Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~ DIRT TRACK AMA Grand National Cham~ionshi~ /Camel Pro Series: Finalround . m .... Q.) ..0 o ..... u o Parker and Jones in .th e winner's circle after the National. Parker's win gave him a third straight Grand National Championship and his 37th Career victory. Mike Hale (left) celebrates his win in the $17,500' Camel Challenge with Miss Camel and Scott Parker. It was the Rookie of the Year's first Challenge win . Pegram wen t from third to first o n the sevent h lap , and held on to ta ke the wi n o n hi s Ea ke n -Sponse ller Honda. Mert ens was second foll owed by Rehrnert as the three crossed the lin e in close formatio n. The second sem i saw Rogers and Poovey at the front of the pac k for the duration. They were joined at times by Rasmu ssen and T aylor, but in the en d they were alone, taki ng the two direct transfers to the Nationa l. Last Chance Qualifier' Taylor led the LCQ wire to wire, bea ting Cornwell and Reh rnert and taking the last transfer to the Na tio nal. 8 Camel Challenge T wo restarts too k thei r toll on' Carr's Harley-Davidson and wh en the six fastest q ua lifiers ma de their way into tu rn o ne, the northern Californ ian was at the ba ck of th e pack. The shift shaf t had broken on the second resta rt and Carr's Harley was stuck in fourth gear. H e started in the rear and cl utched his way int o the first corn er way beh ind . th e pa ck. " IL sure. didn 't take off very fast," he said later. At the front it was H ale grabbing the lead and no t looking as tho ug h he was planning on giving it up. Morehead was second earl y, but he slid off the groove, allowing Parker and Day to take over second and third. Rogers, meanwhile, pulled to a stop with a blown motor. Day slid off the groove on the third lap, making the race' for the $ 10,000 winner' s check a two -ma n affair between Hale and Parker. Remarkab ly, Carr had taken ad va n tage of Morehead and Day's miscues and was holding down third, his Harley now up to speed . At th e flag it was Hal e by inc hes over Parker. Wit h father Bob on the back, the Ha les circulated the one-mi le ova l wit h checkered flag in hand , $10,000 richer. . . "I kept waiting and waiting for someone to draft by me and no o ne did, " Hal e said. "The bike's working real good. I'm not tou ching it. The ' front 's tucking under a little bit, but it's no t enough to worry about." When asked if he cou ld leave Ca lExpo with his first -ever National victory, Hale an swered: "I'm go nna try like hell. " T he best show prior to the Na tional was the o ne Carr's tu ner was giv ing in th e H arl ey-Da vidson p its. Tolbert was ' ferocio usly tearing the Harley apart and repl acin g the shaft, fin ishi ng the project as the National gridded. Junior Invitational Steve Ra ymond didn ' t let a late night or a protest get -i n the way of him winning the Junior Invita tio nal at Ca l-Expo. T he Rock O iIlShoei/ ANA Raci ng /Bru ce Ha llen / Dave Ha rris/ Craig Filmer/Pro -Cisio n Machi ne/ Uncle J im a nd Uncl e Tim/Larry Gard in ii Diess & So n Mara tho n sponso red rider rode his Wood-Ro tax to a runaway win in th e eig ht -lap race. At the end of th e race, whic h go t unde rway at I:20 a. m, and was restarted wh en Ca nadian SCOll Seh l cras hed spectacu larly, yet unhurt, in tu rn o ne, it was Anthon y Do nahue and Dan Stanley finishing second and third behi nd Raymon d, respective ly. Raymond 's Wood-Rotax was protested after th e race, but at 3:15 a.m. the bike was declared to be legal. National The 25-lap Nationa l go t underway with Parker and Jones side by side in turn o ne. At the end of the first lap th e order. however, read : Carr, Jones, Pa rker. Day and Ath ert on. Jones led across the line after two laps. but slid off the groove mom ents later in turn one, allowing Carr and Atherton to go by. By the ninth lap, those four had made a clea n break from the rest of the field wi th Carr leading mos t of the early laps, Atherton most of the late laps, and Parker the most important lap - the las t one. Jones never led after the second lap but was a cons tant threat to do so. T he race was a thriller. wi th the three facto ry H arleys sometimes entering turn o ne th ree 'abreast and Atherton even hittin g his head at one point on the four-foo t-h ig h inside guardrail. The race came down to the final co rner wi th Carr forced wi de by Atherton: " Kevin and I got a little clos e and I had to take th e high lin e to stop us from goi ng do wn ," Carr said later. At the flag it was Parker taki ng the final step to ward his third Grand Na tio na l Championship. Atherton stayed ahead of Jones for his best-ever Na tio nal fin ish , and Carr cruised in fourth after running wid e in three and four. Th e race for fifth wa s wa ged throughout with Springsteen, Morehead , Farris, Day and H ale doing most of the racing with Rogers not far behi nd. Close to the end of the race the ba ttle went do wn to four riders Morehead, Day, Sp rin ger and Farris and fift h pl ace finally went to Sp ringsteen ahea d of Morehead . Farris and Day. Rogers finished ninth ahea d of Mertens, wh o had pased Ha!e o n the las t lap. " We had a great race," Springs teen said la ter. " We were waving at each ot her . We had a lot of fun ou t there." H ale was as disappointed as someo ne wi th a $10,000 check cou ld be: " I didn 't ride slow eno ug h," he said. "It was o ne of those cases wh ere you ha ve to ride slo w to go fast. One lap I slip ped off the groove real bad in three and four, and I did it aga in on the last lap and Merten s went by." Jones with hi s best-ever series fin ish was pleased wit h the cha nges he 'd made to the Ho nda: " T here was a big dif ference," he said. "There was rea lly no comparison fro m the heat to the final. " Par ker and Wern er had cha nge d th e gearing on h is Harley prior to th e National, go ing wit h o ne more tooth on the rear after cha ngi ng it for the Camel Challenge. " IL .was a little lazy in the Ch al lenge," Parker sai d. "We were rea l conservative in tha t race. IL was still working pretty good , but we decided to go back to what we started wit h. " When Parke r was asked if the championship filled his min d during the race, J o n es interru pted with : " Heck yes, he was loo king over hi s sho u lder more tha n I' ve ever seen him look over his sho ulder." " Yeah, the cha mpions h ip has go t to be in the back of you r mi nd, but I was n't wo rried abo ut racing close with those guys. We always give each o ther plenty of room ," Parker said. Notab le non-finishers were Davis (flat tir e), Durelle and Ingram (ma in bear in g). Ingram's finis hing out of the points cost him $3000, the differen ce between between fifth and sixth in the final Camel Pro Series point standings. Poovey fin ished a lo wly 13th, saying later tha t h is Harley was tired: " It just didn 't ru n tonight. " £N Results TIME TRtALS: I. Scott Par ker (37.264 sec.); 2. Mi ke Hal e (37.359); 3. Chris Carr (37.425); 4. Keith Da y (37.446); 5. Steve Morehead (37.573); 6. Ru sty Ro gers (37.598); 7. David Durelle (37.610); 8. Kevin Atherton (37.640); 9. jay Sp ringsteen (37.720); 10. Da n Ingra m (37.762); I I. Ted Taylor (37.787); 12. Will Davis (37.801); 13. Terry Poo vey (37.824); 14. Ron n ie jones (37.89 1); 15. Tim Mellen. (38.021); 16. Larry Pegram (38.168); 17. Doug Chandler (38.20 t); 18. Chris Evans (38.202); 19. j on Cornwell (38.203); 20. Pet e Ham es (38.273); 21. Sieve- Rasmussen (38.28 1); 22. Rodney Farri s (38.309); 23. Steve Beattie (38.313); 24. Sco tt Stump (38.440); 25. Curt Rehmer! (38.44 t ); 26. Bryan McDow ell (38.507); 27. Mike Inderbiuen (38.669); 28. Chance Darling (38.709 ); 29. Bryan Viltell a (38.713); 30. Brian Atherton (38.717): 3 1. Aaron Hi ll (38.791); 32. Robert Lewis (38.9 17); 33. Rex Fish er (39.087); 34. Don Wilson (38. 144); 35. Rob Dam eron (39.242); 36. Geo rge Roed er II (39.305); 37. Dan McDonnell (39.329); 38. Mike McDon nell (39.509); 39. Speedy Kell (39.79-1); 40. C. Ro yal Adderson (40. 182); 41. Kris Kiser (44.505). HEAT I: I. Sco tt Parker (H · D); 2. Kevin Ath ert on (H -D); 3. jay Springsteen (H· D); 4. Do ug Cha nd ler (H- D); 5. La rry Pegr am (H o n); 6. CUrl Rehm ert (H · D); 7. Rebert LewIS (Ij· D); 8. Rex Fisher (H · D); 9. C. Ro yal Adder son (H· D); 10. SCUll Stum p (Hnn); I I. Kn s Kiser (H· D). 'Time: 6 min.• 16.614 sec. HEAT 2: I. Mike Hal e (H · D); 2. Davey Du relle (H -D); 3. Dan Ingram (H· D); 1. T im Mert en, (Hon); 5. Bryan McDo well (H a n) ; 6. C hris Evans (Han); 7. Steve Beauief ll -D): 8. Do n Wilson (Ho n]; 9. Aa ron Hill (II· D); 10. Speedy x-u (II -D). Time: 6:19.611. HEAT 3: l. Chris Carr (II · D): 2. Ro nnie J one s (Hon); 3. Rodney Farri s ( H· D); 1. T ed T aylor (Ho n): 5. Rus ty Rogers (Ha n); 6. Jon Cornwell (Ho n ); 7. Brian Atherton (H · D); 8. Ro b Dameron (H· D): 9. Mik e Ind erbitzin (H ·D ): 10. Mike McDo n nell (H a n ). Time: 6:11.985. H EAT 4: I. Keith Da y (Ho n); 2. Steve Mor ehead (H · D); 3. Will Davi s (H -D); 4. T erry Poo vey (Hon); 5. Steve Rasm ussen (H · D); 6. George Roeder II (H · D); 7. Cha nce Darling (1-)·0); 8. Pete Hames (H· D); 9. Dan McDonnell (H · D). T im e: 6:21.839. SEMI I: I. Larry Pegram : 2. Tim Menens; 3. Curt Rehm ert: 4. Bryan McDowell; 5. Steve Beatt ie; 6. Rex Fish er; i . Re bert Lewi s; 9. C. Ro yal Add erson : 10. Dou g Cha nd ler. Time: 6:24.596. SD II 2: I. Rust y Rog ers; 2. Terry Poo vey: 3. T ed T aylor ; 4. Steve Ra smusse-n; 5. J on Cornwell ; 6. Cha nce Dar ling; 7. Brian Ath erton : 8. Dan '-1cDon nell ; 9. Mike lnd erb itzen : 10. Rob Damero n; I I. George Roed er II ; 12. Pete Ham es. 'I'i me; 6:19.934. LAST CHANCE QUAU Fl ER : I. Ted Taylor: 2J o n Co rnwe ll; 3. Cun Reh mer t: 4. Bryan McDow ell ; 5. Brian Ather to n: 6. S teve Beatti e: 7. C ha nce Dar lin g; 8. Rex Fish er; 9. Robert Lewis ; 10. Steve Ras mu ssen, T ime: 6:22.017. "GE: I. Mik e Hale (H·D); 2. CA MEL C H ALLL Sco u Park er (H · D); 3. Chri s Carr (H ·D); 1. Keith Da y ( Ho n ); 5. Steve Mor eh ead (H- D); 6. RUM)" Rogers (Ho n). ' Time: 3:08.911. N AT IONAL: I. Scc u Par ker (H · D); 2. Kevin Ath ert on (H -D); 3. Ro n ni e J o nes (Hon): 4. Chris C .arr ( H· D); 5. j ay Springsteen (H·D); 6. Steve Mor eh ead (H· D); 7. Rod ney Farris (H · D); 8. Keith Day (Ho n ]: 9. R usty Rog ers (H o n): 10. Tim Mert ens (H o n ); II. Mike Hale (H· D); 12. La rry Pegram (H o n); 13. Terry Poo vey (Ho n); 11. T,.J Tay lo r (H on) ; 15. Will Da vis (H · D); 16. Da ve Dur elle (H· D); 17. Da n Ing ra m (H· D). Ti me: 15:36.884. Average Speed : 96.063 m ph. Fl="AL AMA /CAMEL PR O PO tNT STAN DINGS: I. SC Oll Park er (249); 2. Chri , Ca rr (229); 3. Ronnie j on e, ( I68); 4. Ja y Springsteen (128); 5. Sre..-e Moreh ead (113); 6. Dan In gr am (107); 7. Rodney Farris (83); 8. Terry Poov ey (70); 9. Kevin Ath erton (62); 10. (T IE) Will Da vis/Tim Mert en s (6 1); 12. R ust y Rogers (55); 13. (TIE) Ricky Graha m / Mike Hale (47); 15. Keith Da y (45); 16. Dave Dur ell e (34); 17. Steve Eklund (23); 18. Rich King (19); 19. Dou g Ch andler ( 11); 20. Steve Aseltine (13).

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