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/126762
Alex Jorgensen and his bought-from-Ron-Wood 560cc Rotax ran with Honda's best, beat Harley's finest. (rant off the line, but Rodney Sullivan went into the infield turn too hot on the first lap and found himself on an intersecting path with Scott. Sullivan hit Scott and crashed; Scott stayed upright but lost time trying to dodge Sullivan and trying not to crash. So while Springsteen moved eight, nine, II seconds ahead, Scott cut and wove through the field, finally moving around Terry Poovey for second place, still behind Springsteen but definitely ahead of everybody else on the track. Tim Mertens started out leading the fourth and final heat race, but jorgensen stal ked for three laps, tried unsuccessfully to go around Mertens at the infield exit, then slid past in turn one, a preview of the deepcharging tactics he'd use in the final against Chander. jorgensen gained a couple of seconds, and Scott Parker put his Harley (a Wood-Rotax 560 engine in a Ron Wood chassis) into second place. Before it was over, jimmy Filice had the H.O.G. Harley in third and Mickey Fay had bumped Mertens to fifth. Semis Garth Brow led the first semi off the line, ahead of Morehead and CanAm-mounted Mike Garrison. But the race was red-flagged when Garrison crashed in the infield entrance, blocking the track before catching ·his breath, being helped to his feet and limping off. Yamaha-mounted Mike Gilkey was in front for the restart, with Morehead again in second Morehead passed Gilkey, then Randy Green passed Gilkey and stuffed Morehead in the third corner. Green- and his Honda won, Morehead finished second with a tire going flat, Gilkey was third with Brow fourth. Woods-Rolax-mounted Mickey Fay jumped out to lead the second semi and won. jeH Campbell ran second from start to finish; Mertens moved up from fifth to third. Brad Hurst put his venerable Triumph into the lead of the last-chance qualifier, ahead of Gilkey, Mike Sullivan and David Aldana. who rode Eddie Lawson's Supeihikers YZ490 Yamaha. Gilkey stuffed it underneath Hurst in one infield turn and was passed back. Hurst had power on the oval and straight sections of the track; Gilkey and Sullivan gained like bandits entering and working through the infield. Gilkey finally got underneath Hurst for good on the third turn of the last lap. Hurst was second, Sullivan third and Mertens founh. Aldana was fifth. Final Which brought us to the final event. There were no surprises: Shobert led Chandler, jorgensen, Eklund, Springsteen, Goss, Parker and Scott. By the second lap moody Mr. Eklund had more to be moody about: Springsteen and Goss had passed him. By the third, Parker also went by. jorgensen's magic brought him close to Chandler then, ShobertChandler-jorgensen runningofJe-twothree and about as close. The Hondas pulled onto the oval, down the straight; jorgensen made up more than what was possible with beautiful, deep charges in turn one. turn two, tum three. He could be lengths behind at the end of the straight and within feet three turns later, lose it acceleratingover thejump, gain it upon landing and turning. Then Shobert was out, his engine blown, the extra power found since Houston perhaps too much, at least this time. Which left Chandler and jorgensen, and that was the race. Behind, Springsteen was alone; Goss and Parker hooked up and raced. Chandler and jorgensen's battle carried them four seconds ahead of Springsteen; Goss and Parker's battle drove up to Springsteen's rear wheel. By the 13th lap jorgensen was so close to Chandler in some infield turns that it looked like he might actually be able to get by; but he never did. The pair were running harder than in qualifying, turning laps in 45 seconds and change. The race apexed here, when jorgensen almost hit. Chandler's rear wheel in one corner; now they were five seconds ahead of Springsteen; Parker had passed Goss and then moved by Springsteen. Parker was instantly two seconds ahead of Springsteen, then Goss passed Springsteen, too. Morehead was in last and losing ground, a last-minute carburetion' change that hadn't worked relegating him to cruising for points and trying to stay out of the way as he was lapped Ronn ie jones was out, Eklund was sixth, behind Springsteen, ahead of Fay and Scott and Green. By the 20th lap, Chandler had a second on jorgensen, and the race was, barring an error. over. Jorgensen was six seconds ahead of Parker. Green crashed. It ended that way. Chandler. Jorgensen. Parker. "I heard him every lap, every corner," said Chandler. "The man I have to thank is jerry GriHiths, who built my engine." "I don't think the displacement is the advantage," said Ron Wood, importer of Rotax engines, when asked if the 600cc Hondas had an (Above) Chandler in victory. (Below) Springsteen, GoBS and Parker, the Harley-Davidson team left to fight among themselves for third. advantage on the ROlax 560s. "I think the budget advantage is the problem. I just think they've been working on them night and day since Houston." But Wood had to admit thadar the 560cc engine he sold Jorgensen, the same one he'll sell anybody with the money, to run that close to Honda's best and ahead of the entire HarleyDavidson factory team, was nothing to get depressed about. ~Junior .National By Matt Hilgenberg ''I'm so jazzed!" exclaimed Chad Felicio after winning the junior main event on his Wood-Rotax. "I've had a few problems early this season. I just got this bike, and I love it." Felicio looked good all evening, qualifying third and winning his heat race. Qualifying started off with Jim Taves taking the top spot on another of Ron Wood's creations. Chris Carr, a junior sensation who is thefavorite of the fans, was slightly off the pace in second, with Felicio coming up third. Carr sat on the pole for the final. When the flag dropped, he jumped straight into the lead, and was a full two bike lengths ahead by the infield jump. Coming past the finish line to complete lap one, a loud bang was emitted from Carr's Rotax. He pulled in the clutch and coasted off the course. "I shredded a timing belt," he explained later. "It's one of those freak things. I've never seen it before." On the track, Taves jumped into the lead, taking advantage of the speedster Carr's mechanical woes. By lap three. Taves was extending his lead over Felicio and Dan McDonnell. Coming into the infield's right-hander before the jump, McDonnell crashed hard, but was uninjured. Taves continued to lead, but Felicia was gaining. The duo had stretched out a full straightaway lead over third place Bob McDonell, with Bird and Duvall filling out the top five places. On lap eight Felicio pulled alongside Taves on the front straight. Going into turn one, he made the move to take over the lead. By that time, the posi tions had settled and Felicio motored to an easy win. "I got tired and made a couple of mistakes. Then it popped into neutral and I almost hit the wall. He (Felicio) just pulled up beside me and rode by." said Taves. • . Results 25·LAP FINAL: 1. Doug Chendler (Hon); 2. Ale. Jorgensen (W-R); 3. Scott Perker (H·D); 4. Rendy Go•• (H·D); 5. Jey Springsteen (H·D); 6. Steve Eklund (Rot); 7. Mickey Fey (W·R); B. Gery SCOIl (C·A); 9. Keith Dey (C·A); 10. Mike Gilkey(Yem); 11. Jim Filice (H-D); 12. Terry Poovey (H·D); 13. Steve Morehead (H·D); 14. Rendy Green (Hon); 15. Ronnie Jones (R·R); 16. Bubbe Shobert (Hon). Time: 19 min., 11.34 sec. I 2·LAP JUNIOR FINAL: 1. Chsd Felicio (W·R); 2. Jim Taves (W·R); 3.' Robert McDonnell (Han); 4. Randy Bird (Yam); 5. Wiley Duvall (Hon). CAMEL PRO SERIES POINT STANDINGS: I. Rand¥ Goss(42); 2. Doug Chandler (33); 3. RickV Graham (31); 4. Steve Eklund (25); 5. Alex Jor· gensen (24); 6. (TIE) Pete Hames/Jay Springsteen (23); B. SCOIl Parker(22); 9. Kenny Roborts(20); 10. Freddie Spencer (16).