Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Ted Boody (1 2) had to fend off Ronnie Jones (1 6) and Terry Poovey (1 8) to t ake the final transfer spot in heat f our. (Below) A jubilant Ricky Graham. (Above) Scott Parker (11) and Doug Chandler (10 ) chase Mickey Fay in the m ai n. Parker finished fifth. Chandler sixth. and Fay eighth. (Below) Juniors Wi nkie Freitas (1 5Y). Brian A therton (98X) and Aaron Hill (2 3 Y). Peoria TT (Continued from page /2) lasted two laps with Ek lund and Jon Co rnwell dropping him to third in a good bailie. Cornwell tried too hard 10 take the lead from Eklund at mid race a nd ch ecked out the hay bales lining th e outside of the track in turn one. Eklund zipped away to the win by a good margin o ver Fa rris. National T he 17-rider field for th e Nationa l was cu t to 16 by Springsteen 's wi th dra wa l. He went to announcer Dave Desp ain in the pits. took th e microphone an d told th ose p resent, " I feel pretty bad an d if 1 race I' ll on ly make m yself sic ker so it's best 1 scra tch from th e Na tio na l. I'm sorry." H e received a rousing cheer fro m th e fans. Parker a nd Pea rso n were the lone ride rs o n 750cc twins am ong th e 16 ride rs on th e 6-6-4 sta rring grid as single-cyl inder bikes dom in at ed . "The idea is 10 ride ca lm, cool an d co llec ted:' sai d Shober t, " O n thi s track , 25 la ps ca n seem li ke a long ti me ." " T he pressure is o ff sin ce I'm not in th e tit le ch ase," sa id Gra ham. " so I'm JUSt going 10 rid e as ha rd as 1 can a nd tak e wh at co mes." "The key is 10 ge t off th e line wit h the top three or four," sa id Pa rker. " a nd rid e as hard as 1 ca n. H ey. if 1 ca n ' t go flat o u t fo r II minutes then 1 sho u ldn' t be o u t here." Ca rr pulled th e hol esh ot a nd led lap o ne before Shobert m oved into th e lead with a n ins ide pass in turn o ne . Carr quickl y returned th e fa vor a nd gra bbed th e lead back . G raham , Green , Pea rso n , Boody, Parker an d th e rest of th e field foll ow ed. Parker 's pas s o f Pearson o n lap si x for fift h set th e top five pl a yers for th e rema inder o f th e race. On la p seven, Carr was feelin g the hOI breath of both Shober t a nd Grah am with th e th ree edg ing a way from G reen and Pa rker. who was str iving 10 ge t close enough to put pr essure on Green . T he ba ttl e for six th was a long, weaving pack o f riders wi th Cha nd ler a t th e head over Pear son , Bood y, J ones, Fa y. H a mes, Herndon a nd Eklu nd . Orr, Ada ms and Estep fill ed th e rema inder of th e field . Gr aha m worked aro u nd Shober t for second co m ing o ff turn fo ur on la p 10 a nd then began a run o n Carr. Sho bert was a bik elen gth behi n d . Carr too k the h alfway flags, lost th e lead to Gra ha m o n a n inside pass in turn two a nd the n was dro p ped 10 third by Shobert with another low lin e pass a fter th e esses. Ca rr staye d righ t in th e thi ck of things for an other few laps before G raham an d Shober t, ridin g lik e th e ch a m p io n sh ip was o n th e lin e in th is race. p u lled aw ay. The 16th lap saw Shobert pu ll a lo n gs ide G raha m down th e fro nt straight a nd then ta ke the lead in tu rn o ne . Graham shado wed Shobert a nd tried 10 tak e th e point back as they swooped through th e esses and agai n in tu rn one . " I go t upalon gside Bubba a number o f times: ' said Graham. " I had to back off o nce or tw ice o r we woul d have hit. " " I th ought Ricky wa s going to tak e both o f us o u t." sai d Shober t, " Ricky a nd Bubba go t away in the fin al half o f th e race, bu t th ey kn ew 1 wa s there," sai d Carr. T he lead er s go t th e five laps 10 go sign a nd ra n int o tra ffic a t th e sa me time. G ra ha m, with a good run o ff tu rn four, h eld th e lead . On th e next lap. Shobert went low a nd Graham h igh as th ey enco untered traffi c in turn o ne . Th e hi gh li ne decision cos t G raham th e lead . Shobert lost the lead o ne la p lat er wh en he bobbled a fter hill ing a p las tic tra ffic co ne used 10 mar k th e edge o f th e track a fter th e j ump - with G ra ha m by in a n insta n t. Slow er traf fic pl ayed a rol e in th e fina l lap with the sta rter givi ng th e tra ffic the blu e (m ove o ver) flag j u st as lead er Gra ham a nd Shobert shou ld ha ve galie n the whi te flag signa lling o n e la p to go . Graha m led through the final lap with Shobert right on hi s rear tire. but had a good drive o ff turn fo ur with n either expec ti ng 10 see the checkere d flag. Sh ob ert knew h is race was ove r as soon as h e sa w th e fla g. " I saw the checkered flag an d sai d 10 m yself. 'c ra p. th at wa s a blu e flag 1 sa w a nd n o t a white one .' 1wanted to wi n, bu t thar 's racing. It 's still a nothe r step tow ar d the cham p io n sh ip:' " I felt 1had m y best cha nce to win a Nati onal tod a y," said Ca rr. " l nfortuna tely, 1got tir ed a short time a fter th e h alfwa y poi nt o f th e race a n d had to h old on for th e fi na l laps a nd ride steady 10 fin ish th ird ." " Whe n 1had the lead with five laps 10 go 1 felt 1 co u ld keep Bu bba from ta ki ng it back : ' sai d Gra ham. " It didn ' t h app en th at wa y, but 1 was sti ll o ut fro nt a t th e fini sh. It feels lik e winning my fir st National. It a lso makes up for my mi ssing the white fla g at Spri ngfield ea rl ier this year whe n 1 had a sho t a t winning ." G ra ha m, su rro u nded by fans, spe nt near ly 45 minutes sig n ing autographs a fter h is victory. Junio r National Wink ie Frei tas got back o n th e winnin g track wit h a vict ory at Peo ria . Freitas, no w a fou r-time wi n ner in J unior Nat io na l action, led seventim e Na tiona l wi nner Brian At h erto nt o th e fini sh with Aaron Hi ll fillin g o u t the celebrat io n in winner's ci rcle . Freitas, o n his Da ve Byrd -tuned . Shoei vKn ig h t Racin g Fra mes-backed H onda, co llec ted th e win in the first o f th e two h ea ts a nd with it th e pole for th e National. The seco n d heat win went to Hill . A cras h by Ni ck y Fontana brough t o u t th e red flag after one lap a nd a full restart was on tap. Fo n ta na made th e grid a fter q ui ck repa irs. Freitas led sta n -to-fin ish in th e 12lap ra ce, with At he rton , o n hi s Ro n Wood Racin g Wood-Rot ax mo ving int o seco nd o n la p four o ver H il l. Freitas chec ked ove r hi s shou lder a number o f tim es 10 see wh ere AtherIOn wa s an d a lso got pit signa ls from Byrd. He he ld a safe margin a t th e finish. Ath erton was a good d istan ce a hea d o f Hi ll at th e fla g . • Results 2 5 ·LAP NA TtONAL: 1. Ricky Graham (Han ); 2. Bubba Shobert (Ha n); 3 . Chri s Carr (W-R ~ 4 . Randy G r ee n (Ha n); 5 . Scott Pa rk er (H · D); 6 . Oo ug Ch andl er (Hon); 7. Ronn ie J ones (Hon); 8 . M ick ey Fay (Han); 9 . Ted Boody (Han I; 1D. Pete Ham es (H· D); 11. Sco tt Pearso n (Yam) ; 12. Ste ve Eklund (Han ); 13 . Don Este p (W -R); 14 . Bi lly Herndon (Han ); 15 . Ch ar lie Orr (Ha n); 16 . Sco tt Adams (H-D); 17 . Jay Spring st een (H-O) TIM E: 11 min.. 22.373 sees . CAMEL PRO SERIES POINT STA NDINGS: 1. Bubba Sh obert ( 172); 2. Doug Chandler (15B); 3. Ted Boody (13 6); 4 . Scott Pea rson (11B); 5. Scott Par ker (1 13); 6 . M ike Ba ldwin {8 91 7 . Ronnie J on es : (76 1;B. Ch r is Carr (7 4); 9 . Randy Renfrow (69 ): 10 . J ay Spr ingstee n (6 5); 1 1. Rich Sch lachter (6 3); 12. Alex Jorgen sen 1 62); 13 . Ricky Graha m (60 ); 14 . (TIE) Pete Hame s/Te rry Poovey (59): 16. Randy Goss (5B); 17 . Ala n Labr osse (5 61 18. W ayn e Rai; ney 1 21 19 . M iles Baldw in (51) ; 20. Dan Chivi ng · 5 ; ton ISO). 12 -LA P JUNI OR NA TIO NAL: 1. W inkie Fre ita s (Han); 2. Bria n Ather ton (W -R); 3 . Aaron HilIIC·A); 4 . Nicky Fontana (Han) ; 5. Brad Furl on g (H·D); 6. Frank Garcia (Honl; 7. W ade C8mlin (W- R); 8 . Don M ey ers (H- D); 9 . Da n Kn echt (e -A) ; 10 . St eve Tuom ey (C-A ); 11. Dave La mb (H- D); 12. Gle n Gladson (Han). TIME: 5 mint., 52.106 secs. JUNIOR POINT STANDINGS: 1. W i nki e Freilas (209); 2. Bria n A th erto n 1 2001 3 . Aa ron Hill (10 1); 4 . ; Cun cannon (60 ); 5. Brad Furlong (57 ): 6 . Frank Garcia (5 2); 7 . Wade Caml in (48); B. Rec il Hart (40); 9 . Ted Taylo r (3 9); 10. Tim Skov (3 6). 17

• Cover