Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Parker and Jorgensen dice during the second heat race. Parker won the qualifier by inch.. atter fighting with Jorgy for the full 10 laps. sponsored jorgensen swapped the lead lap after lap in the second Expert heat, crossing the start/finish line side-by-side several times before taking the checkers in similar fashion. The finish was so close that the Cycle News finish line camera was brought into play to determine the winner; the videotape gave Parker the nod Ted Boody settled his College Bike Shop Honda into third on the first lap and held the position all the way to the flag to claim the last transfer spot to the National final. Keith Day and Aaron Hill had a fierce battle for fourth, with Hill just edging Day at the finish line. Chandler used the inside line to win the third heat over Shobert and Graham, but he had to ride the wheels off his Honda to do it. Shobert nabbed the holeshot, followed by KK Aftermarket's Steve Morehead, Graham and Chandler. Chandler moved into second at the end of the first lap by diving under Morehead and Graham going into tum one, then bumped Shobert to second with the same move goi~g into turn three on lap two. He used his quick, inside line to hold the lead ro the finish, but Shobert and Graham harrassed him all the way. Shobert took second, Graham wound-up a close third, and Thomas Maitland moved into fourth, bumping Morehead to fifth at the flag. Oklahoma's Ronnie jones won the final heat of the day after a close, 100lap battle with Carr. Rodney Farris led the first two laps aboard the Ed Fisher Honda, but jones and Carr took over on lap three, and began a see-saw battle that lasted all the way to the flag. Oklahoma edged California at the finish, while Maryland's Farris took the final transfer spot, sending fourth-place Springsteen to the semi. Chad Felicio rounded out the top five. Semis Rookie Winkie Freitas from Newman, California, riding a Honda borrowed from Scott Pearson, grabbed an almost-too-good holeshot at the beginning of the first Expert semi, bringing out the red flag. He wasn't sent to the penalty line, but came off the starting line in third place at the restart, following Hames and Hondamounted Keith Day. Hames and Day continued the day's tradition - trading the lead for the entire 10 laps before Hames managed to best Day at the flag. Hill bumped Freitas to fourth for good· on lap eight, and Fran Brown rounded out the top five. Road rilcer Rainey, riding Graham's backup Honda, jammed into the lead at the start of the second semi, but was passed by Morehead at the end of the first lap; the Morehead pass signaled still another two-rider battle that would last all the way to the checkered. After trading the lead for Io-Iaps, Morehead managed to hold the advantage when it counted, according to a replay from the Cycle News finish line camera, which was used to determine the winner. Springsteen trailed Rainey in third place, earning a trip to the Last Chance Qualifier, and David Durrelle of Minnesota rounded out the top four. Ohio's Chance Darling (11 f) slipped by Junior National Champion Bryan McDowell (2Oy) to claim San Jose's Junior National main event. Last Chance Qualifier Rookie Freitas bauled with veterans Garth Brow and Springsteen in the LCQ. Freitas got the best of Brow, but he couldn't top the three-time National champion. The trio was running side-by-side down the back straight on lap seven, and it stayed that· close all the way to the finish. Springer led the race when it counted, earning the last transfer to the final. Junior National Syracuse winner Darling, who won the mile in New York after leader McDowell and second-place Brian Bonesteel tangled and went down in turn one, proved that his New York victory wasn't a fluke by beating McDowell outright at San jose. Darling, who is sponsored by Motorcycle Specialties/Simpson/WD-40/HiPoint/David Parent/Martin Noble, worked his way up from fifth place to take the win. California's Ted Taylor grabbed -the holeshot at the start of the 12-lap final, followed by McDowell, Bryan ViUella, Adam Sabedra and Darling. Taylor held onto the top spot until lap eight when a shu£fle of the top five left McDowell in first, Villella in second, Darling in third, Taylor in fourth, and Sebedra in fifth. Darling took second on lap nine, diving under Villella in turn one, then passed McDowell on the whiteflag lap and held on to the checkers. McDowell rode Darling's rear fender all the way to the finish, but he couldn't get around the Ohio rider. Villella, riding a Wood-R9tax single, couldn't keep up with the restricted Harley twins of Darling and McDowell, but he managed to finish third, besting both Taylor and Sabedra. National Parker powered his factory Harley out of the hole at the start of the 25lap main event, with Chandler and Scott in tow. Chandler served notice of the battle to come by passing Parker going into turn three, and the pair almost immediately pulled away from the pack. Scott paced a thirdplace battle that included jorgensen, Morehead, Graltam and Poovey. Shobert, who started on the second row and came orr the line well back in the pack, made five circuits then pulled off the course with a malfunctioning motorcycle. "It was a valve Parker douses Chandler with champegne during winner's circle ceramonies. It was Chandler's first win at San Jose; Parker's fifth second. spring, or rocker arm, or something,"he said later. While Parker and Chandler traded the top spot a half-straightaway in front of the battle for third, Scott was feeling pressure from Graham, Poovey and jorgensen. Boody led a battle for seventh place, setting the pace for Farris and Springsteen. By the midway point Chandler was leading Parker, while jorgensen had moved to the front of the hattie for third. Graham bumped Scott to fifth, _ and Poovey rounded out the top six. Farris moved into seventh to lead the second group of contenders. He was followed by Boody, Springsteen, jones and Hames. Bringing up the rear was a battle for 12th led by Rainey, who was pacing Day, Carr, Eklund 'and Morehead; the Findlay Flyer had dropped to last place with an ailing Harley. jorgensen broke away from the pack on lap 23, but Chandler and Parker were long gone. Chandler intended to draft past Parker on the back straight and lead out of turn four on the white-flag lap, but Par.ker got by him. Parker's strategy was simple - draft by Chandler on the back straight on the final lap and hold the lead to the checkered flag. Parker took the lead going into tum three on the final lap, but Chandler managed to draft him at the start/finish line to take the win. jorgensen motored home in third, while Scott got the best of Poovey and Graham. Fams led the second group across the line, taking seventh in front of Springsteen, Boody, and jones. Hames led the final cluster of riders, topping Eklund, Carr, Day, Rainey, and Morehead. • Re~ults 25-LAP NATIONAL: 1. Doug CNndle, lHun); 2. Scott Parke, fH-D~ 3. AIea Joeal(69); 10. Lea W . _ fllll). 7

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