Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

(From left to right) Polen, Shobert and Chandler celebrate their top three finishes in the win ner's circ le. Polen won the Camel Challenge. The big Californian escaped injury, but his chances in t h e Na tional were voided by the spectacul ar crash. Third p lace then fell to Ashmead with Chandler fourth and Qua rterl ey fifth . Polen earned $10,000 for his efforts with Shobert taking $2500. Polen's time in the Camel Challenge (7:23.409, 102.298 mph) was slower than that of his heat race. "That wasn't the race setup, the race setup will be better," Polen said after the Challenge. "The tire was too soft for this heat. I'll use a harder one, the one I used in th e heat race , for th e National. " Pol en , who was weakened by the flu in the weeks prior 10 the National and who was breathing only through his mouth while racing, had to go straight 10 the 600cc Supersport final grid following the Challenge, and would only have the time it took LO run the 250cc Grand Prix class as a break before the National. Po len spoke of the problem of running too many classes . " T here's going to be a point when I hav e 10 draw the line," he said after being beaten by ·SC Russell in the Oll 750cc Supersport race on Saturday. " I' m wearing myself a little th in . The Superbike title is the mos t important to me; I do the o ther . classes more for Dunlop than for myself." The 40-rider-strong Superbike Na tional gridded under sunny skies, in front of an estimated 12,000 fans. With Gray a non-starter, the pack charged into turn one with holeshot artist Shobert leading the way. Polen followed and at the end of the first lap these two were already slightly clear of third-p laced Baldwin. After two laps the leading duo led the surprising Baldwin by 2.2 seconds with a host of others, including Quarterley, McMur ter, "Ashmead, Chandler and Renfro w, in lOW. O n the third lap Richard Amaiz, Ben Beasley and local rider Scott R u ssell , who suffered a broken collarbone, crashed hard in turn seven, sending the ambulance onto the track. Two laps later, Shorts crashed in turn one. "It was a brand new front tire and it just never came in," Shorts said later. By the en d of lap seven things were beginning to son themselves out as Shob ert led Polen ; Bal dwin followed about three seconds in arrears, and Ash mead and Chandler dueled ahead .of Ren fro w. Quarterley and McMurter, meanwhile, were gearing up for a ba ttle for seventh that wo uld go to the flag . A lap later, on la p eight, Polen led for the first time, but another two laps saw Shobert back in front. Baldwin was suddenly off the pace, a victim of a scary experience with the o n-track a mbulance. " I came over the crest of the hi ll and the ambulance was in the middle of the track," .he said later. " Right in a blind spot, so I slammed on the brakes and lost a lot of Lime. O n about th e II th lap it started spinning the back end real bad; I don't know if it was the shock .or the tire. I probably pushed it 100 hard the first 10 laps." . Baldwin then started losing a second a lap to the leading duo, and was being chased down from behind by Chandler and Ashmead. Up front the song remained the same as Shobert led Polen , th e two ' turning tim es in th e 1:28-range o n laps 14 and 15 before slowing to a pace of 30s on lap 16. Lap 17 saw Chandler and Ashmead, turning 30s while Baldwin dropped to 31s, right on the Vance & Hines recruit. A lap la ter Chandler was past with Ashmead doing likewise on lap 19. On lap 20, however, Baldwin got through traffic better and pulled clear from Ashmead; Chandler also esca ped havoc with traffic, and pulled out a second on Baldwin. Renfro w was a comfortable sixth. . The race for the lead was going to the last lap , and on lap 23 number 23 led across the stripe, trying to make a break from Shobert. "The whole race I was ho lding back, just look at th e lap times" Polen said. "I just ran whatever he ran. I felt good and I didn 't work the tires real hard. On the last lap I wicked it up and had a fairly decent lead. I gassed it up going on the backstraight and shifted from first to second and then it died. He was way back, but I thought, "Oh, no." I shook it and it went. He flew by and I went as fast as I 'could. I drafted up to his right side, the inside, but I was too far inside. I couldn't brake while turning, so I had to back off to where I could make it through the corner. I stood it up and rode it down the hill. " I think I could've cruised to the finish line if it hadn't died, but things happen; that's why they call it racing. Next time, when I'm feeling strong again, I'Il go from the flag. I could've done th is and I co uld've done that, but th in gs will be different nex t time." Shobert's version of the closing lap s was slig ht ly different. "A couple of times when I caught traffic in weird situa tions I thought I could break away," Shobert said. " And then with him being sick I thought he may be fading. I let him pass me on the last lap, bu t he p ulled Rueben McMurter (24) and Da le Quarterley (32) battled over seventh place for most of the race with McMurter getting the nod in the end . Shobert (1) leads Polen (23), Gray (hidden), Ashmead (37 ), Quarterley (32)and Chandler in the Challenge. Polen won with Shobert second . up on the inside and acted like his bike quit. He outbraked me, but he went in too hot. We were both sideways and I went across the two whoop-de-does at the bottom. That was a good race. No one knew that was going to happen did they?" Chandler was pleased with third place. " I can't get going in the firs I few laps. It takes me awhile to get ' going and then they're gone. I guess it's just confidence in your tires. I've 'go t to work on getting going in those first couple of laps." Baldwin, who wi ll li kely show u p for more MfA Natio nals thi s season, said. "I should've had third, but I have no excuses. We got a good result for the team. " Ren frow, who has now given up 250cc racing in a n effort LO better his Superbike results , said he learned a lo t at Road Atlanta. " I found OUI that I've been setting it up too soft, " he said. " When the tires would go away, it would wobble. I'm learning . . ." Shobert's win gives him the lead in both the Camel Pro Series and the Superbike Championship with his 33 points compared to Polen's 32. • Results ' . SUPERBIKE: 1. Bubba Shobert (Hon); 2. Doug Polen (Suz); 3. Doug Chandler (Hon); 4. Mike Baldwin (Suz); 5.: John As hmead (Hon); 6. Randy Renfr ow (Suz); 7. Rueben McMu rt er (Vam); B. Dale Quart erley (Suz); 9. Rick Shaw (Vam); 10 . David Sadowski (Suz); 11. Scon Zampac k ISuz); 12. Russell Paul k (Suz); 13. Boon ie Knott ISuz); 14. David Keiffer (Hon); 15. Eric Mo e (Suz). AMA SUPERBIKE SERIES POINT STANDINGS : 1. Bubba Shob ert (33 ); 2. Doug Polen (32); 3. Kevin Schw antz (20); 4 . Rueben M cMu rter (1B); 5. Randy Renfrow (16); 6. Dale Quarterl ey (15); 7. Doug Chand ler (13); B. (TIE) Scon Gray/Mi ke Baldwin (11); 10. John Ashmead (10). AMA CAMEL PRO SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. Bubba Shobert (33); 2. Doug Polen (32); 3. Kevin Schwantz (20 ); 4. Rueben McMu rt er (18); 5. Randy Renfrow (16); 6. Dale Qu arter ley (15); 7. Doug Chandler (13); B. (TIE) Scon Gray /Mike Baldwin . (11); 10. Jo hn Ash mead (10). 11

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