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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127147
00 00 ~ ........ Bubba Shobert shoulders the big money: a $10,000 Camel Challenge check. Chris Carr (left) and Ronnie Jones (right) placed second and third. National winner Chris Carr celebrates w ith Miss Camel Pro, flanked by Scott Parker (left), Bubba Shobert (right) and announcer Dave Despain . "You ride a line where it's hard for the guy in bac k to pass you," he explained. Without many la ps to figure out a way around, the guy in back stays there, he said. Shobert earned roughly $75 per second in the 2:13.348 race . Carr pocketed $2500 for his effort, and more importantly, used me track time to test different gearing and suspension settings. "T he day's not over ," Carr said. Last Chance Qualifier Brian Atherton claimed the lead from Rick Weir on lap six of the LCQ. and held him off to take me last spot available in me final. The race was restarted after me second lap, when Robert Lewis fell coming out of me final turn. He was reported to have suffered a cut u nder his eye. Weir holeshot both starts, but Atherton was always close behind. Once Atherton passed him, Weir's day ca me to an end. National Bubba Shobert crunches the suspension during touchdown. Shobert won the Camel Challenge and extended his Camel Pro Series point lead. 8 Chandler. "I feel good. The bike's not running good." Chandler said it was too hard to sort things out on his TT machine, which he seldom uses. Eric Graybeal was ecstatic to be in the semis and finish . second to Chandler. His runner-up placing transferred me Bloomington, I1Iinois, residem to his first-ever Grand National final. " It' s me best feeling I've had since I started racing," said me local hero, who lives only 45 minutes from me Peoria track. . Graybeal comfortably bet Erick Gruber and Scou Adams, sending them to the Last Chance Qualifier, along with the rest of the thirdthrough seventh-place finishers. Dan Ingram won the second semi with a wire-to-wire run. Again, the attention focused on me secondplace finisher. Aseltine won his first trip to a Grand National final by narrowly best in g Ric k Weir for runner-up honors. Aseltine followed Ingram for three laps before Weir slipped by him in turn two. In the closing laps, Aseltine hounded Weir while rounding turn one, racing down the back straight and flying over the jump. Weir held him off until the last corner, where Aseltine dove inside and set up an impossible-to-beat drive up me from straight. "I let it drift a nd turned the gas o n," Aseltine sai d. "I go t lucky." Camel Challenge Carr was denied a perfect day when Shobert romped away with me fivelap Camel Challenge, and $10,000 from me $17,500 purse. Shobert nailed me holeshot after starting on the third inside position, with Jones and Parker on his left and Springsteen, Hames and Carr on his right, Close in tow around me first turn was Carr, who tried me outside line down me from straight and into turn .one. Carr was flying far and fast over the jump, which he believes is one of the keys to winning at Peoria. Fading behind them in third was Jones, who would hold the position ahead of Parker and a remounted, if not rejuvena ted , Hames. Before dr opp ing back, last-place finishe r Spri ngsteen dueled wi th Parker, who has not done well in the big-money sprint races recen tly. " I got a bad hol esho t and they were gone," Parker said. "You got to get agood holeshot.' After grabbing the holeshot, Shobert used his short-race strategy to keep me lead. Veteran J ay Springsteen, me rider with the most Grand Na tional wi ns, summed u p Peori a by pronouncing it one of the most difficult races of th e season. R ising star Chris 'Ca rr agreed. " The man who's best fit is going to win," Carr said. "I've been geuing ready for Peori a all year." From me inside to me outside, me front row of the grid was occupied by Morehead, Graham, Shobert, Parker, Carr and Pearson . On row two were Springsteen, Jones, Day, Farris, Hill and Orr. On me third row were Ingram, Chandler, Aseltine, Graybeal and Atherton. Holeshot-expert Pearson led into the. first tum but he was quickly passed by Shobert over me jump. As they came around for the second lap, Carr crossed me line in second and Parker slipped by Pearson in tum one to take over third, Shobert, Carr and Parker began to battle and, on lap five, Carr came out on top with a strong drive out of the turn before the from straight. "I ran a little higher line than (Shobert) did," Carr said. "He had been running a lower line down in the groove." Shobert was being pressured by Parker, who was closely trailed by Jones, Graham and a fading Pearson, who had been having brake trouble earlier in the day. Parker moved into second in me first corner on lap seven , dropping Shobert to third. "My advantage was tum one in me early part of me race," Parker said. Gaps opened between me top three and J o nes was even farmer behind, after having dispatched Graham. Pearson continued his slide to the rear but remained ahead of Springsteen, Ingra m and Day. Cha ndler was way behind, nursing his sicksounding bike to an eventual 12m. Carr opened a l.77-second lead by lap 17 as the lead trio began facing backmarkers. Shobert made his laterace charge on the following lap, nipping Parker in tum one and men slightly closing on Carr. Behind them, Graham moved up to challenge Jones. But Jones held on to capture fourth and leave fifth for Graham. Ingram finished sixth while Pearson salvaged seventh. Springsteen dropped out with mechanical trouble, disappointing the crowd, estimated to be 15,000 strong. Carr was using the lapped riders to his advantage and began opening me lead again. Shobert wasn't as fortunate and Parker closed in for a last-gasp shot at seco nd place. On the last la p , as Carr cruised to a convincing Win, Parker mad e his move, bu t nea rl y wo und up on the grou nd in the last corners after h itting a hole. The record finishing time su rprised Carr, whose win earned h im $5180 out of the $35,~ purse. " (The surface) was real inconsistem," he said. " I was not expecting th e main event to be mat fast," Some of Carr's speed resulted fro m abandoning me setup he used in the Camel Challenge. He went back to the gearin~ he had used in his heat race and suffened the suspension. "It was fast, " Shobert agreed. "More traffic man usual. After Chris passed me I thought I'd follow him around. I was just more pumped to ride five laps (in the Camel Challenge.)" • Results 25·LAP GRAN D NATIONAL CHAMPI ONSHIP FINAL: 1. Chri s Carr (H· D); 2. Bubbo Shobert (Hon~ 3. Scott Parker (H· D); 4 . Ronnie Jones (Hon); 5. Ricky Graham (H· D); 6. Dan Ingra m (H·D); 7. Scon Pearson (Hon); B. Steve Morehead (H· D); 9. Charlie Orr (H·D); 1D. Keith Day (Hon); 11. Aar on Hill (H· D); 12. Doug Chand ler (Hon); 13. Brian Ath erto n ( H· D~ 14 . SIeve Aseltine (H· D); 15. Rodney Farr is ' (H· D). TIME: 10 min.. 5B.3B7 sec. S·LAP CAM EL CHALLENGE: 1. Bubbo Shobert (Hon): 2. Chr is Carr (H-D); 3 . Ronni e J ones (Hon); 4 . Scott Parker (H· D); 5. Pete Hames (H-D); 6. J ay Springsteen (H· D). GRAND NA TIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS: 1. Scott Parke r (157); 2. Bubbo Shob ert (14 7): 3. Chris Carr (144) ; 4 . SI eve _ Morehead (128); 5. Ronnie Jones (94 ); 6. Terry Poovey (88); 7. Rodney Farris (67): 8. Jay Spring · steen (46); 9. Don Estep (44); 10 . Keith Day (42 1. CAME L PRO SERIES POINT STANDINGS: 1. Bubba Shobert (1591; 2. Doug Polen (8n 3. Steve Morehead (70~ 4. Chr is Carr (69) 5. m E) Doug Chandler/ Scon Parker ( 60~ 7. Randy Renfr ow (47); 8. Scott Gray (38); 9. Terry Poovey (37); 10. m E) John Ashmead/Ronnie Jones (36).