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/127186
Texan Terry Poovey (181 and Steve Morehead (421 diced in a heat race. In the final. Poovey finished third. Morehead seventh. The night was trying for Daytona National short track winner Steve Aseltine, who was riding a Cougar Gulch Distilling Harley-Davidson. A carburetor fell off his bike during practice, he crashed in his heat race and he was black-flagged in his semi due to an exhaust pipe that officials saw was ready to falloff. He didn't make it to the main event. "Me and my crew are working hard to get there," Asel tine said. "We've got a lot to learn." Time Trials Chris Carr (201. Scott Parker, Doug Chandler (1 Oland Steve Morehead (42) lead at the start of the National. AMA Grand National Championship/Camel Pro Series: Round 2 Parker runs away with Sacramento Mile By Farren Williams Photos by Mitch Friedman SACRAMENTO, CA, APR. 8 Team Harley~Davidson's Scott Parker claimed his 21st career National victory with a runaway win at the 12th Annual Sacramento Mile, held at Cal Expo State Fairgrounds. Parker took the lead from ' Carr I teammate Chr IS o!?' ap two of the 25-lap National main event, broke away from the pack coming out of tum two on lap three and never looked back. He finished the race with an 8.2-second ! margin of victory. Second went to Carr, who dropped to fou~th in the ~arly stages .but awesslve!y rode hIS way back mto t e runner-up slot by the end of the race. Marioneaux Racing's Terry Poovey took third to claim the highest finish by a Honda rider. Dan Ingram powered his Sponseller Racing Honda to fourth and Doug Chandler rounded out the top five aboard his Hank Scott-tuned, D&S/SuperTrapp Racing Honda. "Things went right all night long," Parker said. "The bike was hooking up so good in the comers it was great. It's beeii a long time since I've had a runaway like this. It sure feels good." The victory marked Parker's fifth win in Sacramento, which tied the Cal-Expo record held by three-time ational Champion Bubba Shobert. The former Team Honda dirt tracker was conspicuous by his absence. It was strange watching a National main event unfold in Sacramento without watching Shobert challenge Parker. Shobert, however, was in Australia chasing World Championship Grand Prix road racing points. The 17,351 very pro HarleyDavidson fans in the grandstand wouldn't have had it any other way. Parker was their pick all night long and he didn't let them down. The new Grand National Champion received $4420 for winning the race, $480 in lap money, a $350 performance incentive award, and an undisclosed bonus from HarJeyDavidson. Carr collected $2935 from the $33,000 purse for taking second, and Poovey pocked $1910 for third. Oklahoma's Ronnie Jones powered his Garvis Honda Town RS750 to a fast time of 39.463 seconds, well off Parker's record pace of 37.02, set last October. Times were slow because the recently resurfaced track wouldn't hold much of a groove and was breaking up on the inside line, next to the rail. "The track is pretty slick," Jones said. "The groove, what there is of it, is narrow, and if you get off the groove and on the sand it's like riding oil ice." Several riders waved off their first attempts, including Parker who clocked in after his second qualifying run with a 39.510 for second fast time. "The front end was pushing.... Parker said. "Since there are only 40 guys here and everybody will make the program, I said to myself, 'I'm not going to take that time.' .. California's Carr rode his factory Harley to a third fast time of 39.704, and Poovey rounded out the heat race' pole-sitters with a 39.735 showing. Sponseller Racing's Steve Morehead, riding the only Honda RS750 in existence with dual shock rear suspension, waved off what would have been the fifth fastest time and ended up 13th fastest with a 40.453 clocking that was four-tenths of a second slower than his first attempt. filling out spots five through 10 were Chandler (40.063), Tim Mertens of Illinois (40.119), Michigan's Brian Atherton (40.168), two-time Grand National Champion Ricky Graham (40.199) and Pete Hames (40.203). Canada's Aseltine clocked in at 40.787 for 21 st spot, and California's Dave Bostrom, who had not ridden a National in 21 years, was 33rd fastest aboard an.ex-Doug Chandler Honda. Heats Canadian Jon Cornwell nabbed