Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

the jump," said Carr. "But I knew my time was good enough to make the challenge, so I didn 't bother with a wave-off." Veteran Mickey Fay was third fastest, posting a 27.145, just ahead of threetime Grand National Champion Ricky Graham 's time of 27.ISO. Although Fay competed in ·Iast year 's Ascot finale, the Washington-based racer has not been a regular sight at AMA Grand Nationals for nearly six years. Earlier in his career, Fay scored three National wins, all of them on TT courses. Rich King and Parker rounded out the six fastest qualifiers, posting times of 27.255 an d 27.323, respectively, earn ing starting slots in the Camel Challenge. Chris Carr scored his record setting, fourth-conse cutive Peoria National TT win at the Peoria M.C.-promoted event. Carr rnntims to reign at Peoria TT By Donn Maeda Photos by Bert Shepard and Maeda "T 6 PEORIA, n, AUG. 4 hat was the hardest race I've ever ridden here," said Team Harley-Davidson's Chris Carr, after topping his teammate Scou Parker at the Peoria TT in front of nearly 14,000 screaming spectators. After hounding Parker for nearly half of the 25-lap main event, Carr blasted past the defending Grand National Champion and scored his third win of the season. Although Parker managed to stay close to the 24-year-old Californian for a few laps, Carr pulled out to a comfortable 15-bike length lead at the finish. The third member of the Harley-Davidson factory team , Kevin Atherton, stormed through the field after a poor start to fill th e final spo t on the rostrum. In winning, Carr not only padded .his series points lead over Parker, 146132, but also earned a spot in the dirt track history books as the only rider to have won four consecutive Peoria TT Nationals. Entering the race, Carr was tied at three consecutive wins with Roger Sandstrom and former Grand National Champion Joe Leonard. Now boasting four consecutive victo ries at Peori a, and five Peoria TT wins total, Carr has proved quite worthy of his n ickname, the " Prince of Peoria." Time Trials Of the 51 riders who took time trial laps , IS-year-old Mike Hale rounded the track the fastest. Hale, the 1990 Camel Pro Series Rookie of the Year, stopped timer Gil Dosemagan's clocks at 26.312 seconds to earn the pole position in the $17,500 Camel Challenge, a five-lap dash for cash that is comprised of the day's six fastest qualifiers. Although Hale's time was by far the fastest of the day, it was well off the track record of 25.550, set by Carr in 19S9. On this day, Carr was the only other rider to dip into the 26-second bracket, turning in the day's second fastest time of 26.960. "I felt good during practice," said Hale. " I got out there at a good time, and I knew what I had to do. I don't know what made me so much faster, though." "I went a liule wide in the turn after Heats Dave Camlin led the charge to th e first turn in the first of three IO-Iap heats that would transfer the top three fini shers to the main event . Ca mlin' s hol esh ot was sho rt-lived, however, as Larry Pegram lost control in th e first tum and was joined by four other riders on th e ground. Non e of th e rid ers were injured. although Pegram appeared quite shaken and lost the left Iootpeg on h is ESP Racing Honda. Hale grabbed a huge holeshot at the restart, but crashed hard just after the infamous jump on the back stra ightaway. " I was real leaned over in the righthander after th e jump," explained Hale , who was able to pi ck h is bike up and mak e the restart. "T hen the front end washed out, and the next thing I knew, I was .tumbling." While Hale was making his way back to the starting area, Pegram's team managed to fabricate a temporary Iootpeg, using a pair of large vise-grip pliers. Pegram sped off the line in the final restart, and led Hale. Will Davis and Parker for the first two laps. Parker passed Davis over the jump, and snuck under Hale as they entered tum three. Once into second, Parker reeled in Pegram and soared past him as they navigated the jump for the last time. Parker led Pegram and Hale across the finish line, while the fourth through 11th place finishers headed for a semi. " I felt real good, but man, it takes me three laps to get going, " said Parker. "I'rn going to need a holeshot in the main if I expect to win this thing." , "I'm pretty sore," said Pegram, who was run over by at least two other riders in his first-tum crash. "I was worried that the footpeg was gonna break off, so I backed off a lot over the jump. I would've won if I didn' t have to take it easy." " I was still in a daze," Hale said. "Once I got out there I just wanted to make sure I transferred to the main." Carr stormed off the line in the second heat, and for all p ractical purposes, the race was over. Carr pulled out to a 25-bike length lead at the finish, leading King and Poovey across the finish line. After starting seventh and dicing with Steve Morehead, Atherton closed on Poovey. but came up inches short of a direct transfer at the finish line. "Once I got the holeshot, I wasn't worried," said Carr. " From then on I just settled into a pace and tried different lines ." "Carr was pretty much gone," said King , who'crossed the finish line well ahead of Poovey. " And I had a pretty good lead over third, so I just cruised." " It's sure nice to make it from a heat," joked 'Poovey, who admittedly dislikes TTs. "I felt real good, but I'

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