Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

front. The lead changed constantly and at the finish it was Springsteen by inches over Hook. "It's about time," said a jubilant Springsteen, who is sponsored by his brother Jay and Cummings HarleyDavidson. Kirk, on the other hand, wasn't smiling. "I could have won," said the only female to ever hold a National dirt track number. "The bike was running strong, but I got a bit too anxious and burned up my tire riding hard earlier than I should have." Junior National Championship The Junior National went right to the finish with Chris Carr holding off a final challenge by Duane Duvall to greet the checkered flag by a one bikelength margin over Duvall. Carr took command at the end of the first of 121aps in the final and lost the lead at the start/finish line only once on lap five: On the rest of the track the two swapped the front position at will. Roger Thompson and Brad Furlong were in a similar battle for third, five to 10 lengths back. Carr and Furlong were 500cc single-cylinder fourstroke mounted while Duvall and Thompson rode restricted XR750s. On lap eight, Furlong made a strong challenge for the lead, but it was rebuffed. Then Thompson tried. The outcome was that Furlong and Thompson lost the draft on the front two and had to settle for a third place duel. While Carr was barely holding off Duvall for his second straight mile National win and fifth National win of the season, Thompson put an end to Furlong's dreams of a winnner's circle appearance and swiped third at the flag. "I knew Duane was there and waiting to make a move," said Team Wood-Rotax rider Carr. "I tried not to think about him on the final lap and just ride a perfect one with no mistakes." It worked. "I only made one mistake," said Duvall. "Unfortunately, it was on the final lap. Chris had a good low line through turns three and four which forced me to go high if I wanted to get around him. I got a bit too high and went into the marbles at the top of the groove coming off turn four. That cost me my chance at a good drive to the flag.. " "It was frustrating out there for me," said Thompson afterward. "I couldn't seem to find a low line that would work for me all the time. Having to fight off Furlong didn't help either. I did get a good final lap." National Ted Boody was all smiles in the pits prior to the National as if he knew something nobody else did. "I'm going with the same combination I ran in the heat race," said Boody. "The only change is a buffedin tire on the rear. I'm going out and win this son of a gun, it's as simple as Ihat." On the grid, Hank Scott selected a ;pot well to the infield side of the groove for his starting position. "The track is'wet here and it's been in the ;hade all day. On the start you can practically give it all the gas you want because the traction is there. If you start on the groove you have to feed the gas carefully or you'll spin the tire and you don't want to get a Clad start here." The track had grooved up since the ;Lart of practice and by the time the ~ational was up the groove was wide ~nough to allow side-by-side racing :hrough the turns. Boody shot off the start like a 'ocket with Poovey, Cornwell, Hank )cott, Graham, Goss and Chandler n tow. Morehead was near the back )f the 17·rider field. ' " . ",' Steve Morehead leads Doug Chandler and Randy Goss in a battle for third. They finished that way. Boody, racing.like it was a five-lap sprint instead of 25 grueling laps, had a single task on his mind: Open as much ground as he could <,\nd let the rest of the field try and catch him. Graham sliced his way to second over Poovey on lap three while Goss held orr Hank Scott in a fourth-place tussle. Parker was on the move and up to sixth. Boody had nearly 100 yards on Poovey by lap five while Goss had shuf£led Graham to fourth ahead of Hank SCbtt, Cornwell, Chandler and Morehead. Parker, with a high line challenge, lost much more then he gained and dropped to ninth. Graham's charge came to an end as he completed the sixth lap. He slowed and was quickly passed by half of the field in the next lap before being relegated to 16th on the next go around. Chuck Springsteen, with engine problems, had already dropped out of the race. The battle behind leader Boody tightened up on lap 10 as Poovey led Hank Scott, Chandler and Cornwell. Morehead, in sixth, led Farris,'Parker, Hames, Mertens, Gary Scott and Lance Jones in a close quarter drill. Graham continued to circulate on his sickly sounding bike. One lap later it was Parker's turn to get bit by a gremlin in the form of a loose ignition ground wire. He slipped steadily backward and gave Graham company at the back of the pack. By lap 13, Hank Scott had whittled Boody's lead down to about 50 yards and had broken away from his fight with Poovey and Goss while Chandler and Morehead were inching their way toward making the battle for third a four-rider duel. Hank Scott continued to reel in . Boody as attention passed from that battle to the Goss/Poovey/Chandler/ Morehead fight. Cornwell was a lonely seventh ahead of a Gary Scott/Hames/ Farris/Mertens/Jones clash. On lap 17, Hank Scott 'was knocking on Boody's rear tire, looking for an opening, while Morehead had moved into fourth behind Goss and ahead of Chandler and Poovey. Scott made his move on the next lap', taking the lead from Boody as the two headed into turn three. Boody took it back in turn one and a pattern was set for the next few laps. Heading into turn one, Morehead grabbed third from Goss on lap 21 and held off the chaJlenges of first Goss and then Chandler. Two laps later Morehead and Chandler touched going into tum one with Chandler being bumped.off the groove and Terry Poovey (18) finished sixth in the Natio!)als. Here in a heat race he leads Scott Parker. dropping to fifth behind Goss. "It was fair," said Chandler after- . ward. "I did that to Steve at Sacramento so he owed me one. We were going for it and that's racing." Meanwhile, Scott grabbed the lead on the start of lap 24 and never surrendered il. He checked on Boody by glancing over his shoulder as the two headed for the white flag, but with the checkered flag in sight, Scott never looked back. Morehead wasn't challenged for third on the last lap and Chandler held Goss to fifth. Poovey, off the pace in the final five laps, finished sixth, with Jones emerging from a battle to grab seventh over Gary Scott in a to-the-f1ag charge. . "I had a good bit of tire left," said Hank Scott afterwards. "I was riding conservatively the whole race. I kept a steady pace even though Ted split at the beginning because I knew I could make time with il. The big problem was shaking Terry and Randy off my back and breaking the draft with them. Once I did that, I felt I could begin to reel Ted in. The key to the race was the lineI had through the corners, especially in the middle of turns one and two. That set me up for a strong drive every lap. I spent a lot of time working on my bike last week and I'll guarantee you it's one of the fastest Harleys in the nation." Scott has been building and riding his own bikes since he left his Tex Peel ride in early June. "I rode the first five laps wide open," said Boody. "Once I felt I had a good lead I slowed down because I knew at the pace I was going I would probably wear my (rear) tire out by the finish. I guess I didn't back off soon enough because once Hank caught me I couldn't stay with him. He was getting a lot better drive off the corners and I didn't have the traction to do it. I'm sorry Ricky broke because I wanted us to beat him fair and square." Morehead was all smiles. "Finally I've gotten some good luck. I wish I had gotten a better start because I feel I could've run with them up fronl. I watched Hank early and saw the line he was riding. I began to use the same one and picked off everyone in front of me except Hank and Ted. It was the key for me. Hey, the champagne sure tastes good." • Results 25·LAP NATIONAL: 1. Hank Scott (H·D); 2. Ted Boody (H-D); 3. Steye Morehead (H· D); 4. Doug Chandler (Hon); 5. Randy Goss (H-D); 6. Terry Poo· yey (H·D); 7. LaneeJones (H·D); B. Gary Scott (H·D); 9. Jon Cornwell (H·D); 10. Tim Mertens (H-O); 11. Pete Hames (H· D); 12. Rod Farris (H·D); 13. Ronnie Jones (H·D); 14. Bryan Hardin (H·D); I 5. Scott Parker (H·D); 16. Ricky Graham (H·D); 17. Chuck Springsteen (H-D). TIME: 15 min.. 08. 127 sec. AVERAGE SPEED: 99. I 05 mph. AMA GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP/ CAMEL PRO SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. Randy Goss (165); 2. Ricky Graham (lSI I; 3. Scott Parker (1351; 4. Doug Chandler (1301; 5. Ted Boody (121); 6. Bubba Shobert 189); 7. Alex Jorgensen (88); 8. Steye Morehead (72); 9. Terry Pooyey(69); 10. Pete Hames (60); 11. Mike Baldwin (57); 12. Hank Scott (53); 13. Gary Scott (481; 14. Scott Pearson (47); 15. Jimmy Filice (46); 16. Kenny Roberts (40); 17. (TIE) Steye Eklund/Jey Springsteen (39); 19. Wes Coo' ley (36); 20. Tim Mertens (321. I 2·LAP JUNIOR NATIONAL: 1. Chris Carr (W·R); 2. Duane DuyaIlIH·D); 3. Roger Thompson (H-D); 4. 8rad Furlong (C-A); 5. Mike Arthur IC-A); 6. George Roeder (H·D); 7. Joel Green (H· D); 8. Don Estep (H·D); 9. Don Myers (H·D); 10. Ken Maynard IH·D); 11. Dayid Miller (H·DI; 12. Dominic Michaud (C·A); TIME: 7 min.• 33.847 sees. AVERAGE SPEED: 95.186 mph. JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP' POINT STANDINGS: 1. Chris Carr (209); 2. Don Estep (154); 3. Duane DuYall (131); 4. Roger Thompson (125); 5. Michael Arthur (851; 6. David Miller (57); 7. Chad Falicio (55); 8. Randy Bird (52); 9. Jim Taves (42); 10. Robert McDOnnell (39). •• , 7·

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