Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Left) Georgie Price IV bettered his best Nationa l finish by one place after scoring the runner-up pos ition in the main event. (Right) Ricky Graham took advantage of late-race mistake by Rich Ki ng to slide Into the t hird spot during the main. (Bottom) Morehead (center) earned his first Daytona short track win In 22 years of trying. Durk~e go t the ball rollin g by slid ing h is Bob Wei ss Fa b ri ca tions/ Bell H elmets Rota x past none other than Bart els' H arley-Davidson's Jay Springsteen on the very la st corner of th e first 10-lap heat. Sp ringer held on for -the transfer. "1 was workin ' on him at first, and then I backed off," Durkee said. "Then I started workin' him again, because 1 figured he might make a mistake. He did, and 1got by." Morehead won a loaded heat race that included friendly rival Will Davis on the TCR Rotax, former 600cc National Champion Mickey Fay, and reigning Grand National Champion Scott Parker on a factory Harley-Davidson. Parker and Fay were never serious threats as Morehead and Davis paired up and split town on the competition. Davis tried, but couldn't make a pass on the hookedup Morehead and finished some two lengths back. "My bike always works good here," Morehead said after winning one of the slower heat races. We just need a break. I don't think that a fifth-pl ace st art is going to be it, though. King , too , faced a tough lineup that inclu ded Team Corbin' s Da vey Camlin, TCR's Kevin Atherton , former Daytona Sh ort Track winner Ronnie Jones and Tea m KTM's Mik e Hacke r. King never ha d a problem w ith any of them as he fla t m otored away to an u n contes ted victory. Camlin h eld off Atherton fo r second . "This rac e track is all abou t getting the h oleshot," King said. "I think our setup is as good as an ybody else's. " After a false start relegated practically the entire front ro w to th e penalty line, former Team Undo teammates Graham and Brett Landes were left up front ' to hash it o u t. A fter n e arly banging together as th ey took off, Graham took the point and rock eted aw ay from Landes for the win. "We w ere just going fo r it off the line," Graham said. "1 was having trouble with my clutch. 1 try to adjust it so th at whe n I think ab out sta rting, I go . But it was a littl e out of adjustmen t." Fellow Texans Orr and Willie McCoy battl ed tooth and nail for th e win in heat fou r after McCoy nudged Eric Bostro m out of th e way . After th at, the two went on a tear and were never challen ged as they comfortab ly earne d their transfers . "I thou ght it was Willie back ther e," O rr said. "I w a s p retty s u re that h e w ouldn't do something stu pid that wo uld leave us both sitting in the pits, so I stayed down low and tried not to screw up." Daytona Municipal Stadium Daytona Beach, Florida Results: March 8, 1996 (Round 1 of 3) HEAT 1 (10 lap!; 10 riders, to p two tra nsfer): l. Roger Durkee (Rtx); 2. Jay Springstee n (H· O); 3. Paul lw anaga (H on); 4. Doug O' Boyle (Rtx); S. Ken Coolbeth (Rtx): 6. B. Myer s (Rtx ); 7. Don Wilson (Rtx); 8. Recil Hart (W-R); 9. Lance Jon es (Ho n) : 10. Billy Martin (Rtx ). Tim e: 3 min., 13.71 sec. no Price nailed down the final heat win with a picture-perfect start and led USC Racing short track ace Terry Poovey into the main even t. "I just needed to start fast, stay on the groove and not wo rry about what was gon g on behind m e," Price s a id. " It worked ." SEMIS The four semis were low-lighted by a grindin g, first- turn crash in semi one th at ended the nightfor Jones and Parker . Jon es got tangled up in th e early traffic and hit th e grou n d h ard, bringing Parke r, Billy Martin a n d John Hl ebo with him. All four rid ers made it to th eir feet, but Jones was all done. "I'm prettybanged up," Jon es said. "We'll prob ably just p ack it in fo r tonight. I'll be all right for tomorrow." Atherton, John Hl eb o III, Tom m y Hayden and Bostrom earned th e fin al transfers - in that order - through semi wins. MAIN Crashes caused the two restarts th at effectively en ded Price' s chances for victo ry aft er he led th rough the firs t tu rn each time. The first wreck was a solo by M cCoy, an d th e se cond w a s a th r eerider d igger that involved Sp ringsteen, Davis an d H leb o. Davis fell d ow n in front of the p ack in turn one and w as in adverten tly pummeled by Springer while Hl eb o also go t cau gh t up in the melee. "My re ar end just went out f rom underneath me, and 1 cras hed ," Davis said while in obvious p ain. "I knew 1 w as go ing to ge t ru n over, an d [ d id ." After mis sing the holeshot in the first two st arts, Morehead proved himself wrong and made his own break by flat beating Price onto th e "no tch " on th e third go. Fr om there, M orehead was able to set sail . . "I just tried to stay smoo th - do wha t all th at old age and tr each ery is supposed to have taught me," Morehead said . Behind Morehead, Price, King and Graham line d 'u p , a nd the four riders began to ch arge away fro m any other would -be challenge rs . King tri ed to make a move on Pr ice, but th ere was just no sha ki ng him. Meanwhile, Gr ah am re m aine d clo se and w atched th e ba ttle ah ead of him like a hawk. Wh en King got overzealo us and fell off th e groove in turns one and tw o on lap 13, Graham pounced , cleanly . "That's all you can do is wait in a situa tion lik e th at ," Graham said . "You d on't w ant to run, in t o anybody ou t there. It's not like in the old days wh en I was comi ng up. Guys like Rick Hocking and John Gen nai used to make an art for m o ut o f bumping a g uy o ff the groove w ith their fro nt wh eel. [ d on't want to do that." Once Graham was in third, the field was b asicall y se t for th e final 12 la ps. Morehead staye d on pace, kept his nose clean, an d exorcised a d em on a s h e crossed under the checkered flag . "Three ou t of fou r ai n' t b a d ," the Ohio veteran sa id in reference to h is d o m inati on o f th e rain -a b breviated Florida Fla t Tra ck Series. Th en , as he gra bbe d h is firs t- p lace trop hy and haul ed it away, "Man, I'm go nna sleep I:N wit h this thing tonight. " HEAT 2 lap s; 10 ri ders, top two transfer): 1. St eve Morehead (Rtx ); 2. Will Da vis (AT K); 3. Joh n Hlebo III (Han); 4. Rand y Lew is (Rtx ); 5. Jesse Sanchez (W-R); 6. Mickey Fay (Rtx); 7. Ian Segedy (Rtx); 8. Bre n t Armbruster (ATK); 9. Scott Pa rke r (H -D ); 10 . Ken Mo hle r (Rtx) . T im e: 3 min., 11.02 sec . HEAT 3 (10 laps; 10 rid e rs, top two tran sf er): 1. Ric h King (H a n); 2. Davey Ca m li n (Rtx); 3. Kev in Atherton (Rlx); 4. Ro nnie Jones (Rtx); 5. Keith Jacobse n (W -R) ; 6 . Paul Morg an III (Rtx) ; 7. John N ickens III (Rtx); B. Mik e H acke r (KTM ); 9. Ken Yoder Jr. (Rtx); 10. Todd Kendig (Rtx) , Time: 3 min., 07.88 sec. HEAT 4 (10 la p s; to riders, top two tran sfer): 1. Ricky Graham (Han); 2. Brett Lan des (Rtx ); 3. 1.R . Sch na be l (Rtx); 4. Jam es Ran dol ph (Rtx); s. Pat Behrle (Rtx ); 6. Lon n ie Pa u ley (Rtx); 7. R. Bere man (Rtx ); 8. Andy Tresser (Hon); 9. Kenton Long cor (Rtx); 10. E. Hi d den (W-R) . Time: 3 mi n., 07.88 sec. HEAT S (10 laps; 10 riders, top two transfer) : 1. C har li e Orr (Rtx); 2. Will ie McCoy (A TK ); 3 . Eric Bostrom (W-R); 4. Chance Da rling (Rtx ); 5. Sha wn Clark (Rlx ); 6. Cr aig Este lle (Rtx); 7. Scott Buehan (Rtx); 8. Dan Butler (Rtx); 9. C. Boone (Rtx) ; 10. M . Larive (W-R). Time: 3 min., 10.37 sec. HEAT 6 (10 laps; 10 ri de rs, top two transfer) : 1:" . Geo rgie Pri ce IV (KTM) ; 2. Terry Poovey (Rtx) ; 3. Les Was hOOn (W-R); 4. Tommy Ha yd en (Rtx); S. Joe Kopp (Rtx) ; 6 . Eric O 'Boy le (Rlx ); 7. Ceo Roeder 1I (Rtx) ; 8. Kev in Varnes (Rt x); 9. Ronnie Brown (Rtx); 10. Dan Argano (Rtx) . .Tim ei 3 min., 05.87 sec . SEM I 1 (8 lap s; 12 ri ders, wi n ner tra nsfers): 1. Kevin Atherton (Rtx); 2. Ken Ccolbeth (Rtx); 3. B. Mye rs (Rtx); 4. Randy. Lewis (Rtx); 5 . Jesse Sanche z (W-R); 6. Joh n Nickens m (Rtx); 7. Mike Hac ker (KTM ); 8. Brent Annbrus ter (ATK ); 9. Billy Martin (Rtx); 10. Lance Jon es (Hon); 11. Scott Parker (H-D); 12. Ronn ie Jones [Rtx]. Time: 2 mi n , 28.79 sec. SEMI 2 (8 laps; U riders, winner transfers): 1. [ohn Hl e b o II I (Hon); 2. Keith Ja cobsen (W -R) ; 3. Pa ul Mor gan III (Rtx); 4. Ian Seg ed y (Rtx); S. Ke n Yoder Jr. (Rtx); 6. Doug O' Boyie (Rtx ); 7. Mickey Fay (Rtx); 8. Don Wilson (Rlx) ; 9. Redl Hart (W-R ); 10. Ken Mo hler (Rtx ); 11. Todd Kendig (Rtx): 12 Paul Iwan aga (Ho n). Time: 2 min., 31.60 sec . SEM I 3 (8 laps; 12 ri de rs, wi nne r trans fers ): 1. Tommy Hayden (Rtx); 2. Les Washbon (W-R); 3. Craig Estell e (Rtx); 4. Shawn Clark (Rtx ); s. P. Behrle (Rtx); 6. Ceo Roed er U (Rtx) ; 7. Kevin Varnes (Rtx); 8. M. Lartve (W-R); 9. Kenton Longcor (Rtx ); 10. Jam es Ra ndo lph (Rtx); 11. C. Boon e (Rlx); 12. Andy Tresser (Hen). Ti me: 2 min., 29.64 sec. SEMI 4 (8 Lap 12 rid ers, wi nner transfers): 1. Eric S; Bostrom (W-R); 2. Joe Kopp (Rtx); 3. Lon ni e Pa u ley (Rtx ); 4. Eric O 'Boyle (Rtx); 5. Scott Buehan (Rtx); 6. Dan Butler (Rtx ); 7. J.R. Schnabel (Rtx); 8. Ronnie Brown (Rtx); 9. E. Hid den (W-R ); 10. Chance Darling (Rtx); II . R. Bereman (Rtx); 12. Dan Argano (Rtx). . Time: 2 min., 29 57 sec. NATtONAL (25 laps; 16 riders): 1. Steve Moreh ead (Rtx) ; 2. Geo rgie Price IV (KTM); 3. Rick y Graham (H on ); 4. Rich King (Ho n); 5. Charlie Orr (Rtx); 6. Roger Durkee (Rtx): 7. Brett Lande s (Rtx ); 8. Kevin Atherton (Rtx); 9. Davey Camlin (Rtx): 10. Terry Poo vey (Rtx ); 11. Willi e McCoy (ATK ); 12. Jay Springsteen (H -D ); 13, Will Dav is (A T K); 14. 'Eri c Bost r om (W-R); 15. Tomm y Ha yden (Rtx); 16. John fE eOO III (H on). Time: 7 min ., 41.64 sec . AMA 60 0cc NATIONAL DIRT TRACK S ER IES PO INT STA N DINGS (After 1 of 3 ro un ds) : 1. Steve Mor ehead (23); 2. Geo rgie Price (19); 3. Ricky Grah am (16 ); 4. Rich Kin g (15); 5. Char lie Orr (14); 6. Roger Durkee (13); 7. Brett Lan des (12); 8. Kevin Atherton (11); 9. Dave Ca m lin(10); 10. Terry Poovey (9); 11. Willi e McCo y (8); 12. Jay Sp rin gs tee n (7); 13. Will Davis (6); 14. Eric Bostrom (S); 15. Tom m y Hayd en (4); 16. John HleOO III (3). Upcoming Rounds: Round 2 • Peoria, IL, June 9 Round 3 - Castle Rock, WA, September 7

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