Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

..... ', ' . .: ', . . . By Dave Hoeni g Photos by Flat Trak Fotos "" T.. ,. '. lAKE ODESSA, MI, JULY 9 hat was worth waiting 20 . years for," said Steve Moree head, after notching his 20thcareer win in his 20th expert season. "It was just fantastic. 1 was just having so much fun." Unfortunately, less than half the capacity crowd of spectators remained in the stands as rain swept across the 196 Speedway just as the semis were being called to the staging area. Rains had plagued the central Michigan halfmile throughout the preceeding week, and Mother Nature didn't spare the fine facility on the last night of racing. But the hardy fans who stuck it out were treated to quite a show put on by ' the Ohio veteran. "I can't say enough about the fine job the AMA, Bruce Bober and his people did in getting these races in. Track owner Tom Batista said we would have a track to race on, and this 'one was fantastic," said an unusually enthusiastic Morehead. "In over 20 years of doing this, I've never seen anyone spin out the road grader, but it happened tonight. Then the man gave us a perfect track. There was not a ripple in it. I've just got a great team with really positive attitudes. It makes a big difference." Trailing way behind the long-gone Morehead was a great race for second between new points leader Scott Parker and Will Davis. "01' Morehead was just way too fas t again tonight. All this 20 stuff - 20 years, 20 wins - next he's going 6 , Round 9: 1·96 Half Mile · to start growing hair," chided Parker in the winner's circle, "I thought I might have a chance on the first lap, but then reality set in. Steve was just gone; he never made a mis-, take," said third-placed Davis . Without much fanfare, defending Grand National Champion Ricky Graham made his first 750 appearance of 1994. "Ideally, I would have liked to come back on a mile track," said Graham, who competed aboard the familiar Johnny Goad-tuned "high boy" Honda RS750. " I had to get back in the saddle soon, if I was going to at all." HEATS Heat one was a dandy, with Honda' pilots Larry Pegram and Davis waging war for first place. A & R Racing's Davis took over on lap two, with Pegram right behind on his Undo Honda. With two laps remaining, third-placed Chris Carr pushed Pegram back to Davis' rear, but they finished in that order. Earlier in the evening, Carr had won the fastest qualifying heat and had his choice of inside or out to start. "I messed up. I won my qualifier from the inside, but normally the best spot is on the groove, so that's where 1 went. It didn't work. I did gam at the end. We'll make a few changes before the semi," said Carr. Davey Camlin and Jim Sumner led heat two into turn one, but it was Loral Lake's Ronnie Jones out front at the end of lap one. "Everything is really hooking up, it feels real good," said Jones. Once again, the third-placed rider forced second into a battle with the leader. Jason Fletcher pushed Camlin at the end, but had to be content to lead his Moroney's teammate Georgie Price into the semis. The third hea t had a variety of action. Rich King put his Garvis Honda out in front of Aaron Hill and Mike Hale. Hale .quickly took over second, with Hill and Rodney Farris just off the pace. ,On lap two, Farris had a nice scare. "SOmeone got sideways and forced me off the back straight and down the hill. It's really dark back there and hard to see the edge of the track. When I went over the edge, I just knew 1 was going to hit a hole or something," said Farris . "I thought, 'Man this is going to hurt: I got lucky; I went through this big mud puddle, but just got on the gas and came back up onto the track. " King and Hale pulled safely away while Michigan's favorite son, Jay Springsteen, challenged Hill 'for third. But then a huge cloud of white smoke erupted from Springer's Barrel's Harley. As the black flag flew on lap three, it was greeted by a collective groan from the crowd. Springsteen held third on lap four over a tight group consisting of Scott Stump, Hill and Kenny Coolbeth Jr.. "I couldn't believe the black flag was for me. I looked back and sawall that smoke and pulled off right away, The oil tank split right down the seam. We've already got the one off the spare bike and we'll be back for the semi," said Springsteen. Just past the halfway point, the red flag came out when rookie Mike Warner fell hard going into tum three. As has been the norm this year, the leader paid the price on the restart. "I just lit it up big time," said King. . Hale led Stump, Hill and King around for lap six, then Hale started t pull away. "We've got it dialed in final ly. This is my first dirt track win in quit a while and it feels great," said roa racer Hale. "I hope I can get a goo starting position in the National. Ou heat didn't have any time because of th black flag." King gathered himself back up an moved around Stump's M&M Hond for the last transfer. Farris charge through the field to finish fifth behin Coolbeth. Dan Butler led Morehead and Parke into tum one of the last heat, but it wa Parker leading as the crowd cheered a th e end of la p one. Morehead hel down second unti l lap three, when But ler roared around. Parker was on a rai out front with Butler settling into a soli second, Suddenly, a small puff of smok hinted that Butler's machine was don for the night, and on lap seven he sa the black flag. "It was coming out th breather. 1don't know why," said Butte as the rains started. Parker won the fastest heat of th night over Morehead, Geo Roeder I James Hart, Chris Evans and Graha Rain began to fall steadily from th skies, and a lengthy delay to repair th track followed. SEMIS At 2:10 a.m ., the first test riders hi the rejuvenated track. Carr, Graham an Farris pronounced the track fit, an semi one came out for two laps of prac tice and then got down to business. Th second lap of practice saw Graham slid down in tum one, but he was up qui ly and ready for the start.

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