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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126768
Alex Jorgensen rode a steady race to finish third. Most of the drama was ahead of. or behind, the Can-Am rider. Smiles for Shobert and Miss Camel Vivian Chadbourne in the winner's circle. It was Shobert's first short track win. National Fast heat winner Shoben chose his spot on lhe front row just at the inside of the groove, and from there he and Springsteen raced to the first tum. Shoben got there first, but a red Oag halted lhe race because someone jumped the gun. On the res tan Springer got out front first wilh Boody charging through traffic to run second at the end of lap one, followed by Shobert, jorgensen, jones and Goss. The pack was still tightly bunched, so Shoben didn't have to travel far from lhird to first, but travel it he did, and soon he began to inch ahead of Springsteen. By lap three first and second were set. just behind them were jorgensen and Boody, engaged in a swap-everylap engagement. Goss ran fifth, jones sixth, and Graham was already up to sevenlh from row three. At one-fifth distance Shoben and Springer were clear of the pack, and the Jorgensen/Boody battle had been joined by Goss. Graham had overtaken jones for sixlh. By lap 10 it was clear that Shoben was making the low line work while the competition tried a variety of paths.The battle for third was between jorgensen and Goss, with Boody dropping to fifth, and then losing three more positions when he went off the groove on lap nine. Jones was already out of the race with a suspected timing belt break, as were Pearson (machine) and Davis (crash). At the three-fifths mark, lap 15, the top five remained static at Shobert, Springsteen, Jorgensen, Goss and Graham. Boody had climbed back to sixlh. The run to lhe finish would involve two different dramas. The first was played at the front of the pack, where Shoben and Springer were safely in front of jorgensen. Four laps from the end Springsteen pulled right up on Shoben, but the Texan clung tenaciously to that low line and made it work. Shoben didn't win bv much - two bikelengths - but he ·won. "I saw Bubba was having trouble with the front end pushing through turn four," said Springsteen on the winner's podium, "I tried to go high/ Iowan him but it didn't work." "There was nothing wrong with the bike," said Shobert, "I was just gelling lazy and not getting on the gas hard enough out of the corner and that's what caused it to push. The bike ran perfectly and I'd like to thank Skip Eaken and Dennis jones for all their work." jorgensen finished a secure third. "I had some problems with the rear tire spinning, but 1 stayed pretty even with jay for the first half of the race. When he went after Bubba, there wasn't much 1 could do to keep up." While most eyes were focused on the battle between Springsteen and Shobert, Graham made his own latelaps progress, CUlling Goss' lead and passing him two laps from home. "I started running real low on the track, and all of a sudden 1 made up the distance in a Oash," said Graham later. ''I'd tried it (the low line) earlier but it didn't work as well. All 1 can say is that I'm very happy with the way things turned out. Shan track isn't my strong suit, so I'm very happy." Boody lost out on a ballie for sixth to Chandler. Parker finished eighth, leading Filice and Sullivan. • (Above) Ricky Graham and Doug Chandler (10) battle in a heat race. (Below) Top qualifier Scott Parker finished eighth. Results 25-LAP NATIONAL: 1. Bubba Shobert (Hon); 2. Jay Springstaen (H-D); 3. Ale. Jorgensen (C-A); 4. Ricky Graham (Hon); 5. Randy Goss (H·D); 6. Doug Chandler (Hon); 7. Ted Boody (H-D); 8. Scott Parker (H-D); 9.Jim Filice(H-D); 10. Rod Suilivan(C-A); I 1. Fran Brown (H-D); 12. Tim Mertens (Hon); 13. Bill Davis (H·D); 14. Scott Pearson (Hon): 15. Ronnie Jones (H-D). I 2-LAP JUNIOR FINAL: 1. Kim Jorgensen (Hon): 2. Don Estep (W-R); 3. Chris Carr (W-R); 4. Frank Sanchez; 5. Jim Taves (Yam); 6. Dana Perri (Yam); 7. Duane Duvall (Han); 8. Bob McDonnell (Han); 9. Haggar (Yam); 10. Mike Lawrence (Han); 11. Terry Wahl (C-A); 12. Mike Arthur (W-R). 7