Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Texan Terry Poovey made a succ.ess of his first factory Honda-sponsored ride. He came from the ~ack row to win via the cushion. AHA Grand National Championshipl Camel Pro Series: Round I Poove~, Goss duel in 'Dome short·traek" By Dale Brown Photos by Karel Kramer H OUSTON. TX, FE B. 5 I t was a battle of th e factory riders as Honda's Terry Poovey and Harley-Davidson 's Randy Goss caine from behind to battle for the lead in the short track por tion of the Budweiser Wild West Weekend. After exchanging the lead many times, Poovey took the win by less than a bikelength. Finishing third after leading much of the first half of the race was a Roo kie Expert from Was hington, Randy G reen, sponsored by American Honda and Simpson. .6 , " My bike wouldn't handle right down low, so 1 had to ride the high line," said Poovey after it was over, "I tried to bri ng it down a couple of times and a lii did was get sideways. I did hug the pole in the final turns , though. What a way to start the ~~L" 7 " - ~ f l ,.., . .. . , " "'....r;; ; ~ "l:' l!. t- . ' .,. r-•• . ·•• f"..-f... . :::. : . ' Like the Texan's other National short track win (Talladega, AL, 1976), Poovey had to come from the third row after transferring out of a semi. Ro n n ie Jones nipped Ted Boody near the end of the race to capture fourth, while Steve Eklund finished in the sixth posit ion. History 's leading Houston short track winners were present, but neither Jay Springsteen or Kenny Roberts were able to make the field. Springsteen may have been upset by an accident in which his van was struck and damaged shortly befo re race tim e. Roberts, with a q ualifying time in the lo wer ha lf of the field, consistentl y found himself starting on the second row. der the ban ner of P .I. C. Racing, Shoei Super T rapp and Ci rcle Bell , took h is customary holeshot in the firs t h ea t. Poovey was wit h h im initially, but then fell back in the pack when he lost his rear brake. Wit hout signifi" cant interference. Pearso n led to the checkered with BSC /Bell / Winston Racers/Parents-sponsored Peter Hook runni ng second after Poo vey dropped back. Tim Mertens finished th ird on a Honda, but in a short track, o nly the first two go directly to the Nationa l field. Attendance for the Pace Man agement event h eld at the Houston Astrodome seemed to be down somewhat fro m the previous years, with approximately 18,000 fans in the stands. Time trials T he fie ld of over I00 had to be narrowed down to 60. Duri n g qualifying, many riders seemed to have tro uble with ruts in turns three and four and waved off their first attempts. Poovey elected to go with his first attempt and wound up with fast time, a 14.065-seco nd clocking. Green was second fastest with a 14.221, and he was followed by Eklund (14.224), Goss (14.256), Scott Parker (14.257) a nd Bubba Shobert (14.260) , all polesitters in the heats. Oregon 's Tom McCu llough was the last direct q ualifier with a 14.721. Among those spectating for the eveni ng was former Grand National Champ Gary Scott, w ho ran into trouble, didn't wave off and recorded a 14.861. HUb / Scott Pearson, ri di ng a H onda un' j ,: • I '. , . ( .. J J J H J J~ ~ ( J _ 1 . . '( "" , • I I Green, whose J un ior Invitational results h ere a year ago incl uded a second in the short track and a win in the TT, turned in a most auspicious start in th e second heat. He took the lead im mediately a nd won going away. Another Rook ie Expert. California's Chris Cannon (Ya m). ran second after th e opening la p shuffle and a lmost to the wire. Ricky G ra h am, now sporting the n u m ber one p la te o n his [Ton HOTse/ Ca st roL(Shoei / H -D-ba cked H arley, h ad m oved to withi n str ik in g dista n ce in the closi ng .la ps. O n th e las t lap, -tbreugh ,l, f._ ~ .t • •.., ~ I •. r 1" · • t \ , J t )l ;j I' J.lJ') J_I'tt IJ :

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