualifier at 26.99. Heats A very light rain - more of a mist had staned to fall as the first heat got o underway. That didn't stop Peanon from leading green light to checkeJrd fIag_ Honon Racing/KK Supply's'SlIeve Morehead put an early lock on stlCOpd while Scott Parker, Steve Eklunctumd Billy Labrie debated the other tllllriDer spot. Gradually Eklund and abrie moved away from Parker with EIt1und's Zanotti/Castrol/lnterpart - spo~ entry taking transfer at the liMfiay point. Labrie, Gene Church ancil~k er finished next; their only transftrs were to the first semi. b~l It was still misting as the greet; ~"ht ignited the second heat, whicli' w Bubba Rush, Brett Baddy and W~e Rainey rush to the forefront. R~ ed for two laps before being ovenalte y Rainey, while Randy Goss a n i d Jorgensen made their way throU. 'the pack after mediocre stans. Ridin H&H Work Shop/Chris Arms 0 / Sandy Rainey Harley, Rainey led' or three laps before being displaced by Goss. Goss led to the flag as 1i6ke Kidd, also working up from a balfiCirt, got by Rainey on the final lap f second. Jorgy, Rush and Baddy ~ced founh through sixth. All the time the racing and miSt)wi been going on, so had another outside of turns 1-2. An approacthunderstorm was lighting up ~ •. The rain began to fall harder,~~ after a test lap, the third heat~~ to the sidelines and vans took">~;,tbe track to try and keep it dry shoqJd,tbe rain let up. It didn't. The t h ~ hit the Topeka area s~uare o~; . h heavy rains and gusty wmds. The,r ce ~as post~ned until 9 a.m. the !~109 mornIng. hns A tractor pull scheduled for theapl· lowing day had impOlled an . . 'a1 deadline of getting the races over Wfth by noon Monday. But the deac:Iline was moved back three hours, allowing the race to run. S