Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

eDIRT TRACK AM{\ Grand National Championship_Se_ries_: e _RO_UD_d3 Defending Grand National Champion Chris CMr (1) edged Scott Parker (2) and "broke in" his number one plate. Carr breaks the ice at Sacramento Mile By Donn Maeda Photos by Ken Baker and E.W. Domanie SACRAMENTO, CA, MAY 1 iter spending the entire 25-lap National dicing with his teammate Scott Parker, defending Grand National Champion Orris Carr sent the monkey that had been on his back since the start of the season tumbling across the track with a blistering run through the final two turns that even four-time champ Parker couldn't match. "It's a big relief to finally get my first win of the series, and I'm glad that it came at my hometown race," said Carr, A 16 the Harley-Davidson factory team member who lives in nearby Valley Springs. As winner of five of the last seven races at the Cal- Expo State Fairgrounds, Carr is no stranger to the winner's box at the Northern California race track, but this time the win had a bit more meaning. Not only was it Carr's 22nd career National win - it was his first win with the "heavy" number one plate affixed to the front of his Kenny Tolberttuned XR750. While it is not uncommon in any sport to see defending champions start their title-defending seasons slowly due to the higher expectations placed on them, Carr is quick to deny that he feels any extra pressure and made it apparent that choking would not playa part in his season by topping Parker, the ac1cnowledged "King of the Miles," not only in raw speed, but in race strategy as well. "I pretty much milked it and followed Scott in the early going to conserve my tire," said Carr, who earned $5000 of the $33,000 purse at the Orris Agajanian Presents-promoted event. "With about five or six laps to go 1 started to draft pass him on the front straight. I wanted to show him that I could pass him there and I wanted to get him thinking, thinking about whether or not the plan of attack he had formed would work or not." After the race, Parker seemed disappointed with his runner-up finish, but as always, pointed out that there is still a lot of races ahead. "1 just screwed up," said Parker. "Chris took and got an awesome drive through three and four on the last lap and 1 just couldn't catch him." _ Finishing third and standing on the low step of the victory podium was Carr and Parker's former Harley-Davidson teammate, Kevin Atherton, aboard the Texas Harley-Davidson/Sponseller Racing XR7S0. Atherton spent much of the race trading places with Bartels' Harley rider Mike Hale before closing in on - and at one point passing - both the leaders in the closing laps. "1 held back to save my tire and 1 planned on hammering the last two laps," said Atherton. "But 1 still just didn't have enough tire to pull it off. Orris cut a perfect comer on the last lap, we really didn't have a chance." Hale held on to finish a solid fourth, and was happy to continue his trend of improving finishes after suffering a dis.mal season last year. But what about two-time Grand National Champion Ricky Graham? Perhaps a large number of fans summed it up best after the race as they chanted, "Graham was robbed." Controversy marred the start of the National, as fast qualifier Graham, along with fellow front-row starters Carr, Hale and Lance Jones, jumped the gun on the first start attempt. Though four riders blatantly left too early, National Dirt Track Referee/Manager Bruce Bober ruled that it was Graham that first broke the beam of light that monitors the start. Most of the 16,987-strong crowd booed and hissed as Bober sent only Graham to the penalty line. Nevertheless, Graham worked up from his last-place starting position to finish fifth and was arguably the fastest rider on the track. The fastest rider in the Camel Challenge, though, was Parker. After surviving a near disastrous incident that involved contact with Atherton and Graham on the second lap, Parker stormed from last to nab the $5000 winner's check in the R.]. Reynolds Tobacco Co.-sponsored dash-for-eash race. After three of 21 rounds, Carr leads the series point st"ndings with 43 points. Parker is second with 39, and Graham third with 31. Time trials Though the track began to break up in the exits of turns two and four as the evening wore on, most riders agreed that the Harvey Doty-prepared track was up to par. Graham was the fastest qualifier, circling the track on his Team Undo Honda RS750 in 36.662 seconds at an average speed of 98.184 mph, far short of the record (36.263/99.275) set by Terry Poovey last October. Ironically, Poovey was a no-show, sidelined with an abscessed tooth. "I pitched it in so hard that 1 hit the steering locks," said a pumped-up Graham after time trials. "I drove right through the holes coming out of two, but Johnny (Goad) has the suspension dialed. It didn't swap at all" Joining Graham, Parker and Atherton in the fastest-six category were Stee1master's Don Estep, Hale and Carr. Heats Graham may not have swapped during his hot lap, but he did hesitate at the start of the first lo-lap heat race and got underway in the middle of the pack. No matter, though, as Graham quickly recovered and chased down the early leaders by the fourth lap and went on to post a commanding win with nearly a full straightaway to spare. "They watered the track before the start of the heats and 1 was a little leery of the slick first tum," said Graham. The race for the second direct transfer position was hot and heavy, as Rodney Farris, aboard the Eddie Adkins Harley, and Lora! Lake Racing's Ronnie

• Cover