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By Gary Van Voorhis Every Camel Pro Series rider has his own idea of what each dirt track is like and how it should be ridden. Champion Randy Goss is no exception. We hooked up with Goss while he was in Atlanta recently to do a television interview for Motorweek Illustrated and spend a weekend signing autographs and answering .questions in Harley-Davidson's display at the Great American Motorcycle Show. Goss gave us a rundown on the24 dirt track Nationals left which comprise that portion of the LIMA Grand National Championship as well as opinions on riders who may be in a position to take his Camel Pro Series crown away. Goss' view on riding with the Number One plate isa rather unique one. "After you start the new season, the only thing Number One is good for is to let the scorers know what place you're in. It doesn't mean that much. Just because you did good last season doesn't mean you're going to do good this year. It's a brand new ball game." Goss begins his observations with the next dirt track race on the Camel Pro calendar, the April? TT at Ascot Park. 18 Ascot TT I've always enjoyed riding my 750 at Ascot. I really prepare myself for the TT there, both physically and mentally, because I really like the National. It's fun, but then it's also a lot of work. By the time practice is over your arms are usually dead tired and you're wondering what you're doing there. Unfortunately, everyone has been winning the event on 500cc machiney so we'll probably go with the 500 because of the time factor involved to get a 750 ready after having raced the 500 at Houston, plus it's one less bike to truck out for our west coast swing. Deep down in my hean I'd like to ride the 750. Beller yet, I'd like to win it on a 750. What happens in the National is the track stans out wet, and gets dry and slick about halfway through which gives the advantage to the 500s. The Harley 750 just won't get a good drive 0[[ the corners when the track is like that. Sacramento Mile It's hard to tell who has a fast bike and who doesn't at Sacramento. It's the first mile National of the season and some guys are riding good and some aren't. The track is usually slippery and a rider who would be able to dial it on just right and nOl spin the tire coming 0[[ a corner late in the season is buzzing the tires there. What you watch is who is going into the turns hardest. You don't win Sacramento in the turns, but you can make time there, espe- cially turn three. The track turns into a groove, but the corners aren't really narrow. The straights are a bit more open and you run down the middle of the track rather than out against the side wall. At Sacramento you can get a fairly good draft 0[[ turn four so you've got a chance to win if you're second or a very close third coming 0[[ there on the final lap. Some tracks, like Springfield, don'tgive you that chance. The ugh terthe corner comi ng 0[[, the better it is for drafting. If you've got a sweeping arc then you come of[ the corner faster and make it harder for those behind you. San Jose Short Track We've only raced there once and that was last year with the 250. There's still a debate on which is faster on a given track, the 500 or the 250. A 500 ridden by then-Junior Doug Chandler was fastest last year, but turning consistent fast laps and beating Alex Jorgensen on his 250 is another story. We haven't given up on our 250cc machinery, although I feel we'll use the 500 on the longer tracks. The track is unusual. Looking at it, you figure you should set up your bike and run it a certain way. Once on the track, you find you're nearly totally wrong. It's deceiving. I'm not sure how you race it. I rode as hard as I could last year and when the ... National was through I couldn't see the leaders. San Jose Mile Some people feel the spring race ends up with different track conditions than the fall National, but it's just as slippery for me at either National. The place to watch is between turns three and four once the groove gets set. The slippery spots always seem to appear in the same places, but they're the same color as the groove and you can't always see them. It's been a struggle for me at San Jose lately. I may do good early on or even take the pole for the National. Then things seem to go downhill. I always have a ballie plan which should work, but doesn't. It's easier to draft and pass down the back straigh t rather than on the front. On the front straight you tend to run out in the fuzz heading into turn one and if you do get out just a bit too far you're taking a trip into the haybales. Ascot Half Mile I like Ascot and I really do well there, but I'm not sure why. A lot of people ask me how I do it and I can't explain my good luck. One thing I always do is put a Goodyear on the back at the beginning of practice and scrub it in so by the time the National rolls around I've got a perfect tire. It doesn't always work well in the heat