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/126957
Northern California's Doug Chandler (10) won his second consecutive National Half-Mile at Ascot Park; Ronnie Jones (16) finished second.. Team Harley-Davidson's Chris Carr (20) led the main event for the first 10 laps, but Honda-mounted Chandler (10) got by on lap 11. AMA Grand National Championship Dirt Track Series: Round 2 Chandler repeats at Ascot Half Mile By Farren Williams Photos by Mitch Friedman and Dennis Greene GARDENA, CA, APR. II Freddie Spencer Racing's Doug Chandler rode the narrow groove with near perfection at the 10th Annual Spring Classic in Gardena, winning his. second National Half-Mile at Ascot Raceway in as many outings. . . Ch.~mdler teste~ the high hne In the opemn~ lap of 6 Ascot's first daylight Nauonal since 1974, searching for some sort of cushion, but decided after a couple of full-I~k, tractionless slides that the hot Ime w~s down low, ~n the ~roove. He qUickly tucked hImself m behind the early leader, Sacramento Mile winner Chris Carr, and waited for the Team HarleyDavidson rider to make a mistake. Chandler, who won the Camel Pro Third place finisher Ted Boody, Doug Chandler, Miss Ascot "Leslie Bremer and Ronnie Jones celebrate in the Ascot Raceway winner's circle. Half Mile held here last September, pressured Carr for the first half of the 20-lap feature race, then dove underneath the Harley rider when Carr slipped off the groove going through turns three and four on lap II. Chandler powered away in the closing laps, leaving Carr to battle for second with Oklahomans Ronnie Jones and Ted Boody. Both riders eventually got by, bumping Carr to fourth at the flag. Chandler's win, the seventh of his' five-year National career, was broadcast live on ABC Television's Wide World of Sports to an estimated audience of 18 million viewers. A sparse crowd of approximately 3200 watched the National from the Ascot Park grandstand. "There's no better feeling in the world than winning on national TV," said Chandler. "Ascot is a physically-demanding track. You've got to be calm and conservative to get it to hook up. I'm used to going faster, but 1 knew 1 couldn't slide off (the groove). As it turned out, our bike worked damn good on the notch. "When 1 got into second, 1 saw Chris had some problems coming off both turns," said Chandler. "I started pressuring him and he got into (tum) three really too hot. I just waited for the right moment." "I knew Doug was back there and a couple of laps before he passed me I felt his presence," said Carr. "I got a tad high in turn three and he got by me. But we still have the point leadand that's what counts." With two races complete in the 20race series, Carr leads Chandler 3130 in the National Dirt Track point standings. Jones is tied with Team Harley's Scott Parker for third (21 points each), and defending National champ Bubba Shobert, who put in a lackluster performance at Ascot, rounds out the top five with 20 points. Chandler's share of the $29,500 Spring Classic purse came to $3595, plus $20 per lap for leading the final 10 laps. Jones took home $2385 for claiming second and Boody collected $1550 for taking third. Carr earned $1350 for his fourth place finish, plus $20 per lap for dominating the first half of the race. " Time Trials Parker placed his H-D Motor Co.! Bell/CoorslTsubaki Harley in the top qualifying spot with a clocking of 22. I5 seconds, 0.7 of a second off Ricky Graham's 1983 record of 21.42 seconds. Chandler was second-fastest qualifier with a 22.49 time, Shobert set third-fastest time at 22.5 seconds, and Texan Sammy Sweet was the last rider to earn a pole position in one of four Expert heat races by stopping the clock at 22.59. Wood-Rotaxmounted Darrell Davis was the top Junior qualifier. He stopped the timers at 24 seconds flat. Heats Carr powered his H-D Motor Co.! Lawwill/Shoei/RS TaichilHap JoneslHobie Harley-Davidson into the firstlUrn of the initiallO-lap heat race, leading California's Aaron Hill and Parker. Graham, one of three riders sent to the third row for jumping the start, "tried to pass everybody in the first corner," and crashed going high into turn one. Carr won the heat and Parker got by Hill on lap eight to take second. Hill held onto third, earning the last direct transfer to the main event. California's Robert Land led the Hondas of Boody, sponsored by Hud Racing/Batesl Arai/Megacyclel Fox/BeI-Ray, and Chandler off the line in the second Expert heat. By lap five the two veterans had bumped Land to third. Chandler won the heat by pushing his Freddie" Spencerl SuperTrapplArai/Hi-Point/Nan" kai/ERC/Bel-Ray/ND/RK Chain Honda past Boody coming out of turn two on the final lap. Boody finished second; Land took the last transfer spot. In the third heat race, Shobert went from fourth off the line to first by the end of the initial lap, but Don Estep, riding a Wood-Rotax single, dropped the champ to second on lap two. Shobert pushed Estep hard for the next six laps, then pushed a little too hard on lap eight and slid -out in the second tutn. Shobert pulled in the clutch, kept the en~ne running, and remounted to fimsh ninth, good enough for a starting spot in the second semi. Estep won the heat; the transfer spots were rounded out by Honda-mounted Rich Kin~ and Alex Jorgensen, who was riding a brand new Wood-Rotax single. In the fourth and final heat, Scott Pearson held the edge over Pete Hames and Terry Poovey until the front carburetor fell off Pearson's Honda at the start/finish line on lap