Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Steve Eklund claimed a record ninth National TT win at Hinsdale. Scott Parker (11) took the lead at the beginning of the 13th Annual Hinsdale TT, setting the pace for Scott Pearson (95), Steve Eklund (8), Don Estep (64) and TT specialist Mickey Fay (13). Eklund won the race. AliA Grand National Championship Dirt Track Series: Round 6 Eklund rewrites record book at Hinsdale 'TT By Farren Williams Photos by Bert Shepard HINSDALE, lL, JUNE 5 Former National Champion Steve Eklund rode into the record books at the 13th Annual Hinsdale TT, claiming the ninth TT victory of his career to become the AMA's aU-time National TT winner. Eklund's victory, his fifth National win at Hinsdale's Santa Fe Speedway, broke the IT career record of eight wins held by both Eklund and retired National Champion Dick "Bugsy" Mann. Eklund took the lead £rom factory Harley-Davidson rider Scott Parker on lap seven of the 25-lap feature race, then powered away from the field aboard his Gardner Racing/ Arai/Rogers Construction/Castrol KaI-Gard/O'Neal Harley-Davidson. Once Eklund worked his way to the front of the pack, no one could touch him. Two-time National Champion Ri ky Graham put in a brilliant ride before Hinsdale's 9128 fans to claim the runner up spot. Graham gassed his Arai/Bel-Ray/Tsubaki/HiPoint Honda RS600 off row three in seventh place and picked off riders, lap after lap, until he closed on a fierce two-rider battle for second between Parker and Wood-Rolaxmounted Alex Jorgensen. Graham got around Parker and Jorgensen late in the race, but Eklund was too di lant to touch. Jorgensen edged Parker for the show spot to make it a California- rider sweep of the top three positions. "I can't believe it. , love this place," said Eklund. '"Things went our way. They really went mooth. The way I felt tonight, and the way the bike was working, we should be right in there (at the Peoria IT. Jun~ 14). It sure feels good to win one. I'd really like to thank Charlie Gardner." "He was smooth. He looked like he was going to church." said sponsor Gardner. "I'm really proud to be as ociated with Steve." "This is the greatest," said an exuberant Graham in the winner's circle. "We've had a tring of bad luck and really needed to do good again. I'd really like to thank Troy (Graham's brother and tuner). He's the ultimate. "Man, that was a race," said Graham. '" really respect those twO guys' was in the winner's circle with. Eklund and Jorgensen are natural motorcycle riders and I've respected them ever since I was a little kid." "I tarted from the second row and gota real good start," said Jorgen en. "I figured once I got around Parker, I could hold him o££. I'd get him oming ontO the straight, but I'd come in (to turn one) tOO hot and he'd get back by me. And the whole time, Ricky (Graham) was catching up. Once Ricky got by me, I didn't have any problem staying with him, I just-ran out of laps. ''I'd like to thank Pioneer Truck Lines, Jimmy Sutter, Ed Grant and Ron Wood," Jorgensen said. Michigan's Parker, who led the race in the opening laps, was more than happy with fourth place. The top-five finish kept him on top of the National Dirt Track Series point standings. "I'll take it," said Parker, who holds an 83-73 edge over Doug Chandler in the standings. 'Tm happy to get out of here with fourth and I'm going to give it 150% all the way to the end (of the battle for the National title)." National Champion Bubba Shobert, who didn't 'race at Santa Fe because he was at Brainerd (Minnesota) International Raceway to get ready for a June 7 AMA Camel Pro Series Road Race, is third in the standings with 58 points. Graham's second-place futish moved him into fourth with 55 points and HarleyDavidson's Chri'S Carr rounds out the top five with 48. Chandler, who said last week at the Louisville Half Mile that he wouldn't race at Hinsdale, had a last minute change of heart. He chartered all airplane and £lew his IT bike and crew from Brainerd to Santa Fe Speedway just in time for the National. .. "It wasn't for ure we would race here ulltil yesterday," Chandler said before practice. '" just wanted to get back up there (in the point standings) with Scotty (Parker) and keep that close." Eklund's win eanled him 3960 from the $27,500 Expert purse, including $3275 first-place money, $360 in lap money, and $325 iil bonuses and contingencies. Graham took home about $2495, Jorgensen collected about $1740 and Parker pocketed approximately $1695.. Time Trials Jorgensen set fastest time aboard his Pioneer Truck Lines/Indian MC upply/Ston/Hi-Point/Red Line/ Ed Grant Wood ROlax, stopping the clock at 38.9 seconds. Californian Scott Pearson was only three one-hundredths of a second off Jorgensen's pace with a 38.927 showing. Chandler was third fastest with a 39.060 clocking, and Graham, riding the same Honda 600cc single he used to win the Peoria IT in 1984, rounded out the heat race pole sitters with a 39.194 time. Iowa's Rich King was fifth fastest, clocking in at 39.271. Rounding out the top 10 we.re Eklund, Parker, TT specialist Mickey Fay of Washington, Ronnie Jones and Aaron Hill. Only 47 Experts attempted to qualify for the 48-rider field so everyone made the program. The top Junior qualifier was Ohio's Scott Stump, who stopped the clock at 40.407 seconds. Heats Fay grabbed the holeshot at the Slart of the first 10-lap Expert heat race, leading Jones and Chad Felicio into tutn one, Jorgensen, who suffered a poor start, was ruoning fifth. Fay put his Cougar Gultch Dist'! Castrol /H i- Poi n t/BelJlTsubakil Ouco Frames/Megacy~le/BuIfalo Harley-Davidson at the front of the pack and never looked back. Jones held second from wire to wire, and Jorgensen worked his way to third by the checkered £lag. Felicio, who finished fourth, was bound for one of two Expert emis. Parker popped the holeshot at the start of heat two, but Pearson went under the factory Harley rider in the first turn and powered away from the pack. Pearson. riding a Circle Bell/ Shoei/Hap Jones/SuperTrapp/HiPoint/Megacycle/Works Perf.! Knight/Rick Reed/Red Line/KalGard/Mikuni/K&N/ND Honda, never relinquished his lead and finished with a four-second edge on Parker, who took the checkers fou I' seconds ahead of Hill. Hill's third earned him the last direct transfer to the main event. Eklund used the third 10-lap qualifying heat as practice for the feature race. He nabbed the holeshor and held the top spot from green light to checkered £lag, finishing three seconds in' front of r.unner-up Estep. Estep controlled second from wire to wire. Chandler inherited third aboard his Fr.eddie pencer/ SuperTrapp/ArailHi-Point/Nan-

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