Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Honda-mounted Rodney Farris of Maryland finished the National in third place, holding off a strong challenge from Oklahoma's Ted Boody. California's Ted Taylor took the win in the 12-lap Junior National; Taylor was fast Junior qualifier with a 26.066-second time. When action finally got underway, a battle for the Ie,¥! developed between Parker and Oklahoma's Ronnie Jones; former National champ Randy Goss rounded out the top three. Jones set the pace until lap five, when Parker drafted past on the backstraight, but retook the lead on the next lap when Parker's engine let go coming out of turn two. Goss got around Jones on the sevemh circuit, then powered away to the win aboard his Harley Dealers/Portco/BelJ/SuperTrappl Hi-Point/Wiseco/Works HarleyDavidson. Peter Hook finished third to claim the final direct transfer to the National. • The second and fastest 10-lap heat race of the night was won by Carr, who wheelied across the finish line, stopping the clock at four minutes, 12.840 seconds. Carr battled with Farris for the first four laps, then used pure power-to-the ground HarleyDavidson horsepower to open up a big lead down the backstraight on lap five. Farris took second at the checkers, while Texan Sammy Sweet put his Pyramid Builders Harley across the finish line in third place. Former cham p Ekl und claimed the third heat, finishing the race ahead of Shobert with a time of four minutes, 12.991 seconds - only 0.151-second slower than Carr's time_ Shobert led the first five laps, but Eklund got under him coming into turn one on lap six, and never looked back. Tom Maitland of Clio, Michigan took the last direct transfer, while three-time National champion Jay Springsteen had to settle for fourth and a trip to one of the two semis. In the fourth and final heat, race fans were treated to an exciting racelong duel between Gardner Racing riders Don Estep and Pete Hames, with Ohio's Estep coming home the victor. Following Hames across the line for the final direct transfer to the feature race was Boody. Steve More' head finished fourth, and two-time National champion Ricky Graham, riding a Tex Peel Harley, rounded out the top five. Semis. First-year Expert Brian Atherton of White Pigeon, Michigan outlasted veteran Hank Scott of Findlay, Ohio to top the first 10-lap Expert semi. The Michigan rookie led Jhe ,ract: from f1ag-to-f1ag, with Scott and North Carolina's William Davis in tow. Davis held down the show spot until the final lap when Felicio bumped him to fourth. Only winner Atherton earned a ticket to the National. Spots were reserved in the Last Chance Qualifier for Scott, Felicio and Davis. Ohio Expert-turned-sprint-car-racer Steve Morehead and his KK Supply Aftermarket Team Harley-Davidson dominated the second Expert semi. Chandler was first off the line, but Morehead took the lead for good with a gas-on pass under Chandler going into turn one. Chandler followed Morehead all the way to the checkers, just holding off third-place Graham at the finish line. Springsteen held down fourth in the early-going, but had to settle for fifth after HarleyDavidson-mounted Roger Thompson got around him at the midway point. Last Chance Qualifier Chandler got the holeshot in the LCQ, leading Felicio, Graham, Springsteen and Davis into the first turn. The order remained unchanged until lap two when Graham got around Chandler coming out of turn three. Felicio moved up to take over second on lap six, while Springer dropped a fast-fading Chandler to fourth on lap seven. Felicio pressed Graham hard, trying every trick in the book to get around the two-time champ, but when the checkers fell it was Graham holding the last ticket to the National. Felicio - the evening's hard luck, fast qualifier - was followed into the pits by Springsteen, Chandler, Davis, Thompson, David Miller and Scott. Junior National According to pre-race predictions from pit-row experts supposedly in the know, heat race winner Bryan Villella of Michigan would win the l2-lap Junior main event going away, especially since Villella's season-long rival and Junior National points leader, Bryan McDowell, was out of action with injuries suffered during a spill at a recent Eastern regional. But there wa a problem with that prediction - no one told California's Ted Taylor he wasn't supposed to win. Taylor, who took the fastest of the two Junior heats, gassed his MC Racing/Wpod R.a,c.iog/T ubakil Shoei Wood-Rotax first off the start- ing line, and powered away from the pack. Villella came off the line in fourth place, running behind Curtis Cannon (Harley-Davidson) and CanAm-mounted Phil Vigneri. Cannon kept up with Taylor's pace and the duo opened a wide gap between themselves and the battle for third. Vigneri never surrendered third, but pre-race favorite Villella gave up fourth to Honda-mounted Willie McCoy on lap seven. Both Villella and Dan Butler got around McCoy on the II th lap, setting the final order. At the finish, the scoresheet read, Taylor, Cannon, Vigneri, Villella, Butler, McCoy, Steve Duff, Ronald Bertrand, Robert Lewis, Erik Graybeal, Les Wash bon and Bob Farver. National Shoben, who acknowledged his good fortune at barely making it onto the fron t row for the start of the feature-race, took advantage of his luck with a holeshot that caught almost everyone in the IS-rider field off guard; the only riders who weren't taken by surprise were Farris and Carr. Farris quickly locked onto Shoben's rear fender, and Carr chased the hard-charging duo into turn one. Shobert held a narrow lead for the first four laps of the 2O·lap ational final, while Carr and Farris battled for the runner-up position. Fourth place was an argument between Eklund, Goss, Boody and Estep. Jones, winner of the Lima, Ohio Half mile National on June 28, was running dead last in 15th place with a Honda that was "skating all over the place" on the slippery, 5/8-mile, red-clay oval. . Carr got around Farris for good with an impressive outside pass through turns three and four on lap six, and set his sights on Shobert. Carr worked on Shobert a little at a time, reeling him in with on-thethrottle finesse through turns three and four, but the Harley rider wasn't getting enough drive coming out of turn two, and Shobert wasn't making any mistakes. Despite the turn-two handicap, by lap 10 Carr almost was in position to take a shot at the lead. Meanwhile, the battle for third was heaLing up with Eklund taking the sj:?o,t from Farris on lap 10, only Lo lose it again on lap 11. On Lhe 12th circuit Boody dropped Eklund to fifth, while Estep, Maitland and Graham fought for sixth. Carr stuck to Shobert like glue, running three to four bikelengths behind the champ, until the last few laps. Even though Carr pressured Shobert consisten tl y in turns three and four, Honda's ace matched Carr foot-for-foot, throttle-twist for throttle-twist. Shobert's Honda was hooking up well coming out of turn two while Carr was struggling for traction. Carr was forced to ride hard into turns three and four, where he had better traction, to make up the ground he lost in turns one and two. By lap 18 the hard riding took its toll; Carr slowed slightly and Shobert pulled away to take the win. Farris cruised across the finish line in third, followed by Boody, Eklund, Estep, Graham, Maitland, Sweet, Goss, and Morehead. Rookie Brian Athenon took 13th position, Hook rode his Walter Bros. Harley Davidson to a 14th-place finish, and Jones had to settle for 15th. Shobert thanked American Honda, and expressed special thanks to Factory Honda mechanics Skip Eaken and Ray Plumb. Carr thanked his previously mentioned sponsors. Farris was grateful to sponsors Ed Fisher, Gary Fisher, Gary Nixon, Nolan Helmets, BVR, Mike Sponseller, Cycle Experts, Bel':R.ay, and Diamond Chain. Results 2Q-LAP NAnONAL; 1. Bubbo Shobert (Hon); 2. Chris Carr (H-D); 3. Rodney Farris (Han); 4. Tod Boody (Han); 5. Steve Eklund (H-D); 6. Don Estep (H-D); 7. Ricky Graham (H-D); 6. Pete Hemes (H-D); 9. Tom Maitland (H-D); 10. Sammy Sweet (H-D~ 11. Randy Gall (H-D); 12_ Steve Moraheod (H-D); 13. Brian Atherton (H-D); 14. _Peter Hook (H-D); 15. Ronnie Jones (Hon). 12-LAP JUNIOR NATIONAL: 1. Tod Taylor (H-D); 2. Curtis Cannon (H-D); 3. Phil Vigneri (C-A); 4. Bryan Villella (W-R); 5. Dan Butler (Han); 6. Willie McCoy(Hon); 7. StllYe Duff (H-D); B. Ronald Bartrad (Rtx); 9. Robert Lewis Jr. (Rtx); 10. Erik Graybeal (Rtx); 11. L,s Washborn IRtx); 12. Bob Farver (Rlltl. AMA GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP CAMEL PRO SERIES POINT STANDINGS; 1. Bubba Shobert (153); 2. SCott Parker (126); 3. Chris Carr 1110); 4. Doug Chandler (79); 5. Ricky Graham 176); 6. Tod Boody (61); 7. Ronnie Jones (60); B. Pete Hames (521; 9.ITIE) Randy GOIl/Ste.e Eklund (51); 11. Ste.e Moreheed (501. 12. Sammy Sweet (49); 13. Scott Peerson (42); 14. Hank Scott (36); 15. Rodney Farris 135); 16. Jay Springsteen (34); 17. Tom Maitland (271; 16. Terry Poovey (24); 19. Alex Jorgensen (211; 20. Tim Mertens (19). JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS; 1. Bryan McDowell (138); 2. Bryan Villelle (127); 3. Eric Sassaman (77); 4. Tod Taylor 168); 5. Les Washbon (50); 6. Curtis Cannon (48); 7. Bruce Johnson 141); B. (TIE) Frankie Garcia/Robert Damron (40); 10. StllYe Duff (38).

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