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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126655
ham lies third, one point back at 19lI. while Shobert holds founh at 190. In the Rookie of the Year haule. Doug Chandler, with a sixth-pllKe finish, padded his points lead. Chandler holds a 57-34 lead over Dan Ingram. Qualifying Springsteen shattered the 28.127second track record set by Brad Hurst last year with a 26.61I·second blast around the natural terrain track whim is surrounded by hillsides which were covered with spectators. Shobert, Gardner Racing's Steve Eklund and Simpson-sponsored Breu Barkmann were also in the 25-second bracket. Honda's Mickey Fay rounded out the top five. In all, ~8 riders came in under the previous track record. "The track is very tacky, so there's plenty of traction," said Springsteen. "This year we changed our approach. In the past we've de-tuned the motor which made the bike come off the comers great, but I didn't have enough power down the from straight. The bike I'm riding today is basically a half miler with a front brake." Heats Watching Springsteen easily pull away from the field on the opening lap of heat one, it wasn't noticeable that he had nearly burned up his clutch by starting in third gear. "We had a mix-up of signals," said tuner Bill Werner in the pits as the tell-tale odor of a clutch problem penneated the air. Fay held second for the openin~ four laps and then slowly slipped back with a rough-running engine. Rick King, running second early on, was dropped to third by Ronnie Jones, on the Ron WoodlWorks Performance/Arai-sponsored Woods-Rotax. Chandler then put King in fourth and the top three were set to the Imish. Chandler was making the most of his first ride on a full Team Honda-prepared mount. Shobert imitated Springsteen on the start of heat two and Quickly opened up a 15 bikelength lead over Joe Peterson and Mike Kidd, with Scott Parker and Steve Morehead following. Kidd, on a Team Honda XR600, closed on Shobert just past the halfway point while Parker dropping Peterson to fourth. Shobett shook of( Kidd's challenge to tale a wire-to-wire win while Parker, in third behind Kidd, put the second factory Harley into the National. Ricky Graham spent the entire-IO laps of the third heat on his Har~ holding of( the challenges of Menens. The two played a rubberband game all the way, with Graham winning out, although Mertens had made him work for it. Eklund quickly moved to third on his Harry Lillie-built Yamaha 750, but Lady Luck frowned OD him"at the halfway flags. "I lost the rear brake on lap two or three," said Ektund. "I felt I could still do all right desJ?ite that until I missed a shift commg into the first turn alter the stan/finish line. the engine over-revved and I bent a valve, so I parked the bike." Brad Hurst took advantage of Eklund's rroblem and took third to put himsel into the National. The fourth heat quickly developed into a three-rider battle with Goss. Gary Scott and Randy Green in close formation. Goss took the lead from Scou on lap two and never gave it up despite pressure from Scou and Green. Scott cau~ht his foot in a rut on lap six, twisung his knee and allowing Green around for second. Scott then eased up a bit but still look third. was AMA Grand National Championship/Camel Pro Series: Round 25 Peoria TT thriller to Springsteen By Gery Ven Voorhis Photos by Bert Shepard/Silver Shutter PEORIA, IL, AUG. 21 Harley-Davidson's Jay Springsteen played a waiting game in the 35th annual Peoria M.C.-promoted National 'IT and capitalized on the mistakes of others to win the 14 25-lap race. The win was his fifth Camel Pro Series victory of the season and the 38th of his career. The "others" in the battle were current points leader Randy Goss, defending AMA Grand National Champion Ricky Graham and Bubba Shobert. who IS right in the thick of the fight for the title. The checkered nag saw Goss edge Shoben for second and leave Graham founh. Tim Mertens, in his best TT finish ever and his best finish of the 198~ season, rounded out the top five on his Honda XR600. The mix of machinery at Peoria, a track which many say favors 750cc bikes, showed II single cylinder 500/ 600cc machines in the final, with Shobert, aboard a Can-Am 500, the best non-75Occ finisher. The point standings were shuffled a bit but Goss stiH holds a commanding lead in the chase for number one. Springsteen vaulted from fourth to second behind Goss, at 2~1-194. Gra- Semi. There was plenty of action around Fay's bike before the start of the first semi as his rough running engiae