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eDIRT TRACK e AMA Eastern Regional Charnpionship_Se_ri_es:_R_oU_Dd_4 Ricky Graham celebrated his win by pouring out his champagne. Kevin Atherton Oeft) and runner-up Davey Dure~ (right) looked on. Graham doubles at Springfield Ricky Graham (3) grabbed the holeshot and won the Harley-Davidson 883 main event with ease. Greg.Sims (10) and Steve Morehead (42) gave early chase. Milwaukee's Jim Sumner (45) nabbed the win in the 600cc class final. Brothers Roy (SSP) and James (16P) Hart finished sixth and third, respectively. 22 By Dave Hoenig Photos by Flat Trak Folos SPRINGFIELD, IL, MAY 29 wertime Grand National Champion Ricky Graham scored a pair of wins at the Budweiser Eastern Regional Mile at the Il1inois State Fairgrounds, topping both the 750cc and HarleyDavidson 883 classes in grand style aboard his Team Undo Honda RS750 and Douglas Fay-tuned HarleyDavidson 883 race bikes, respectively. "I know this is only a Regional, but the competition is really tough," said Graham. "You just have to get after it." Many of the nation's top Experts showed up at the Illinois Motorcycle Dealers Association-promoted event to tune up for the Grand National that would follow two days later. A turnout of 167 total rider entries filled the 750, 600,883 and PrcrAm classes. Gardner Racing/Walters Bros. HD/Weibler Enterprises-backed Lance Jones continued his impressive return to racing by turning in the fastest qualifying lap of the day. Jones stopped the clocks at 35.634 seconds, just a hair quicker than Rich King's 35.855. Graham and Kevin Atherton also turned in 35-second laps and rounded out the top four qualifiers. Jones' fast lap was turned at an average speed of 101.027 mph. Those same riders blazed to the wins in each of the four hea t races, and the stage was set for the main event. At the flash of the green light, Graham wasted little time establishing his dominance and led every lap aboard his Johnny Goad-tuned, Team Undo/Honda Dealers Group/ Arai/Fox/Frontier Ford/Z Galleries/Tsubaki/Panasonic Car Audio/Clawson Honda-sponsored Honda RS750. "I was able to .get through the comers real good," said Graham. "I hope 1 can do the same in the Grand National." Donahue H-D's Davey Durelle ran second from start to finish, and looked to be well-recovered from injuries he suffered at the end of the season last year. Durelle held a firm grip on the T _ runner-up spot, while Canadian Steve Beattie, Jones, King, Will Davis, Davey Camlin, Atherton and Rodney Farris waged an all-out war over third. In the end, it was Atherton who worked through the pack and nabbed third at the line. King drafted into fourth at the finish ahead of Camlin, Beattie, Farris and Davis. In the R.K. Stratmann-sponsored Harley-Davidson 883 class, Graham and Robert Buffington nabbed the wins in the two heat races. [n the main event, Matt Wait jumped into the early lead, but was no match for Buffington and Graham, who motored by on lap one. Then Buffington slipped off the groove and handed the lead to Graham. Once out front, Graham ran away with his second win of the day with relative ease. "It feels good to win here at Springfield again aboard a HarleyDavidson," said Graham of his winning ride on the Douglas Fay-tuned, T. Room/HES Performance Produ.cts/ Noleen/CMT Marketing/ Dunlop/ Motul/Motion Pro/Ruth Van Engineering/EBC/Tsubaki/ Arai/Sports -backed 883. "The last time I won on a Harley at Springfield was back in 1983." Buffington regrouped from his slip off the groove and rega ined second when Wait also slipped off the fast line. Steve Morehead came blasting through the pack to nab third at the finish, ahead of Wait, Ron Crabbe and Mike Reid. Since Graham ran away with the wins in the 750 and 883 classes, the 600cc class action proved to be the closest of the day. Fast qualifier Bret Beyer took control of the first heat at the star, but mechanical problem sent him to the sidelines. Ty Howard took over and went on to win the first heat race. James Hart, Erik Grabeal and Tom Troudt won the other three. In the main event, eight riders were still in the hunt for the win on the seventh of 10 laps. Mike Hacker led laps eight and nine, only to have Suburban H-DlJoe Houpt/Sean Oster/Stan Millard/Squirts/ Bell / Midwestern Anodizing-sponsored Jim Sumner draft by for the win. Hacker held on to second, ahead of James Hart, Dale Jenneman, Troudt,.Roy Hart, Al Eadie and Howard. Ken Coolbeth, Shawn Clark, Doug Beattie, Paul Morgan, Randy Shank and Ryan Brown topped each of the six Prer Am heat races. Clark grabbed the early lead at the start of the main, but was quickly set back by Coolbeth. With that, R&I Manufacturing / Bell /Spectro / Wilcox MC/Beatty Construction/Hawg Wild /M. Cass-sponsored Coolbeth pulled out an impressive lead and went unchallenged to the finish. Morgan settled into second with Beattie close behind. Morgan weathered an unsettling encounter on the last lap and Beattie slipped into second. "I was just driving through the tum when 1 got a lot of traction and ran into the inside rail," said Morgan, who sported a three-inch hole in the shoulder of his new leathers. Q\' Results 750: 1. Ricky Graham (Hon); 2. Davey Durelle (H. D); 3. Kevin Atherton (H·D); 4. Rich King (H-D); 5. Davey Camlin (H-D); 6. Steve Beattie (H-D); 7. Rodney Farris (H-D); 8. Will Davis (Hon); 9. Jason Aetcher (HD); 10. Lance Jones (H-D); II. Danny Koelsch (H·D); 12. Danny Ingram (Hon). HARLEY-DAVIDSON 883, I. Ricky Graham; 2. Robert Buffington; 3. Steve Morehead; 4. Matt Wait; 5. Rob Crabbe; 6. Mike Reid; 7. James Hart; 8. Steve Champine; 9. Marc Gifford; 10. Ty Howard; 11. Lance Jones; 12. Greg Sims. 60&. 1. Jim Sumner (Rtx); 2. Mike Hacker (RlX); 3. James Hart (W-R); 4. Dale Jenneman (Rtx); 5. Tom Troudt (W·R); 6. Roy Hart (Rtx); 7. AI Eadie (Rtx); 8. Ty Howard (Rtx); 9. Mall Wait (RlX); 10. Brent Annbruster (Rtx); 11. Chad Groescup (Ra); 12. Scott Stump (RlX); 13. Erik Graybeal (W-R). PRO-AM, 1. Ken Coolbeth (W-R);2. Doug Beattie (RlX); 3. Paul Morgan (RlX); 4. Mike Warner (Ra); 5. Shawn Oark (Rtx); 6. Randall Shank (Rtx); 7. Rob Williams (W-R); 8. Lee Johnson (W-R); 9. Ryan Brown (Rlx); 10. Scott Shinn (H-D); II. Derek Brooks (Ra); 12. Reed lliuyoIino (W-R).