Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

(Above) Parker gasses it up in front of Shobert and Pearson. (Below) Shobert and company in a winner's circle celebration. Wayne Gardner/Arai/Esprit-sponsored XR750. A lap later, though, and it was Alex Jorgensen and Ekl und claw and hammers for the lead, and Springsteen and Parker battling with privateer Rodney Farris for third. It went that way for six laps before Parker could make thejump from the second group to the first. Once he joined, everyone joined. Springsteen took over second on lap eight, and about the same time Jorgensen started to slow slightly and Ferris slipped off the groove and dropped back just a bi t. Jorgy's fine ride came to an end when he coasted off the track on the white-flag lap. The top three flashed across the finish line in such close proximity that officials had to make the call. They ruled that Springer won it over Parker and Eklund, with Garth Brow snatching fourth from Farris. Semis Harley-mounted Eric Rausch led the first lap and some of the first semi, but when he slipped off the groove between turns three and four, Jeff Johnson, Lance Jones, Tim Mertens and Boody all steamed past, all but the latter also riding Harleys. Johnson kept the lead for three laps, but then Jones took over the position and held it to the finish. Johnson, riding for Simpson, K&N, C&M Tools, Fontana Radiator and Tony Denius, held second all the way for the other transfer from the IO-lapper. Canadian Jon Cornwall nipped Boody for third, bUl all three were headed for the Last Chance Qualifier. Four- to five-rider duels for the lead were becoming common on the afternoon, .and so it was that the second semi was just another of the day's races. Brow led Pearson by mere feet at the end of a lap, wilh Farris diving by Doug Garrison at the end of the front straight for third. Morehead went from fifth to third on lap two, then to second, and then he and Brow ran a hard dice for the lead for five laps. With a lap left Brow suddenly slowed going through turns one and two, and then he coasted off the track. Morehead, sponsored by Esquire, KK Supply, Storz, Megacycle, Bill's Pipes and D's Leathers, held off Pearson for the win. Pearson, backed by PIC Manufacturing, Circle Bell, Shoei, Carlisle, Esprit, M&M, Supertrapp, Hap Jones, Blendzall, Knight and Megacycle, got what he wanted in a National transfer. Farris bested Tom Mai tland to finish third'~ . Last Chance Qualifier _ Cornwall, Maitland and Boody ran 1-2-3 at the start of the LCQ. Maitland and Cornwall swapped the lead around a few times before Boody went past and then rode a path to the National. Junior National Wood-Rotax teamster Chris Carr, the hottest Junior rider on the circuit with wins in seven of his last eight races, was the clear favorite in the l2-lap Junior National. Earlier in the day Carr had taken fast qualifying honors, and then won the fastest of the two heats. . Sure enough, right from the stan Carr pulled to a big lead. While Carr was pUlting distance on the field, fellow Californian Roger Thompson was making his way through the pack to run second on a restricted Harley-Davidson XR750. Once Thompson was into second he left behind a battle for third between Wood-Rotax rider Don Estep from Ohio and California's Mike Arthur. And, slowly but surely, he began to make up ground on Carr, who in turn, was beginning to peer over his shoulder. Sure enough, Thompson caught and passed Carr in turn three with two laps to go. And again the race came down to the final two corners and the run to the flag. Carr dove underneath Thompson in turn three and then got enough of a drive off four to hold off Thompson's draft! pass allempt for the win. However, the finish was so close that both riders ran their cool-off lap without knowing who had won. "I knew Roger W'lS catching me, and I hoped he would do it before the end of the race. Once he did I changed my line a bit and it worked. I was in fourth gear comingoff the final corner so I got a good drive off the turn and I still had fifth gear left to keep accelerating," said Carr later. National The National had all the makings of a real barn burner; the reason wes- temers refer to San Jose as "The Mile." Although the track was still slippery, the groove was wide enough to permit three- and four-abreast racing. Parker played the rabbit off the start, trailed by Eklund, Poovey and Graham. Playing the draft to its full advantage Graham advanced a position until he led Parker, Eklund, Shobert, Poovey, Pearson and Hank Scott. The top six or so were running in the same draft, and with the wide groove, any running order listed herein is only relative to where we were standing. . Through the eighth lap Graham and Parker were doing most of ~he leading, with Gossand then Chandler catching up to the lead group. Gary SCOll was out of the race early, as was Morehead, who coasted off on the sixth lap. A cloud of dust arose from turn two on the 11th of 25 laps. The red flag came out immediately. Goss and Chandler were both down, and both were transported by ambulance to a local hospital. That led to a lengthy delay in the program until one of the (Continued to page 30) 9

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