Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~ ~ _o_un_d_l_O DIRTTRACK AMA GrandNational Championship,--/_Ca_m_el_P_ro_S_en_'es_:R - Marc Gifford (28) and Erik Graybeal (39) diced with Terry Poovey (18) in a semi. Gifford fini shed 10th in the final. Three-time Grand National Champion Jay Springsteen finished fifth in both the Nati onal and Ca mel Challenge. It was his first National appearance in weeks. • Parker 's third netted him 2000 wi th H ale taking home 1500 for hi s effor ts. 14 National At the start of the 25-lap National final , Carr led J ones, Parker, Sp rin gsteen , Graham , In gr am and the rest of the field around the approximately one-mile long TT course. Graha m q uickly made easy work o f Springsteen and joined front -ru nne rs Ca rr , Parker and J ones, a sma ll ga p ahead of Spri ngsteen. _ On the fourth lap, Carr saw his lead redu ced to a sing le-file restart -as a result of a crash over the jump invol ving Davis , G iff ord, Graybeal an d Atherton. Both Davis and Atherton were taken to a local hospi tal for observa tio n and later released. Only G ifford mad e the restart. On th e restart, Jones surprised Carr by taking over the point posi tio n and hold in g it fo r two laps. But Carr returned to hi s usua l Peor ia race position by pass ing J ones and then set o ut to hold off a lot of heat from J ones, Graham and Parker. In gram was fifth in front of Springsteen , Mert en s, Hill , Farris and Kiser. As the dog fight up front continued, Graham, who too k ad vantage of th e sto p page to rep lace hi s brake pedal , temporarily move d into second before bo th he and J on es were overta ken by Parker. In doing so, Parker was free and clear to cha se Carr as J ones and Gra ham would be left two seconds behi nd . As the field came around o n lap 16 there was no sign of Grah a. in th e top 10. " I hit my toe on the ground wh en making the right turn," Grah am said. " It 's just the lack of not riding th e bike (the 600cc) and not raci ng each and every (Natio na l) race." With Grah am struggling to make up gro u nd , In gr am took command of fou rth over th e tight-wound gro u p of Spring steen , Hill , Farris and King. But even th ough they were providing the clo sest racing of the fina l, most eyes were focused o n Parker's charge and th e a p pare nt slo p py riding being turn ed in by Carr. Time after tim e Carr looked o ver hi s shoulder to take a look a t Parker. " I kep t checking Parker's position as part of a strategy ," Carr said. "Every now and th en wh en he wou ld get close I wou ld . put in a fast lap and surge. It 's someth ing th at runners do, it 's a mental th ing for the guy chas ing you." But duri ng o ne of h is su rge attempts Carr made a mistak e tha t could ha ve p ut him o ut of the race. " I was ha ving a probl em wit h p icking lin es," Carr said. " And th ere _ was this dip befo re the j ump that I kept hi tt in g w hich unl oaded m y suspension wrong. On th e 23rd lap I landed and started swappi ng .. . I was fortunate to stay on the bike. Besides that , I mu st have go tten o ut of sha pe half a dozen times." " I was catc hi ng him wh en th at hap pened," Par ker said, " and boy, was that a nice save. That s.o.b. was left , right, left, right." Over the last few laps, it was mor e a battle agains t tim e for Parker th an one with Carr. Parker would end up fini shing approximately a half second behind winner Carr, who picked up $4665 of the $35,000 purse. Parker's positi on earned him $3100 while Jones fill ed the final spot o n the ros tru m and cla imed a chec k for $2020. "The re's a pretty good confidence factor for me here," Carr said. " I have won my last 15 races in a ro w here (including heats, Nationals and Cam el Ch a llen ges.) And I have a lso won th e last 8 of I I Na tio na ls." . " It 's fru strat in g to finish second to Carr at Peori a," Parker said. " He just goes so damn fast here." " I go t sideways off a jump and bent an aluminum footpeg bra cket," said Jones, who fini shed a distant third, "and I was real worried that my foot . was going to co me off the peg. But other than that we are real happy with third." CN Resul ts TIME TRIALS: I. Ch ris Ca rr (26.619): 2. Ro nnie j on es (26.995); 3. Ricky Graham (27.026); 4. jay Sp rin gsteen (27.030): 5. Mike Ha le (27.2 18); 6. Scon Park er (27.332); 7. Aaron Hill (27.390): 8. Don Estep (27.459); 9. Troy Norri s (27.475): 10. Erick Gruber (27.516): I I. Rich King (27.518); 12. Dan Ingram (27.531): 13. Ti m Mertens (27.540); 14. Rod ney Farr is (27.570); 15. Will Da vis (27.618): 16. Kris Kiser (27.619); 17. Rex Fisher (27.639); 18. Scot t Adam s (27.662); 19. Erik Grayb eal (27.697): 20. Marc Gil£ord (27.773): 21. Rusty Rogers (27.794); 22. T erry Poo vey (27.967); 23. Steve Moo rhead (28.0 15): 24. Graig Estelle (28. 119); 25. Chance Dar lin g (28. 133); 26. Keith Day (28. 175); 27. Dani el McDonnell (28.288): 28. Audi e H ufl (28.226); 29. Sco u Sa unders (28.407): 30. Ran d y Roo se (28.439): 31. Steve Kasten (28.669): 33. Davey Cam lin (28.966); 34. Ian Segedv (29.223); 35. Kevin Bass (29.576): 37. j ohn Par ker (29.880): 39. Scott She rb (30. 018): 40. Kevin Ath erton (no time ). HEAT 1:. I. Chris Carr (H · D): 2. Kris Kiser (W· R); 3. Kevin Atherto n (H · D); 4. Don Estep (WoR); 5. T roy Nor ris (H o n); 6. Craig Estelle (H -D); 7. Rex Fish er (W-R) ; 8. Cha nce Darl in g (H -D); 9. Da vey Cam lin (H -D). Time: 5 min ., 35.217 mi n. HEAT 2: 1. Ron ni e J o nes (H a n); 2. Will Davis (H oD); 3. Aaro n H ill (Ho n): 4. Steve Mo reh ead (H · D): 5. Scot t Adam s (H · D): 6. Erick Gruber (II'-R): 7. Keith Day (H · D): 8. Steve Kasten (W· R ); 9. Scott Sherb . Time: 4 min., 39.776 sec. HEAT 3: I. Scou Parker (H · D); 2. Ricky Graham (H on ): 3. Rich King (H on ): 4. Rodn ey Farri s (HD); 5. Erik Gra ybeal (W· R); 6. T erry Poo vey (W. R); 7. Ran dy Roo se (11'oR): 8. Dan iel McDo nnell (H · D); 9. Devin Bass (W· R). T ime: 1 min ., 36.615 M'C HEAT 4: I. J ay Sp ri ngstee n (H -D); 2. Dan Ingram (H a n); .3. Tim Merten s (Ii- D); 4. Mi ke Ha le (WR ): 5. Mar c Gi llor d (H· D); 6. Audi e Hu ll (W· R); 7. Scott Sau Wders (Ho n): 8. john Pa rker; 10. Rusty Rogers (Ha n ). T im e: 4 min ., 43.089 sec. SEMI 1: I. Tro y No rris (W-R); 2. Cra ig Estelle (H· D); 3. Scot t Adam s (H · D): 4. Keith Day (H · D); 5. Eri ck Gruber (W· R): 6. Rex Fisher t w- R); 7. Davey Ca m lin (H · D): 8. Steve Kasten (W· R); 9. Cha na: Darlin g (H· D): 10. Don Estep (W· R ): II. Steve Mo rehead (H · D). Time: No / A d ue 10 resta rt SEMI 2: 1. Rodn ey Farris; 2. Erik Gra ybeal; 3. Mar c Gi fford; 4. Mike Hal e; 5. Rand y Roose; 6. Daniel McDonnell; 7. Audi e Hu H; 8. ScOIt Sau nd ers; 9. Kevin Bass: 10. J oh n Park er; 11. Terry Poo vey. T im e: 4 min., 45.985 sec. LAST CHANCE Q UAUFlER: I. Ma rc Gillord; 2. Mike Hal e; 3. Randy Reese: 4. Erick Gruber. 5. Keit h Day; 6. Audi e Hu H; 7. Rex Fisher ; 8. Davey Camlin; 9. Scott Adams; 10. Dan McDonnel l. T im e: 4 min ., 45.&H sec. CAMEL CH AL LENG E: I. Chris Carr (H· D : . Ronnie j on es (Ho n); 3. Scali Parker (H-D); -1. ~I i ke Hal e (W· R); 5. j a y Sp ringsteen (H · D); 6. Ricky G raham (H an). Time:2 mi n., 20.422 sec. NATIONAL: I. C hri s Carr (H . D),2. Sco tt Parker (H ·D): 3. Ro nn ie J on es (Ho n): 4. Dan Ingra m (Hen ): 5. J ay Spr ings teen (H·!); 6. Aar o n Hill (H · D); 7. Rodn ey Farr is (H· D): 8. Rich Kin g (Ho n): 9. Kris Kiser (\ \'· R) : 10. Mar c Gifford (H- O); 11.Troy Norris (W-R): 12. Rick y Graham (He n ): 13. Craig Estelle (II'· R); 14. T im Mert en , (H · D); 15. Erik Graybeal (W-R); 16. Kevin Athert o n (H -D): p . Will Davis (H · D). T im e: N I A du e 10 restar t AMA CAME L PR O SER IES PO I:-IT STA:-;l). I:-;GS: I. Chris Carr (157): 2. Scou Parker (140); 3. Da n In gram (87); 4. Ronn ie J on es (82): 5. Ja y Springsteen (77); 6. Steve Mo rehead (63); 7. Rodney Farris (49): 8. Terry Poov ey (48): 9. Will Davi s (37); 10. Kevin Ather to n (29).

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