Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ 00 0') Garth Brow (15). Lance Jones (23). Scott Pearson (95). Ted Boody (12) and Gary SCott (5) hook up in one of the multi-rider duel. on Sunday. Graham hoi.ts the cup a. Shobert. Min Camel Vivian Chadbourne. Scott and Min Harley-Davidson Regina Smith look on. Men Lawwill Racing Products! Electro West-sponsored Harley, kept Terry Poovey at bay until the beginning of lap five when Poovey went into second entering turn one. Poovey closed the gap somewhat on Chandler while pulling away from Brow and his wobbling bike. Brow was out of action Saturday night because of handling problems and changes before Sunday did not completely cure the problem. The three cruised to the finish. The best battle of the heat wasn't for a spot in the National, but for fourth as Rich Arnaiz edged Scott Pearson at the finish in a swapfest. Brow and then Jones parked their bikes with undisclosed problems while the ballle for (ourth lost Goss as Poovey was joined by Jorgensen in front of a Goss!Hank Scott/Parker fightfor sixth. Pearson led a five rider pack fighting for ninth. Eklund, with a ragged sounding engine, was slowly circling the track. Hank Scott sliced his way to third by lap IOand setout, nearly a straightaway behind, to reel in the front three. "I wish I could have gotten free go to after them (Graham, Parker and Chandler) sooner," said Scott afterward. Poovey continued in fifth ahead of Jorgensen with Parker dropping Goss to eighth and Boody moving in to pressure him for that position. Pearson, Garrison, Gary Scott, Hook, Hilley and Eklund completed the field. Pearson coasted to a stop on lap 15 near the haybales in turn one with an apparent ignition problem to end his day. Graham, Shobert and Chandler were having a good time out (ront, trading positions, tapping each other as they passed and giving the fans a show o( drafting and passing. They were also slowing down a bit. Hank SCOll was on the move. On lap 17 he closed on the three at the front and a loud cheer went up from the spectators. Scott stayed right on the rear tire of Chandler, in third, for four laps while pUlling pressure on at every chance. Poovey was also inching his way forward and away (rom the Goss!Boody!Jorgensen! Parker ballie for sixth. On lap 23, Chandler got a bit high in turn two, slid off the groove and SCOll pounced on the opportunity to move in on Shobert and Graham. Chandler was quickly back in fourth. Shobert held the lead as the white £lag came out with one lap to go. Graham grabbed the lead on the back straight as ScOll tailed along and Shobert found himself in third. Graham led off tum four with Shobert going to the grand tand side and ScOll taking theoutside(infield) layer of the sandwich. The checkered £lag came out for Graham. SCOll and Shobert had to wait a bit longer to find which - Shobert - would be second in their blanket finish. Chandler held off Poovey for fourth while Goss nipped Boody at the line for sixth. Shobert and SCOll both "knew" they finished second regardless of what the officials said. Graham just smiled, there was no doubt about his victory. Semis Gary Scott and Eklund engaged in a battle for the lead in semi one for the opening five laps before being joined by Parker. Parker had coasted across the finish line in his heat in the ·· Iast trans fer spot to t h e semiS (OInth ) and was back in action after an engine h P k . ked ff Ekl d f c ange. ar er piC 0 un or second and then Scott before they repaid the favor. The scene was repea ted right to the finish with Parker coming out on top of Scott, leaving Eklund the man with the short end of the stick and a trip to the Last Chance Qualifier. Only the top two finishers transfer to the National. I Q. AMA's Wayne Moulton. "There's no need to reduce the distance of the National." A flurry of activity commenced in the Honda pits just before the Nationa I was called lO the grid with everyone concentrating on a problem with pole siller Chandler's bike. "I asked Jerry (Griffith, Chandler's tuner) to start the bike for no real reason and when he tried it wouldn'trun right," said Chandler as he looked on. The problem was traced to a broken needIe jet in one carburetor, the same problem which slowed Graham's charge the night before. "1£ I'm up front on the start I'll make everyone catch me," said Graham before the National. ''I'm riding my twingle (alteration of the nonnal ignition firing order of his RS750 twin to fire both cylinders at the same time like a single-eylinder) today," said Graham. "The change seems to make the bike easier to ride because the power comes on smoother." In the Harley pits, Goss and tuner Brent Thompson were going over his tire choice and decided on a slightly scuffed one rather than an unworn new one which most riders chose. "It was just lucky that I grabbed the spokes where I did to spin the wheel," said Parker's tuner AI Stangler. "Two spokes were broken off and The second semi was red-flagged if I hadn't grabbed them we would on the start of the fourth lap after never have seen the problem." He Tom Maitland unloaded hard in turn replaced the rear wheel. "I'm really jazzed to have made three, exploding the haybales. Maitland was uninjured, but the same both Nationals," said Garrison as couldn't be said for his bike. He friend and neighbor Doug Overstreet didn't make the complete restart. tended to his bike. ''I'm heading back Morehead, Dave Hebb and Pearhome to California after this to get son ran out front on the restart, then ready for San Jose. Going to Syracuse Morehead slowed dramatically on (September 9) would cut too much lap three and came around pointing time out of my schedule." to his front tire. He pulled in one lap "I've had a problem all day," said later complaining of a problem with Hook. "I can either gear the bike for the tire - "hopping" - for which top end or to come off the comers no cause could be found. stronger. Either way I lose a bit so I'm Pearson and Hebb carried their not sure wbat I'll do." duel for the lead through lap eight Hank Scott, relaxing with a soaked when Mike Hilley and Randy Texter shop rag on his head to cut the sun bumped Hebb to fourth. Pearson and mid-SO degree temperature, was took the win over Hilley. confident of his upcoming ride. "I Last Chance Qualifier did good la t night and I don't see "We've had a problem with getting any reason to think I won't do good a tire!suspension combination to today," said Scott. "Anyway, I've got hook up," said Eklund's builder! a secret weapon. Lou (long time tuner Carl Patrick. "We changed the friend Louis Moniz) is helping me combination after time trials and and that's worth a lot." . apparently went in the wrong direcThroughout the first 10 laps of the tion." National, Shobert, Graham and Eklund was spot on in the LCQ Chandler were doing their best to and led the entire distance to take the make it an all Honda show up front. The three quickly pulled away from last starting spot in the 17 rider National field. There was furious the rest of the field and became embroiled in their own tussle for first activity in the Gardner Racing pits as work to ready Eklund's bike (or the with positions among the three National started as soon as the wheels changing constantly. Junior National . . P oovey an d Goss were Jam ed b y stopped rolling. • Jorgensen in their ballie for fourth Sunday's race was nearly an instant National with Parker, Hank Scott, Brow, Pearreplay of the Saturday night slugfest "The tire wear actually looks better son, Jones, Boody, Gary Scott and among Chris Carr, Don Estep. Roger ,:t~! .. ~h,a.n. }~ ~d • ~a~ ~i~3~'~'. ~i~•••• ~.k.I?!!?_~~i}~~~~ !~~ ~n~~g.!a~~.• ~ ... I~~1JlP.S?~_a~~ _~~? ~l;!~I?!1$~ ~! .. and Estep swapped the lead in the opening six laps of the 12 lap National while Thompson and Furlong did the same with third. At the hallway flags, the four crossed the start!finish line side-by-side in a game of chicken to see who would back off (irst heading into turn one and the order read Carr, Thompson, Estep and Furlong as they came off turn two. Carr then pulled out the biggest lead o( the race, abouteightlO 10 bikelengths, before being reeled in by the other three and the four-rider bailie was on again. The waving of th~white flag saw Carr, Thompson and Furlong sideby-side with Estep tucked in on Carr's rear wheel as they headed into tum one. Carr led down the back straight with Thompson drafting by heading into tum three and pulling Furlong along with him. Furlong went down with Carr scooting high to avoid the accident. Thompson scooted to the win over Estep with Carr a distant third. Thompson was the center of an in(ormal protest after the race with Carr and Estep alleging Thompson had been riding dangerously and had caused Furlong to crash. "I got a bad start and got fire in my eyes because [ wanted to win," said Thompson before the controversy erupted. • Results SATURDAY 25-lAP NATIONAL: 1. Hank Scott (H-D); 2. Bubbe Shoben (Hoo); 3. Terry Poovey (H-D); 4. SCott PlIrker (H·D); 5. Randy Goss (H-D); 6. Ted Boody (H-D); 7. Steve Morehead (H-D); B. Steve Eklund (H-D); 9. Ric:l

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