Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Cycle News 1986 08 27

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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time for founh, and previous lap record-holder (I~) Jay Springsteeb turned a 26.464 to round out the faste t five. Bryan McDowell qualified fast]unior with a 27 .070-second time. Winner Chris Carr (20) leads Pete Hames (32), Ricky Graham (3), Bubba Shobert (1), Steve Eklund (8) and the rest of the pack after the restart of the Peoria IT at the Peoria Motorcycle Clubgrounds. Jay Springsteen (9), Don Estep (64), Mickey Fay (13) and Ronnie Jones (16) battle early in the National; Fay beat the rest with his sixth place finish. AMA Grand National Championship/ Camel Pro Series: Round 15 Carr claims first win at Peoria TT By Paul Carruthers Photos by Bert Shepard PEORIA, IL, AUG 17 After finishing second four times thus far in 1986, Chris Carr neatly put 'the bridesmaid dress aside and- slipped into the wedding gown for his first-ever National win today at 8 the 38th Annual Peoria "IT, held at the Peoria Motorcycle I Clubgrounds. "You don't know how many years I've been dreami ng of thi moment," a jubilant Carr told the thousands nestled into the famous Peoria hill. "It brings tears to my eyes. I've wat hed these guys race since I've been able to walk, and I'm finally out here able to compete with them and today I finally got the chance to beat them. This is the happiest day of my life." Everyone knew it was only a maller of time before Carr scored that initial ational win, and the 19-year-old northern Californian did it in style. Carr was fastest in practice, broke the lap record in qualifying, won his heat going away and stomped everybody in the main event, which paid a $33,500 purse. Fillingly, it was Team Honda's Bubba Shobert who finished second behind Carr, reversing the roles that have made up the majority of this season's races. Third place went to Pete Hames with Ricky Graham and Steve Eklund rounding out the top five. It was also filling that Carr's win came on Ron Wood's Rotax. Wood has been behind Carr since the beginning, and he was here today to watch what is probably going to be the first of many National wins for Carr. The win also moved Carr clear of Harley-Davidson's SCOll Parker in the race for second in the Grand ational Championship. Parker finished II th after crashing in the final, and restarted in last place on the single-me restart. The twO are racing for the Camel Pro Series runner-up' spot, trailing the ever-consistent Shobert, who leads the duo, 209 to 169 to 152. The onlv other noteworthy change in the pOint standings was thejump Hames made to pass an absent Ted Boody and move intoa tie for sixth with RonnieJones, who finished out of the points in 15th place. Qualifying With the Peoria Motorcycle Club getting the track in its best-ever condition, there was talk of the track's first-ever 25-second lap duringqualifying. Carr came close with his 26.018 and Shobert was right with him, clocking in at 26.040. Hames stopped the clock at 26.330 for third fastest, Scon Pearson did a 26.351-second Heats Roger Thom pson got the jump in heat one, but the race was restarted when Thompson's jump was a liule too good, and he was sent to row three. Carr (Ron WoodiShoei/Hap Jones/RS Taichi/Hi-Point) promptly put his Carlisle-clad Wood-Rotax into tbe lead goi ng into turn one and over the high-speed Peoria jump, but the second red Uag of the day came out when Thompson and Jack Klein crashed immediately after the jump. Carr again jumped into the lead in turn one of the second restart with Springsteen, Eklund and rookieExpen Aaron Hill following. Carr staned pulling away f~om the field and by the third lap had a second and a half on the SpringerlEklund duel. Hill held on to fourth with Keith Day moving into fifth and finally diving under Hill in turn one to take fourth. Eklund's patience proved to be a vinue when he zapped Springsteen of[ the jump on the final lap to take the runner-up spot behind the distant Carr. Day took fourth with Hill fifth. Like Carr, Shoben (American Honda Motor Co.lMoto-Fox/BeIl) ran 0[[ and hid in heat two. Doug Chandler, the Santa Fe TT winner, led the pack into the first turn, but Shoben shot by orr the jump and was never headed to the finish. Chandler held on for second - 1.5 seconds behind hoben - with Washington's Randy Green, Don Estep and SCOll Adams rounding out the top five. Ronnie Jones got the jump in the third heat, but Doug Davis crashed before the jump and was run over by Peter Hook and Dave Hebb. Davis rolled down the shon straight and the others were unable to avoid hitting him. Jones couldn't match his first stan as Hames (Gardner Racing!Arai/HiPointl) led the field on the second try off the line. Terry Poovey held second with Alex Jorgensen third and Jones fourth. Jorgy made a move on Poovey, stealing second with one lap to go; Jones finished fourth with Mickey Fay fifth. The fourth and final heat of the day saw an incredible ride by HarleyDavidson's Parker. The Michigan rider elected to ride his XR750 twin while most of the others went with their singles - a move that proved very popular with the pro-Harley crowd. Parker, however, found himself in seventh place at the end of the first lap, with a large distance between himself and a transfer po ition. Honda-mounted Graham (Jack Sisemore/HondalArai/BeI-Rayl Tsubaki/ND), meanwhile, had the lead with Pearson in second. By lap three, Parker was still back in sixth a Graham continued to lead Pearson. Canadian Jon Cornwell was charging from a bad start and had moved from sixth to fourth by lap three. Cornwell was oon up to third and pressuring Pearson, but up came Parker. On the eighth lap the fearless Cornwell was all over Pearson, and Parker was up to fourth. Cornwell sliced past Pearson of( the jump and Parker came with him; Pearson wa stunned and sent to the semi. Graham took the win. Semis Estep (Steel Masters/Smitty'sl Custom CycleSupply/Bob Williamsl H-D Motor Co.!ArailHi-Pointl Castrol) grabbed the lead in the opening semi as th.e AMA hurried the program with a threat of rain on the horizon. Hill was second with Day

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