Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Doug Chandler finished third in the National after earlier winn ing the Pro Twins Grand Prix class; Chandler moved to third in the standings. Polen's Suzuki at 125 mph while Shobert was clocked at 124 mph. Polen later said that he was using the same Dunlop tire combination in the heat race that he wo uld use in the National. He had done over 40 laps on the radials in practice, turning good times at both low and high mileage. He also talked about the closeness of the championship, wh ich he led by three points. "It would be good for th e promoters at Sears (if it was still clos e)," he said. " But 1 don't want to make it good for th e promoters, I want it good for Doug. " Camel Challenge Polen said the Camel Challenge would provide a good indication of how things would go in the National, and in retrospect he probably wishes hi s prognostication had been accurate. It was Shobert shooting to the front immediately and opening .u p a lead in the quest for the Camel cash. At the end of the first lap the Honda rider held a two-second lead over Chandler, Po len , Gray, Quarterley and Ashmead. On the second lap, however, Shobert started to slow, sitting up on the front straight and allowing Po len to pass unmolested. Gray, meanwhile, was past Chandler at this point. On the next go-around, Shobert pulled into the pi ts, riding the VFR750 directly into the garage area where mechanics went to work in an effort to right things in time for the all -important National. . Meanwhile, on the track, Po len dominated, taking his fifth Camel Challenge win in a row. Gray was next followed by Chandler, Quarter- ' ley and Ashmead. "It went on two cylinders," Shobert said. " We've had problems all weekend with that. We've changed the ignition, the carbs, now we even have a different bike." Shobert went on to describe his morning crash in the chicane. "I caught a neutral going in and decided to go ' 011 the grass," he said. "I was aimed at the guys coming out of the turn and I didn't want to hit 'em, so 1 laid it down. 1 hurt my finger, but it felt okay in the race (Camel Challenge)." While Polen seemed to be gaining confidence, Shobert's bike problems had him worried. " It looks like a grim one," he said. National After 'one false start that saw the front' row creeping forward before being stopped, the 38-rider field shot into turn one with Chandler, Shobert, Po len and Gray leading' the charge. : One turn later and Ren fro w was off the track ana on the grass after coming together with David Sadowski. "I was ahead of Sadowski," Ren frow said later. "And 1 left him room on the inside. I'm not getting down on him, but 1 left him room and he couldn 't make it. 1 knew he was there, but there was room for both. 1 ran off and they made me turn around and go back to where 1 ran off. " After getting going some 45 seconds behind the last place rider, Renfrow put in -a v irited ride sp through the field to end up eighth at th e finish. Sadowski, meanwhile, pulled off after the first lap. For the first two laps it was Gray leading with first Chandler and then Shobert in second. Polen, meanwhile, was third until Shobert took over the lead; at that time Pol en went with him. As far as the ba ttl e for the lead 'wen t, the order stayed the same; with Polen seemingly waiting until the final laps in a scene reminiscent of the Road Atlanta ba ttle that saw Polen ru n off the track on the final lap trying to pass Shobert. . This time the duo again circulated the track at lap times slower than they were capable of, waiting to see what the other would do. On the 22nd lap, Polen got past Sh obert as the two were passing traffic at the end of the backstraight. The Suzuki ' rider managed to put a gap on Shobert as the Honda rider was baulked by the traffic jam ahead. As they crossed the stripe on the 23rd lap, Polen led by 1.31 seconds with hi s plan apparently set to work. .At the end of that lap, however, th e two approached more tr affi c entering the carousel. Ironically, Polen's friend Doug Tosten sa w Polen coming, looked ov er h is shoulder and accidently forced Polen to slow abruptly to prevent himself from running off the track. That was all Shobert needed to get even again with Polen on the fateful last lap. "I went up over the hill and when 1 came down the front end went away," a disgusted Polen said later. . "Right then the guy (Carl Muffley) unloaded in front of me. It surprised me, 1 thought 'what happened?" Polen immediately filed a protest after the race, claiming that Shobert had passed a rider under a waving yellow flag earlier in the race. " H e Randy Renfrow turned in an inspired ride after venturing off the track. rejoining the pack last and fin ishi~g eighth on his Vance & Hines Suzuki . Two returnees. Dan Chivington (53 ) and Wes Cooley (84). had a battle that lasted to the end with Chivington fin ishing n~ nth and Cooley tenth. passed a guy, " Polen said: "I was pointing and everything. He didn't do it after the incident, he'd already gotten by the guy." Gray, meanwhile, settled into a comfortable third place, keeping the leaders in sight, but wit hout a challenge from behind, not willing to push it and risk crashing. "I could see them the whole time," Gray, after his first-ever Mid- O hio outing, sa id. "It was about five seconds and five to six laps from the end 1 was plus-20 (seconds) something on Chandler. 1 figured 1 had to finish this thing, so 1 finished at a consistent pace. The bike was incredible and the tires worked good. This track is an equalizer, it's m y second favorite after Sears . I'm happy except for the thing with Doug. We've spent the last three races trying to get th e forks dialed in a nd they'r e prett y damn close." Chandler finished a lonely fourth. . " I jacked it (the rear suspension) up as high as it would go and it still wasn 't high enough ," he sa id. " I would grind it a couple of times a lap and it almost highsided me. 1 can't be too upset with third. This is th e worst track for back markers, we lapped some of them three times." Next came Quarterley, another in a rather dull procession. " I tried to sta y close , but 1 kinda could, but kinda couldn't , so 1 decided to let them go and just rode around getting the pluses." Ashmead was next after a near race-long battle with R ussell ended wh en th e Georgia pilot lost th e back end, crashing out of the race on lap - 18. Behind Ashmead came a restarted Polen followed by a lonely Mark Chin. Then carne Ren fro w, followed by Dan Chivington, in his first Superbike race of the season, after a racelong duel with Cooley. Cooley rounded out the top lOin an impressive effort for the former two-time Champion. ' Shobert was happy in victory, but a little disappointed with the ensuing protests which were filed. " You know how these road race . championships are won in court, " he said. 'T heir guy blows it and they're looking for an excuse to protest it. Oh well , the y can 't feel go od about it. As far as 1 ca n see, they had it in the nag. " . So , with one race rem ainin g, the series heads west to California whe re the two Texans will meet one more time. • Results SUPERBIKE: 1. Bubba Shobert (Hon);,2. Seon Gray (Suz); 3. Dou g Chandler (Hon); 4 . Dale Quarterley (Suz); 5. J ohn Ashmead (Honl ; 6. Doug Polen (Suz); 7. Ma rk Chin (Vam); 8. Randy Renfrow (Suz); 9. Dan Chivington (Suz); 10. Wes Cooley (Hon); 11. Larry Shorts (Kaw); 12. Eric Moe (Suz); 13. Russ Paulk (Hon); 14 . Phil Pummell (Hon); 15. Kevin 8 1 (Kaw). ais AMA SUPERBIKE POINT STANDINGS: 1. Bubba Sh obe rt (10 5); 2. Dou g Pol en (97) ; 3. Ooug Chandler (52); 4. Scan Gray (48); 5. Randy Renfrow (47); 6. Jo hn As hmead (38); 7. Rueben MeMurter (27); 8. Dale Qu art erl ey (26); 9 . (TIEl David Sadowski/ Seon Russell (22). AMA CAM EL PRO SERIES POINT STAN DINGS: 1. Bubba Shobert . (143); 2. Doug Polen (81); 3. Steve Morehead (63); 4. Doug Chand ler (57); 5. Chris Carr (49); 6. (TIE) Seon Parker/Randy Renfrow (47); 8. Scan Gray (38); 9. Terry Poovey (37); 10. John As hmead (36). 7

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