Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

:. AMA Grand National Cham'pionshlp Series , Round 4: DuQuoin Mile DIRITRACK ":" .> (Left) Steve Aseltine (36) leads Scott Stump (77), Ja y Springstee n (9) and M Wait (95) in Ihe att Harley-Davidso n 883 National. (Below) The race was won by Jason Fletcher (center); Aseltine (left) was second with James Hart third. Stump (righl) finis hed third on the race track, but was later disqua lified for having illegal valves in his 883 Sportster. lap five , Carr had caugh t and p assed Sp ringer. "I blistered ' my tire right off, then 1 just couldn't keep up," Springsteen said later. Morehead was fourth, with Farris moving from row three to fifth place. Camlin, Pegram, Hale, Atherton, Davis, Poovey and Jones filled out the lead pack. Fletcher, meanwhile, was alone in 13th. "I didn't get a good start, then 1 lost contact with the lead pack and couldn't ever catch back up ," Fletcher said. Hill, King and Sims rounded out the field. Suddenly, on the eighth lap, Farris was in the lead as the pack had run Parker down; positions changed constantly all around the smooth one-mile oval. Morehead led the ninth lap, and then Farris took over again. Carr moved to the fr ont on lap 11, but wa s then replaced by Camlin. "W h en Scotty (Parker) got away _early, 1 didn't think he cou ld hold it," Carr said. "We started working together and reeled him in ." Morehead led for the last time at the haUway poi nt and on lap 14 Camlin was back in the lead for the last time until the finish - when it counted most. Carr and Parker took turns out front for the remaining laps. 'B· 'fl' rIe ~ 8 On lap 22, Carr led Morehead, Farris and Parker. Then Parker made a critical mistake: as he d rove into turn one, hard on the outside, he slipped off the groove and dropped to eighth. "I should have waited and just dropped back in line, but 1 took a chance and it didn't work ," said Parker. The last lap had Carr up front, wit h Carnlin, Morehead, Farris, Jon es an d Davis in tow . All the cards were now on th e table, with Morehead th e firs t to have his plan go astray. "My frame cracked an d leaked oil on my boot and brake, " Morehead sai d later. "When 1 went int o tum one, my foot slip ped clear off the peg." "My line was higher than Chris', so wh en we came out of four and 1 d ove down, it just pulled me righ t by," Camlin sa id. "I had tried to dra ft him several times and couldn't get it done befor e the finish line. He probably didn't think 1 could; 1 wasn't sure." "1 h a d to co me from so far back, s t a r ti n g ' o n row thre e," Farris explained. "And 1 was pretty well used up by the end . But fourth isn't that bad. If Jones' disqualification holds up , it'll be third ." Davis struggled in behind Morehead. "We've got some kind of engine prob- ' couldn't' get the 'new, bike ready in time. I'm kind 01bummed. I don't plan to ride that many , , _.~_.---,,• . ., , ., races; probabty couple' 01 hall-mlles, 'and' _ . - :.· Indy and Springfield lor.stire,"said Durelle, . Davey Camlin thal}ked a 1 01 people, but .1 ' " " 01 1 " , ' ,. ' . .. . ' " was obvious he,Ieels Ski", Eaken is a ' big ,Terry Poov~y made hiS decision 10 not nde part 01 his new success. "I lelt like Iwas spin: ' Ihe 883 ~atlonal when he was lorced to ride. l. ning my.wheels the last li\rey e.ars. NOlhing .' Ihe s,eml to make.the Grand Nationa 'The. ,agalnsl Ihe equipment I: nad or my Dad, but bIke IS, re.al easy to fide and a lot 01 lun. bUI ..I'v e.matured and .r m.much more 'tocused .: Ihere IS just so muc~ . dlference .between II , now~ Skip has instilled a lototconfidenceln and .the Honda trial It was rnessmq me up, ·me. He'sat me downwhen we were in Florida:. The. Honda 'is ·so. tall and wide. while.tne . · and we studied tapes of a 1 ct .races. I've , ,S portst~r is real~ narro",,' f came.h;re ,to win' 01 never.puI even.10 rea] good laps together in . I~e National and Just can t rideboth. . " , ' :' .', , a: heat race, much less '25 in a National.' I" · know I can do it now. Oh, l don't mean I'llwin , The showpiece 01 the pils is the new F&S , 15.this year, butI knowl can win. With my " .~ arley van belon~ing to Steve Morehead. Dad 'not Iraveling with me lor the firsttlme I . Over the years;, Ive ridden for the factory was really' glad he was here' for this." The teams and I've .s e~m the tac tory, m~locross Iirst-tlme winner pockete d .$5400 0' the vans, but ther~ isn t a better haul.er In all of. -, . motorcycle racIng,:' G~ry Stolzenberg has put, $36,000 purse: . " ,. . . together a fantastic piece 01equipment here," Canadian National 'Cham'pion Steve Beattie . ' sa id Morehead: " ' , . was .onhand. He' continues toheal Irom a'. .. ' . :. '., .' , '.,: . ' . .. ..: . ' ., .. · b ro ~en ankle suffered while.piay 'riding,'"It's' , :For the first Ilme,thiS .year,. ent~l es were high , , , getting better all the time.: a lot slower than I en0':'9 h that riders .wouldb e eliminated In the , had hoped, but I'll be back soon," said Beat- , · qualifying (scralch heats. So a second level , ) tle... He 'kept busy helping' his little brother "01 races was 'held, giving.the ncn-qualuiers a 's econd chance : Rich King is .the One rider · Doug,'who finished 16th in the 883 National. , . .' ' .' who rode the maximum numberof laps

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