Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Graham, Morehead wa able LO hold the former champ off until the pair hit turn three on the final lap and Graham LOok the lead and wenton to Wll1. ,·It·s easi I' LO run second in a race like that," said Graham. "I watched Steve and knew where J could get him.l got under him in three and gOt the drive ( needed to lead hi m across the line.'.' Finishing third behind Graham and Morehead was fa LOry Harley rider COl! Parker, who held off the challenges of fourth-place finisher SCOl! Pearson. Semis Pete Hames and Tim Mertens ran 1-2 all the way in the first semi. With only the winner advancing to the National that left Merten facing the challenge of the Last Chance Qualifier and the one advancement spot it offers. Third went 10 veteran Gary SCOl! after a masterful ride that started on the penalty line and then saw the KK Motorcycle upply/Jack Sisemorespon ored former champ pick off rider after rider on the narrow groove. The second semi saw Cal ifornians Pearson and Eklund finish 1-2, positions they held throughout tbe race. Rookie Expert Mark Hartley finished third in the follow-the-leader race. Last Chance Qualifier The LCQ produced fireworks both on and off the track. After Belleville Honda/Meg-dcycle-sponsored Mertens led the first eight laps, it was Gary SCOll who ignited the explosion with what onlookers described as a daring but clean pass of Mertens in turn three on the ninth lap. COli stayed on the gas a split second longer than Mertens as the pair came down .the hack straightaway side-by-side. Scott then stuffed his way inside of Mertens and took the lead for good. Mertens, moved out to the cushion, shook his head as he watched SCOll pull away through turn four. Moments after the conclusion of the race, Mertens confronted SCOll and according LO on-lookers knocked SCOl! off the minibike the Ohioan was riding Lhrough the piLs. Cooler heads prevailed and the pair were separaLed, leaving SCOll LO prepare for the National and Mertens LO pack up. Junior National Ohioan Don Estep and his Ron Wood/Shoemaker Assoc.lSLeel MasLers/BesL Machine/Smilly's H-Dsponsored Wood-Rotaxwere unbeaLableaL HarringLOn. EsLep was thefa L qualifier, won the opening heat, and then led the 12-lap final from start to fini h. Following E tep home in both the first of two Junior heat and in the final was Californian Chris Carr, The Wood-Rotax rider escaped a collision with George Roeder II, on the first lap their heaL race. Both rider went down in the incident that onlookers said was caused bv Carr hilling the rear of Roeder's Harley. Third in the Junior final wem LO Floridian David Miller, who had won the econd h at. Miller was aboard a Harley sponsored by Mark & Karen Heinaman, MC Stuff and his parents. National Fast-heat winner Boody chose the hard-packed line near the grandstand wall for his starting position for Lhe 20-lap main event, with Filice sq ueezing in between him and the wall. Joining them on the front row, reading from the inside LO the wall, were Morehead, Brow, Jones, Graham, Goss and Poovey. t · ... 'II"'_ ..... _- Scott Pearson is trailed by Parker and Filice as they run mid-pack. Row two was occupied by Chandler, Cornwell, Hames, Parker and Pearson. Missing [rom the grid was Jay Spring teen, who had become sick immediately after fini hing hi heaL race. Moan and groans were heard fTom the crowd when they realized that the winningest rider in Grand aLional Championship hisLOry had scratched (rom yet another race due to the mysterious sLOmach ailment Ihat has been his main adversary for Lhe pasl several years. The diminuitive Filice pulled off a holes hot at the flash of the green starting lighL only LO be greeted by a red flag as he crossed the line at the completion of a lap. Cornwell had gone down, unhurt, in turn three. The second start saw Boody get the jump on the field and he led Poovey, Morehead, Pearson, Parker, Jones, Filice, Graham, Gos and the rest of the field across the line at the end of lap one. Poovey planted his front wheel on Boody's rear wheel and the pair op ned up some ground on the rest of the field as Lhey circled the HarringLOn oval. Behind them came Morehead, who had Pearson on his tail for the first three laps. Lap four saw Boody and Poovey still running as if they were chained LOgether while Morehead's challenger was now Graham, who had dropped Pearson to fifth. Poovey stuffed his way past Boody as the pair led the tire-squealing pack into turn one on the fifth lap, but he drifted off the groove in turn two and Boody LOok over the point position again. Behind the front runner - Boody, Poovey, Morehead and Graham came a single-file, wheel-to-wheel pack con isting of Pearson, Parker, Filice, Jones, Chandler, Brow. Goss, Cal!, Hames and Cornwell. Lap eight aw Poovey take over Lhe lead for good, although Boody kept him honesL for the remaining 12laps. While Morehead and Graham argued over Lhird, Filice LOok fifth away from Pearson on the 10th lap and the LOp six SpOLS were locked in. All eyes were on the baLtle for third beL ween Morehead and Graham. Morehead Lhreaded the needle on the narrow groove lap after lap, resisting Graham's every move. The intensiLY of their fight almost proved to be their undoing as on the 17th lap, Graham gOL sideways diving into Lurn one behind Morehead and the former champ slid into the back of Morehead's XR. They both nearly went down and only the wealth of experience the two have saved Lhem. The incident caused Graham to back Ohio's Don Estep took the Junior National over Wood-Rotax teammate Chris Carr and Harley-Davidson rider David Miller. off the pace a bit and Morehead crossed the line in third behind winner Poovey and runner-up Boody. The checkered flag also greeted Gary cott who circulated slowly after a get-off on the 14th lap, a lap that also saw Hames reLire from the race. SCOLL'S bars were bent down on the clutch side and Call could have passed for Joe PeLral i, Jim Davi ,Red Wolverton or any other pioneer motorcycl racer. As Poovey Look his lap of honor wiLh the checkered flag, Tex Peel and his crew jumped up and down with delight over their 1-2 finish. "ThaL's the econd 1-2 sweep by my bikes when I've loaned one out," said Peel. "The other Lime wa in 19 2 when ( provid d a bike for Morehead after hi had blown up in pracLice aL San Jose. He won LhaL race and Ricky (Graham) was second." Poovey. Boody and Morehead popped the corks on champagne botLIe in winner's circle and sprayed everyone wiLhin reach. "lowe Lhis win to MatLRozowicz," said Poovey. "I wouldn't be up here if MaLL and Tex hadn't let me ride the_ bike. There's no way J can Lhank them and Corky Keener, who helped all the way, enough. WiLhout them I'd be iLLing in the pits inst.ead of drinking cham pa/1;ne. " The win was the eighth National victory for Poovey, who scored his first career win as a rookie Expert in 1976. "I rode as hard as I could," said runner-up Boody. "You've got to give Terry a lot of credit. This gives Tex and Harley-David on a weep. The Hondas are working real good and Ricky and the guys are riding real hard so that makes a 1-2-3 Harley sweep feel all that much betLer." Morehead, a two-time HarringLOn National winner, was pleased with his performance. "AItel' thaL baLLle with Graham in our heat race, I had Paul PUL on some taller gearing and it certainly paid off. I don'tremember having a closer heat. race and then a main event. with the same guy before. I'm just glad t.hat( was ahead of him in the race t.hat counted." • Results 20-LAP NATIONAL: 1. Terry Poovey (H-D); 2. Ted Boody (H-D); 3. Steve Morehead (H-D); 4. Ricky Graham (Hen); 5. Jim Filice (H· D); 6. Scott Pearson (H-D); 7. Scott Parker (H·D); B. Dou9 Chandler (Han); 9. Randy Goss (H-D); 10. RonnieJones(H-D); 11. Garth Brow (H-D); 12. Jon Cornwell (H-D); 13. Gary Scan (H-D); 14. Pete Hames (H-D). TIME·8 min.. 38.732 sec. AVERAGE SPEED: 69.400 mph. 12-LAP JR NATIONAL: 1. Don Estep (W-R); 2. Chris Carr (W-R); 3. David Miller (H-D); 4. Wiley Duvall (H-D); S. Tod Carson (H·D); 6. Tony Grady (H-O); 7. George Roeder II (H-D); 8. Robert Lewis (W-R); 9. Paul Crumling(H-D); 10. Paul Visbel(H-D); 11. Richard Rowe (Hen); 12. Ben Sidura (Tri). TIME - 5 min.• 18.967 sec. 13

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