Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126909
Scott Parker (11) and Rich King battle in semi two. King pressured. but Parker won. Parker finished eighth in the main. lost his points lead. Steve Eklund (8) and Honda rider Rodney Farris (92) were involved in one of the best races of the night with Scott Pearson in heat three, 8 halfway mark, Goss also slid by Brown for second, but the two ran into turn three evenly, and caught up to Jones in the process. Brown put his HarleyDavidson PQ er to the ground and . scooted by Jones and into the lead. Half a lap later, Goss did the same thing to Jones, and was in second place by the time the pack hit turn three the next time. The race was then stopped and called complete when Joel Green went down in turn two; Brow n earned the on ly transfer to the 15-rider main while Goss, J ones and Springsteen were relegated to the Last Chance Qualifier. Parker (Harley-Davidson Motor Co.lCastrollBell) and Garvis Honda Town 's Rich King were the class of semi two , as they left the pack behind whi le battling over the 14th starting berth in the main. Parker held the upper hand, but King kept trying him, first on the inside, then o n the outside, occasionally putting a wheel ahead but not making a pass stick. Parker was up to the incredible pressure. and held on to win. King took second ahead of Maitland. Last Chance Qualifier The LCQ was led from the start to lap nine by Da n Ingram, then he was passed by Ted Boody. who earned the final starting position in the main. Springsteen ran in second for the first half of the race, then BOody slid by. Boody pulled alongside Ingram as th ey took the wh ite flag, then passed h im going into iurn one and went on to win. Junior National Two l2-rider, six- lap hea ts were run, with th e top six from each race going into the 12-man rflain event. Heat one was a Bria n Villella (WoodRota x ) runawa y, as he led Harley. Davidson XR750-mounted Brya n McDowell, Ted Taylor and Jon Nu nez across the line. Eric Sassaman initially led the second heat, but was passed by XR750 rider Bria n Bonesteel. who Bryan McDowell (20Y). Ted Taylor (28Y). Les Washbon (11 B) and Brian Villella early in the Junior main event. McDowell took the win after finish ing second to Villella in the heat race. went on to win. Sassaman was second, with Robert Damron third. Last week's Ascot TT winner McDowell came out swinging in the 12-lap main event, taking the hole.shot all the way to the finish line. Bonesteel ran in second early on, but was passed first by Villella, then by Sassaman before the finish . Once in the runner-up spot, Villella slowly began to catch McDowell by using some better lines, but McDowell (Shoei/ R K Chain /Kal-Gard/Bruce's Body Shop/Ukes H-D/Ron McCabe Trucking/ Ben's Backhoe Service/ Amsoil ) had enough of a lead to easily claim the ~in. National When the green light lit up to start the 20-lap main event, Shobert led the thundering pack through the firs t two tu rn s and o nto th e backstra igh t of the long half-mile oval. Pearson was third off the start, bu t passed Cha nd ler for second going down the back ch u te. T he groove had moved OUI between th e heat s a nd the m ain , a nd Pea rso n went a li tt le low in turn three, a llowing Chandler back into second. Eklund, Morehead, Fa rris and Carr ra n 4-7. Sweet got by Ca rr befo re th e beginning of la p four, the n the red flag came o ut. A hole had developed in the groove where had previous ly been a wet spot in turn four. It created q u ite a bit of dust. making it difficult to score the race and for some of the riders to see. AMA Referee Rick Hutchins stopped the race on account of safety, then he ld a short meeting with the riders. While the crowd was getting restless, it was determined that they'd try to run the remaining 17 laps, because watering the track would delay the event an hour. If someone in the back of the pack was having too much difficulty seeing, then they'd signal Hutchins, and the race wou ld be red-flagged. While the fate of the main was bei ng determined, mechanics worked on Graham's machine. The pinion gear n u t had loosened , and the clu tch didn 't work. Graham was forced 10 start th e ma in ro lling, a fter the res t of the p ack had left. His bike cou ldn 't be fixed before the single-fi le restart, and Graham was o ut of th e points. When the riders left the line, Chandler got a jump on Shobert, bu t Shobert regained his lea d by the backstraight. Chandler followed closely in seco nd, with Pea rso n and Eklund (Arai / Ca s tro l/ H i- P o in t/Gardner Harley-Davidson) third and fourth. In a couple la ps, the defending Nationa l champ started to pull out to a comfortable lea d . Pearson gave Chandler a good run , and even passed momentarily on lap nine. Pearson got underneath Chandler going into · tu rn three, but drifted a lillie high. Chandler let off , crossed behind Pearson and regained the runner-up spot. Near the halfway point, Carr passed Morehead for 'fifth in turn three; Boody, Farris and Hames were close behind. At this point, Carr was a distance behind Eklund, bUI once in fifth, the second-year Expert quickly reeled in Eklund. On lap 12. Boody passed Morehead for sixth, then a lap . la ter, Carr got by Eklund. Carr cont inued his drive, a nd ca u gh t up to the Chandler / Pearson duel with four laps to go . Pea rson was all over Chandler, and Carr h ung in there, but at the finish , it was still Shobert taking his first official half mile win over Chandler , Pearson and Carr. Ek lund was a distance back in fifth , a nd Bood y (Co llege Bike Shop/ Arai /Megacycle/FoxlTsubaki/ RPS/ Bel-Ray / K&N/Per£. Machi ne/ Bates / Ca rlisle Honda) finished six th. Point leader Parker was having an off evening, and wound up eighth behi nd Farris. " I knew we could finish up there, but we haven 't finished one in ages," Pearson said. "Dave (Bird . his tuner) prepared the bike well, and it ran great. I think I cou ld've passed Do ug (Chandler) if I had a lillie more horsepower. I could catch him, but couldn't get by on the straights." Pearson added, jokingly, "I'm happy to be first Harley-Davidson." • Results 2o-LAP NATIONAL: 1. Bubba Shobert (Honl; 2 . Ooug Chandler (Honl; 3. Scott Pearson (H·O); 4 . Chris Carr (H· Ol; 5. Steve Eklund (H·D); 6. Ted Boody (Honl; 7. Rodney Farris (H-D); B. Scott Parker (H-Dl; 9. Steve Morehead (H·D); 10. TIm Menens (Han); 11. Sammy Sweet (H·D); 12. Fran Brown CH -D): 13. Pet e Hames (H-O); 14 . Mike Garr ison (H· DI; 15. Ricky Graham (Honl . 12-LAP J UNIOR NATIONAL; 1. Bryan McDowe ll (H-Dl; 2. Brian Villella (W· R); 3. Er ic Sassaman (HDl; 4. Br ian Bonest eel (H·D); 5. Las Wash bon (H·Dl; 6. Ted Taylor (H·Dl; 7. Br uce Johnson (Yam); B. Raben Damro n (Rtal; 9. Bobby McDowell (Han); 10 . Eric .Green (H· D); 11. Tim Skov (W· R); 12. Jon Nune z (C·AI. AMA GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP/ CAME L PROSERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. Bubba Shoben (52); 2. Chris Carr (47); 3. Scott Parker (45); 4 . Steve Eklund (41); 5. Doug Chand ler (32); 6. Scott Pearson (29);7. Ted Boody (27 ); B. Pet e Hames (23); 9. Al eaJorgensen (20); 10 . Rodney Farr is (171; 11. Ter ry Poovey (161; 12. (TIE) Hank Scon / Ricky Gr a· ham /St8ve M ore head (13); 15 , SammySweet (14 ); 16. Randy Green (9); 17. Rich Kin g (B); 18. (TIE) Keit h Day/Fran Brown (7); 20. Oon Howa rd lTim Men ens (51. J UNIOR NATI ONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS: r . Bryan McDowe ll (431; 2. Eric Sassaman (39 ); 3 . Les W ashbo n (37); 4 . Frankie Garcia (35); 5. Br ian Villella (32); 6. (TIE) Bruce Johnson / Brian Bonesteel (3 1); B. Raben Damron (27); 9. Ted Taylo< (26); 10. Jon Nunez (19).