Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Scott Parker (11) and Alex Jorgensen (44) argued over second for 15 laps, swapping the Jeed repeatedly. Graham, Eklund and Jorgensen celebrate in the winner'. circle. Junior winner Darell Davis closed the gap on Junior National point leader Bryan Villella when Villella failed to qualify for the main event. finished seventh, leading home Danny Powell, Sanchez, Scott Saunders, Kiser and Graybeal (the final four failed to complete the full" 12 laps). The victory pulled Davis to within six points of series point leader Villella. Villella, who held a 26point advantage over Davis ~ing toto the race, now leads DaVIS 71- 65. Aseltine is third in the standings with 47 points. National Parker blasted his H-D Motor Co./ Bell/Coors/Tsubaki HarleyDavidson HD600R off row one at the start of the 25-lap main event, towing Pearson and ElcJund into the first tum. Fourteen of the 15 riders in the feature race came through (he tum unscathed, but Hames' evening of hard luck continued as the pack entered the infield; Hames got tied up in thick traffic and was knocked off his motorcycle. By the. end of lap two, with the field sorted out, Parker led Pearson, Eltlund, Estep, TT specialist Fay, Jorgensen, Graham, Jones, Carr, Chandler, King, Poovey, Springsteen, Hill and Hames. Jorgensen got around Fay with a diving pass through turns one and two at the beginning of lap three, and Pearson dropped to dead last when the chain jumped off his Ronda as he circulated through the infield (thrown chains are a common occurance on Santa Fe Speedway's TT course). Up front, Eklund was hounding Parker, while Estep held down third in frofU of the Jorgensenl Fay battle. Graham had moved into sixth position from a third row start, while Jones and Chandler, both of whom had started on row two, had settled into seventh and eighth places, respectively. Eklund passed Parker on lap seven to take over the lead as the front- running duo flew off the first infield jump. Jorgy bumped Estep to fourth on the same lap with his seemingly favorite move in turns one and two. Eltlund immediately began to put distance between himself and Parker, while Jorgensen moved right up to the factory Harley's rear fender, signaling a blistering battle for second place that would last 15 laps. Graham, riding hard in sixth place, moved to fifth on lap eight when he powered past Fay, and took over fourth on lap II when he slid past Estep as the duo exited the infield and headed for. the sweeper. Graham was on the gas, pushing hard in every turn in an all-out effort to catch the battle for second. By the time lap 15 began, Eltlund had powered hts way into a 2.5second lead and was still pulling away from the second placeswapping, Parker/Jorgensen duel. Jones had taken over fifth, dropping Estep to sixth, and Jones began pressuring Graham for fourth. Chandler had passed Fay in a tight, infield tum to claim seventh, while King was running ninth and Poovey rounded out the top 10; Carr, Hill, Springsteen and Pearson folJowed. Hames had pulled off the track on lap nine. Jones went the way of Pearson when his Gill Racing Honda spit off a chain in the infield on lap 15. He, like Pearson, put the chain back on his motorcycle and rejoined the race at the back of the pack. Parker and Jorgensen swapped second place frantically throughout laps 15-20, hile fourth-running Graham clo the gap and a hardcharging Chandler used the late laps to work his way to Graham's back door. Estep defended sixth, holding off challenges from Fay and King. Graham made his presence known in a big way on lap 21 when he stuffed his way under Jorgensen in turns one and (WO, then powered his way into second place when he passed Parker going over the first mfield jump. . But Eklund couldn't be caug1}L The former champ gained time on the field every lap and when he finished the race he held a four.second edge over Graham. Jorgensen stayed right with Graham in the closing laps but couldn't find his way around. Parker slipped slightly off the pace, but not enough to allow fifth-running Chandler to make a last-lap challenge. Estep held on to take sixth over Fay, King, Carr and Poovey. Hill finished II th and was followed home by Springer and Pearson. Jones completed 24 laps to take 14th, and 15th went to Hames. _ Results 25-LAP NATIONAl: 1. S _ Eklund (H-Ot 2. Ric:I

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