Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

lap, the order behind lhe front three was Farris, Jones, Morehead, Poovey, Springsteen, Davis, Roeder, Ingram, Day, Carr and Estep. With Parker running the turns high and Chandler low, it ap~ as though their fight would go right down to the finish. But on lap 17 it was all but over as Parker suddenly slowed, dropping back to fifth place. "We think it's something in the transmission, but we're not sure," said tuner Bill Werner after the race when asked what the problem was. In addition to Harley-Davidson, Bell, Tsubaki, Harley Owners Group (HOG) and ITT, Parker was sporting a new sponsor's decal, AIW of Ame.rica. "That's the union we (crew members) work for," said Werner. ''I'd guess we're the only union member crew in the business." Parker continued to fall back in the field, eventually finishing 13th to earn but two points. With two laps to go it was apparent that barring misfortune, Chandler would win, Graham would finish second and Farris third, as large gaps separated the three and ones was runDing an equally lonely ourth. Behind Jones, Morehead and Poovey were dicing over fifth and despite a dragging rear brake that had the disc glowing a bright orange, Poovey got by Morehead on lap 19 and held him off to the flag. Chandler's winning time was 7 minutes, 32.28 seconds, almost 17 seconds short of Graham's record 7:15.43 set in September, 1983. In winner's arcle, Chandler wore an ear-to-ear grin. "It's been a while," he said, referring to the twoyear-plus gap between the minutesold win and his last National victory. "I had a rough year last year, but now I'm hooked up with Hank (Scott) and we're going for it." Commenting on the close racing he was engaged in until Parker's problem surfaced, Chandler said, "We were really goin' at it. I thought we were goin~ to do that all night but then Scotue's bike gave out. The bike was flawless and I've got to thank (tuner) Hank Scott and (bike owner) Bob Donabedian for that." Runner-up Graham of Salinas, California, was pleased with his finish. "Followin~ those guys around at the beginmng was an eyeopener. Everything was awfully close. But it all worked out. I plan on being back in winner's circles a lot this year." Third place finisher Farris sa,id, "That was a tough race. I didn't even see Mertens' bike laying in the track because I was concentrating so hard. I did see Chris (Carr) when he went down because that happened ri~ht in front of me. I just missed hitttng him in the head." Farris, who hails from Cockeysville, Maryland, home of former two-time Grand National Champio~ Gary Nixo~, added, "I started raang on a track m Mary land - Dorsey - that reminds me a bunch of this place. I go well here. ". l Andy Tresser (1 OY) and Dan Stanley (7W) fought for the win in the Junior final; Tresser won. Veteran Terry Poovey turned in a consistent ride to finish fifth in the National. The Texan was riding with tom ligaments in his left knee. 8 small gap on a fight for second between former champ Eklund and Orr, who was sporting Scott Parker's old number II. But on lap ~ight Eklund closed ri~ht in on Day when Day went high to turns three/four and Eklund dove low. The pair raced wheel-to-wheel around the oval on lap nine and when Day again went too high in three/four, Eklund took the lead. But Day had learned his lesson and he kept his Don's Plumbing Honda on the line the next time around and got enough drive to nip Eklund at the line to advance to the National and send Eklund packing. Atherton's night had come to a frustrating end when he unloaded, unhurt, in turn three on the third lap while running third. National Retired racer-turned-tuner Hank Scott, who won 17 Grand National Championship races between 1974 and 1984, rolled the SuperTrapp/ D&S Racing/Arai/RKINankai/Bob Donabedian-sponsored Honda to the outside - grandstand wall - pole position line for his rider, Doug Chandler, as the field gridded for the 2O-lap National. "Having somebody like Hank preparing your bike makes a difference," said Chandler, who was looking for his first National victory since he won the San Jose Mile in May 1987. Joining Chandler on the front row were heat race winners Parker, Farris and Carr, plus Graham, who hadn't tasted the winner's champagne at a National since 1986, and veteran Morehead, whose helmet bore the message, "Hurry back, Bubba," as did the helmet of his teammate Ingram. Ingram was on the second row along with Springsteen, Jones, Roeder, Davis and Poovey. Rounding out the field on the third row were Estep, Mertens and Day. The green light flashed and the field hit the first tum with all the sound and fury only the Rolling Thunder Show can produce in motorcycle racing. Muzzy's R&D/ ArailTeam Grayboy-sponsored Graham, who won an Ascot Half Mile National back in '83, led the field across the line at the end of the opening lap but the typical haH mile early lap shuffle dropped him to. fourth at the end of lap two, headed at the line by Parker, Carr and Chandler. Those four, closely pursued by Morehead, Farris and the rest of the field, continued to race in ultra-tight formation until the· sixth lap when Mertens slid down in turn three. Mertens quickly jumped up and got behind the hay bales on the outside of the tum but his Honda lay in the middle of the track for the next two laps. As the field came around each time they split high and low to avoid the bike. "I quickly realized that nobody was moving to get my bike off the track, so I did," said Mertens later. The Illinois rider pushed the bike up the banked turn and placed it behind a hay bale, but its tank remained in the middle of the track for another lap before Mertens ran down and retrieved it. As the starler displayed crossed flags indicating 10 of the 20 laps were in the book, the order was Parker, Chandler, Carr and Graham in tight formation wilh Farris a distance back in fifth and Morehead a bit behind Farris in sixlh. The next lap produced lhe first major change of lhe running order when Carr went down in turn three. "I just missed hitting Chris in lhe head," said Farris after the race. Carr knelt behind his downed bike and stared at lhe riders who scrambled to avoid hitting the Harley. As soon as the field passed, Carr quickly. remounted and returned to lhe race. Carr's misfortune left Parker and Chandler alone in the fight for the lead as Graham had dropped back a few bike lenltths behind the two front-runners. At the end of the 15th Results 2Q-lAP NATIQNAL: 1. Doug ChIInd (Hon); 2, Rid

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