Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ ~ III Z ~ 0 0 ~ III > III Ul 0 :5 :I: ~ A- 00 O"l ~ to C\.f M V ~ e v ~ 0. v (J) Close racing: Bubba Shobert (67) Inds Scott Parker (11). Scott Pearson (hidden), Ricky Graham (3) and Hank Scott in the Netional. AMA 'Grand National Championship/Camel Pro Series: Round 28 San Jose thriller secures .Shobert sweep By Dale Brown SAN JOSE, CA, SEPT. 16 "I guess that was about the wildest mile I've ever been in," responded Honda's Bubba Shobert to a reporter's question. Minutes earlier, Shobert had outgunned Hank Scott and teammate Ricky Graham out of the final corner on the last lap to take his third camel Pro Series win in as many such 8 events in 1984 at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. Graham edged Scott out for second as the first six riders or so finished almost as one. Point leader Graham's runner·up finish netted him 16 points, .but a mid-race crash that brought out the red flag had more of an effect on the battle for the Grand National Championship. Honda teamster Doug Chandler and Scott tangled, and when Chandler went down he took Randy Goss with him. Both riders were taken to the hospital, and Goss reportedly suffered a broken leg. (Fora presstime update on the conditions of Chandler and Goss, pleasecheclt "The Latest Poop" section of the newspaper . .. Editor.) Finishing fourth after leading portions of the race was Harley-Davidson's Scott Parker. Privateers Jimmy Filice, Scott Pearson, Terry Poovey and Lance Jones finished 5-6-7-8, just in front of the first RS750 Hondamounted privateer to make a mile National, Ted Boody. Boody left Tex Peel's team after a fairly successful season, and showed up at San Jose with an RS750 sponsored by College Bike Shop. Asked why he made the change, Boody would only say, "It's hard to say why we do things. I just think it will be better. It's' a privateer deal; we buy everything. Now it's just a matter of getting everything dialed in." Despite Parker's fourth place, the Harley-Davidson factory team had a miserable day. Even before Goss' crash they incurred a setback when Jay Springsteen, who won his heat race, suffered a relapse of his mysterious stomach malady, and the #9 XR stayed parked beside the Harley truck. The Bob Barkhimer Associatespromoted event drew a healthy crowd of approximately 17,000. Time trials A hot day, coupled with a forecast of cool temperatures and a subsequent lack of track watering the night before, led to slick track conditions. As a result, top qualifier Graham was nearly two seconds off his own track record when he stopped the clocks at 37.900 seconds. All other top qualifiers were in the 38-second bracket, with Gary Scott, Steve Morehead and Steve Eklund taking the other heat-race pole positions. Final qualifier Scott Adams turned in a 40.030. Heats Graham and Goss have been battling for the number one plate for the better part of two years, and they renewed the rivalry in the first heat. Goss was away first, but soon he and Graham were playing draft, pass, draft and pass again. The two factory riders quickly broke away into their own battle, leaving Jimmy Filice a secure third on the Harley Owners Group/Carlisle/SureFire·backed Harley. Graham and Goss swapped the lead at least twice a lap right up through the end of the race, when Graham snatched the win at the line. Goss was inches short, Filice yards back but in the National, and Pete Hames was still more yards back and going to a semi. .. ... The second heat began with Ronnie Jones looking like he might break the draft on his Megacycle/Shoei/ Knight Frames machine. That didn't happen; by lap three Jones was in the middle of a (OUT-man firestorrn with the other three being Terry Poovey, Gary Scott and Boody. Poovey led it the most often coming into tum one, but Scott, the veteran, made it a horserace everywhere on the track. Behind them Boody was the first to drop back, at midway. Three laps later Jones also lost touch with the leaders. Scott, sponsored by KK Supply, Bell and Jack Sisemore, saved his best move for last on the Shoei/EFG Racing/Sisemore-backed Poovey, who was riding one of Tex Peel's bikes. Scott made his move off the last tum and drafted past Poovey at the line. They, and Jones, had their tickets to the National. The third heat was the loaded one, with hot milers Shobert and Hank Scott matched against Morehead, Honda's Doug Chandler and quick starter Scott Pearson. Pearson made his usual start, Scott an unusually good one, and they both hit tum one in the lead. Pearson went around Scott in tum two, but then Shobert went around both to take the lead. For seven laps Shobert, Scott, Morehead, Pearson and Chandler made it a five-rider battle for the lead, positions varying from foot to foot. On lap seven it became a four-way row as Morehead lost the draft. Ten laps worth of racing came down to the stretch of track between tum fOUT and the line, and there Scott used his expertise to nip Shobert for the win as Chandler claimed the last transfer from Pearson. Of interesting note was the fact that Graham and Hank Scott wound up with identical times for their heats, and the fastest of the ¢ty. The final heat was led off the start by teammates Springsteen and Parker, with Steve Ekll!nd in their midst on a

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