Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ ~ :I: U w W lC '" Z w -' > '" ( /) 0 ~ 0 :I: ~ CL 00 O"l I""""l ~ l!':l C\f >...... ~ ~ Runner-up Randy Goss battles with Matt Rozowicz (40) and Rob Crabbe in a heat race. With the second. ~oss now leads the points. bert's points will remain unofficial until a ruling on his appeal. Bubba Shobert won his first National half mile. riding under protest while he appeals a 46-day suspension. AMA Grand National Championship/Camel Pro Series: Round 15 Shobert rocks at Hagerstown Hal' Mile By Gary Van Voorhis HAGERSTOWN, MD, JULY 14 Honda's Bubba Shobert took command op. the restart of the Hagerstown National Half Mile and led a six-lap dash to the checkered flag over Harley-Davidson's Randy Goss and Honda teammate Doug Chandler with Harley's Scott Parker and Iveco-sponsored Pete Hames rounding out the 8 top five. The 20-lap National was red-flagged on lap 15 after Jon Cornwell crashed. He was uninjured and made the restan. Shoben, hit with a $1,000 fine and a suspension of 45 days or nine consecutive Nationals (including road race Nationals), has appealed both the fine and suspension. The fine/ suspension was meted out by the AMA after a fight between Shobert and Terry Poovey at last week's St. Louis Shon Track National. Wayne Moulton, head of professional competition for the AMA will appoint a p three member panel to hear arguments and a ruling is hoped for by the July 28 DuQuoin Mile National. Ricky Graham, the points leader going into Hagerstown, had one of the most disappointing showings of his Camel Pro Series career. Graham, involved in an accident in his heat race yet still able to qualify for a semi after a restart, saw his chances Ito make the National come up one spot short in both the semi and then the Last Chance Qualifier. The result of Graham spectating was that Goss now leads the standings by seven points, I ~8to UlI, over Graham, with Parker at 122 ahead of a tight race for fourth between Shobert (109), Chandler (106) and Ted Boody (104), who finished sixth at Hager~town. Shoo Time Trials A slim field of 41 Expens was on hand for the National, assuring all who attempted to time trial a benh in the normal 48-rider field. Although the track produces some good racing, it is not a favorite with the riders. "I believe the track is rougher this year," said Graham before qualifying. "It's definitely a challenge to figure out the right combination of chassis setting, tires, gearing and then find just the right line around the track." The fastest lap around the semibanked stock car track belonged to Chandler at 24.57 seconds, erasing Morehead's 24.81l5-second track record of a year ago. Shoben, Parker, Morehe.ad and Scott Pearson filled out the top five and all were under the previous record. Richard Collar, at 27.1158, was the 41st and final qualifier. Heats Gary Scott wired the start of the first heat to lead the II -rider field into turn one. There were almost as many lines as there were riders, a situation which would continue throughout the night. Scott picked up Randy Texter for a shadow and the two held the fro~t-runningpositions until the start of lap' four when Texter went down hard between turns one and two, bringing out the red flag. On the restart, Pearson and Chandler relegated Scott to third ahead of Jimmy Filice. Chandler and Pearson battled for the lead in the remaining laps with Chandler edging Pearson by two feet at the finish. Filice topped Scott for third. "I got by Jimmy on the final lap heading into turn three," said Scott, "but I got high in turn four and Jimmy scooted past." The second heat went four full laps before the red flag came out. A crash by Mike Garrison, which brought Graham down also, happened on lap three in turn three, but it was Eric Rausch's crash in turns one/two which stqpped the race. All three were only shaken. Only Graham made the restart. Shoben, Steve Eklund and Hames resumed the battle they had staned in the opening laps. Graham was also in the thick of things, but one lap down. In the final laps, Graham edged ahead of Eklund and Hames to give the fans the impression he fin· ished second and was in the National. Not so. "I had nowhere to go when Garr.ison ~ent ~O"'I'! iI'!, front of me," said Graham. "Luckily, with only 10 riders in the heat and two not making the restart I knew I would go to the se.mi. " The lead in the third heat alternated among Matt Rozowica, Randy Goss and Rob Crabbe in the opening laps with Rozowicz crashing before the halfway flags. Goss held the point with pressure from Boody and Parkeras the two sliced through traffic to second and third. Goss was able to pull away for the win, leaving Boody to hold off Parke.r's challenges to the finish. As the two circled the track on the cool-off lap, Goss turned and gave Boody and Parker the "thumbsup" sign for a good race. Goss, last year's winner, seemed pleased with his win altho~gh he noted the track would change "quite a bit" before the National. Morehead won the founh heat after opening up an early advantage and then having his rine go away, allowing Alex Jorgensen and Ronnie Jones to challenge his front-running position. Jorgensen broke away from Jones in the final laps to run a close second to Morehead at the finish. A four-rider duel for fourth among Tom Maitland, Fran Brown, Jon Cornwell and Tim Mertens closed on Jones in the last two laps. Maitland's last-lap charge to nip lones was thwaned by Brown getting momentarily out of shape and Maitland backing off the gas to avoid a collision. The heat was the fastest of the four, giving Morehead the pole position for the National. Semis There was only one transfer to the National' open from each semi and in semi one all eyes were focused on Graham. "I can't remember when I've been in a semi," said Graham. After Gary Scott scooted intoa comfortable lead and held on for the win, Graham noted he had never run a Last Chance Qualifier and didn't really appreciate having to do so. Semi two saw Mertens crash his way out of the lead on lap two. The race then became a two-rider battle between Maitland and cOrnwell with Cornwell prevailing at the.checkered flag for his ticket to the National. Last Chance Qualifier Rob Crabbe led the LCQ from start-to-finish. It was Graham's most important race of the night and his second wasn't good enough. While Crabbe was all smiles at grabbing the final spot in the 15-rider National field, Graham's disappointment was .Q?l(ipps. "i'Jo,tp}IjIg (S,eeJAed to j\\;ork

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