Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127744
(Opposite page) Thl!l was the story at the Goshen Half Mile: Five-time Grand NatIonal Champion SCott Parker (1) led every lap and now leeds the championship by 45 points. (Right) In a last-ditch attempt to make the podium, Rich King (SO) turned It up to challenge Kevin Atherton (23) In the closing laps but ultimately would finish behind thlrdplaced Atherton. Will Davis (21) and Davey C8mUn (27) finished fifth and sixth, respectively. (Left) Steve Morehead made an early bid for the lead, but would finish second behind Parker. Morehead Is sixth In series points. The last heat was first-rate as KeVin Varnes put his USC Racing Honda out front, but Morehead, Steve Beattie, Paul Morgan and Joe Kopp joined in a charge for the lead. During the first laps the lead pack would jam into the turns running three wide, but in tum two of the fourth lap, Morehead shot inside of Varnes to take the lead. 'The track is changing dramatically," said Morehead. "The notch is coming up on the bottom and it's more consistent down there. Up in the cushion it's a little slicker." Morehead gained ever so slight a lead as Vames exchanged second with Beattie. On the last lap Kopp shot into second in tum two and held on to take the last direct transfer. Beattie also passed Varnes, but it was only good for a better starting position in the semi. CRANE CAM CHALLENGE The $1000-to-win, five-lap Crane Cam Challenge is open to the six fastest riders from the heat races. However, due to a conflict with the requirement to wear a Crane bib over the rider's leathers and thus cover sponsor names, fastest qualifier Scott Parker opted to pass on the Challenge. "The guy that can hold it on the longest and get it on the earliest will win a shoot out like this," predicted Atherton. King led Kopp into turn one, but Morehead was up in the cushion and blasted into the lead. King temporarily held second, until Evans moved by on lap two. Evans was at the very top and King w..as on the bottom, with Morehead hovering somewhere in between. Evans grabbed a healthy lead on lap three with King leading Atherton and Morehead, but then misfortune struck the Findlay Flyer. "Kevin kicked up a rock and it hit me square on the shoulder," said Morehead. '1t hurt bad enough to make me let up, . but we'll be back for the National." Evans was running a solid first when problems struck him, as well. After hitting a rut on the back straight, he then had further problems in tum three. "I came into three way too hard. 1 saw King down on the inside and 1 thought 'Oh, no, just like the heat:" said Evans. "Steve Morehead showed me a good line on the groove, then he dropped back," winner King.said. "Chris (Evans) bobbled in three and 1 just had to ride by." Evans held on for second over Atherton, Davis, Kopp and Morehead. SEMIS Pole-sitter Georgie Price wasted no . time putting his Bob Norfleet Harley out front of the first semi. Jess Roeder and Paul Lynch followed. Lynch had pushed his Eddie Adkins Harley into second by the end of lap one and the top-two positions were set. Price was not only happy with his win, but also for Lynch. "1 got the holeshot and never looked back. It's sure nice to see Paul make his first National," said Price. '1 got on the groove in the semi and just followed Georgie around," said 16year-old Lynch. '1t really helped a lot to have Georgie in front of me because I've ridden with him since 1 was about 10 or so. It just made it that much easier. 1 wasn't getting off that groove. Anyone (who wanted to pass) was going to have to go around the outside:' The last transfer went to Greg Sims, who worked his way up from next-tolast to push his way by Brent Armbruster in tum one of the last lap. Kevin Varnes also got by, but would be a position shy of-making the main.. The second semi was all Dave Camlin's as he rode to a big lead on his Wiebler's H-D Harley. Second place was another story, as Danny Koelsch, Robert Knapp, Dan Butler, Geo Roeder, Ken Coolbeth and Paul Morgan all battled heatedly for the position. '1 looked back once and saw a bunch of guys back there," Cam1in said. 'Tm sorry it couldn't have been a little closer for the fans, but I liked it:' By the halfway point, Roeder, who was actually riding his first race of the day as mechanical problems had sidelined him in his qualifier and regular heats, took over second. The last two transfers from semi two were still up in the air on the fast lap when Butler went high and moved from fifth to third in a photo finish with Danny Koelsch. Steve Beattie looked to run up top in the last semi, but was forced down to the groove. "1 had to slow the pace down from the heat in order to make the groove work," said the Canadian National Champion. Chance Darling stayed close to Beattie while Mike Varnes held a solid third. Bret Beyer and Jim Sumner desperately tried to pass Robert Tripp for fourth. Unfortunately for Tripp, just after receiving the crossed halfway flags, his Harley spit its chain. Beyer and Sumner took full advantage of the open track and closed quickly on Varnes. Beyer surprised Varnes and shot 17