Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

I (Clockwise from left) Third piece Scott Parker leeds runner-up Steve Eklund (8) and 'Kicld midway through the National. Freddie Spencer (19) and Wayne Rainey bettIed In their heat. but In the final Rainey was sixth and Spencer DNF. Rod Spencer (49) rode a 490 Malco-powered mount to fifth in the National. suspected shoulder problem, Bradley was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. . When racing resumed. Ricky Graham took the lead on the Ron Wood Norton, only to run off the track and start the chase again from last. Sporting his team's PJl and Wrangler logos, Mike Kidd took over from that point and .was not seriously challenged. Likesie, Scott Parker ran second from that poInt on with his Klou/Wiseco/AMF H-D/Diamond Chain/Tex Peel/Rick Toldo-sponsored mount. Third was an initial tussle between Steve Morehead (Hon) and Ronnie Jones, riding Sal Hoffman's spare Yamaha 500 after his Suzuki broke in practice. When Morehead ran into troubles, third was Jones' to the finish. Behind the top three there was quite a bit of action between Jeff Allison on an American, Ricky Graham and Randy Goss. Graham moved up as high as fourth but came into another corner too hot and he, like Goss, would have to wait until the second semi. Semis John Hateley grabbed the holeshot of the first semi, but it was red flagged when Buddy Robinson and Bob Sanders went down. Sanders was to his feet quickly after the race was stopped, and the race was restarted with Hateley and Don Dodge in the top two spots. Hateley, the veteran riding for Hateley Enterprises, controlled the lead while Maico-mounted Rod Spencer moved from fifth to second. With the top two from each semi transferring to the National, Spencer did the inevitable and set 'out after Hateley. Catch him he did, on the eighth lap, and he continued on to the win. Jerry Greer, who put together the Knight-framed creation, had said before the race, "I'll be happy if we make it to the Trophy Race." In ia tint outing the Spencer/Maico combination di4n't m,ake it to the Trophy Race, but did catch a spot in the National along with Hateley. Buddy Robinson passed John Gennai on the last lap to iead thOle who were bound for the Trophy Race. The second semi was the best race of the night. Chief protagonists were Ricky Graham on the Alphabet/Klotz/ WIIeCO!Shoei/Dellorto-sponiOJed Nor- ton, and Steve Eklund, who along with tuner/sponsor Storme Winter had changed front end geometry, suspension, tires and other things to come up with a working combination on their CastrollArai/Moto-X Fox-sponsored machine. Randy Goss appeared to get the jump on the start, but it was quickly Eklund and Graham up front. For the next nine laps the average lead change was two per lap, with Eklund having the advantage on the infield and Graham usually taking the lead back as they came on to the front straightaway. That's what happened on the final lap, as well. Eklund had the lead coming off the final tum but Graham had the horsepower to just barely nip him at the line. Goss rode in third all the way, in sight of the leading duo, but unable to catch up. It was the second fastest 10 laps of the e",ening. Trophy Race Larry Legarra (Tri) got the jump off the line but soon found himseH running second to Lars Trulson (Hon). Trulson continued to lead in the following laps, while John Gennai moved into second and was trailed by Legarra and Goss. On about the fifth lap, Trulson went down in the first rum and turned the lead over to Gennai. Shortly before that Goss had overtaken Legarra for second, although the northern California rider was still sticlting clOle. Goss moved 'up on Gennai within a few laps and then they started battling heavily for the lead. However, three laps from the end, Gennai pulled off the track due to a lack of useable spokes remaining on his rear wheel. Goss continued on in the lead with Legarra a comfortable second. Sal Hoffman (Yam) defeated Buddy Robinson in their battle for third. National The 25-lap final appeared to be underway with Gary Scott and Brad Hurst going for the lead, but in the crush through turn two, three riders went down, bringin, out the red flag. Dave Aldana and Jun Filice were up immediately, but Rich Arnaiz had his right foot trapped between the rear wheel, chain and awingarm of Filice's machine. Men Lawwill and crew had to dismantle the Filice machine to get Arnaiz's foot out. The ambulance crew put his ankle in a splint and took him to the hospital for X-rays, while the Lawwill crew worked feverishly to mount a new rear wheel on Filice's bike because the original was missing quite a few spokes. The new rear wheel didn't have the tire Filice wanted, bur there was no time to change. On the restart it was Gary Scott, Mickey Fay, Scott Parker, Ricky Graham (from row threel), Mike Kidd and Jim Filice up front. At the rear of the pack, Freddie Spencer coasted off the track with a dead machine. Asked later what happened, Honda's Jerry Griffith said, "A grain of sand in the gas cap vent. It cut off the air. I don't even believe it. .. " Back up front the lead spots were being shuffled vigorously as Fay took over the lead and Parker, Scott and Graham were all trying to occupy second. On the following lap Parker nailed Fay going into the infield. At the compktion of that lap, the fourth, the order was Parker, Graham, Kidd, Fay, Steve Eklund, Scott, Filice and Wayne Rainey. On the first right hander of the fifth lap, two riders were set back from the chase. Graham fell and Fay could not avoid running into him. The ruckus allowed Parker to pull into a bit of a lead over a battle between Eklund and Kidd, with Scott and Filice behind them. Lap five saw Filice go down on the right hander after the jump. As Graham and Fay had done, he picked up the machine and carried on, back from the leaders. . At the one-third marker, eight laps, Parker led with Eklund advancing on him, and Kidd was third over Scott. Many lengths back, Rod Spencer had moved into fifth ahead of Rainey and Dave Aldana. Two laps later Kidd put a move on Eklund to take second coming onto the front straight. On the same lap, Brad Hurst was out of the race with a busted primary chain. Although pressed briefly by Kidd: Parker reeled off another six laps out front. Kidd and Eklund remained flush, but Gary Scott had slipped back slightly with some carburetor troubles. On the 16th lap, Kidd, who along with Parker beleived there were only a few laps remaining, made his move. He got by the Michigan rider as they exited the infield and started to open up some moonljght. Eklund moved up on Parker, and on the 19th lap, got a break. Parker was hung up for an instant by lapped riders on the infield and Eklund jumped into the gap to take over second. Positions held to the flag and Kidd has his second Ascot TT win in as many years. Eklund finished next to make his '81 slate read 4-1-2, followed by Parker, who' picked up his first points of the year. Gary Scott continued to make money on the elderly Triumph that has won this event three times, this time finishing fourth over Spencer, Rainey, Aldana, Filice and Brett Barkman. Mickey Fay rounded out the top 10 over Ronnie Jones 'and John Hateley. Ricky Graham blew an engine and was credited with 13th, while Brad Hurst picked up the last point. Kidd, who was injured in a Daytona practice crash, had been uncertain about his back. "He (the doctor) said my back would be really weak and I'd be riding more with my arms and my chest: sitting on the bike and being a little more relaxed. I wore a kidney belt to give my back a little more strength. It's amaring - when you get on a motorcycle you don't think about anything but riding it anyway, so the pain went away. I came into the winner's circle and it started aching again. But it doesn't hurt now - I'm too excited," grinned Mike. • Results 2lH.AP NATIONAL: 1. Mike Kidd lVoml; 2. S _ EIdund lVom; 3. ScotI _ IH-OI; 4. Gory ScotI crril; 5. Rod ~ tMaI; 6. W..,... R8iney IH-OI; 7. oe... _ lVoml; 8. Jim Filice lVoml; 9. 8r811 Ilert

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