Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

ham was momentarily mired in tight pack of traffic and running ninth. Goss took second away from Poovey on lap 15 with Jorgensen dropping the Texan to fourth on the same lap. The top three finishers were at the front, but the drama was just beginning. The final 10 laps saw Goss, who seems to reach deep down within himself for a gold medal performance when the chips are down, bring the crowd to its feet. He attacked the track, gaining a foot or two here, a yard or two there, to slowly (in time) and rapidly (in speed) close up on Fay. Behind the top three, Poovey was fighting to hold off Eklund, while Graham was steadily moving forward and led a battle for sixth. When starter Steve Faraci gave the sign that there were just five laps to go, Goss was well within striking distance of Fay, who was guarding his line the best he could. Jorgensen was a safe third with Poovey, Eklund and Graham following in that order. Pearson, with transmission problems, slowed while Ronnie Jones had front brake problems end his charge. Fay and Goss had the crowd screaming on lap 22 as the margin between them alternated from less than a bikelength to nearly five lengths at different parts of the track. Goss' line through the infield seemed to be the stronger and as the pair entered the infield on lap 2~, Goss got a wheel inside as the two headed to the first infield jump. He landed almost alongside of Fay and then scooted on the inside line to the tightest turn - a right hander - and took the lead. The crowd was going nuts and cheering Goss on. The final two laps for the leaders were anticlimatic as Goss immediately opened up a 20-bikelength advantage over Fay. Goss, with his fist in the air, took the checkered flag and immediately pulled to a stop by the pit entrance to allow his wife Vicky to hop on back of the factory Harley to accompany him on his cool-off lap and victory lap with the checkered flag. Fay followed Goss across the finish line, with Jorgensen next home with no challenge behind him. Poovey's fourth place finish wasn't as comfortable as Graham pulled out all the stops on the final lap to steal fifth from Eklund and then pressure Poovey to the line: "I never gave up," said Goss after he removed his helmet and gave tuner Brent Thompson a bear hug. "I never even thought I didn't have a chance to win. The accident was a set back, but it was in the first few laps so I felt I had some time to get back into the fight. " "Randy is fast, he's on the bubble and he's going for it," said Fay of his defeat by teammate Goss. "I can honestly say that if I had to get lose to someone I don't mind that it was Randy who did it. Of course, I'm disappointed I didn't win, but it was still a good race.' "Considering I had to come from a second row start, I think I did pretty good," said Jorgensen. "I had to fight my way through traffic and that took some time. It was quite a race." The mother of the winner summed up the feelings of those who had watched what was one of the most exciting races in a long time when she threw her arms around Randy and said, "Damn, did you ride a raceI" R.sults 25·LAP NATIONAl: 1. RIIndv Gou (H·o); 2. Mickey Foy(H·o); 3. Alo.Jorgo...... (W·R); 4. Torry Poowy (Hon); 5. Riclcy Grohom (Hon); 6. St""" Eklund (H-o); 7. Tod Boody (H· 0); 6. Don Ingrom (H·o); 9. Don Bonnon (Hon); 10. Billy Horndon (""'~ 1'. RonnioJonos(W·R): 12. Scon Pooroon (Hon); 13. Polo Homos (H-o); 14. Mike Gilkoy (Yo",): 1 S. Jimmy Filice (H-D~ liME: 16 min.. 452.B39_. ,----;1-----._-----,0 a: ~ w ~ , ... a: Vl w = > III Vl ~ ~LiI..i!!II~~[!f _l ~ _ (Above) Grah..m and Goss celebrate. (Below) Goss' worn rear tire. Graham leads Goss, Shobert and Poovey in the Nadonal. Shobert took second from Goss; Poovey DNF, and Graham won. ANA Grand National ChampionshipI Camel Pro Series: Round 21 Hawthorne Mile sizzler to Graham By Gary Van Voorhis STICKNEY, IL, AUG. 5 Ricky Graham led Honda teammate Bubba Shobert to a one-two finish over HarleyDavidson's Randy Goss in the shortened Hawthorne Mile National. Excessive tire wear due to a very abrasive track surface and high temperatures combined to present a situation where rider safety dictated the scheduled 25 laps be cut to 16 for the National. Even then it was nearly too much as both Graham and Shoben finished with no tread left on their tires while Goss' rear tire was showing the second layer of cord in places. Fourth place finisher Doug Chandler's rear tire was also down to the second layer of cord in spots while Harley-Davidson rider Jimmy Filice, who followed Honda's' Chandler in fifth, had a rear tire which looked unworn in comparison to the others. Graham took the win from Shobert in the final feet before the checkered flag in a draft and pass maneuver while Goss followed about eight bikelengths back. Shobert, suspended for six consecutive Nationals for a fight involving Terry Poovey at the July 7 St. Louis Short Track National, was back in action. The rescheduled Pocono Road Race on August 4 n:'arked the final race of his suspenSIOn. Goss, who came to Hawthorne with a 24 point lead over Graham, saw that shrink to 17, 198 points to 181. Chandler, with 144 and Boody at 1~8, moved into third and fourth in the standings. Scott Parker's 16th place finish earned him no points and he slipped from third to fifth at 1~5. Time trials Track grooming of the Hawthorne Race Course oval extended one hour, ~O minutes past the scheduled start of practice, and practice was cut to two five lap sessions per rider. "It was barely enough time to scuff in tires, decide on the best gearing combination and everything else you need to do for a mile," said a disgruntled Gary Scott. In addition to the shortened practice time, Hawthorne marked the first National that Goodyear tires were no longer approved for racing. The company no longer manufactures dirt track tires and withdrew their AMA manufacturer's approval of the supplies still left. The riders had a choice of Carlisle or any DOT tire approved for road use. Normally, time trials are run on a first out, first on the track basis. At Hawthorne, the riders drew for the position they would attemptLO qualify in. Some griped about their late draws, but Shobert, who ended up the quickest, was near the end of the 69 riders who attempted LO make the 48-rider National field. Shobert cut a ~7. 76~ second lap to edge Chandler's 37.771 with Graham, Terry Poovey and Hank Scott rounding out the top five. Randy Triplett, at ~9.505, was the 48th qual ifier. Heats Shobert turned his strong start in heat one into a comfortable lead by the third lap. The early Ted Boody/ Steve Morehead battle for second was soon joined by Jimmy Filice and Pete Hames with Hank Scott and Steve Eklund then making it a six-rider bailie. On lap seven, Morehead slipped 0[[ the groove and before he could get back to where the traction was he found himself in ninth. Filice drafted his way to the front of the second place battle and held Boody, Hames, Scott and Eklund in LOW as the field started the final lap. Shobert won easily, but Fihce had LO draft Boody at the finish for second after Boody grabbed the position earlier in the final lap with a turn three pass. The firs t haH of the second heat saw Chandler and Goss swapping the lead as the two headed into turns one and three with each using the draft LO its maximum. Behind them, Alex Jorgensen pushed his XR into third and broke away from a raging battle behind him. Goss began to inch away from Chandler on lap six and moved far enough away in the final laps that Chandler couldn't catch his draft and challenge. Mickey Fay, aboard Jay Springsteen's factory Harley, edged Rich Arnaiz in a to-theflag battle for fourth. It LOok three starts LO get the third heat on the way. The first start saw Greg Wagenknecht crash, unhurt, and a complete restart was called for. Graham, who had led the two laps run, changed to a dif[erent rear tire before the second start. A false start brought out another red flag, but on the third try everything was clean and Graham set out on a one rider voyage from start to finish to post the fastest heat win and take the pole position for the National. Scott Parker and Peter Hook engaged in a duel for second after the two pushed Scott Pearson hack to fourth. Hook then slipped 0[[ the groove, allowing Pearson back into the fight. Hook recovered quickly, but now had Tim Mertens for company. The four continued LO battle for second until the final lap when Parker pulled OUl about 10 lengths and left Hook to draft his way into the National by a slim margin over Pearson and Mertens'. The fourth heat shaped up to be the privateers-only heat with no factory supported riders in the line-up. Poovey went to the front 0[[ the start with Gary Scott, using a Metzeler rear tire in a gamble to see if and how one would work, in LOW. Garth Brow, on the Mert Lawwill-tuned Electro West XR, and Deeley Harley-Davidson's Jon Cornwell took up the hattie for third. Poovey's lead dwindled in the final five laps with Brow and Cornwell coming on strong as Scott's rear tire-began to give him handling problems. Scott dropped to fourth on the final lap while Brow held 0[[ Cornwell's challenge in the sprint to the finish. Poovey's worn rear tire gave him enough traction LO take the win. The AMA tech crew, referee Duke Olliges and AMA's Bill Boyce all spent time in the pits talking to riders and checking tire wear. The checking continued through the semis and Last Chance Qualifier. . Semis Two transfers LO the National were up for grabs from each of the two semis. Fay's lead of semi one was short-lived as Hames forged his way past before the end of lap one and set out LO lead the next five laps. Hank Scott inched his way closer and took the lead on lap six, only to have Hames grab it right back. Morehead and Eklund then joined the fray. SCOLI led lap eight. Hames took it back on lap nine. Scott and Morehead then dropped Hames to third 7

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