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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126926
think there was any way I could catch him," Boody said. "After the fiTst five or six laps my tire buffed in good and was working okay. With five or six laps left I knew I could catch him. I couldsee he was taking it easy, trying to save his tire, and I said to hell with it. I was going for it." Graham, who spent the first few laps of the National trying to stay with Shobert, never realized Boody posed a serious threat until Boody passed him on the back straight. "I couldn't stay in Bubba's draft," said Graham. "Even when I was in his draft I couldn't pass him. I only had two chances to pass him, then it was history. After that I was riding my own race. I never looked back. Two laps from the end, Boody drafted me." Shobert's unbeatable edge in the Camel Pro Series standings stands at 280 points. Scott Parker finished fifth in the £inal, moving into a second place tie with teammate Chris Carr; both Harley-Davidson riders boast 186 points. Ricky Graham retained fourth place in the standings, pushing his point total to 160, and Freddie Spencer Racing's Doug Chandler finished sixth in the National to push his fifth place point total to 146. Carr failed to earn any points when he crashed during the main. Time Trials Team Honda's Bubba Shobert won it all at the Syracuse Mile, Shobert led the main event from green Jight to checkered flag, claiming not only the race, but also his second Grand National Championship. AMA ·Grand National Championship/ Camel Pro Series: Round 19 Shobert clinches title with Syracuse Mile win . By Farren Williams Photos by Bert Shepard SYRACUSE, Y, SEPT. 7· Bubba! That's.the best word to describe the action at the 13th Annual Honda Syracuse Gold Cup Mile, held today at New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse. Americ~n Honda's Bu bba Shobert not only won the National main . event gomg away, but also cinched his second consecutive 6 Camel Pro Series title. With three raccs·lefton Iheschedule, it's mathemati cally impossible for another rid r to challenge him. During his Sunday afternoon .. yra-cruise," Bubba set a new onelap track record during qualifying, easily won the faste t of the afternoon's four Expen heat races. and flat ran away with the main event. Shoben led the National final from flag-to-flag, turmng several laps 111 the 34-second range before backing off the throttle to conserve rubber on his rear tire. In addition to claiming the lion's hare of the $47,000 Gold Cup purse, Shoben al 0 earned him elf a place in the history books. The factory Honda rider's Syra us win was his eighth National victory this season. The only other rider ever to win eight Nationals in a single year was the legendary joe Leonard, who pulled it off in 1954. Shoben is an odds-on favorite to break that long-standing record when the Camel Pro Series returns to the West Coaslto complete the rest of the schedule. The two-time Grand National Champion made it look easy, but in the pits, after the final, he said, "It's never easy." "Even when you're leading, things can go wrong. About the halfway point I staned smelling rubber and slowed down. I knew the tire was getting hot and would stan to wear. It feels good to win the championship again, but it will take a while before it sinks in," he said. When asked about matching Leonard's record of eight ational wins in a single season, Shobert added, "That hasn'tsunkin yet, either. It all feels great. I hope I can be as successful next year as I have been this year. I have two great mechanic who like to win as much as I do (Skip Eaken and Ray Plumb). Skip's never won Ascot; I've never won As ot - we're going to try for that one (the A 01 Half Mile will be held September 20 in Gardena, California)." Second place in the 25-lap final went to Oklahoma's Ted Boody, who bumped Californian Ricky Graham OUI of the runner-up spot with only two laps to go. Boody took second place after an amazing come-frombehind charge that saw the College Bike Shop Honda pilot make up more tl1'an half a straightaway on the former National champion. "HaHway through the race I didn't The Syracuse Bubba Shobert Show started in time trials when the factory Honda rider clocked a 35.968-second lap, rounding the mile oval with an average speed of 100.086 mph - it was the first time anyone had ever posted a qualifying lap at Syracuse in excess of 100mph. Graham powered his Honda/ Arai/ Bel-RaylTsubaki/ND Honda to the second fastest lap, posting a 36.206second time, while Texan Terry Poovey clocked in at 36.225 to claim third fastest aboard his Hud Racing/ Sisemore/Hap jones Honda. Secondyear Expen Carr, riding an Electro/Lawwill Harley, Slopped the clock at 36.295 seconds to round out the top four Expert qualifiers. Willie McCoy clocked in with the fastest junior time (37.998), while junior points-leader Bryan McDowell took the second fastest lap with a 38.232-second time. The fastest qualifier among the special 22-rider, Pro! Am invitational field was Scott Stump, who was riding a 500 WoodRotax single, borrowed from Carr. Stump stopped the clock at 38.936 seconds. Heats "The corners have holes in them today, and the groove is narrow. All the passing's going to be done on the straights, and going into the corners," said 1985 Syracuse winner and threetime National Champion Jay Springsteen, just before the heat races began. Heat race action quickly proved the accuracy of the Camel Pro veteran's prediction. Pennsylvania's Randy Texter was the first to react to the starting light in the initial Expert heat race, leading former Champion Randy Goss and defending Champion Shoben into turn one. Shobert went £rom third to first on the back straight, and began a succe ful, all-out run to the ch ckered flag. California's Alex jorgensen quickly moved up to battle with Texter and Goss. After eight laps of trading second place in full-on, back-andfonh passing. the trio crossed the fini h line almost side-by-side. The nod went to jorgensen; Texter took the last transfer to the main, and Goss who was only half a wheel of[ the transfer pace - had to settle for a trip to the semi. Graham, Springsteen, Ronnie