Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

eDIRT TRACK AMA Grand National Championshie_Se_rie-.,.--s:_Ro_un_d6 _ ; Kevin Atherton waited until the main event to go up high above the groove. His patience paid off, as he used the line to outdistance his competitors by a full straightaway. Atherton all the way at Parkersburg Half Mile By Donn Maeda Photos by Bert Shepard MINERALWELlS, WV,}UN. 6 evin Atherton felt odd as he suited up for the Coors Light Parkersburg Hall Mile. For the past five years, the personable 22-year-old from White Pigeon, Michigan, had donned a familiar set of white, orange and black team Harley-Davidson leathers when he arrived at a track. After a friendly parting with the factory Harley-Davidson team at the end of the 1992 season, Atherton had continued to wear his old factory leathers while he raced the Skip Eaken-tuned, Texas Harley-Davidsonbacked XR750 in place of the injured Larry Pegram. But tonight was different. The sight of Atherton in a flashy new set of red, white and blue leathers seemed to set in stone the fact that he was no longer a factory rider and was competing as a privateer. "It felt kind of weird. Ever since I became an Expert I have worn the factory's colors," said Atherton, who was hired by Harley-Davidson in 1989 in his first full year as an Expert. "Actually, 1 felt like a clown in those bright things. 1 thought people might laugh at me when I put them on." But no one laughed, especially after the 25-lap main event. Atherton took control of the race on the first lap and ran away to score a seemingly effortless win on the high line of West Virginia Motor Speedway'S high-banked dirt oval. Atherton's second Grand National win came under threatening skies, as off-and-on showers soaked the track in the days prior to the Jean Lynch-pro- K 10 moted event. Perhaps due to the damp, chilly conditions, an estimated crowd of only 3000 spectators filed into the picturesque natural amphitheater that sits in a valley between two hillsides. .In winning, Atherton earned $4000 of the $28,000 purse, and added another $1000 to his billfold with a win in the $2100 Smitty Challenge, a five-lap dash for cash held in memory of Lawrence Smith, a longtime race supporter and West Virginia Harley-Davidson dealershipowner. Second on the night was the everconsistent Ricky Graham. The Team Undo Honda rider hesitated at the start and spent the early laps in and around sixth place before picking up the pace and crossing the line second, despite helmet shield fogging problems. "I could hardly see because my face shield was so steamed up," said the 34year-old Californian. "And running up high the way 1 was left little room for error. 1 couldn't really tell how hard 1 should run it into the turns." Graham was surprised at the finish when his pit crew informed him that he was the runner-up, as he spent the majority of the race chasing after Rodney Farris, who ran strong and smooth before the coil bracket on his Eddie Adkins-tuned Harley-Davidson broke off and left him stranded on the back straightaway with only six laps to go. Graham hadn't seen Farris coast to a stop, and was under the impression that he was third. Equally as surprised with his finish was four-time Grand National Champion Scott Parker, who placed third after running as far back as 12th. After a dismal start, the 31-year-old racer from Michigan put forth a heroic charge that carried him past his teammate and biggest rival, Grand National Champion Chris Carr, on the last lap for the place position. "I figured 1 was about fifth or sixth," said an elated Parker. "I was plugging away and 1 seen that big number one ahead of me and 1 knew that 1had to get him. At the finish 1 saw Kevin with his hand in the air and only Ricky in between us and thought, 'Hot damn, I'm third!' Carr was obviously upset with his fourth-place finish, partially due to the lapped traffic that seemed to block his every move, and also because he saw his series point lead shrink from nine to five. With six of 21 races in the history books, Carr leads Graham, who overtook Parker, 85-80. Parker is only two points further back with 78. In winning, Atherton vaulted from ninth to fourth with 46 points, overtaking Mike Hale, who failed to qualify for the National For their performances, Graham and Parker took home $2750 and $2000, respectively, but Graham added $1000 to his payday with a win in the AMA/Contiental Tire National Championship Harley-Davidson 883 Series main event. The win was Graham's second of the new series, and he leads race runner-up Jay Springsteen in the series point standings, 49-45. 1/ Jason Fletcher finished third aboard his Moroney's H-D-backed 883. Time trials A $5000 reward was offered by the Sly Fox, a local tavern, to the fastest qualifier who was under the track record of 24.130 seconds, set by Parker in 1987, but no one but Graham could even come close to besting the mark. Graham raced around the track in 24.865 seconds, well off the record. Even so, Graham was easily the fastest rider of the timed qualifying session, as Atherton's second-fastest time was three-tenths of a second further back at 25.165. Even though he was the fastest qualifier, Honda-mounted Graham would not be allowed to compete in the Smitty ChalIenge, as the five-lap dash was open to Harley-Davidson riders only. Atherton, Cair, Farris, Springsteen, Michael Varnes and Jason Fletcher would race the American-built machines in the dash. Heats Series veteran Steve Morehead led the opening two laps of the first 1Q-lap heat race, but Graham had no intentions of putting on a lead-swapping show. Once he moved into the lead on lap three, Graham ran away and scored a commanding win. As he pulled further al1d further away from Morehead, Graham tried a variety of different lines before settling on an in-high, out-low combination at the two ends oi the

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