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/127786
DIRT TRACK ', "'.' Round 2:M yrtleBeach Speedway ,M otorcycleAsphaltR acingSeries 600 EXPERT After six heats and a pair of semis , it was main event time. First up would be the 600cc Expert main. Fast heat winner Camlin chose the far outside of row one as his launching pad. To his left would be Robert Miller, Lonnie Pauley, Willie McCoy, John Nickens and Billy Martin. But whe re was the favorite Davis? The current AMA Grand National Championship points leader found himself outside row two as a result of engine problems while leading his heal. Davis was forced to qualify for the mai n event via the semi, which he won. Though it all, the North Carolinian appeared confi- (Left) Lance Jones (28) Is flanked by Willie McCoy (59), Chanc e Darling (84), Kevin Varnes (25), Dave Camll n (27, hidde n) and Will Davis (1) during the st art of th e MARS 750cc Expert main event at Myrt le Beach Speedway. eSOD By Joh n Blackstock Photo s by Steve Te rry MYRTLE BEACH, sc. MAY18 h e Motorcycle. Asphalt Racing Series (MARS) made its second stop of the season at Myrtle Beach Speedway. Sunshine was plentiful as the fans filed into the speedway to witness no t only the highlight of the annual Myrtle Beach Sp ring Rally bu t also the first time that reigning MARS Champio n W ill Da v is h ad b ee n be a te n in a 750cc final in tw o years. Davis looked like the han d s-d ow n favorite going in to the event. Unfortun at ely for Davis, Ill inois rider Davey Camli n an d young Pennsylvania charger Kevin Varnes weren 't intimi dated by "Wild Will's" fou r MARS champion shp s and multi-time asphalt wins. In the points-payin g 750cc main, Davi s en tered tum one in fourth place. Wh en the tire smo ke cle ared, it was Corbin Racin g' s C amlin w ith th e win o ve r Varne s. Davis, nursing a completely bald rear tire, finished th ird . Also on the card wer e the 600cc arid Harley 883cc classes battlin g for th eir share of th e h andsome $20,000 p urse. Davis d id manage to out duel Camlin for the 600cc wi n while defe n d ing class champion Mike H acker p assed Lance Jones for the 883cc win. T 8 (Above) Camll n enjoyed th e spoils of victory after claiming the 750Cc Expert win and becoming the only rider bes ides Will Davis to sco re a maln-event win In the class thus far In the seri es. (Left) AMA 883 Nation al Champion Mike Hacker made the t rek from New York to South Carolina, and he made It pay with a win In the 883cc main. d ent of h is chances - even wi th this sligh t handicap. "All I really need to do is char ge hard an d stay out of tro uble for the first couple of laps," Davis said. "On ce the traffic get s sorted out, I thi nk we will be okay." When the green flag w aved, it was Carnlin's Corbin Racing teammate Lonnie Pa uley who led th e field into tu rn one ahead o f N ic k en s a n d Camlin. Davis ended la p o ne in third behind Pauley and Nickens. Co mi ng off turn tw o to begin lap two, Nickens su ddenly lost traction and was do wn im mediately. Dav is, on the outside, somehow slithered between the cras hing Nickens and the w all. But Ca mlin wasn' t so lucky. The Ro ck Is la n d , Illi nois, racer had