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/127143
00 00 0') Oh io 's Don Estep (6 4 ) held off M ichigan's Kevin Atherton (67X) to w in the Hagerstown Half Mile. " T he throttle stuck wide open going into turn one on the final lap and I thought I was going into the wall," said Estep. " I had my hands full. " Estep did have his hands full, both with the sticking throttle and a ch argi n g Atherton, who was also aboard a Wood-Rotax. "I had moved down to the bottom and I had to play catch up," Perry's H-D/Ron Wood! Arai/Tsubaki/Farver Sawmill/Hog Wash /NHII Amsoi l -sponsored Atherton said in explaining why his challenge came at the end of the race. Shoer / Live Wire Electric/Tex Peel/Cox H sDvspo nsored Will Davis finished th ird, the posi tion he held from the third la p on. "I rode bo th the 750cc semi and this race backto -hack and that took a lot out of me," said Harley-mounted Davis. "I've got to thank Tex Peel who built the engine and Steve Howell who's helping me." Time Trials Will Davis finished third in the f inal after dicing for second w ith Kevin Atherton during the opening laps at Hagerstown Speedway. AltA 600 National Championship Dirt Track Series: Round 12 Estep all the way at Hagerstown By Jack Mangus Photos by Bert Shepard HAGERSTOWN, MD, JULY 9 Don Estep held off a.l.ast lap challenge from Kevin Atherton to score the win in the 600 National at H agerstown Speedway. SteelMasters/Custom Cycle Supply/ Ron Wood/ 14 Answer /Shoei/CastroIlK&N sponsored Estep rode a Wood- I ride wasn'tthe victory, but his Rotax to an easy one. . Estep turned in a 24.682 second lap, the fastest of the 44 600 National entrants and even faster than the fastest Grand National Champion- , ship Series time trial lap, a 24.699 , logged earlier in the evening by Ronnie Jones. Davey Durelle was second fastest with a time of 24.919, Steve Morehead was third at 24.940, Dan Ingram fourth at 24.957 and Atherton fifth fastest with a 25.06~ lap. Heats Estep, who had earlier made the mistake of choosing the inside pole for his Grand National Championsh ip heat, didn 't make the same mistake twice as he chose the outside pole for the first of three eight-lap heat races, each of which would advance the top three finishers to the fin al. _ Estep pulled the holes hot and romped home the winner over Scott Mohan and Craig Estelle. Atherton took the lead from Mark Gruber on the third lap of th e second hea t ra ce and went on to score th e ' . win . Grub er to o k second with Durelle taking third. Don Howard had held seco nd up until th e fin al la p, but as he came out of turn four on the fina l lap hi s bike's ignition fa i le d . " It wa s missin g on th e straights and it just Quit on the final lap," said Howard, who was racing Don Estep led every lap of the 1 5lap 600 National final. ~ with a broken left hand. " I broke' it last night ·and then I banged . off someone tonight. I can't even hang on to my 750." The third and final heal saw Morehead lead the first two laps an d then get involved in a heated dice. with Davis, Joel Green and Ingram . Davis broke free of the four-rnari battle and won with Ingram nippin g Morehead for second and Green dropping back to fourth, semi bound. Semis Duane Veeder pulled the holeshot in the first of the two semis that . would send the top three fin ishers to the final. Veeder stayed out in front until Bryan Villella took over. the point on lap five and p roceeded to pull away. Wheri the checkers came out it was Villella wheeliei ng hom e the winner with Veeder second "an d Randy T exter third. Canadian Jean Bourr et led th . second semi from start to finish with Green taking second and Da vid Lloyd finishing third. National Estep was first away at the start: of the 15-lap final and he was never headed. Behind Estep on the opening laps, Atherton and Davis fought over second with .Ath erton taking command of that position on the sixth lap. 'Th e top six spots were set as early as the fourth lap and other than the previously mentioned last lap charge by Atherton, the race was a high speed parade. Estep held off Atherton at the line and Davis, self-sponsored Ingram, Morehead on the Hank Scott Wood·Rotax, and Larry Mohan/Continental Cycles/Quiet Storm /Castrol -sponsored Mohan rounded out the top six. Long time followers of din track racing will recall that Scott Mohan 's father Larry turned th e wrenches for Billy Eves in the '70s. • Results 15· LAP FINA L: 1. Don Estep (W· R); 2. Kevin Ath en on (W·R ); 3. Wi ll Davis (H·D ); 4 . Dan Ingr am (H· D); 5. Steve Morehead (W· R); 6. Scan M ohan (H· D); 7. Craig Estelle (H·D); B. Joel Green (H· D); 9. Bryan Villella (W·R); 10. Duane Veeder (Han); 11. Mark Gruber (H·D); 12. Dave Durelle (W·R); 13. J ean Bourret (H·D); 14. Randy Texter (H· D); 15. David Uoyd (W -R). 600 NATIONA L POINT STA NDINGS: 1. Chris Carr (135); 2. Kevin Athenon (80); 3. Pete Hames (69); 4. Ricky Graham (651 5. Will Davis (63); 6. ; Dan Ingram (62); 7. Don Estep 1 54~ B. Bryan Villella (49); 9. Ronnie Jones (45~ 10 . David Dura lle (44 ).