Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

eDIRT TRACK I AMA Regional Championship_D_irt_Tr_ac_kS_en_' R_ou_n_d1 es_: Dan Ingram (31) fended off the charges of Ouis Carr (1) throughout the 1S-1ap main event. Carr was second. (Left to right) Runner-up Ouis Carr, winner Dan Ingram and third-place Kevin Varnes celebrated on the podium. _ that calls Pottstown, Pennsylvania, home. "But when Carr made that mistake, instinct took over and 1went for it." Varnes swooped past Carr and into second as they raced through turns three and four on the fourth lap, but Carr was quick to retaliate and did so as they slid through one and two on the next lap. '1 left just a little bit of space, and that was enough for him to get by," said Carr. "But then he made a mistake in the next turn and let me right past." "1 couldn't believe 1 had passed Carr," admitted Penn State Cycles-sponsored Varnes. "I was just waiting for a dozen guys to pass me." Meanwhile, Ingram -continued to lead, tinaware of the action going on behind him. "I knew they were back there, but 1 knew that if 1 didn't make a mistake there would be no getting around me," said Ingram. "I just went for it. Everything was working great and 1 felt smooth." Ingram, Carr and Varnes crossed the finish line in tight formation, and were followed at a distance by Taylor, who fought off the late-race charges of Duane Veeder an~ Atherton, who was aboard the injured Larry Pegram's Texas HarleyDavidson-sponsored Rotax. "The motor is about the same as my factory bike was," said Atherton. "But the suspension is unbelievable. It has that old factory Honda team stuff on it.'" Graham finishE:d seventh after he and Ronnie Jones nearly crashed on the 10th lap. "Morehead's bike blew up and dumped oil on the track," said Graham. "Ronnie slipped and panicked and we went off the groove." Jones failed to recover as well as Graham, as he suffered a flat front tire shortly after Morehead's demise. "I figure that it started to go flat right about the same time 1 hit the oil," said Jones, who is again aboard the Garvis Honda Town Honda XR600 after a oneyear stint aboard Harleys. "I felt really good until that happened." c:N Results: HEAT 1: 1. Ted Taylor (RlX); 2. Kevin Atherton (Rtx); 3. Scott Stump (RlX); 4. Brett Landes (RlX); 5. John Parker (RlX); 6. Brian Villella (RlX); 7. Ian Segedy (RlX); 8. Georr Oark (RlX); 9. joe Winston (RlX); 10. George Garvis (Hon). lime-: 3 minutes. 9.34 seconds. HEAT 2: 1. Kevin Varnes (Rtx); 2. Steve Morehead (RlX); 3. jason Fletcher (RlX); 4. Ricky Graham (RlX); 5. Chris Evans (Rtx); 6. Pat Behrle (Hon); 7. Steve Beattie (Rtx); 8. Randy Texter (RlX); 9. Kris Kiser (RlX); 10. Rusty Rogers (Alk). Time: 3:05.20. HEAT 3: 1. Rich King (RlX); 2. Robert Miller (Rtx); 3. jerr Annen (Alk); 4. MickA!y Fay (Rlx); S. Georgie Price (RlX); 6. Randy Roooe (RlX); 7. Chris Wnuk (Hon); 8. Mike Inderbitzen (Rtx); 9. Ron Brown (W-R); 10. R. Sobering (RlX). TlDle: 3:05.46. Ingram tops Daytona Regional Short Track By Donn Maeda Photos by Kinney Jones DAYfONA,FL, MAR. 4 or the second year in a row, M&M Racing's Dan Ingram kicked off the professional dirt track activities at Daytona Beach's Municipal Stadium~dur ing Camel Cycle Week with a win at the AMA Regional Dirt Track Series opener. And for the second year in a row, it was Team Harley-Davidson's Chris Carr chasing Ingram across the line only inches behind. Giving the two series veterans a run for their money and finishing a close third was rookie Expert Kevin Varnes, who at one point even passed Carr to take over second. Due to the large rider turnout, 24 preliminary qualifiers were used to thin the field to 61 racers, rather than the morefamiliar time-trials format. Among the F 42 more-notable racers who failed to qualify for the program was Will Davis. Davis crashed while leading his qualifier and spent the rest of the evening spectating. "I was going good and all up a sudden 1 was on my tail," said Davis. "I didn't even have time to try to react." Six lo-lap heat races that each offered two direct transfer positions were run, followed by four eight-lap semis that saw only the winner advance. The crushed limestone track provided a smooth racing surface, thanks to recent rains, and a thin blue groove formed in the turns. "The track is really smooth," said Carr before the start of the .main. "Unless someone makes a mistake, it will be pretty hard to pass." Carr's prediction held true, as the main event saw just that. Ingram grabbed the holeshot at the start of the IS-lap main and led Carr, Varnes, Steve Morehead, Rich King, Ted Taylor and Duane Veeder. Ronnie Jones, Ricky Graham and Kevin Atherton rounded out the top 10 as the field completed lap one. Almost immediately, Ingram, Carr and Varnes began to pull away from the rest of the field. Carr shadowed Ingram's every move waiting for a mistake, but in his charge, left an opening just big enough for Varnes to squeeze past. "I was really nervous being out there with those guys," said 18-year-old Varnes, who hails from a racing family HEAT 4: 1. Oris Carr (H-o); 2. Roonie Jones (Hoo); 3. Tommy Colson (RlX); 4. Garth Brow (RlX); s. Mike Hale (W·R); 6. Robert Damron (W-R); 7. Craig Estelle (Rtx); 8. Ouck Buchanan (RlX); 9. O1ad Barth (RlX); 10. Kenneth Mohler (H-O). Time: 3:0356. HEAT 5: 1. Duane Veeder (W-R); 2. Aaron H;II (Rtx); 3. Wink Freitas (Rtx); 4. Brian Tillson (Rtx); S. William Adams (RlX); 6. R Durkee (RlX); 7. Ty Howard (RlX); 8. Todd Sharpless (RlX); 9. David Reeves (RlX); 10. Rick Hocking (Rtx). Time 3:06.73. HEAT" 1. o.n Ingram (~lon);2. Terry Poovey (Ra); 3. o.ve Carnlin (H·O); 4. Sh:ve Aseltine (Rtx); 5. Conrad Parshall (RlX); 6. C. Vahsholtz (W-R); 7. MikA! Hacker (RlX); 8. K. jacobsen; 9. Harold Dorsey (RlX); 10. joel Barrow (Hon); 11. Robert Tripp (RlX). Time: 3:0730. SEMI 1: 1. Fay; 2. Hale; 3. Camlin; 4. Estelle; 5. Colson; 6. Inderbitzen; 7. DonleY; 8. Parshall; 9. Barth; 10. Hacker; 11. Sobering; 12. Tripp; 13. Roooe. Time:: 2:30.14. SEMI 2: 1. Stump; 2. Evans; 3. Durkee; 4. TIllson; 5. Segedy; 6. Hocking; 7. Kiser; 8. Sharpless; 9. Beattie; 10. Winston; 11. Fletcher; 12. Parker. Time: 2:29.81. SEMI 3: 1. Annen; 2. Vahsholtz; 3. Price; 4. o.mron; S. Aseltine; 6. Brow; 7. Brown; 8. jaroboen; 9. 8alTow; 10. Wnuk; 11. Mohler, 12 Buchanan. Tune: 2:30.11. SEMI 4: 1. Graham; 2. L.1.ndes; 3. Freitas; 4. Ro&ers; 5. Villella; 6. Texter; 7. Carvis; 8. Howard; 9. Reeves; 10. Oark; 11. Behrle; 12. Adams. TIme: 2:29.50. 15 LAP MAlN EVENT: 1. Dan Ingram (Hoo); 2. Can' (H-O); 3. Kevin Varnes (Rtx); 4. Ted Taylor (Rtx);S. Duane Veeder (RlX); 6. Kevin Atherton (RlX); 7. Ricl

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