Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

. Boody carried an ABC Wide World of Sports camera during the final. seven. The front carburetor also fell off road racer Wayne Rainey's RS750 as the Daytona 200 winner powered into turn one on the first lap. Poovey, sponsored by S_hoei/Marioneaux Racing/Hap Jones/Portco/Tsubaki, got around Hames to win the Ileat. Hames took second and Jones, aboard his Gill/Shoei/Megacycle/ Knight/Racecrafters/Stump Insurance Honda, claimed the last transfer position. Pearson went to semi two; Rainey failed to qualify. Semis Gary Nixon-backed Rodney Farris won the first semi, taking tl\e only transfer spot into the main event. Earning trips to the last chance g,ualilier with second and third place finishes were former National champ Steve Eklund and veteran Steve Morehead. The first semi was stopped-twice by red flags. Chad Felicia brought out the first flag when he went down in turn three on the third lap. The second red flag came out three laps later when a brake line broke on Tim Mertens Harley and he was forced to lay it down in the same corner while leading the race. Both riders were unhurt. Shobert blew by traffic at the start of the second semi, pulled into the lead by the end of the first lap and never looked back. His easy win earned him a starting berth in the main event. Second went to Sweet, and Michigan's Brian Atherton rounded out the top three; both were bound for the LCQ. Last Chance Qualifier Morehead nabbed the holeshot in the last chance qualifier and held on for 10 laps to earn the 15th and final starting spot in the feature race. Pearson, Atherton and Eklund rounded out the top four, but were out of the program. Junior National Because of the ABC broadcast of the Expert main event, the entire Junior program was run at the end of the day. Ohio's Scott Stump, winner of the second Junior heat race, powered away with the holeshot in the 12lap Junior final, followed by Steve Aseltine, sponsored by Cougar Bu1ch Distilling/Team Panthe,i/Shoei/ Deeley H-D/BBRP ICastroVLilIiel R8cD/HoJz, and Kenneth Netto. Bryan Villella, winner of the Junior National at Sacramento, was running well back, out of the top 10. Aseltine and Washington's Darrell Davis, winner of the first Junior heat, bumped Stump to third on the fifth lap, while P.]. Sanchez and Netto ran A Rodney Farris-Pete Hames crash early in the main event caused scrambling for position in tum four. fourth and fifth, respectively. By lap 10, Aseltine and Davis were pulling away from the field, while Sanchez was pushing Stump in a bid to take over third: Filling out fifth through ninth were Netto, Kris Kiser, Craig Howard, Donnie Harrell, and Villella Sanchez crashed in tum three on . lap 11, and positions shifted significantly on the final go-around when Kiser and Stump tangled and went down in tbe same comer. No one was injured. Harley-mounted Aseltine, who hails from Aldergrove. Bri.tish Columbia, held on for the win. Davis finished second, Netto took third, and during the last-lap contusion, Villella moved into fourth to hold onto his Junior National point lead. Howard rounded out the top five. Six of the seven top finishers were riding Wood-Rotax motorcycles. National About an hour before the final, most of the top riders predicted a narrow, follow-the-leader groove. Shobert gambled that a cushion might develop and prepared his factory Honda accordingly. "We decided to try a different tire when we saw them water the track," said Shobert after the race. "We put on an old-style Carlisle and our strategy was to get out front early and ride high." Carr was off like a shot when the green light sigilaled the start of the 20-lap feature race, leading Estep, Pa.rker and Chandler into turn one. Shobert, starting from the third row, went to the outside and moved himself into the top 10. . Chandler, with conventional Goodyear rubber mounted to his rear rim, tried the high line briefly, but almost immediatley dropped down onto the groove behind Carr and Estep. Parker, Jones (who started on row two), and Boody rounded out the top six, while a traction less Shobert circulated in ninth. The caution flags came out on lap four when Farris and Hames tangled as the duo dove into turn three while running near the back of the pack. At first it looked to spectators as if an upset Hames might take a swing at Farris, but Hames only waved a pointed finger in the Maryland rider'li face. "We were going into turn three, everybody was going in slow, and I was right behind Pete," said Farris. "Ric!l King bobbled, Pete stopped and I couldn't stop quick enough, and I went over the handlebars. On a little, slippery groove it's hard to stop. " Hames had a different version of the incident. "I was just t-boned," said Hames, who· didn't see anyone bobble in front of him. "Everybody was pole hugging and the next thing I knew he was allover me. I lost my temper. I guess I shouldn't have, but this is the third time he's done that." The crash cost Parker dearly. The • factory Harley rider dropped about five positions when he went outside to avoid the downed motorcycles and several riders shot underneath him. He mounted a determined comeback bid that lasted the rest of the race. By lap six, Jones and Boody had dropp.ed Estep to fifth, while Chandler pressured Carr up front. Following in freight-train fashion were King, Parker, Shobert, Jorgensen and Morehead. The field lost another rider on lap nine when the ignition malfunctioned on Morehead's KK/Huntl . Laubes Cycle/Storz Honda. Chandler ducked under Carr at the midway point and powered away, leaving Jones and Boody to pressure the young northern Californian. Jones took over second on lap 16 when Carr got his steel shoe caught in a rut in turn two and drifted toward the outside; the steel shoe never righted itself on Carr's boot and Carr said it irritated him for the rest of the race. Boody went by Carr on the same lap coming out of turn four when Carr drifted slightly to the outside and Boody tucked his Hud Racing Honda underneath the factory Harley. Once around Carr, Jones decided to let Chandler go. "When I got by Chris there were only a couple of laps to go," said Jones. "I decided to stay on the groove and if I could catch Doug riding ·a comfortable pace I would. But if I had to over-ride to catch him I'd take second. That's what I did." Chandler wheelied across the finish line ahead of Jones, Boody and Carr. King crossed the line a comfortable fifth, and Estep finished sixth on the single even though seventh-running Parker pressured him in every corner for the final few laps. Rounding out the freight-train field were Poovey, Hill, Jorgensen, Shobert and Land. • Resuhs 2o-LAP NATIONAL: 1. Doug Chandler (Hon); 2. Ronnie Jones (Han); 3. Ted Boody (Hon); 4. Chris Carr (H-D); 5. Rich King (Hon); 6. Don Estep (HD); 7. Scott Parlter (H-D); 8. Terry Poovey (Hon); 9. Aaron Hill (H-D); 10. Alex Jorgensen (W-R); 11. Bubba Shobert (Hon); 12. Robert Land IH·D); 13. Steve Mareheed (H-D); 14. Pete Hames (H-Dt. 15. Rodney Farris (Hon). 12-LAP JUNIOR NATIONAL: 1. Steve Aseltine (H-D); 2. Darrell Davis (W·R); 3. Kenneth Netto (WRl; 4. Bryan Villella (W-Rt. 5. Craig Howard (W. R); 6. Donnie Harrell (W·R); 7. Marlt Corsetti (WR); 8. Randy Fisher (Rtx); 9. Tony Holdsclaw (Rtx); 10. Kris -Kiser (Hon); 11. Scott Stump (H-D); 12. P.J. Sanchez (Rtx). ' AMA GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP DIRT TRACK SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. Chris Carr (31); 2. Doug Chandler (30); 3. (Tie) Ronnie Jones/ Scott Parker (21); 5. Bubbe Shobert (20); 6. Terry Poovey (16); 7. Ted Boody (13); 8. Alex Jorgensen (12); 9. Ricky Graham (11); 10. Rich King (10); 11. Don Estep (9); 12. Scott Pearson (8); 13. (TIe) Rodney Farris/Aaron Hill (6); 15. Sammy Sweet (4); 16. (Tie) Robert L8nd/Billy Herndon (3); 18. (Tie) Chad Felicia/Steve Moreheed (2); 20. (Tie) Brian Athenon/Pet8 Hames (1). JUNIOR NATIONAL POINT STANDINGS: 1. Bryan Villella (31); 2. Craig Howard (21); 3. Steve Aseltine (20); 4. Darrell Davis (19); 5. (Tie) Scott Stump/Randy Fisher (17); 7. Erik Graybeel (16); 8. Marlt Corsetti (15); 9. Kenneth Netto (13); 10. (Tie) Donnie Harrell/Bobby McDowell (9); 12. Chance Darli"g (8); 13. (Tie) Eric GreenlTony Holdsclaw (6); 15. (Tie) Kris Kiser/Jon Nunez 15); 17. Otto .Jorgensen (4); 18. P.J: Sanchez (3). 7

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