Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

• The opening ll.-eh8rge had Tom Maitland (30) leading Chris Carr (20), Ted Bo~dy (12), Scott Par~er (11) and the bulk of the field. do,:",n lo,w, .while Sammy Sweet (60), Doug Chandler (10) and Jay Springsteen worked the cushion. (Below) Carr, MIss Camel Pro, Parker and Shobert In winner s circle. Sent packing were runner-up Hames, third place finisher Farris, and former Louisville winners' Pearson and Poovey. National 8 Randy Goss lived up his Harley Dealers Association XR750 in the center of the front row, smack on the asphalt-like groove, but he and his crew weren't smiling. Goss, who earned the pole and his choice of .starting position by winning the fastest heat of the night, had blown an engine on the cool-o(£ lap of that heat. He and tuner Thompson had replaced it with a spare engine. As the field fired up, Morehead's bike was just as quickly being pushed 0(£ the grid. "The mainshaft in the transmission broke," said a disappointed Morehead. "I've made every dirt track final this year and haven '1 finished one due to one problem or another. I guess you could say I'm one-pointing the hell out of 'em. Whatever, I'm·going sprint car racing tomorrow and I hope I have better luck there. I lent my car to a friend to race tonight and with the luck I'm having he probably cartwheeled it," concluded the veteran racer. Maitland was first 0(£ the line at the start of the 20-lap National, and he led Carr, Parker and Shobert across the line at the end of lap one. Shobert's charge from the second row to fourth on the opening lap was spectacular. Lap three saw Carr slip inside Maitland for the lead in turn one and Parker moven under Maitland in turn three to take over second. Carr and Parker then began their race-long fight that saw Carr's Mert Lawwilltuned Harley match Parker's Bill Werner-tuned XR beat for beat. Parker shadowed Carr through the turns and down the straights, pUlling a wheel inside and a wheel outside going-into the turns on nearly every lap. But the California teenager maintained his cool and resisted 24-yearold Parker's e.very move until lap II. That's when Parker got more than a wheel inside Carr as they dove into turn one. It was a very close but clean pass and Parker had the lead for good. Carr never let up and pressured Parker throughout the remainingnine laps, but when the checkered £lag fell it was Parker-the winner just ahead of Carr. Shobert finished third butthat spat didn't come easy. The champ had taken third from Maitland on lap five and ran uncontested from that point until lap 16 when Goss, who had passed Maitland for fourth two laps earlier, slipped past Shobert when the champ slipped the groove in turns three-four. It appeared as though it would be a 1-2-3 sweep for HarleyDavidson, but just one lap later the agony of defeat struck Coss when his spare engine also let go, writing DNF on his night. . Jones finished fourth, having worked his Gill/GF Racing/Shoei/ Megacycle-sponsored Honda past Tim Mertens and then Maitland in the last few laps. Belleville Honda/ Shoei/M&M Racing/Maxie-sponsored Mertens then got past Mai dand to take fifth with Shoei/Diamond/ H-D/Tex Peel-sponsored Maitland. hanging on for sixth. "I kept feeling things out while I was behind Chris (Carr)," said Parker. "And then I did what I had to do. I made a t;lean pass. I try not to ride rough and if I would have had to bang him I would have run second." Carr agreed: "Scotty said it all. He made a nice clean pass. I had a chance once after that to pull the same move on him but I didn't make it. Pardon the French, but when Scotty pulled that pass on me I said 'Oh shit.''' Something was observed dragging on Carr's H-D Motor Co.lElectro Heavy EquipmentCo.lMert Lawwill/ Shoei/Hap Jones/RS Taichi/HiPoint-sponsored XR750and when he was asked if it bothered him, he said, "I wasn't aware of anything dragging. I was so pumped up I wouldn't have noticed it anyway." It turned out to be a crankcase breather tube . and was evidently no problem. A tired Shobert had strength enough to say, "I'm sorry, I'd like to talk, but I have to get reaqy to run the Junior races too!" That statement was made in reference to the fact that he had run practice, time trials, a heat, semi and Last Chance Qualijier prior to taking third in the National. About his fantastic start, he 'said, "The start? Well, at least I did one thing right tonighl. I thought I wouldn't make it to the wi.nner's circle after Goss got by me but then he broke and here I am." Parker's win tightened up the Camel Pro Series point standings; he now trails Shobert by just six points, 110 to 104. The win was worth $6685 to Parker, $4435 to runner-up Carr and $2890 to thi.rd place-finisher Sho. bert. Total purse for the event was $38,000. Junior National With the vast majority of the crowd long gone, the second year professionals took to the track for two sixlap heat races and a 12-lap final. Heat one wa5 won by Indiana Harley rider Ron Williams over 'ti.m Farrell and Jamey Peacock. Rotaxmounted Bryan Villella of Michigan won the second heat over Recil Hart and Bryan McDowell. Erik Graybeal and his Wood-Rotax were first off the line at the start of the Junior National, but Villel!a took over the lead for good on the second lap. Graybeal. the son of former Illinois Motorcycle Dealers Association executive director Walt Graybeal, held second until lap seven when Harley~ mounted McDowell took over that spot, a distance behind leader and then winner Villella. Villella .said, "Everything works out better for me on half miles_ You don't need as much motor. I was concentrating on not spinning the rear tire and it paid 0(£." • Results 25-LAP CAMEL PRO ANAL: 1. Scoll Porter (HD): 2. Chris Cerr (H-D); 3. Bubbe Shobert (Han); 4. Ronnie Jone. (Han); 5. Tim MM.n. (H-D); 6. Tom Meitlend (H-D); 7. Ted Boody (Han); B. Jev Springsteen (H-D): 9. Semmy Sweet (H-D); 10. DllVid Durelle (H-D); 11. Doug thendler (Han); 1.2. Honk ScOll (H-D); 13. Ricky Grehem (Han); 14. Rendy Goss (H-D); 15. St..... MQreheed (H-D). l1ME: 8 min.. 26.723 sec. 12-LAP JUNIOR NATIONAL: 1. 8ryen Villelle (Rt_); 2. 8ryen McDowell (H-D); 3. Erik Greybeet (tNRI; 4. Sob Ferver (tN-R); 5. Delle. Mever (C-AI; 8.· Ron Willieml (H-D); 7. Chence Derling (tN-R); 8. Jemev Peecoct< (H-D); 9. Robert Fo.ell (H-D); 10. Recil Hert (C-A); 11. Tim Ferrell (tN-R); 12. Tim Pertins (H-D). CANIElPRO DIRT TRACK SERIES POINT STANDe ,INGS: 1: Bubbe Shobert(110l; 2. SCali Perker(l04); 3. Chris Cerr (76); 4. Doug Chendler (691; 5. Ricky Grehem (481; 6. (TIE) Scali PeersonlTed 800dy (42); 8. St..... Eklund (41); 9. Pete Hame. (39); 10. Ronnie Jones (36); 11. Henk Scott (33); 12. (TIEl Semmy SweetiRendy Go•• (311; 14. Jey Springsteen (27); 15, Terry Poovey (23); 16. Rodney Farris 1221; 17. Ale. Jorgen.en (21); 18. Tim Merten.(19); 19_ Steve Moreheed (18); 20. (TIE) Don Howard/Tim Maitland (1'). JUNIOR NAlIONAl POINT STANDINGS 1. 8rian McDowell (115); 2. 8rya,; Villella 1851; 3. Eric Sassamen (731; 4. les W••hbon (46); 5. TedTaylor(431; 6. Bruce Jonhnson (41 ); 7. Frankie Garcia (40); 8. Brian Bonesteel (34); 9. Curtis Cannon (32); 10. Robert Damron/Bobby McDowell (31).

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