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eFLAT TRACK e Motorcycle Asphalt RacinS,,-Se_ri_es:_Ro_UD_d_l t Will Davis (21) led Terry Poovey (18), Greg Sims (10) and Steve Burkholder (62) at the start of the Expert main. TI!)W\ Mike Hale "road raced" his way to the win in the Harley-Davidson 883 main. Davis edges Poovey in Barberville thriller By Dave Hoenig Photos by Flat Trak Fotos BARBERVILLE, FL, FEB. 28 ill Davis and Terry Poovey provided plenty of excitement at the opening round of the '93 Motorcycle Asphalt Racing Series (MARS), as they circulated the paved half-mile oval at Volusia County Speedway only inches apart for the majority of the IS-lap main event. Though Poovey led the majority of the W 38 laps, it was Davis who led the all-important dash across the finish line. Less than one month prior to the race, Davis found himself lying in the intensive care unit of a Goldsboro, North Carolina, hospital after suffering facial lacerations and a broken jaw in a head-on truck/car crash. Davis' jaw was still wired shut at Barberville, but that obviously didn't slow him down. "It's been a heck of a winter," said Davis through clenched teeth. "It's always good to win. I just hope that this is just the first of many wins this year." A full field of Experts took time trial laps, and it was Poovey who stopped the clock quickest. The quiet Texan's 18.373 second lap earned him the pole position in the first of six heat races that each offered only one direct transfer to the main. Poovey led that heat from start to finish, leaving James Hart and Bryan Villella to do battle over second. Hart led Villella and Steve Morehead across the line, but they, along with the rest . would have to race a semi. Davis easily won heat two and along the way edged Poovey's winning time. Steve Burkholder finished a lonely second ahead of Scott Buchan and Chance Darling. Greg Sims, Ted Taylor, Ricky Graham and Danny Koelsch all battled in the third heat. Graham passed Taylor for second, but was slowed by mechanical problems. Sims won, edging Koelsch and Taylor. Rusty Rogers owned heat race four, and finished well ahead of Canadians Steve Beattie and Chris Evans. The fifth heat saw Dan Ingram leading Brian Tillson, until Steve Marth who was running midpack - fell and brought out the red flag. On the restart, Craig Estelle grabbed the lead ahead of Tommy Colson and Tillson. Ingram's Honda threw a chain and Estelle also feU victim to a mechanical failure. Tillson took command and led Colson and Harold Dorsey horne. Erik Graybeal led the last heat, but Rodney Farris and Brett Landes powered past. Farris went on to win easily, but Graybeal passed Landes back for second. Three semis were run, and each of them offered two final transfer spots. Burkholder, Koelsch and Taylor ran nose-to-tail in the first semi, with Taylor the odd-man-out. James Hart led the second semi until the halfway marIe, when Villella blasted past and _ walked away with it. Hart held on for second. Graybeal opened up a big lead in the third and final semi, but dropped out in the closing laps with a dead bike. Beattie and Landes snatched up the two transfer spots. With that, the stage was set for the main. Poovey grabbed the feature's holeshot with his Texas HarleyDavidson-sponsored XR600 at the -wave of the flag and led Davis through the first turn. Davis was only inches behind, and pulled alongside Poovey several times. Bu t each time, Davis found himself coming up a little short and forced to play follow the leader. "Terry went fast all day long," said Davis. "1 got up on the outside of him several times, but I never had a real chance to pass him." Meanwhile, Beattie rode a lonely race in third, well ahead of Sims, Tillson and Burkholder, who raged a ferocious ba ttle over fourth. Finally, on the next-to-last lap, Davis found his opening and went past a disappointed Poovey to take over the lead. "1 finally saw a spot where I could just go and brainlock," said Davis. "1 held it wide open and powered around him." Davis held on to the finish to earn the win aboard his Mother Fletchers/Bell/Motion Pro/Fun products/SBS/Dennis Town-sponsored machine, just inches ahead of Poovey and well ahead of Bea ttie. Sims lost fourth on the last lap to a hard-charging Burkholder. Rogers, TiUson, Koelsch, Farris and Hart rounded out the top to. Mike Hale ran away with the first Harley 883 heat race, oddly enough aboard his road race machine. "It takes a while for the tires to heat up, but then it sticks real good," said Hale. "You can slide the 883s set up for dirt track, but I think my road racer will be the way to go in the main." Following Hale across the line in the first heat and into the main were Villella and Graham. Heat two saw Larry Locklear grab the early lead over Morehead, but the crowd got up on its feet when Jay Springsteen came from out of nowhere to swoop into the lead. Unfortunately for Springsteen, his bike emitted a puff of smoke soon after and he was done for the evening. Locklear went on to win, while Chuck Blackmon passed· Morehead on the last lap for second. The last heat belonged to Dick Koehler after his teamma te, Steve Champine, dropped out of contention. Ty Wallace finished second, well ahead of Roy Hart. Hale missed a great race in the 883 main event. At the wave of the green flag, Hale slipped into the lead and pulled away, riding road race-style aboard his Bartels' H-D/BieHe/Motion Pro/Vanson/Kal-GardlJoe Schmoe Graphics-sponsored Harley. Behind Hale, though, a six-man war fOT second raged and it involved Locklear, Blackmon, Koehler, Wallace and Villella. All of them seemed to be using different lines and riding techniques. With Hale already crossing the finish line the winner, Villella was the man to watch, and he charged into second. Blackmon finished a close third, ahead of Locklear and Koehler. ov Results EX; 1. Will Davis (Rtx); 2. Terry Poovey (H-D); 3. Steve Beattie (H-D); 4. Steve Burkholder (H-D); 5. Greg Sims (H-D); 6. Rusty Rogers (H-D); 7. Brian Tillson (Rtx); 8. Danny Koelsch (H-D); 9. Rodney Farris (H-D); 10. lames Hart (W-R); 11. B...tt Landes (Rtx); 12. Bryan Villella (Rtx). lIlI3' 1. Mike Hale (H-D); 2. Bryan Villella (H-D); 3. Chuck Blackmon (H-D); 4. Larry Locklear (H-D); 5. Dick Koehler (H-D); 6. lames Hart (H·D); 7. Ty Wallace (H-D); 8. Ricky Grwm (H-D); 9. Donnie Kruzinsld (H-D); 10. Mike Scott (HD); 11. Roy Hart (A-D); 12. SI1!ve Morehead (H-D).