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> IR D TTRACK':.':, .... ... AMAGrand N ational Championship SerieS : By Dave Hoenig Photos by Flat Trak Fotos DUQU OIN, IL,MAY29 t used to be called the "Magic Mile," and the magic returned to the beautiful Sou t hern Illinois State Fairgrounds for Memorial Day Weekend with Davey Cam lin putting the perfect cap on a day filled wi th close racing as he led an 11-rider pack accross the finish line for his fi rst-ever AMA Gr a n d National victory. "I want to thank the Lord for making all this possible," an emotional Camlin said . "That's the most important thing, to give thanks for my ability and all the fantastic help I get from my sponsors and crew." . Camlin set the dirt-track fraterni ty on its ear whe n he topped the AMA's best by drafting his Wiebler's H-D /Brenny's Cycle /Bell/Indian Motorcycle Supply/ Bill's Cus tom Finish/Ma x Lea thers / Dad/H.O.G./Pro Sport / Skip Eaken / Motion Pro/Max Oil /Fass Gas-sponsored Harley around the factory Harle yDavidson of Chris Carr between tum four and the finish line. "This is just unbelievable; everything just came together," Camlin sai d . " I dropped back to abo ut fifth and I th ough t, ' Not again.' I've run up front before but something always happened. Then all of a sudden, on the last lap I 6 Round 4: DuQuoin Mile - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - -- - - - - -- go ing into turn three, it was all right there and I said , 1 can win this!' I wasn't sure if I could draft Chris, but when I pulled alongside I just went right on by." Scott Parker, returning to the site of h is firs t AMA Gra nd National win in 1979, carne from the middle of row one to lead into tum one. The factory -sponsored Parker was on fire as he pulled to a 1S-bike-Iength lead by lap four, but it was not to be - by lap eight the mad swarm had caught him. "I wasn' t planning a breaka wa y, but once I got out front I thought I'd give it a try," Parker said. "I just couldn't hold it. I don't think it hurt me any , though." The fou r-time champion finished an eventual sixth. What a lso had the nea r-cap acity crowd cha rged up was the fact that the legendary Jay Springsteen was running a solid second. That was also not to be, howe ver, as Springsteen fad ed a n d eventually d ropped out. Almost unnoticed was Ronnie Jones ' last-lap onslaught th at ca rried him to Carr's side. "I saved my tir e and felt I had th e ad vantage over some of the other gu ys who, I think, used theirs up ," said Jones. The finish-line camera was checked as the podium celebration continued. As everyone headed back to the pits, Jones and Carr stayed behind in hop es of finding out who was second. "The picture was inco nclusive, but all three scorers had me seco nd," Carr said. "I'm just really happy for Davey they really deserve it." It all became moot after wo rd qu ickly spread through the pits tha t Jones' Loral Lake Racing Honda came through postrace tech inspection under the minimum weight limit. "They weighe d the bike right after the race and it was light," a disappointed Jones said. "According to the .rules, the fuel was d rained and the bike cam e in at 309 (dry limit is 310). Ob vi ou sly we feel the scale is wrong. We're goin g to ap peal." . When all was said and do ne, Rodney Farris was cred ited wi th finishing third on his Eddie Adkin s-backed HarleyDavidson . KK Racing's Steve Morehead wa s fourth wi th A & R Racing's Will Davis fifth. Par ker, Terry Poovey, Larry Pegram, Mike Hale and Kevin Atherton filled the remaining top 10 positions. Jason Fletche r continues to impress. He qualified for the Grand National aft er ea rli er coming ou t on top of a seven-rid e r battle in the 883 HarleyDavidson National on his Moro ney's HD /Gary Edmond s / Spectro / Bell / Works Pe rf / Mo tio n Pro /Power Mist / Fog City / American Iron Magazine-s ponsored Sportster. Steve Aseltin e ed ged Sco tt Stump for sec ond, but a post-ra ce teardo wn di sco vered illegal valves in Stump's bike - and for the second tim e on the day, a third-place finisher was disqualified. Davey Camlln (27) leads Chr is Carr (4), Steve Morehead (42) and Rodney Farris (92). Scott Parker (2) was leading at th is po int, but he faded to fin ish sixth. HEATS Alt hough the jury is s till out with m any of the r iders , the specta tors seemed to enjoy the new qualifying syste m which now features a tot al of 18 qualifying heats rathe r than time trials . Carr picked up the $100 for turning in the fastest of those 18 heats, an d he sat on the pole for heat one. The 1992 Grand National Champion led into tum on e, but upstart Jason Fletcher led at the end of lap one . Carr quickly gra bbed the lead again, but he couldn't shake Fletcher. "I was ju st trying to get under the paint down the front straigh t," Carr said . "There is such a strong head wind." Billy Hernd on , Steve Aseltine andScott Stump fough t over third, b ut all were headed to the semis . The second hea t was typical of mile racing . Camlin, Springsteen, Poovey and Greg Sims all had a shot at winning, but it wa s Camlin who gave the crowd a glimpse of things to come. "Righ t her e in front of all my family and friends; it doe sn 't get any better than this," said an excited Camlin. But it would. Bartel's Harley-Dav idson's Springsteen was a popular second over Poovey and Sims.