Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126956
. ~ ...... .... ...... ~ Bryan Villella topped the Junior National final. riding his Ron Woodsponsored Wood-Rotax from fourth to first in the opening four laps. Terry Poovey finished sixth in the final. Uke all the privateers. Poovey had problems keeping pace with the factory bikes. - National GaIT began his romp of the 25-lap 8 seller/Gary Nixon Honda, then Pearson would take over the runnerup spot aboard his Circle Bell/ Shoei/Hap Jones/Knight/Red Line/SuperTrapp Honda. They traded second continuously, but when' the checkers flew, it was Pearson who held the narrow edge. Chad Felicio finished fourth to lead Hank Scott, Don Estep and Rob Damron into the semis. Shobert ran away with heat two, leaving Jorgensen and his Pioneer Truck Lmes Honda to do battle with Oklahoma's Ronnie Jones. Jorgensen held a narrow edge until he slipped off the groove on lap seven, allowing Jones to stuff his Gill Racing Honda underneath in turn three. Jorgey recovered quickly and retook the second spot for good on the white flag lap. Michigan's Brian Atherton moved up to challenge Jones at the last minute, but had to settle for fourth and a semi berth. Also ~oing to the semis were Rich Arnall, Robert Land and Scott Adams. Graham and Freddie Spencer Racing's Doug Chandler had an allout, handlebar-ban~ng war in the third 10-lap quahfier. The two Honda riders led the pack off the line, then took turns drafting each other down the straights and diving into turns one and three with daring,. inside passes. Chandler led the race out of turn four on the final lap, but Graham drafted him at the start! finish line to win by a wheel. Springsteen rode the entire race in third, taking the last transfer spot ahead of semi-bound Pete Hames, Sammy Sweet, Dave Hebb and rookie Bryan McDowell. 'Michigan's Parker won the final and fastest heat of the night (6:24.63), setting a blistering pace for Texans Poovey and Billy Herndon. Parker led off the line and pulled away, leaving Poovey in second and Oklahoma's Ted Boody in third. Herndon, who started well back, worked his way to fourth by the fourth lap and was pushing Boody hard by lap eight. Boody bobbled on the final goaround, allowing Herdon to take the last direct transfer to the National. Boody led Rich King, Keith Day and Mike lnderbitzin to the semis. Semis Felicio and Mertens led KK RaciJig Supply's Scott around the oval on lap one of the first semi, but the old pro drafted them both at the start! finish line to begin lap two in first place. Athenon bumped Felicio to fourth on lap three, then used Scott's double-draft move to get by both Scott and Mertens on the next ~o around. Atherton took the wm, while Scott claimed second and the last transfer to the main. Mertens and . Felicio earned trips to the last chance qualifier. . The second semi saw three riders fighting fiercely for the two transfer spots to the main evenL Hames, aboard a Gardner Racing Harley, did battle with Sweet's Pyramid Builders Harley-Davidsol1 and Day's privateer Honda before finally taking the win. Sweet took the last transfer, sending Day to the LCQ. Last Chance Qualifier Felicio recovered from a mediocre start that left him fourth at the green light to win the last chance qualifier and claim the 17th and final starting position in the main evenL Rookie McDowell led six of the 10 laps, but eventually finished fourth, behind Mertens and Day. Junior National Harley-mounted Scott Stump the holeshot in 1987's first 12-nder, 12-lap Junior National, but by the end of the first lap, Erik .Graybeal of Illinois had powered into the lead, dropping Stump to second. Rotax-mounted Randy Fisher held down third, while Villella was running midpack and beginning to move his Ron Wood Rotax through traffic. The hard-charging Villella dropped Fisher to fourth on lap two, then moved into second midway' through lap three by diving under Stump going into the third tum. Villella drafted by Graybeal to take the lead on the front straight at the start of lap four and never looked back until he saw the checkered flag. Graybeal maintained to finish second, Stump mo.tored his Harley home in third and Fisher finished fifth after falling {lrey to Wood Rotax-mounted Craig Howard on the final lap. .peg~ feature race by leading Shobert, Pearson, Graham, Parker and P9Qvey through the first turn. Almost immediately, Carr was gone, gone, gone. His Men Lawwilltuned Harley-Davidson never skipped a beaL When Carr twisted the throttle grip, the big Harley hooked up to the point where even Shobert and his factory Honda couldn't keep pace. By lap six Carr had a L I-second avantage on Shobert. By lap nine his lead was L8 seconds. On lap 13 Carr was out front by 2.59 seconds, and by the time he took the checkered flag he had pulled out to an almost four-second lead. In the final few laps, Carr reportedly turned times in the low 38s and high 37s. ' While Shobert was content to run in second for the first seven laps, .Parker was charging hard, first following Graham around Pearson on lap two, then bumping Graham to fourth on lap four. Parker set his sights on Shobert and passed the Honda rider at the beginning of lap eight, going around the champ as the duo slid into turn one. Graham settled into fourth, while Poovey and Chandler bashed handlebars over fifth. Pearson was running seventh, ahead of a four-way battle for eighth between Farris, Jones, Jorgensen and Hames. A battle raged for 12th betw~n Sweet, Herndon, Felicio, and Atherton. Springsteen was circulating in 16th. with apparent mechanical ills, and Ohio's Scott brought up the rear. On lap 12, Hames dropped out of the race. "A sump fitung broke," Hames said. "It was getting oil on everyone behind. It hasn't been a good night." Earlier in the evening, Hames' Gardner Racing teammate, Steve Eklund, failed to make his heat race lineup when he discoverd a crack in the center cases on his XR750. Springer dropped out two laps later when the front carburetor on his R&:B Racing Team HarleyDavidson popped out of the rubber boot holding it to the intake manifold. Members of the Springsteen camp blamed the incident on the restrietor rule, which mandates that AMA technicians check the restrictors each time a rider qualifies for the next event in the program. Springsteen's carburetor reportedly had been removed three times before the final for restrietor plate tech inspections. When Parker set out to catch Carr on laps 16-20, he went into the comers so hard that Shobert could smell the burning rubber coming off the Harley's rear tire. The champ sat in third place and waited. Graham was all alone in fourth, but his engine - the same motor he ran at Sacramento last fall, put into a frame at the last minute, without rebuilding, so the two-time champ could make the Sacramento National - was showing signs of giving ouL The Poovey/Chandler battle continued for fifth, and Pearson held the edge over Farris, Jones and Jorgensen in the tussle for seventh. Shobert dove underneath Parker going into turn one on lap 20, and Parker answered going mto- tum three, half a lap later, but was soon forced to back off, allowing Shobert to take over second for 200<1. Chandler finally got by Poovey on lap 22 to set the final finishing order. Carr crossed the line leading Shobert, Parker, Graham (who's ailing engine went the distance), Chandler, Poovey, Pearson, Jorgensen, Farris, and Jones. Sweet topped the racelong battle for lith, beating Herndon, Felicio, and Atherton. Hondamounted Scott rounded out the 15 riders who took the checkered flag..• Results 25-LAP NAnONAL: I . Chri. ClI" (H-D~ 2. Bubbll Shobert (Hon~ 3. Scott PIIrker (H-D~ 4: Ricky Grlhlm (Hon); 5. Doug Chlndl., (Hon); 6. TIrr'( Poovey (Honl; 7. Scott Pel,",," (Honl; B. Alex Jorlll"..n (Honl; 9. Rod.,.., FI"i. (Hon~ 10. Ronnie .10..... (Hon~ 11. Slmmy S _ (H-D); 12. Billy HemcIen (Hon); 13. Chid Fllicio (H-D~ 14. Bri"" Athenon (H-D); 15. Hlnk Scott (Hon~ 16. .lIy Springltlln (H-D~ 17. Petl HI"'" (H·DI. RACE nME: 15:48.803. AVERAGE SPEED: 94.856 mph. 12-LAPJUNIOR NAnONAL: 1. 8ryIn Villelll fWR); 2. Erik G"~I fW-R~ 3. Scoll Stump (H-D~ 4. erlig H _ (W·Rt 5. Rlndy Filhlr (Roll; 6. Bobby McDowllI (H-DI; 7. Chlnco D1rting (H·D~ B. MIrk ConIni fW.JIt 9. Eric G,." (Rtx); 10. Jon Nunez (H-DI; 11. Otto JorglnlOn (H-DI. 12. DI,.II DIVis fW-RI. RACE nME: 7:53.443. AVERAGE SPEED: 91.247 mph. AMA GRAND NAnoNAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. Chri. ClI" (20); 2. Bubbll ShobIn (I 6~ 3. Scot! P._ (131; 4. Ricky Grlhlm (111; 5. Doug Chlndllr (1 O~ 6. T.,,, Poovey (9); 7. Scot! P.......n (B~ B. Alex Jorgl"..n (7~ 9. RodnIV FI"i. (61; I O. Ronnie .10..... (5); 11. Simmy S _ (4~ 12. Billy HemcIen (3t 13. Chid Felicio (2t 14. Briln Athlrton (1). JUNIOR NATIONAL POINT STANDINGS: I. 8ryIn Ville/II (201; 2. Erik Gr"""'l (16t 3.-Scoll. Stump (13t 4. erllg H _ (I 1); 5.llIndy FiIhIr (101; 6. Bobby McOowoIi (9); 7. Chlnco Dlrting (B~ B. MIrk ConIni (7t 9. Eric G,.." (6t 10. Jon NunlZ (5t 11. Otto Jorvo- (4~ 12. 01....1DIviI (31·