Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Rodney Farris (92) and Jon Cornwell (26) trail Alex Jorgensen, Chris Carr and Scott Parker coming out of tum four during the second heat. ished fifth at the flag. Kirk followed Boody, three-time National Champion Jay Springsteen, and Terry Poovey out of the hole in the afternoon's third Expert heat. She sized things up for a lap and a half, then drafted past the whole group on the backstraight to take the lead. Boody took advantage of Kirk's only slip - running off the groove while leading on lap six - to win the-race. Kirk edged Springsteen at the line for second. The day's fastest 10-lap Expert heat race (six minutes, 1.138 seconds) belonged to Graham. The Hondamounted privateer took an early lead when he drafted by Sam Sweet down the backstraight on the first lap, then powered away from the pack. Scott moved up from fifth place to take second at the £lag, and Sweet finished third. Semis Morehead took the early lead in the first 10-lap Expert semi, lost the point to Mertens on lap four, then retook the lead for Rood on the final lap. Mertens nipped Estep at the line for second (and last transfer to Ihe main). The second semi was a 10-lap bout between Poovey and Hames, with Poovey coming out on top at the finish. Hames bought the runner-up ticket to the National, while David Miller rounded out the top three. Last Chance Qualifier Cornwell did his best to bump Jorgensen from the top spot in the LCQ, but Jorgensen would not be denied. Jorgy earned the final transfer to the feature race by following Cornwell out of the hole, taking the lead on the first lap and never looking back; he was uncatchable. George Roeder II took third. Junior National Bryan McDowell, who missed last week's Junior National Half Mile in Parkersburg, West Virginia while recovering from minor injuries suffered in a recent get-off, served impressive notice that he is back on track. McDowell took an almost wire-to-wire win, eased his Junior National points lead to 158-143 over rival Bryan Villella, and claimed his fourth mile win this year. McDowell was first off the line, followed by Ron Williams, Brian Bonesteel, and Parkersburg winner Ted Taylor. Williams and Bonesteel traded second for the first half of the race, and Williams managed briefly to run side-by-side up front with McDowell on lap five. Villella dropped Bonesteel to third on the fifth lap, then took a short-lived lead on lap six with an inside pass under McDowell in turns three and fouT. McDowell regained the lead on the next lap, and held onto the top spot until the finish. Villella led WiJJiams across the line to take the runner up spot, and HarleyDavidson-mounted Stephen Duff finished fourth in front of Bonesteel and Taylor. National Carr made his intentions known right at the beginnIng of the 25-lap main event, takingan immediate hot holeshot over Boody and Scott. The two Honda pilots drafted by Carr on the backchute, but Carr retook second from Scott midway through turns three and four. When the front-runners crossed the start/finish line to complete lap one, Boody topped the . field with Carr, Scott, Parker, Chandler and Shobert in tow. Kirk was riding midpack with malfunctionmg brakes, and Graham was well back in 14th after suffering a miserable start. Carr and Boody took turns trading the top spot during the first six laps, while Shobert moved from sixth on lap one to third on lap two. Parker, meanwhile, was locked into a fourthplace battle with Farris and Chandler, while the once-distant Graham was quickly closing. Shobert outgassed both Carr and Boody au t of turn two to take the lead going onto the backstraight on lap six. Carr immediately repassed Shoben going into turn three, but Shobert took the lead again coming out of turn two on lap eight. Graham, (Sponsored by Jack Sizemore/Arai/ BeI-RaylTsubaki/ND), and Parker moved up to challenge the hardcharging trio, but before they could join the fray, Sweet went down hard coming out of turn two and officials stopped the race. There was a flurry of activity near the pits while ambulance attendants examined Sweet, (according to trackside reports, Sweet suffered only minor injuries). Several riders checked their tires, a few made tire changes, and other riders ejected to change gearing. Before the race was red flagged, Bryan McDowell earned his fourth Junior National mile win of the year at DuQuoin. McDowell'. top rival. Bryan Villella, took second. . both Springsteen and Poovey had dropped out of the competition with mechanical problems. Shobert was a t the front of the line for the single-row restart, but when the race got underway he found himself second into the first turn, following Carr. Boody was third into the turn, trailed by Chandler. Graham and Parker, who had lined up fourth and fifth behind Boody, were left at the line when the starting light caught Graham with his bike in neutral, and Parker slammed into the rear of Graham's stationary Honda. Both got underway well back .in the pack. By the end of ~he first lap (officially lap 15), Boody moved by Shobert and Carr, signaling for the lead swapping to start all over again. Carr and Shobert traded the lead on laps 16 through 20, with Shobert in from most of the time. Boody, perhaps feeling a loss of power, backed off a bit and resigned himself to third. Chandler had maintained fourth place from the restart, and Scott had moved his KK Aftermarket Honda into fifth. Kirk, who had her brakes repaired during the unscheduled intermission, had taken over sixth place. Parker was running ninth, but was quickly gaining ground, and Graham dropped out of the final near the end of the race with a "completely trashed" engine. On the 23rd lap, Carr held a slim lead over Shobert. The duo was trailed by Boody, Chandler, Scott, Kirk, Farris, Hames and Parker. Carr led Shobert down the front straight on lap 24, but the order was reversed by the time the pair hit the backchute. At the same instant, Chandler's motorcycle was surging on the straightaways, trying to run out of gas - the California rider was hard pressed to stay in Boody's draft. Parker had moved into sixth behind Scott, and Farris had temporarily bumped Kirk to eighth. On the final go-around, Shobert used his tricky move to keep Tuner Mert Lawwill tends to tire changing chore. on Chris Carr's Harley-Davidson. Carr in second, Boody's cylinder finaiIy gave up, leaving the Oklahoman seventh at the flag, Chandler inherited third, Scott took fourth, Parker had moved up to fifth, and Kirk had gassed her way back into sixth, dropping Farris to eighth. • Results 25-LAP NATIONAL: 1. Bubbe Shobert (Han); 2. Chris Ca" (H-D); 3. Doug Chandler (Han I; 4. Hont< Scan (Han); 5. Scan Porker (H-D); 6. Tammy Kirk (H-Dl; 7. Ted Boody (Han); B. Rodney Fo"is(Honl; 9. Alox Jorgensen (Han); 10. Tim Mertens (H-D); 11. Steve Moreheod (H-D); 12. Steve Eklund (H-D); 13. Pete Homes (H-Dl; 14. Rick Grohom (Honl; 15. Som Sweet (H-D); 16. Joy Springsteen (H-D); 17. Terry Poovey (Han). 12-LAPJUNIOR NATIONAL: 1. Bryon McDowell (H-Dl; 2. Bryon Villello (W-R); 3. Ron Willioms (H-Dl; 4. Stephen Duff (H-D); 5. Brian Bonesteel (H-D); 6. Ted Toylor (Honl; 7. Erik Groybeal (Rtx); B. Willio McCoy (Han); 9. Recil Hort (C-A); 10. Greg Logue (Rtx); 11. John Foulkner (C-A); 12. Donold Myers (H-D). AMA/GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. CAMEL PRO SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. Bubbo Shobert (1731; 2. Scali Porker (13Bl; 3. Chris CO" (126); 4. Doug Chondler 92; 5. Ricky Grohom (77); 6. Ted BoodY (69); 7. Ronnie Jones (60); B. (TIE) Pote Hames/Steve Eklund/Steve Moreheod (541; 11. Randy Goss (51); 12. Som Sweet (49); 13. Honk SCali (471; 14. (TIE) SCali Peorson/Rod Fo"is(42); 16. Joy Springsteen (411: 17. (TIE) Tom Moitlond/Ale. Jorgensen (27); 19. (TIEl Terry Poovey/Tim Mertens (241. JUNIOR NATIONAL POINT STANDINGS: 1. Bryan McDowell (15Bl; 2. Bryon Villello (143); 3. Eric 50Sso"",n (77);~. Ted.Toylor (7.7); 5. Los Woshbon (501; 6 .S,l.eve Duff (49~ 7. Curtis Cannon (481; B. Eric G¥e\obeol (45); 9! Briori Bonesteel (44); 10. Bruce Johnson (41). 7

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