Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

0 ~ a: ~ :z: tJ) w e ~ 00 ... a: w III > III tJ) ... 0 0 :z: lL ~ ~ 00 >;:j ~ (Above) Bubba Shobert leads lap one over Randy Go.. (1), Ronnie Jon.. (18), Ricky Graham (3), Scott Parker (behind Gou) and Randy Green (24). (Above) Third-placer Chandler leads S.cott Pearson (9&) and Green in a heat race. (Left) A Shriner joins winning tuner Brent Thompson and Randy, Vicky and Janice Goss in the winner's circle. Stadium Saturday night. Joining Goss in winner's circle were runner-up Doug Chandler of Team Honda and third-place AMA Grand National Championship/Camel Pro Series: Round 14 Goss socks it to 'em in St. Louis By Jack Mangus ST. LOUIS, MO, JULY 7 Defending Grand National Champion Randy Goss ran away with the Busch-sponsored St. Louis Short Track as he led all but the IQ opening lap of th~ 25-la~ race in Busch finisher ScOll Parker, like Goss a member of the Harley-Davidson faClory team. Although three Camel Pro Series races have been rained out and rescheduled for upcoming weekends, the Sl. Louis evem officially marked the end of the first haH of '84 Camel Pro Series competition. Goss, hoping to move imo the poimlead and grab the $10,000 that would go to the man in that position at the end of the night, pideed up 20 points for the win, but fell nine poims shy of Honda's Ridey Graham who finished fifth behind fourth-place finisher Randy Green. Graham now leads Goss l!ll to 122, while SCOll Parker strengthened his hold on third place in the point standings and now has III. "Racing is like riding a rollercoaster," said Goss after the race. "It has its ups and downs. Even though I'm second in the poim standings and finished third last weekend in the Lima Hal£ Mile, I fell I've been in a slump. I hope tonight's win changes all thal." Three-time Grand National Champion Jay Springsteen was a no-show once again. At Harley-Davidson's insistence, Springsteen underwem yet another physical examination last week in an attempt to diagnose and perhaps establish a program which would enable the Michiganite to lick the mysterious stomach ailmem that has put bim on the sidelines more often than not recently. According to a Harley-Davidson spokesman, Springer was told the problem is mental and he is now seeing a psychiatrist who hopes to help him control his nerves which are triggering the release of stomach acids, mostly just prior to races. Also missing from the Moolah Shrine Temple-promoted event was the sixth-fastest qualifier, Terry Poovey. Poovey had sturred Honda's Bubba Shobert imo the haybales during a practice session and following time trials Shobert confromed his fellow Texan. According to an eyewitness, Shobert put a headlock on Poovey and when the pair hit the ground Shobert's knee broke Poovey's sunglasses. Poovey suffered a cut eye and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatmenl. He returned to the stadium just after the racing ended. Shobert was fined 1000 by the AMA and was obviously depressed over the results of the altercation. He requested and received permission from AMA officials to skip the event's opening ceremonies. Time Trials Oklahoman RonnieJones, winner of the 1980 Houston Short Track National, was the fastest qualifier of the 71 Experts who took turns racing the dock. Jones, aboard the Megacycle/Knight Frames/Shoo/Warren H-D-sponsored Harley-Davidson, was clocked by timer Gil Dosmegan at 15.2!l1 seconds. Second fastest was Shobert at 15.288. . . Rounding out the top 10 qualIfIers were Graham, Tom Maitland, Chandler, Poovey, Peter Hook, Pete Hames, Mike Garrison and Alex Jorgensen. The cut-o(£ time was 16.9!l4 and that was turned in by the 60th and final qualifier, Mike Farley. The track, which was constructed on tOP of Busch Stadium's newly installed Astroturf by Harold Murrell, "slowed" during time trials and those who drew high numbers didn't have a chance against those who timed early. "My motel room number here in St. Louis is 116," said fast qualifier Jones, who carries National number 16, "and when I drew 16 for qualifying I knew Lady Luck was with me." Heats Six IG-Iap Expert heats were scheduled with each advancing the first two finishers out of the 10-man fields to the National. The third through sixth-place finishers would advance to semi-finals. The rest would be serlt padeing. Heat number one belonged to Ronnie Jones from the flash of the green light to the checlcered flag. Second place all the way was occupied by ABC Harley-Davidson-sponsored Bryan Hardin, who held off the challenges of third-place finisher Peter Hook. Pete Hames led the first three laps of the second heat, but lap four saw Shobert take over and lead Hames to the chedeered flag. Finishing a close third was Ted Boody. The third heat required a restart after rookie Expert Doug Davis unloaded in turn two on the first start. The man in front on the restart was Graham and he stretched his lead to win comfortably. There was nothing comfortable about the runner-up spot as the man who would eventually get the advancement position, Rodney Farri . had to hold off every imagi-

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