Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Shobert won his second Camel Challenge race in as many weeks. Bubba Shobert (1) won his third National in arow on DuQuoin's "Magic Mile" at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Doug Chandler (10) looked ahead while former National champ Ricky Graham (3) checked out the eompetition. AMA Grand National Championship Dirt Track Series/Camel Pro Series: Rounds 1.1./9 Shobert rolls to DuQuoin Mile win By Farren Williams Photos by Bert Shepard DUQUOIN, IL, JULY 26 Grand National Champion Bubba Shobert is on a roll. Team Honda's Shobert, who won the Camel Pro Parkersburg Half Mile last week and the Laguna Seca Road Race 6 National the week before, came away with his third I on the "Magicin Mile" at the National win a row today fllinois State Fairgrounds in DuQuoin. The victory pushed Shobert's National career wins to 29. Shobert not only won the Camel Pro main event o'n DuQuoin's "Magic Mile," oval - his third consecutive DuQuoin victory since 1985 -" but also set fastest time, won the faste~t heat race of the day and powered to a convincing victory in the $17;500, five-lap Camel Challenge sprint race !>etween the top six qualifiers. , Seco"nd place in the 25-lap feature race went to two-time National Champion Ricky Graham, and Pioneer Truck Lines pilot Alex Jorgensen finished third before 8132 excited Illinois race fans. Shobert almost lost the race in the final corner when his RS750 Honda quit running going into turn three on the last lap. He moved over and let Graham pass on the inside, then drafted past Graham at the finish line' when his factory mount unexpectedl y refired. "The whole race the bike was sputtering," Shobert said. "On the last lap I felt something, then on the backstraight, going into turn three, she quit and I moved over to let Ricky go, then she just took off again." The main event was marred by a six-rider crash in turn three' on lap 12 when the engine blew on Ted Boody's Hud Racing Honda, spewing oil onto his rear tire and onto the'track. Boody, who was running ninth at the time, went down instantly and the riders following him into the turn hit the oil on the groove and tumbled like falling dominoes. Boody was joined in the bay bales by Sammy Sweet, Ronnie Jones, Rich King, Steve Eklund and Steve Morehead. Sweet and Morehead were airlifted by helicopter to nearby Good Samaritan Hos'pital in Mt. Vernon. Morehead had complained' of stomach pains and Sweet was suffering severe neck and back pain. Eklund was trarisported by ambulance to a local hospital in DuQuoin with a possible fractured arm. Morehead and Eklund were released the day of the race and Sweet was scheduled to be released the following Monday. None of the riders reportedly suffered broken bones. "I went into turn three and it was like someone pulled the rug out from under !De," said Boody. "The cases cracked and spilled oil. I've fallen a bunch of times on dirt but never that quick. h was like falling on a road racer." King was the only rider who made the restart. Boody was out with blown cases and Jones was not allowed to restart the race because he had made repairs in the pits, which officials described as illegal under AMA rules. Shobert collected $10,000 for winning the Camel Challenge and pocketed another $5180, plus bonuses and contingencies, for topping the main event. Graham's share of the $40,000 purse came to $343.'; and Jorgensen took home third place money of $2240. The victory gave Shobert a 112-92 advantage over road racer Wayne Rainey in the Camel Pro Series point standings. Dirt tracker Doug Chandler is third in the standings with 86 points, while road racer Kevin Schwantz is listed fourth with 72 points. Chandler, who finished fourth in the National, maintained his lead over Team Harley-Davidson's Scott Parker in the battle for the Grand National Championship Dirt Track Series ti tie. Chandler leads Parker, who finished seventh, 140-133, while Shobert closed the gap on the two front runners by pushing his total to 131 points.

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