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/126974
Doug Chandler (10) finished second and took over the points lead.·Chris Carr (20) had mechanical problems in the ma in . . Ric h King (8 0), Ricky Gra ham (3) and Pete Hames (behind Graham) · battled in the second semi. Graham won and was third in t he ma in. Steve Morehead celebrates on the victory lap after his f irst National victory of the season at Hagerstown. AMA Grand National Championship Dirt Track Series: Round 10 . Morehead slides to Hagerstown win Chandler at 25.064 rounding out the top five qualifiers. Parker led the next five qualifiers at 25.135 followed by last week's Middletown Half Mile winner Ronnie Jones at 25.169, Robert Crabbe at 25.268, Alex Jorgensen (25.296) and Pearson (25.300). Villella topped the J unior qualifiers with an amazing time of 24.972, making him fourth fastest overall. "That was great," said Villella, "I can't wait to go Expert to see what I can do . I want to get in the Camel Challenge and get some money out of that," laughed Villella. Heats By Mike Larson Photos by Bert Shepard HAGERSTOWN, MD, JULY II The "Findlay Flyer," Steve Morehead, scored his first AMA G ra nd Nationa l Championship Dirt Track win of th e 1987 season and h is first Na tion al victory since the Lima, Oh io, Half Mile in 1985 on Hagerstown Speedway's half mile oval. Morehead slipped by Doug 6 . Chandler on la p three of the m~m event and. never looked back, leading the remainder of the race with. no problem. Behind Chandler, Ricky Graham , bac k aboard ~ Honda RS750 for this race, took thud, ",:hlle Scott Pearson and Don Estep ftlled out the top five spots. Chandler went into the event tied with Team Harley-Davidson's Scott Parker in the Dirt Track Series point standings at 104 points each. Chandler put together a solid second place finish, while Parker struggled home for a seventh place finish. Chandler now leads Parker in the title chase by eight points, 120 to 112. Morehead:s win netted him a total of $3595 while Chan~ler took home $2385 and. Graham s thud place garnered him $1550. In the Junior National, Bryan Villella piloted his Ron Wood/MC Racing/Shoei/Cam-2/Hog Washl Phil's Cycle-backed Wood-Rotax to the main event win after working his way into the lead on lap five. . T' T' I nne ria s . Morehead started out the evening's racing action byreeling orr the fastest time on his KKiLaube's Cycle /F&S Harley-Davidson/Storz/John Dragool]. W. Hunt-sponsored Harley. Morehead's 24.597 led the field with Estep (24.612), Sammy Sweet (24.963), Chris Carr (25.053) and Jorgensen jetted his Pioneer Truck Lines/Indian Motorcycle Supplyl Storz/Hi-Poinr/Red Line Honda to the lead in turn one of the first 10lap Expert heat race, but Morehead carrie blasting by to take the lead in turn two . From that point on it was an all Morehead show. He led the race the rest of the way, with Jorgensen maintaining a close second and Brian Atherton taking third and the last direct transfer to the main. Atherton's third marked his first ride in National competion since May, whenhe was injured in a trail riding accident following the San Jose Mile. In the second heat, Tom Colson led the field orr the line and into turn one, but Circle Bell /Shoeil SuperTrapp/Hap ' Jones/Carlislel . Hi·Point/Red Line/KaI·GardiRKI N D /Megacycle /K&N I M i k u n i backed Pearson snuck by in turn two, followed by Jones and Terry Poovey. Pearson and Jones battled on lap two, with Jones gaining the upper hand and taking over the lead. Lap three saw Estep reel in the lead duo and join in the fight over first place. Steel Mastersl Custom Cycle S u ppl y I S h o eilS m i tty ' s /Har leyDavidson Motor Co .lScott USA- backed Estep challenged Pearson and took over the second place spot on lap four and was right on Jones' I rear fender as they began lap five. Estep powered to the outside line in turns one and two and railed around Jones coming out.of two . Estep held the lead for the rest of the IO -Iap race and managed to build up a small margin on Jones and Pearson as they finished one-twothree. The third heat belonged to Parker. He led the field into the first turn and kept his Harley-Davidson Motor> Co. I T s u bakilBe Il lS u perTrapp v Harley on the groove the whole way for the win. Sweet got past Pete Hames on lap two and held second the rest of the way. Hank Scott put in an excellent ride to claim the third place spot. Each heat got progressively faster on the Hagerstown track and the 1 , fourth heat proved to be the fastest of the evening. Carr jetted his Harley-Davidson Motor Co.lLawwill/Shoei/RS Taichi/Hap Jonesl Hobie Apparel-backed XR750 into the lead orr the start and held it the whole way reco rding the fast heat I time of 4:02:881. Chandler moved, right in behind Carr and kept his Freddie SpencerlSuperTrappl Arai/", H i-P oin t/ Na n ka ilERC/ BeI-Rayl ND/RK Chain-sponsored Honda in second all the way to the checkered flag. Dan Ingram finished third and got the last of the direct transfers' from the heats to the main. Semis Will Davis got the holeshot in the first semi, closely followed by Terry Poo vey on his Shoei/Marioneaux Raci n g / H a p Jones /Portco Sprockets /Ts u bak i-sponsored i Honda and Jay Springsteen. Poo vey waited until lap four to make his move on Davis. Poovey got by Davis