Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Junior National winner Bryan Villella tucks in for the Cal-Expo Fairgounds front straight. Villella defeated Bryan McDowell in the feature. Last Chance Qualifier Cornwell nabbed the holeshOl in the LCQ, but the race was slOpped after one lap because the starter felt that it wasn't a fair start. When the green lit up again, Cornwell was again first to turn one, this time trailed by Day and ammy Sweet. Day led by a wheel at the start/finish line, but it was Sweet who was on the gas. He put the Pyramid Builders Harley imo the lead on lap two for two circuits, then Day started making a bid for the spot. On each lap, Sweet would lead from turn three to turn one, then Day would lead from turn one back to turn three. On lap eight, Felicia went down hard exiting turn two, and the race was SlOpped and called complete. Sweet was ahead at the right time, and earned the final spot in the main event. Junior National Top qualifier McDowell had lillie trouble winning the opening six-lap Junior heat race over Chance Darling and Adam Sabedra. Heat two had Bryan Villella get off the line in sixth, jam into second by turn three, then take the lead for good on the front straight. Honda-mounted Bobby McDowell kept VilI~lIa honest until the finish, as the leading duo pulled out from third-place rider Tony Harrell. In the main, Darling grabbed the holeshOl over McDowell; MC Racing/ Wood RacinglTsubaki/ChivinglOn Honda/Shoei/Lucas Farms/Hog Wash/Carn-2-sponsored Villella was fifth. McDowell and Villella were 1-2 by turn three, and kept an even margin over Darling for the first four laps. Villella spent lap five reeling in McDowell, and he lOok over the lead by turn one of the sixth circuit. Two laps later, McDowell used the same move lO regain the lead. McDowell maintained his lead until the final go-around, when Villella again drove past heading into turn one. Villella's momentum carried him out of reach for McDowell, and the Wood-Rotax rider took the win by a comfortable margin. McDowell, Darling and Honda RS750-mounted Willie McCoy were second through fourth. National The 25-!ap Florin Road Toyota National was plagued by a number of DNFs. Of the 17 starters, only 10 riders were still running at the finish. All 17 riders were rolling on Goodyear rubber. Carr was quickest off the line when the green light lit up, followed by Graham, Shobert and Chandler. The National Champion nabbed second in lurn three, then moved into the lead on lap two; Chandler passed Graham for third at the same time. On the third lap, Carr's bike began to slow, and he dropped from contention on lap five. Shobert had a clear lead, and had broken the draft by lap six; Graham, Chandler, Farris, Poovey and Jones trailed. Graham and Chandler became embroiled in a fierce race for second, and they got too far ahead of Farris for the Ed Fisher-sponsored rider lO draft. A good distance behind Farri , Poovey and Jones were going at it for fifth; they were trailed by Springsteen. On laps 10 through 13, Chandler and Graham raced side-by-side, with Graham usually taking the position in turn one and Chandler taking it in lhree. Behind them, Poovey pulled out with a blown rnalOr, leaving Jones all alone in fifth. On lap IS, Springsteen and Jorgensen reeled in Jones, and a tight three-way dice for fifth began. By lap 18, Shobert had nearly a hali-straightaway lead, and the race looked to be as good as over. Then Graham tried to stick it under Chander in turn three, and apparently had no brakes. He lOuched Chandler's left number plate and fell down; he was unhurt. Graham's boom box was torn off his machine, however, and eighth-place rider Morehead, on a Freddie Spencer/SuperTrapp Honda, ran over it. The boom box lOre off Morehead's sump, putting him on the DNF list. As the red flag came out to SlOp the race for Graham, Farris' boom box split down the side, making tbe bike quite loud. In the few moments before the restart, most riders flopped their rear tires over for fresh rubber, although there was not excessive wear on even the from-runners' tires. Farris' crew spent the time trying to safety wire and duct tape the boom box back together. They sent him out for the remaining eight laps wi th crossed fingers. On the restart, Shobert jumped back out from, followed by Chandler, Farris and Jorgensen, who slipped off the groove on the 19th lap and dropped back two positions behind Hames and Springsteen. Jorgy quickly passed Springsteen and rejoined Jones and Hames in the race for fourth. At the beginning of lap 20, Farris' boom box had again split, and he received the black flag, putting him out for the evening. _ Shobert was again out of Chandler's Jay Springsteen returned to Camel Pro competition and finished fifth in the main to collect his share of the $33,000 total purse. Heat four was a great race between Ricky Graham (3), Scott Parker (11) and Tom Maitland (30). Graham won, with Parker second and Maitland fourth. reach by lap 21, and Chandler in turn was comfortably ahead of a Jorgensen/Hames/Jones race for third; Springsteen was catching up from sixth. While Shobert and Chandler continued their romp to the finish line, the race for third got even hOller. On lap 22, they crossed the line Jones, Hames, Jorgensen, Springsteen, with Parker not far behind in seventh. The next circuit had Hames drop back off the pace; Jorgensen went a lillie high in turns oneltwo, and Springsteen took over fourth behind Jones. On the final lap, Springer put Jones back to fourth in turn two, and the three raced side-by-side down the back straight. Positions shuffled in the final turns, and they blasted out of four in single £i.le. Jorgensen pulled to theoulside lO run side-by-side with jones at the finish; third went to jorgy by a wheel, with jones, Springsteen and Parker finishing fourth lhrough sixth. Shobert had already taken his 25th career National win, moving him out of a tie for fifth on the all-time win list with Dick Mann and Graham. He said, "All I can say is, that last lap was the longest of my career. With only eight laps left (at the red flag), I thought I pretty much had it wrapped up, if my bike didn't break. On the restart, it always gives the guys a chance to hook up with you, so I tried to run the first few laps and get away, then I backed off and rode safe." He added, ''I'd really like lO thank my mechanics Skip Eaken and Ray Plumb." Chandler's second place capped off an excellent string of finishes during the three final rounds; he won the San jose Mile and Ascot Half Mi~e during the past few weeks on hIS jerrv Griffith-tuned Freddie Spencer/ SUpffTrapp Racing Honda. which vaulted him into third in final series points. • Results 25-LAP NATIONAL: 1. Bubba Shobert (Han); 2. Doug Chandler (Han); 3. Ale. Jorgensen (Han); 4. Ronnie Jones (Han); 5. Joy Springsteen (H-D); 6. Scan Parker (H-D); 7. Pete Homes (H-D); 8. Honk Scan (Han); 9. Ted Boody (Han); 10. SIeve Eklund (H-D); 11. Rod Farris (Han); 12. Steve Morehead (Han); 13. Ricky Graham (Han); 14. Terry Poovey (Han); 15. Wayne Rainey (Han); 16. Chrrs carr (HD); 17. Sammy Sweet (H-D). 12-LAP JUNIOR NATIONAL: 1. BryanVilielia (W. R); 2. Bryan McDowell (H-D); 3. Chance Darling (H-D); 4. Willie McCoy (Han); 5. Robert Damron (H-D); 6. Donnie Harrell (Rtx); 7. Craig Howard (WR); 8. Adam Sabedra (RlX); 9. P.J. Sanchez(RlX); 10. Tony Harrell (Han); 11. Mallhew Yoho (H-D); 12. Bobby McDowell (Han). AMA GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP/ CAMEL PRO SERIES FINAL POINT STANDINGS: 1. Bubba Shobert (313): 2. Scan Parker(217); 3. Doug Chandler (202): 4. Chris Carr (1 B8); 5. Ricky Graham (187); 6. Ronnie Jones 1144); 7. Ted Boody (131); 8. Hank Scan (106); 9. Pete Homes (102); 10. Steve Eklund (99); 11. Ale. Jorgensen (92); 12. Rod Farris (B6); 13. Steve Morehead (81); 14. Jay Springsteen (80); 1 5. Scott Pearson (68); 16. Randy Goss (63); 17. Terry Poovey 160): 18. Sammy Sweet 149); 19. Tom Maitland 132); 20. Tim Mertens 129). JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL POINT STANDINGS: 1. Bryan McDowell 1316); 2. Bryuan Villella (252); 3. Ted Taylor (105); 4. Brion Bonesteel (94); 5. Curtis Connon (88); 6. Chance Darling (84); 7. Eric Sossaman 180); 8. Steve Duff (79); 9. Eric Graybeal (72); 10. Los Washbon (66). 7

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