Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Ingram sprays the champagne as third place finisher Aseltine and Carr watch. T im Mertens was third on th e B-B Toys/ R-J Perforrnance/ Shoei-backed Har ley. Chr is Carr took advantage of a start line w heelie by 'Co u ga r Gulch Distrib u tin g-spo nsored Aseltine to jump out fron t, Carr chose to sta y low on the trac k while ' Aseltine tried th e cushion and maintained an interval of about five lengths behind Carr. When Carr nearly slid out exiting turn four on the final lap, Aseltine pounced on the opening only to com e up abo ut three' bik e lengths short. The final hea t win would go to Gardner Racing's Rodney Farris, wh o pulled away from Arai /ESP Racing/ Mike Camph ous-sp o n sored La rry Pegram decisively on the open in g lap. Farris's margin would be close to th ree seconds over the rookie Expert Pegram wit~ Craig Estelle third an d int o the serms. Semis Veteran Expert Steve Eklund had his Spo nseller/Yoko Honda on the pole for the first IO-Iap semi, kn owing that only the winner advanced to the main. Itwou ld be him. Never challenged, the former Grand National Champion had 10 len gths on T exan Mike H ale at the end. The second semi would break the pattern that he ld all night of th e po lesitter taking th e win. This time it was Tim Mertens on the pol e, but Rich King in the lead. King and Rex Fisher hooked. up at the start, leavin g Mertens in th ird, until he stuffed his way under Fisher coming out of turn two on the fou rth lap. By then Kin g had a 50-yar d lead tha t he would hold to the end. If Mertens wanted to make th e main , he'd have to do it in the La st Chance Qu ali fier. Last Chance Qualifier Mertens was on the pole once again and thi s time he sailed away from the other n ine rid ers hop ing to make the feature event. He had a clear trac k and a healthy lead on Mike H ale when , unprovoked, he tumbled in the ape x of tu rn s th ree and four on th e ninth lap, handing Hal e the gi ft of the main and the last spot in th e IS-rider field. Camel Challenge "It 's pretty important to get off the line fast, as slip pery as the track is," Springsteen said before th e five-lap race. " I th ink everybody is go ing to han g it out." Defending Daytona Short Tra~ Champion Steve Aseltine (36) dices with Jay Springsteen (9) and Rodney Farris (92). It was all over in less than two minu tes and when it was, Springsteen was $10,000 richer. There isn't mu ch to say except that he got the holeshot and p ulled; away. H is job was made a little easier whe n Parker and Far ris cra shed on the open ing lap, narrowing hi s field of potential pursuers. The only real passing came when Carr went under Ingram on the third lap to take the runner-up spo t, leaving Ingram third and Will Davis fourth. " It's been a long tim e coming and it sure feels goo d," an exultant Springsteen said after the race. " Early in th e race there was a little bit of bu mping. I got a fairl y good start and it turned out grea t." N ation a l "The track' s a little bit slippery and it 's going to, take a little fin esse," Ingram said befor e the ma in. " Hopefull y, I won't be foll owing anybody." True to his word, Ingram rumbled out fron t in a pac k that sorted itself out on the back stretch. When they crossed the line the first of 25 tim es it was Ingram leading Davis, Carr, Springsteen, Farris and Jones. Ca rr passed Davis on the seventh lap and started after Ingram, though with a co mp letely different line. Where Ingram hugged the insi de edge of the bumpy track, Carr dove deep into the corners bounci ng off the cus hio n for a dri ve down the straights. At th e halfway mark the two had a 50-yard lead over th ird-p lace, now he ld by Aselti ne, with Davis slipping to fourt h and pressur ed by Springsteen and Par ker. Farris was alone in seven th ahead of J on es. A lap la ter an d Springsteen and Parker dropped Davis back and th e positions for the top six were set. Carr continued to drive on wit h Ingram closing up and making a last corner dash. It had wor ked for Par ker th e night before, but In gra m wa s determined not to let it happen again and this time won by five bike length s. " A couple of tim es I saw hi s front wheel, but I never looked back," said Ingram. " It crossed my m ind wha t had ha p pened last night. I was afra id it was goi ng to be an inside move in the last corner." " I don 't th in k Danny was running a rea l good line ," Carr said. " It was just fast enoug h that a guy running a differen t line couldn't pas s hi m. I' d in ch u p on h im , in (tu rn) th ree especially, but I couldn't get it turned. It was just a matter of which hol e you wan ted to jump. " Jay Springsteen displays his $10,000 Camel Challenge check , flanked by third pl ace finisher Dan Ingram, being interviewed by Dave Despain, and Chris Carr. Aseltine rea lized that once he gOI a bad sta rt there was too much wor k ahead and not enough tim e. "I lost a ll that grou nd and tried to reel them in," he said. " I 'm pretty sure it could've been a three-man race. Those gu ys had good li nes goi ng into the comer and CllI I had a good dri ve coming o u t. " Results Hea. t : 1. J ay Sp ringstee n (H·D); 2. Terry Poo vey (H ·D); 3. Steve Eklund (Hoo); 4. Rober t Damron (W· R); 5, Robert Lewis (H ·D); 6, Aaro n H ill (HD); 7. Dave Hebb (H-D); 8, Gary Conk ling (RlX); 9. Damn Erichsen (H-D), Time: ! min., .22. ~ 6 1 sec, Hea t 2: I. Srou Par ker (H ·D); 2. Kevin Atherto n (H-D); 3, Chance Darlin g (H -D); 4. Troy Nom. (R lX); 5, Robert Sweeten (H ·D); 6, Reeil Hart (H · D); 7, Mike Inderbitzen (Hon ); 8. Marc Gi fford (HD); 9, Sro u Saunders (Hon). T ime: 3:23.841 Heat 3: 1. Dan Ingram (Ho n); 2. Ronnie Jones (Hon ); 3. Chri. Evan . (Ho n); 4, Mike Hale (W·R); 5. Keith Day (Hon); 6, Brian And erson (RlX);7. Rick G ruber (W-R); 8. Alan Power. (H· D); 9, Joh n Holme. (H ·D); 10. Tim Spir e. (Han), T ime: 3:23,008 H eat 4: I. Will Da vis (H· D); 2. Sieve Morehead (H-D); 3. T im Merten. (H·D); 4, Dave Durelle (WR ); 5, Don Estep (W-R); 6. Seen Adam. (Hon); 7, Mark Gru ber (W-R ); 8. Steve Burkholder (H· D); 9, Corey Brink (RlX); 10. Mike Srou (He n). T im e: 3:23.169 Hear 5: I. Chris Cart (H-D); 2. Steve Aseltine (H · D); 3. Rich King (Ho n); 4, Bryan Villella (W· R); 5. Dan McDonn ell (H-D); 6. Erik Graybeal (W·R); 7. Garth Brow (R lX); 8. Gary Davi. (H-D); 9. Kelly Bowlby (H ·D); 10. Charlie On (H a n). Time: 3:24.614 Ha.6: 1. Rodney Farr is (H ·D); 2. Lar:ry Pegram (W· R); 3. Cra ig Estelle (H-D); 4. Rex Ftsher (WR ); 5, Duane Veed er (W-R); 6. Rand y R oose (H· D); 7, John Parker (H -D); 8. Keith jacobsen (H -D); 9. Kevin Bass (H· D); 10. Geo rge Roeder (H- D). Time: 3:26.185 . Semi I: 1. Steve Eklund (Hon); 2. Mike Hale (W· R); 3. Robert Damron (W-R); 4. Troy Nom. (RlX); 5. Rober. Lewis (H ·D); 6. Aaron H ill (H -D); 7. Keith Day (H on); 8_ Chance Darling (H-D); 9. Recil Han (H· D); 10, Bria n Ander>on (R lX); 11. Robert Sweeten (H-D); 12. Chri> Evan. (Hon). Time: 3:26.102 Semi 2: 1. Rich King (Ho n); 2. Tim Mert ens (H D); 3, Craig Estelle (H·D); 4. Bryan Villella(W-R); 5. Dave Durelle (W·R); 6. Duan e Veeder (W-R); 7. Randy Roose (H -D); 8. Erik Graybea l (W·R); 9. Dan McDon nell (H·D); 10, Srou Adam. (Hon); 11. Don Estep (W·R); 12. Rex Fisher (W-R ). Time: 5:26.956 , Las , Chance Qualifier: 1. Mike Hale (W·R); 2. Troy Nom. (RlX); 3. Robert Damron (W·R); 4. Robert Lewis (H- D); 5. Crai g Es tell e (H -D); 6. Aaron Hil l (H-D); 7. Dave Durelle (W-R); 8, Duan e Veeder (WR ); 9. Bryan Villella (W· R); 10. T im Merten. (H- D) T ime: 3:30,321 Camel Olallenge: 1. J ay Spr in gsteen (H -D); 2. Ch ris Car r (H ·D); 3, Dan Ingram (Ho n ); 4. Will Davis (H- D); 5. Rodney Farris (H- D); 6. Sro u Park er, , T ime: 1:43.429 • Nalio nal: I. Dan Ingram (Han); 2. Chris Carr (H4 D); 3, Steve Aselt ine (H -D); 4, J ay Springsteen (H· D); 5. Scott Par ker (H-D); ,6. Will Davis (H· D); 7. Rodn ey Farris (H -D); 8. Rich King (Hon); 9. Ronnie j ones (Hon): 10, Steve Morehead (H·D); I I. Terry Poo vey (H -D); 12. Kevin Atherton (H- D); 13, Mike Hale (W-R); 14. Steve Eklund (Hon); 15. Larry Pegra m (W·R). Time: 8:30,684 Final Daytona Dirt Track sma Po ine SWJdings: 1. Dan Ingra m (47); 2,(TIE) Steve A>e ltinelChri. Cart (36); 4. Rodn ey Farris (33); 5. Soou Parker (30); 6. Terry Poovey (29); 7. Ronn ie Jone> (27); 8, J ay Sp ri ngstee n (21); 9, Will Da vis (16); 10, Steve Morehead (15), 15

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