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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126929
Ricky Graham (3) and Doug Chandler (1 0) raced hard for second place in the main until Graham fell on lap 18. Chandler then took an easy runner-up. Bubba Shobert checks over his shoulder while exiting turn four during the main; he found no one trailing. Chandler was a distant second. 37.493-second lap was just a shade slower than Carr's, and put him on the pole for heat two. Chandler turned a 37.849, and Alex Jorgensen a 37.989 to sit on the poles in heats three and four. Graham was fifLh quickest at 38.026, while Jay Springsteen (38.147), Ronnie Jones (38.183), Steve Morehead (38.216), Chad Felicio (38.229) and Keith Day (38.277) filled out the top 10 spots. Junior National Champion Bryan McDowell took his restricted HarleyDavidson XR750 to the top Junior qualifying position, stopping the clock at 39.339. Heats The race for third: Alex Jorgensen (44) edges Ronnie Jones (16) by a wheel at the finish line; Jay Springsteen (91 is not far behind in fifth. AliA Grand National Championship/Camel Pro Series: Final round . Record-setting win to Shobert at Sacto Mile By Matt Hilgenberg Photos by E.W. Dominie SACRAMENTo, CA, SEPT. 27 Bubba Shobert became the first man in history to win nine N ~tional events in a single season tonight by topping the 25-lap mile National at Cal-Expo Fairgrounds. The win was also Shobert's 19th career mile victory pu tting him three .' . ahead of RlCky Graham 10 the record book. 6 Shober\ broke away from the pack early in the main event on the chilly evening, but second-place rider Doug Chandler got another chance to catch the fleet Team Honda/Bell/Vetter/Kerker/Fox rider when the race was stopped on lap 18 for a Graham crash in turn three; Graham was uninjured, but did not make the restart. Chandler's second-place finish moved him int? third in. final Ca~eI Pro Senes pomt standmgs behmd Shobert and Parker; Chris Carr, who was third before Sacramento, encoun'tered mechanical problems which lefL him with no points, and in fourth for the year; Graham is one point behind Carr in fifth. Qualifying Carr rode his Men Lawwill-tuned Harley to the fastest qualifying lap of the day, at 37.481 seconds. Shobert's When the first 10-mile heat race got underway, Morehead and Pete Hames were first into turn one. However, by turn three, Morehead was dropped to third behind new leader Carr and Hames. Once out front, Carr quickly pulled 'away from a drafL-and-pass game for second !?etween Hames, Morehead and road racer Wayne Rainey; Felicio would stick a wheel in once in a while to keep things interesting. The positions changed in each turn, and riders would bounce from second to fifth, back to second again. When the white flag came out, Harley-Davidson Motor Co.lElectro/Lawwill/Shoei/ Hap Jones/RS Taicni/Hi-Pointsponsored Carr had a half-straightaway lead over Morehead and Rainey. The three transfer positions held to the checkered flag, forcing Hames and Felicio to ride a semi. . Dave Durelle was quickest to react to the green light in heat two, and sped into turn one ahead of Jones and Rod Farris. Jones grabbed the lead in turn three, but didn't hold it forLong, as Shobert came thundering pasteveryone on the inside just past the start/ finish line to take over the.point. Gill/GF Racing/Shoei/Megacyde/ Knight-back Jones and Farris filed in behind while Durelle dropped to sixth behind Day and Jon Cornwell. The race was for second; Jones would take the position in turn one, then Farris would take it back in three. Finally, Farris inched ahead and maintained the position all the way to the checkered behind Shobert. Jones made the transfer, while Day and Cornwell finished fourth and fifth. Chandler was third at the start of heat race three, but he led the pack as they crossed the line to end lap one. Honda-mounted Terry Poovey wasn't going to let the race be lopsided, and chased after Chandler; Steve Eklund and Springsteen were third and fourth, respectively. While Poovey and Chandler took turns leading, Springer went to work to catch Eklund. As the laps counted down, the race got tighter. Lap eight saw Poovey surrender his last shot at leading when Chandler drafted by in turn three. Eklund and Springsteen's race carried them up behind Poovey, and as they neared the white stripe for the final tim'e, Springer and Eklund pulled out for a pass. Spririgsteen made it by half a wheel to finish second behind Chandler, while Poovey had to settle for third; Eklund finished a disappointing fourth. Heat four was one of the best races of the evening a Graham, Parker, Tom Maitland and Jorgensen (Pioneer Trucking/Sutter/Hi-Point/Storz Honda) fought for the lead. Jorgensen was third on lap one, but slipped off the groove in turns one/two and quickly dropped back to seventh. Jorgy proved he had the horsepower by quickly rejoining the leaders on lap three. Graham led most of the early laps on the Honda/Arai/BeIRay/Tsubaki/ND RS750D, while Maitland and Parker traded second. Near the midway point of the race, Maitland turned up the steam to take over the lead, only to have Graham pass him back. Parker then put Maitland back another spot to race with Jorgensen. At the typical-for-a-mile close finish, Graham scored the win over Parker, Jorgensen and Maitland. Semis The top two riders from each 10lap semi transferred directly to the main, while third through seventh went to the Last Chance Qualifier. Several riders in the front row of the opening semi were a little too anxious for the green light, and everyone hut Boody was sent to the third row. Boody didn't get the holeshot, but he was comfortably out front by the end of lap one. Hames was charging from row three, and~n a couple of laps, joined Boody up front. Hames then led until the midway point, when Day, also off row three, caught up to race for the lead. Day led a few laps at the finish line, but not the one that counted, as Hames took the win on his Gardner Racing/Arai/HiPoint Harley over Boody for the two transfers; Day and Felicio were third. and fourth. Hank Scott led almost every lap of semi two on his KK Aftermarket Supply Honda while Eklund and Don Howard diced for second. In the end, it was Scott and Eklund who earned rides in the main, while Howard was forced back to third ahead of Maitland.