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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126791
.... (Above) Third-placer Jim Filice (17) leads Poovey (18) and Farris in a heat. (Below) Celebration for Graham. Shobert and Chris Carr (inset). V ..0 o .... u o (Above) Fourth-place Ted Boody (12) and Scott Parker before the start. (Below) Alex Jorgensen finished fifth after a duel with Boody. by Deeley H-D, Bel-Ray, Champion, Shoei and MOlO-East, pulled out of the draft and slingshot past Scou right at the finish line. He couldn't have timed his move an.y closer. Last Chance Qualifier Scou was on the staging line for the LCQ, but had mechanical troubles before the race got underway and scratched. The fight for the sole transfer was a doozy, with Maitland and Garrison fighting tooth and nail for the first eight laps. Only then was Maitland, with help from Tex Peel, Shoei, Castrol, ND and Hi-Point, able to stretch any son of a gap en route lO the win. Junior National It was a pair of Wood-Rotax riders to the front of the yellow-plate 12lapper, but oddly enough it wasn't Chris Carr in front. That happened in turn three on the first lap as the new Junior National Champ passed holeshot artist Winkie Frietas. Frietas stayed with the leader for the first fi ve laps as the two leade.rs and Florida's David Miller broke away from the rest of the pack. Eventually Carr broke free on the Ron Wood-prepped single, and Frietas was faced with a challenge from Miller's restricted V-twin. Miller passed Frietas entering turn three on the eighth lap. The top three positions were set to, the flag with Carr enjoying a three-second lead as he waved to the crowd while taking the checkered. Don Robens (H-D) passed Mike Arthur (H-D) on the final lap to snatch away founh. National Since Shoben's 6: 19.526 broke Graham's "old" track record of 6:20:378 set in the night's first heat, he got his choice of staning position and went two spots inside the outside pole. Gratiam was on the pole and he simply rocketed into the lead right off the stan. As Boody, Parker, Filice and Eklund followed, Graham began stretching an advantage from the very first lap. By the end of lap two Parker was up lO second, while Shoben had dispatched Eklund and was working on Filice. 'His lap-three maneuver was the bargain of the century when it carried Shoben past not only. Filice, but Parker and Boody as well. Lap four found Parker with a hairy moment; coming off turn two with much of the pack right behind him, his bike suddenly slowed as a carburetor came off a manifold. His left hand shot into the air and he pulled to the outside with the pack going by him en masse. Parker piued twice lO correct the problem, but eventually finished the race. Lap five featured Graham with a strong lead over Shobert, Filice, Boody, Poovey, Jones and Farris. Four laps later the order was much the same, with Jones and Poovey battling back and forth. On that lap Poovey slowed dramatically as his front tire started lO go flat. On the 11th lap a black flag was given to Jones by AMA officials for oiling, the result of a hole in Jones' oil tank. "We knew for three laps that either Jones or Poovey was oiling," said referee Rick Hutchins. "When Poovey 'came in with the flat, we could see that it was Jones with the problem." Although Jones was out of the race, Poovey asked for and received permission to circle the track at a reduced speed lOaccumulateas many laps as possible. Back out on the racetrack the lOp three still ran in their previous order, but Boody and Jorgensen had begun a dogfight for fourth that would continue to the wire. At the halfway point they were followed by Moreh'ead. Hames and Farris. With only seven laps remaining, Graham's margin on Shoben was two seconds. With only five left lO go, Shobert suddenly closed the gap dramatically. A win at Sacramento would have clinched the title for Graham, aJong with a reponed $100,000 bonus from Honda. But when Shobert swept past just before the finish line on the 21st lap, there was nothing Graham could do as Shobert pulled away. Filice finished a lonely third, while the BoodY/Jorgensen fight went right down to the wire. They had crossed the Iine side by side for more than 10 laps, and they did it again with Boody gelling the nod for fourth. Sixth went to Morehead as he led in Farris, Pearson, Hames and Chandler. Eklund, Parker, Cornwall and Brow rounded out the points-paying positions. In winning the race Shobert knocked more than 14 seconds off the track record. . "I know it was Ricky's tire," said Shobert, "because I was trying everything and I wasn't gaining anything. . Then I closed the gap; I had some rubber left and his was completely gone. When 1 was that far behind I knew something was going to have to happen, and sure enough it did." "The tire was definitely down to the cords," sighed Graham after the race, "But I kind of lost concentration there at the end. I wanted to win the thing, 1 didn't want to be conservative, I wanted lO run a fast race. I never looked back, but a guy gave me a signal that I was way ahead, and right after that I sort of losl concentration. " "I tried to stay up with Bubba there at first," said Filice, "When he broke the draft, though, there was no way. Plus, my shoulde.r started to bother me. Still, it's been a laugh season and it's nice lO be on the road back." • Results 25-LAP NATIOHAL: 1. Bubbo Shobert (Hon); 2. Ricky Groham (Ron); 3. Jimmy Filice (H-D); 4. Ted Boody (Ron); 5. _ Jorgen..n (H-D); S. SI_ Moreheed (H-D~ 7. Rod Forri. (H-D); 8. Scott Poorson (H-D); 9. Pete Ho",.. (H-D); 10. Doug Chandler (Ron); 11. SleveEklund(H-D~ 12. ScottPoriterIH-D); 13. Jon Cornwoll(H-D); 14. Gorth Brow (H-D); 15. Terry Poovey (H-D); IS. Tom Moitlond (H·D); 17. Lance Jones (H-D). TIME: 15:37.470. New Ireck record. AVG. SPEED: 96.005 mph. 12-LAP JUNIOR NATIONAL: 1. Chris Corr (W-R); 2. Dovid Miller (H-DI; 3. Winkie Frieto. (W-R); 4. Don Roberts (H·D); 5, Mike Arthur (H-D); 6. Don Myer. (H-D): 7. Tim Skov (W-RI; B. Meorl Bennett (Hon); 9. Aeron Hill (H-D); 10. TIm Stull'. TIME: 7:49.897. AVG. SPEED: 91.935 mph. AMAGRAND NATIONALCHAMPlONSHIP/CAMEL PRO SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. Ricky Grohom (2B3); 2. Bubbe Shobert (268); 3. Rondy Goss (225); 4. Scott Pomr (209); 5. Doug Chondler(202); 6. Ted Boody (189); 7. Alex Jorgensen (1511; 8. Terry Poovey (122); 9. Mike Beldwin(117); 10. Honk Scott (116); 11. Steve Mor.heed (112); 12. Scott Peorson (100); 13. Pete Homes (99); 14. SI_ Eklund(91); 15. Jim Filice (80); IS. Richord Schlechler (781; 17. IloIndy IloInfrow (7S); 18. Gory Scott (61); 19. We. Cooley (58); 20. Ronnie Jones (50). 9