Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

defied efforts to correct the problem. Fay, the Santa Fe IT National winner earlier this season, needed to finish in the top two if he was to make the National field. A red flag stopped the semi on the serond lap after Frank Word and Dan Iggram went down in turn one. Word made the restart, but Ingram's bike w~ too bent up for him to ride. Steve Morehead, riding Eklund's back-up Can-Am, quickly grabbed tbe lead from Peter Hook. Fay then came on strong and was in serond by lap five with Hook and Ted Boody following. Fay's engine soured again and he pulled out. Boody then dropped Hook to third and began closing on Morehead, pushing to within two bikelengths at the finish. Keith Day took his Rotax to the win in semi two after being challenged nearly all the way by jon Cornwell, with Alex Jorgensen coming on strong in the fmallaps to take the battle for second to the checkered fIa~. Cornwell ~n waving his arms in JUbilation ana: then 'stood on the IIJr-It as he coasted into the pits. "You know why I'm so happy?" questioned Cornwell. "I've tried for three years to make a IT National fic:ld and now I've done it. I've also gat the only Yamaha 500 in the program." It Chance Qualifier • jorgensen took the final spot in the 17-,ider National field by winning the Last Chance Qualifier. There was flurry of activity in his pits as he and tuner Chris Armstrong set about Ita change shocks and dial in the sus~psion after the semi. "We didn't nave much time to work on the bike," said jorgensen,. "but what we did worked." . National -~'''A good start is all-important to- da ," said Springsteen as he sat in the pits prior to the start of the National. ":roe track has grooved up and. it is ~d to pass. You can't let the nders on.tbe singles get low and get around you because they get a better jump off the comers." The 6-6-5 grid had Springsteen, holding the pole position, on the groove. Shobert, Graham, Goss, jones and Kidd stretched the front row across the track to the pit side. On the start, Graham worked his way free of the traffic jam in turn one to lead Goss, Kidd, Springsteen, Shobert, Parker, Mertens, Scott, Green (Left) Ricky Grehem leed. Rendy Go•• (6), Bubbe Shobert (67) end Jey Springsteen in the mein. Scott Perker (11) purau... (Above) Gery Scott heed. up hi. heet race. (Below right) Doug Chendler fini.hed sixth in the Netional; Ronnie Jone. took 11 tho (Below left) Springsteen trie. to rele. end beet the heet during the eftemoon. and Chandler over the jump and into the quick left/right/left esses before coming into the sweeping tum before the front straight and the end of the first 25 laps. Graham bobbled in tum one at the beginning of lap three and Goss took over for a short time. Graham was quickly back in front with Goss, Kidd, Springer and Shobert in tight formation. The end of lap four saw Goss touch Graham's rear wheel and nearly highside as the two headed for the front straight. Kidd, trying to avoid the incident, went off the track for a litlle "cow trailing. "In the melee, Springsteen slipped into third. One lap later, Graham led Shobert, Goss and Springsteen with the front four having broken contact with the rest of the field. Parker led Chandler, Mertens and Scott in a battle for fifth. The two front running battles continued with little change in position until lap nine when Goss took the lead from Graham charging into turn one. Springsteen then slipped by Shobert heading to the jump. Parker's ride came toan end on lap 12 as he coasted to a stop, the victim of a broken chain adjuster and a derailed chain. By the halfway flags, it was Goss over Graham, Springsteen and Shobert with five bikelengths separating the four. Chandler led Mertens with Scott and Kidd after Mertens' sixth place position. A distance back jones led Morehead, Boody and Green. Hurst, jorgensen and Day followed. Cornwell had joined Parker as a spectator. The battle for the lead was taking place from the esses through the area leading to the front straight and in tum one. On lap 17, Goss bobbled in turn one and Graham was quickly by into the lead. One lap later, Springsteen took over coming off turn two and nearly lost it all when he got out of shape going over the jump. Graham quickly took over again. The fans along the track, cheering all the while, really came alive as Springsteen grabbed back the lead on lap 20. Graham, who found he could gain an advantage with his quickness on the jump, all but crashed on the same lap when he got out of shape on landing. "I'm not sure how I saved it," said Graham after. "I smacked the handlebars so hard with the front of my helmet I thought I broke some teeth. That problem cost me a shot at the win." Springsteen, once in front, poured the gas on to pull out nearly a 50-yard advantage in the final five laps. Goss and Shobert battled to the finish with Goss on top as Graham trailed the pair in fourth. Mertens had gotten by Chandler with three laps to go for his fifth-place finish. Chandler, Scott, Morehead, Boody and Kidd rounded out the top 10. The only incident in the closing laps saw Green go into the hay bales in turn one trying to avoid a collision with Hurst. "I lost the use of my front brake early in the National," said Green. "When I came up on Brad he was running slow and I knew I didn't have room or brakes to avoid hitting him so I went down to avoid the 3ccident." Springsteen was all smiles in win· ner's circle and showered everyone in sight with champagne as did Shobert and Goss. Springsteen then took a champagne shower himself, as much to cool down in the high 9O-degree temperatures as anything else. "I just stuck with the pack," said Springsteen. "I didn't get the start I wanted so I waited around for everyone else to make mistakes so I could take advantage of them. That's just what happened and everything worked in my favor. I didn't really notice the heat while I was riding, but once you stop it's overwhelming." Springsteen spent a short time in the pits before quickly heading for his van. "I rode the race and the lines I wanted to in the early laps," said Goss, but my strategy of cutting some very quick laps once I got the lead didn't work because jay, Ricky and Bubba wouldn't back off. Late in the race I had to change strategy and lines because jay was getting away, but I couldn't pull him in." "I gave it all I had," said a tiredlooking Shobert after the finish. "It seemed every time I made a move to pass someone I was always in the wrong position - I'd go high and they would move up or I'd try a low line and everyone would move down. The points chase is still tight and I feel good about how I did today." • Results 25-LAP NATIONAL: 1, JlY Springs...n IH-D); 2. Randy Goss (H-D); 3. Bubba Shobert IC-A); 4. Rielty Graham (H-D); 5. Tim Manans (Hon); 6. Doug Chandler (Hon); 7. Gary Scon (Tri): 8, Steve Morehid (C-A): 9. Ted Boody (Hon); 10. Mike Kidd (Hon); 11. Ronnie Jones (Rot); 12. Alex Jorgensen (C-A); 13. Brad Hurst (Tri); 14. Keith Day (Rill); 15. Randy Gr. .n (Hon); 16. Jon Cornwell (Yam); 17. Scon Parklr (H-D). TIME: 11 min.• 33.648 sacs. (Traelt record) (OLD RECORD: 19791JlY Spring....n/12 min.. 19.50 sacs.) 15

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