Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

entered and breezed to the win over Gary Scott on the KK Motorcycle Supply/Jack Sisemore Traveland bike and factory Suzuki rider Ronnie Jones. Scott inched closer to the $10,000 top prize in the H-D Dirt Track Series as Billy Labrie, second in the standings before the race, failed to make the main and third place Terry Poovey had bike problems on the line and only picked up three points. "We've got a cushion now," Sco~t said of his 24 point lead over Labrie with just two short tracks left. "We're still going to race to win." All fout Japanese manufacturers were represented in the 17 scratch heats with Fay's Honda the fastest. He came back in the heat races to take the first and fastest with six of the eight heat race winners Honda mounted. The riders requested a change in the format allowing 12 men to make the final, although only ten would be paid money and the final two just points. Fay took the first semi and took Tim Mertens and Poovey into the final with him. Fellow Washingtonian Butch Brown took the second semi ahead of RonnieJones and Garth Brow. In the third semi Labrie, who had a second row start, started sixth and although he passed two riders finished fourth and was out of the main. "I got by the guys in front of me, but they were going so slow that I couldn't catch up to the leaders," said Labrie, The leader in the third semi was Gary Scott with Steve Morehead second and Bubba Shobert third. Wayne Rainey took the factor~ Kawasaki KX 420 to the fourth seml win ahead of Steve Mendenhall and Tim Palone. Tim Mertens got the holeshot, but it was only a matter of time before Fay would get the lead. Mertens couldn't hc,>ld Fay off and he sped on to a flashy wIn. "About the same," was how Fay described the race, Last night's second place finisher, Butch Brown, fell in the second turn and presented no problems to Fay. "He's the only one that I expected any trouble from," Fay said. The battle for second was not so cutand-dry. Mertens held second until he fell in the infield horseshoe. Scott got by as did most of the field including Morehead, who was in fourth. Morehead, however, soon fell victim to the infield entrance which had claimed so many others. "It was really slick out there," third place finisher Jones said. "The main problem was traction. You could pass because there were so many different lines, but it's so bumpy out there." Jones' factory Suzuki had the help of Sparky Edmonston in the pits, but they were short on preparation time. "If we'd have made the main last night, we might have won it tonight," said Edmonston. Scott was ecstatic after his second place finish put him closer to the title. "I actually moved up tonight. We didn't get a good start (fourth), but we were able to pass people," he said. But it was Fay's night and he gave the sell-out crowd a good show and an excellent display of riding ability. "The wheelieing is part of the show. If I didn't have a comfortable lead I wouldn't do it. I looked back once every four laps," Fay said. With the 40 points that he has picked up in the last two nights Fay has moved from tenth to fourth in the points. • Results· 1. Miclly Foy IHon); 2. Gary Scan lHon); 3. Ronnie Jones 15uzl; 4. Wayne Rliney 'KIw); 5. Bubbe Shobert (Vom); 6. 51 Mendenhall (VIm); 7. G8nh I!

• Cover