Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Carr. "Scotty just had the place dialed when it counted, and I didn't. Going down the back straight I knew I was done, but I just never qui t. My congratulations go out to Scotty." While Ca rr sa t quietly in his p its, Parker and a slew of ad mirers celebrated his reeord-setting fifth Gra nd National Championship in winner's circle. "I knew it was my turn aga in," sho uted Parker. "Carr got the title in '92, the Ricky Graha m wo n in '93. 1 figured hell, it's my tum again! " In wi nning, Parker becam e the firs t rid er in the hi story of Grand National racing to capture five titles, eclipsing the record of four that he p reviousl y sha red with the leg endary Ca rr oll Resw eber. Th e popula r Mich iganite also further increased his lead on the all -time wi n list, bringing his ever-growi ng victory total to a whopping 60. In the final series point tally, Parker enjoyed a narrow margin of onl y three points over Carr, 292-289. Entering the fina le, Parker trailed Carr by five. . All that were on hand at the season fin a le agreed tha t the Del Mar Fairgrounds was a perfect location for the final race of what can only be described as the most interesting season in years. Not since 1951 had motorcycles competed on the larg e, sandy oval, and it was only th rough th e extensive efforts of promo ter Chr is Agajanian that they were allowed to return. . "The re were many, many obs tacles to overcome," said Agajanian . "But 1 think that everyone will agree that this was a firs t-class facility, and that this is wh at dirt track racing needs." A sellout crowd of 18,201 filled the grandstands a t the Su n d ay afternoon event, and were treated to some of the best racing of the yea r. Unlike most mile tra cks, the Del Mar course didn't develop the typical narrow groove. Instead, a multitude of lines were had thro ugh each comer, with the high cushion line being amongst the fastest. Tire wear was not a prob lem, and as a result, ra cers we re able to ride 100% throughou t all 25 laps. Several holes that developed going into tum one and in between one and two ke p t the racers on their toes, but still, most agreed that the tra ck was good , co nsidering the event's "first time" status. HEATS The opening IO-lap heat race saw a tr em endous battle between Bartels ' Harley-Davidson teammates Jay Springs teen and Mike Hale. The two riders engaged in a classic drafting battle, and were join ed late in the race by a ha rd charging Joe Kopp. In the end, Springsteen came away the popular winner, with Kopp splittin g the pair in half. After lead ing sev eral d ifferent times, Hal e found himself in third - shu t ou t of a direct qualifying position. Kopp 's sec- . I end-place qu alifying performance continued his string of impressive late-season performances. "The difference has been good b ikes," said the Doug Donally Logging/Donahue Harley-Davidson/Thor/ Alpine Home Products/Jim Plunkett's MC Supply/Team WFO-sponso r ed rider. "1 finally ha ve a fast 750 un d er me." Kopp would start his second-ever 750cc National on the front row . Atherton was the dominant force in the second heat race, and after trading the lead with Harley-Davidson of Sacramento's Aaron Hill several times, pulled out to a commanding win. Hill finished a distant, yet solid, second. "A cushion mile track, this is bitchin',"said Atherton, who had extra reason to go fast . Atherton's team (Above) Scott Parker, (2), Kev in Atherton (23), Ronn ie Jones (16), Rodney Farris (92) and Chris Carr (2) race through tum one. The track was so loamy that Carr had to pUll a tear-off In the first tum. (Left) Kevin Atherton rode like a madman on the last lap, advancing from a distant fourth to second at the finish line. owner, Ben Ford Jr. - great gran dson of the Henry Ford - wa s on hand a t th e final race of '94. Parker performed his first disappearing act of the evening in heat three, but it was cut short on lap six when Davey . Camlin st epped off in turns one a nd two . "1 hit that hole going into tum one," sa id Camlin , w ho injure d his han d in the fall. "I tried to sav e it, but b y th e time I was under control again - I was headed straight for the ha y bales." Loral Lake Racing ' s Ronnie Jo nes gave Parker a run for his money aft er the single-file restart, but after hitting the same hole th a t clai m ed Camlin , Jones was fortunate to finish an eventual second. A&R Racing's Will Davis snuck past Jones as he flailed up near the hay bales, but the Okl ahoman was abl e to ge t things under con trol and drafted pa st Davis at the checkers to secure a d irect transfer position behind the longgone Parker. "The tr ack is getting pretty rough, but I'd say that it's pretty good considering some of the other places we had to race at this year," said Parker. "It's a little dry and dusty, but that will change later in the day. One mistake can cost you big on this track, the key is to stay consisten t lap after lap . You gotta run it in hard, but then tiptoe through th e bumps." . "Scotty got under me and roosted me bad," said Jones of his near cras h. "The dirt about knocked me off the bike, and then I hit that hole." Anxious to use his trick air-powered shifter, Erion Racing's Larr y Pegram jumped the gun big-t ime in the fourth an d final hea t race, an d was sent to the pen alty line. Winchester Ha rley's Rodney Farris was the fast man off the line, bu t hit a hole going into the firs t tum and nearly took both he and Morehead off the course. Roger Thompson didn't ge t as great a start, but h is e vening en ded in a hurry when he hit the same hole and cras hed into the bales. Thompson was unhurt, but unable to continue. The red flag flew as the racers com- . p ie ted their first la p , and a lengthy delay followed . Corners one and two underwent major repairs, with the water truck and tractors coming out to smooth the offending holes. During the break, Farris and Morehead had time to joke about their first-tum run-in. "I was thinking. 'I got the holeshotl'" said Farris. "Then all of a sudden 1 was dancing on the handlebars!" "I figured that Iwould go around Rodney on the outside, and 1 got totally sidew ays," said Moreh ead . ."Then there he was with both of his feet on my footpeg!" Some 30 m in u tes later, the r ace resumed and it was again Mo rehead and Farris who stole the show. The two riders swapped the lead num erous times bef ore Morehead finally ga ined the upper han d and went on to win wi th 10 bike lengths to spare. Farris finished second, w hile Ca rr finished a d istant ~ third an d would have to compete in a semi. "You gotta run high, up in the cushion above the bumps," said Morehead. ~ "Tha t' s where the fast line is right now, just a few inches below the hay bales ." SEMIS ~ After making a few chassis' changes, 0\ Carr returned to th e track aboard his 0\ ~ Kenny Tolbert-tuned Harley and absolutely destroyed the competition in -.D the opening eight-lap semi. USC Rac- N I-< ing's Terry Poo vey fin ished over a Q) straightaway behind Carr, leading thirdplaced Jeff Eklund into the main. "I'm glad that I got to run a semi," u said an optimistic Carr. "That gave us an extra chance to get a feel for the track - it has changed a lot since the heat :9 o 7

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