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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127737
'DIRT TRACK' ~es, . Round 9: 1·96 Speedway , ·w GTand National ChalnpionShip attie IJlasts I By Dave Hoenig Photos by Flat Trak Fotos LAKE ODESSA, MI, JULY 8 'lor the second time in 1995 the -AMA Grand National Championship Series crowned a first-time winner. Steve Beattie lived every rider's fantasy as he destroyed the field at the 196 Speedway to claim the win at round nine of the AMA Grand National Championship Series. "I knew 1 was going to win one of these this year," 'Beattie said. "1 thought maybe Lima, but that didn't work out. 1 didn't really think it would be 1-96, but here I am." With the victory, the Deeley H-D/ Shoei/Tsubaki/MSR/Champion/Silko-lene/LM. Leathers/Motion Pro/Nempco/EBC/Twin Power/Mikuni/K&N/ Body Double/Glyco-Max/Oakley / Helix Fuelines/3-Bond Adhesive/ SuperTrapp/Ohlins/R&M/Fog Citysponsored Canadian became Jhe sixth different winner in the 1995 series. "1've been dreaming of this for a long time. It's just the greatest feeling," said I 14 an ecstatic Beattie. "1 can't believe this. I made up my mind I was going to the front and I just went for it." Just like last year, rain interrupted the program as the semis were coming to the line. The track had slowly been coming around as the evening went on, but Mother Nature's light watering and then wheel packing left the track ready for the action-packed conclusion of Michigan Bike Week. Unlike last year, the delay was much shorter and the semis resumed around 11 p.m., with the National finishing before midnight Beattie took the long road to his first Grand National triumph, having to win the last semi to earn a second-row starting position. When asked by announcer Larry Maiers if riding the semi would help because of the changing track conditions, Beattie replied, "Sure, for about three laps. These guys are so fast at picking up things, that it doesn't take long to even things out." As Beattie walked back to the pits to prepare for the main, Maiers prophetically stated, "Steve Beattie has a real shot at winning his first National tonight." HEATS With the entry count swelling to 50 riders for the Grand National, the pro-gram was expanded to allow all entrants into the heats from the qualifiers. Kevin Varnes went high on the track to capture fast time on his Johnny & Sarah Goad/USC Racing-backed Honda, turning the four laps at 1:37.39. Less than three seconds separated the eight heats. The first heat set the tone for the night's racing. Varnes led off the line only , to have Will Davis push his R&R Honda to the front on lap four. Varnes stayed right behind, but didn't make his move until lap eight. "Will was running into three a lot harder and I was being a little cautious. About halfway through 1 thought 1'd better get going. He went a little high in four and I was able to drive by," said Varnes, who made the move stand up for the win. Davis held on for second. The second heat was full of July fireworks. Aaron Hill, in just his second ride on'the Gardner Racing/Waiters Brothers Harley-Davidson, showed he can still get his patented holeshot, and 96 he led around the bottom for two laps before he was quickly swallowed up by a three-rider pack containing Davey Carnlin, Scott Parker and Chris Carr. Camlin led laps three and four, but Carr took his factory Harley-Davidson high around everyone at the halfway point. "I didn't want to follow those guys, so 1 went high, sort of checked out the corn. Then as soon as 1 got the lead ,I went right back to the bottom," Carr said, "Then 1 just tried to keep both )'I'heels in line and stay on the groove." Camlin and Parker were in a tight battle over second. But the red flag was out a lap later as Carnlin slid off the top of turn two. Camlin was up quickly and jogged back to the staging area where the rest of the field was assembled. After a heated argument between Camlin and Parker the heat restarted without Camlin, Carr picked up where he left off and easily won the heat. Terry Poovey moved by Chance Darling to challenge Parker for second, but came up just short. Ronnie Jones rocketed his Loral Lake Racing Honda into the lead of heat three. Rich King, Kevin Atherton, Beattie and