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/126610
AMA Grand National Championship/Winston Pro Series: Round four Jorgensen, Graham, lead high speed chase at Ascot By Karel Kramer Photos by Wizard Racing Photography and Kramer GARDENA, CA, APR. .3 Alex j orgen sen led an all-star cast of Winston Pro riders in his third trip to the Ascot National winner's circle. jorgy put himself 6 and his jorgy's Can-Am/ Pioneer Trucking/ Megacycle Cams/Boss Frames/ Harry Lillie Can-Am 500 into the record books in a couple of different wa ys. He put himself in for a secon d Ascot TT win to go with a h alf m ile win and he put CanAm's new sin gle into its first winner's circle ap pearan ce in Winston co mpetition . Despite being in th e minority, the big H arleys proved th em selves more th an co m p eti tive as they carried Graham an d Boody into th eir ch am pagne shower. Graham , in th e pits before the National, said of hi s T ex Peel XR750, "T h a t thing' s fun to ride! " Graham came from th e third row to fourth in the first few turns. T ed Boody held off a late race charge by Steve Eklund on the Mario Zanotti Can-Am to fin ish third on the Norm McDonaldiKal-GardiCarlislel Arai Harley, best described as the last minute express. Boody said , " I heard from Babe DeMay a week ago and he said he couldn't help me and all 1 had was a bunch o f junk. Norm McDonald of K&N Motorcycles in Tulsa said he'd help m e and we built two motorcyles and had them on the track in under a week ." Eklund battled the other riders, a 10th place start and pain from a twisted ankle that had him standing in his ice ch est before his h eat. " I was stu ck behind Fay for a long time a nd th en 1 caught Boody and 1 wanted to pass him so bad, but he wa s co n sistent and smooth and I couldn't get around him." Nearl y 10,000 attended the Agajanian-promoted event. J.c. Heats Fast qualifier Mike Inderbitzen shot hi s Sonny Burres tuned Triumph into the first heat lead followed by Scott Parker on jay Springsteen 's factory Harley, jorgensen, Eklund an d jeff Narramore on a Yamaha. Inderbitzen 's charge was slowed a nd th en stopped co ld by a misfiring bike. Parker was feeling a lot of pressure from jorgy , hit a rut coming into th e infield, got squirrell y and sa ved it just as Jorgensen swooped by. Positions stablized with Jorgensen in front of Parker and Eklund. Only Mike Kidd was on th e move as he recovered from a poor start to move into fourth on the ninth lap. Eklund held on and sent the champ to a semi. San jose's Scott Pearson pulled a giant holeshot and led the second heat into the firs t turn by 50 feet, trailed by Mike Gilkey, Mikey Fay and perennial " Li ttle john" Hateley. Pearson was untouchable for th e entire race. but behind him there were several riders keeping in touch. Fay and Hateley bumped Gilkey to fourth on the first lap and Kawasaki's EddieLawson moved him into fifth on the third lap. Lawson. putting in one of the best two-stroke powered rides of the night, was putting th e h eat on Hateley when Little john got sideways co m in g into the first turn and barely saved it. Lawson squeezed by a n d out of trouble. The nag found them in the same