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Graham and' Scott touched in tum one, sending Graham into the bale and signaling the race complete at the end of eight laps. Ronnie Jones took third transfer on Graham's ouster. "I guess I should have shut off," shrugged Graham. ''I'll be back in the semi." Poovey was out in the second heat to prove that his new Babe De May built Harley-Davidson XR·750 engine had the ponies to take it all. He displaced Schaeffer and Scott Parker in quick order while Parker and then Mike Rhoads dropped Schaeffer to fourth. The last laps saw Poovey and Parker home free while Rhoads took third from Schaeffer at the line. Heat three was another shuffle affair in the early laps as .Scott Pearson and Mike Kidd debated the lead. Morehead then joined in, but Kidd put in a determined bid and pulled away while Morehead held off Pearson's continuous challenges. On the final lap Morehead bobbled momen· tarily coming off tum two allowing Pearson to get past. He then drafted Pearson at the finish for second and a ~pot on the front row of the NatitJlal since Kidd's time was the fastest of the heats. The fourth heat had everyone on their toes as Brow, on a Storme Winters·owned XR, led Billy Labrie, Boody and Hank Scott in a game of one·on·one. Although there was plenty of shuffiing. Brow still led at the end of eight laps. However. Brow then slipped. off the groove and Scott took the lead as Boody came on strong from fourth and Labrie continued to hold second despite protesting his liike was slower than the others. A threeway draft at the flag saw Labrie nudge out Scott and Boody for the win. Brow / went to the semi. o 00 0') Semis SYracuse was Gary Scott's first National win since August. 1978. Unset! Scott had to pass early leader Mike Kldd. AMA Grand National Championship/Winston Pro Series: Round 23 Syracuse Mile a .Scott Affair Gary's By Gary Van Voorhis Photos by Marc Lachapelle and Van Voorhis SYRACUSE, NY, SEPT. 7 "It's been such a long time since I won a National (De~ Moines half mile, Aug. 20, 1978), that I almost forgot what to do," joked Gary Scott after winning the KRW Helmets Syracuse Gold 6 Cup Mile. rear wheel badly and that I had "When Mike's (Kidd) started to chatter real I passed him, I knew won, although on the last lap 1 had to ask myself if 1 really had that good of a lead." The race for second went right down to the line where Harley- Davidson's Randy Goss eeked out a half wheel hold on the position from Arai-sponsored Ted Boody. While Goss was celebrating stretching his Winston Pro Series points lead to 16 (177-161) over Hank Scott, Boody was playing champagne shampoo over his first appearance in winner's circle since he won the 1979 Houston Short Track National. Ride turnout at the New York State Fairgrounds facility was the slimmest in years with 56 riders making it to the heats. Defending Grand National Champion Steve Eklund and Alex Jorgensen were among the absent. Eklund went back to California to prepare for the September 21 San Jose Mile while Jorgensen was left without bikes when his sponsor also decided to regroup for San Jose. Qualifying Ricky Graham dropped Rex Beauchamp's 1976 one lap track record of 56.87 seconds to 56.51 in qualifying. Terry Poovey, Steve Morehead, Garth Brow, Gary Scott and Billy Schaeffer made it a six pack -of record breakers. Heats Disaster was narrowly averted in the first heat when riders were started while there was a track grooming vehicle on the course heading into tum two in the opposite direction. On the restart it was Graham, Gary Scott and Goss scorching the track in a three way duel for the lead. Goss finally got a wheel up, leaving it a fight for second. That ended when With only nine riders in each heat. all non·fmishers automatically traD&ferred to the semis although only nine of the 12 riders eligible for each made it. The first and second place finisher in each semi would go to the National. Ricky Graham laid claim to the win in semi one proving that he had shakea off the effects of his heat race crash. Tom Berry got the nod for second· after a long fight with Schaeffer that was decided by AMA officials at the . finish line when the pair finished inches apart. "I think I got robbed." said Schaeffer. Bubba Shobert, getting a stint aboard sidelined Jay Springsteen's H-D team bikes, won the second semi OII'er Brow by less than a bikelength. Shobert. with a shot at Rookie of the Year, had blown up his best bike at Indy an asked for the ride. It paid off. Honda 500cc Invitational Challenge n The combined Expert/Junior 5000: invitational event was won by Honda team rider Jeff Haney with teamma,u: Mickey Fay only feet away at' the finish. "It's a long way around (the track), but it sure is fun," said Had The start saw fast qualifier ~J!ey grab the lead immediately asiE quickly moved into second. J~ division rider Jerry Bowman held o,D1.O a solid third until his bike expired t 0 laps from the end. Third then becaDJe a two rider battle betwee.n Canadiam' Martin Lavoie and Jonat!a'>n Cornwell. Lavoie got the nod. Rod Farris was a c10sinlt fifth. Trophy Race Billy Schaeffer.. riding a Tex Peel bike, took the Trophy Race win but it didn't come easily. Schaeffer had' Bubba Rush to contend with and then Scott Drake put on a rocket-like charge that carried him into the lead leaving the rest to fight for scraps.