Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ q,) ,.0 o ..... u o Road racer Wayne Rainey. (6R, the only rider with both feet on the pegs), led a hard-charging field of ridfilrs " into turn one at the start of the Sacramento Mile, held at Cal-Expo State Fairgrounds; Rainey finished fourth. What do you think? The AMA awarded this close Sacramento Mile finish to Scott Parker (111, but many felt Bubba Shobert (1) should have won. AMA Grand National Championship Dirt Track Series/Camel Pro Series: Rounds 18/16 Parker edges Shobert in Sacramento Mile By Farren Williams Photos"by Dan Mahony SACRAMENTO, CA, OCT. 3 Team Harley-Davidson's Scott Parker won the 1987 season finale at Cal-Expo State Fairgrounds, taking a controversial victory , over Team Honda's Bubba Shobert in the 6 25th running of the Sacra'l menta M1 e. The two factory riders crossed the finish line in such ~Iose quarters that no one watchmg was sure who had won the race. When repeated reviews of a videotape produced by the Cycle News Finish Line Camera failed to show a clear· winner, official observers awarded the win to l?arker. "When we reviewed the Cycle News stop action camera, the frame with Scott and Bubba at the finish line was inconclusive," aid AMA Dirt Track Manager lB. Norris. "We viewed it many times and couldn't make a determination from the pictures. So officials at t!le start! finish line had to make the caJJ and they called Scott Parker the victor." Video recordings from the Cycle News Finish Line Camera were clear enough to determine third place, however, a battle tbat went down .to the wire between Freddie Spencer/ SuperTrapp Racing's Doug Chandler and new AMA Superbike Champion.Wayne Rainey. Chandler got the nod by a hair, forcing road racer Rainey to settle for fourth, his best performance in a dirt track this fear. In the $17,500, five-lap Camel CI.'aJJenge sprint race between the top six qualifiers, Shobert took the win - and $10,000 first-place money - over Parker and dirt trackerturn~l-road racer jim Filice. The win in the 25-lap main event market! Parker's third National victory on Cal-Expo's one-mile oval, and while he was happy with the outcome, ;le would have rather won the race outright. "All I want is the right decision," said Parker. "If Bubba beat me by an inch and a half, I want him to take the win. lIut it' really hard to say. It was handlebar-to-handlebar • and we were bun ping elbows (at the finish line). I looked at (the videotape) and it was so close I really wouldn't bave wanted to call il." ''I'rr. not the referee, but! thought I bad It," said Shobert. "Our handlebars hit just before we crossed the line. lt was a hell of a race, it was close, but it's not for us to call. The AMA makes those decisions and it seems stT;mge how they just did that one. " Both riders felt fortunate that there had been no championship at stake. A potentially explosive situation had been diffused by the fact that Shobert had wrapped up both the Camel Pro and National Dirt Track titles before the season finale in Sacramento. The situation was potentially explosive because many felt Shobert had won the race. Had a title been • , protests and appeals surely • _at-s wou d have followed. The finish was so close that every one of the 40-odd spectators in the Cal-Expo press box, including this reporter, felt Shobert had crossed the line fir l. But officials and rrtany spectators viewing from trackside, including Cycle News photographer Dan Mabony, gave the nod to Parker. Fortunately, for the Michigan din tracker, it was the official word that counted. Parker's win, taken before 16,802 northern California race fans, earned him a total of 5180 from the 40,000 purse. When added to a 1500 bonus from Harley-Davidson for winning the National, and to 2500 for placing second in the Camel Challenge, Parker took home winnings of approximatley $9180. Shobert earned about $13,435 $10,000 for winning the Challenge and $3435 for placing second in the . feature race. Chandler collected $2240 for third in the National, and $1000 for fifth place in the Camel Challenge. Final Grand National Championship Dirt Track Series point standings at the end of the race showed Shobert taking his 'tbird straight number one plate with 228 points. Parker finished out the season in second place with 211 points, Chandler edged Harley-Davidson factory rider Chris Carr for third by one point, 177-176, and two-time ational Champion Ricky Graham filled out the top five with 169 points. Final standings in the Camel Pro Series battle h~d Shobert in first place with 203 points (good for $100,000 in Camel point fund money), Rainey in second With 144 ( 25,000); Chandler in third with 133 ( 20,000), road racer Kevin Scbwantz in fourth with 132 ($10,000) and Parker in fifth with 106 points ($5000). Time Trials Carr rode his H-D Motor Co.lMert Lawwill/ShoeilHobie Apparel/ Hap jones/R.S. Taichi HarleyDavidson to a record qualifying lap of 37.117 seconds (96.99 mph), breaking the old mark of 37.143, set by Rainey on a Lawwill Harley in 1985. Carr made the record iun on his second attempt after waving off his first qualifying run, which would have been good enough for second fastest time. Parker posted second-fastest time aboard his Bill Werner-tuned factory Harley, stopping the clock at 37.19: Californian Keith Day clocked in at 37.206 to take third fastest time, while Filice, aboard an Eddie Atkinstuned Harley-Davidson, was fourth fastest with a time of 37.241. Chandler posted a 37.227 time on his Freddie Spencer/SuperTrapp Honda to qual ify fifth fastest and Shobert rode his Skip Eaken/Ray Plumb-prepped Honda to s(xth fastest at 37.281. Texan Terry Poovey, California's Alex jorgensen, Rodney Farris of Maryland and Ohio's Steve Morehead rounded out the top 10. Les Washbon was the 48th and final rider to qualify for the program from the 49 riders who made the attempt. His cutoff time was 39.708. Heats Five of the six riders on row two in the first 10-lap, Expert heat race were moved to the penalty line for attempting to jump the start, including Billy Herndon, Tim Mertens, Chad Felicio, Mike Inderbitzin and Washbon. _ Hud Racing's Ted Boody nabbed the hoLeshot when the light finally turned green, but by the end of the first lap he had been dropped to third by Oklahoma's Ronnie Jones and

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