Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

tions were set, but mid pack shuffling continued. After Davis took the point he pulled out to a commanding lead. At the 2O-lap mark Kopp h ad s lip ped ba ck in to Price's clutches. But Price was unab le to challenge Kopp too mu ch as h e had Landes a n d Kin g o n h is h eel s. Kin g moved by Landes on lap 23 and secured fourth. "I got tw o real good sta rts, then the third time [ came off in sixth - an d do y ou think that o ne would ge t red flagged," King lamented afterward. Tr ips off the groove shook up the stand ings several mor e times in late-race action. Hacker had come off the line poorly, then apparently stuck his foot in a hole and twisted his knee. Hacker left the track after only four laps in obvious pain. After a brief winner's circle celebra tion , the heavens unloaded and to rrentia l rain s and very high winds sent all the crew s hustling to load up and get on the road. l~ Salle Speedway Salle, illinois Res ults: J une 2, 1996 (Round 5 of 24) La La (Above) Steve Morehead (42) scored a crucial win In his sem i to make the show and went on to finis h se venth. Kevin Varnes (89) tried to find a way around M orehea d In the sem i to no ava il and thus mis sed his first Grand National fina l of the year. (Left) Ricky Graham was the fastest man In pract ice, but the USC Racing rider crashed In his heat race and did not make the main event. 16 SEMIS Very dark, ominous clouds were quickly advancing as the first of the 12rider semis were called to the line. In the system unique to short track racing, only the winner would advance to the National. Mike Varnes had the quickest trigger finger in the first semi with Morehead, Simonsen and his Kevin Varnes giving ch a s e. Mike Va rnes looked to h a v e things under control, but his Wh ite's HD mount came to a halt exiting tum tw o on lap five. Morehead then took over, but Kevin Varnes w as all over him trying to take that last transfer. Moreh ead kep t his KK Motorcycl e Supp ly / F&S Rot a x at th e p o in t d e sp i te a la s t -di t ch , la s t- turn char ge from Varnes. Sem i tw o qui ckly rolled to the line, a n d jus t as qu ick ly Co rbi n Ra cin g' s Da v e Ca ml in d isappea r e d fro m th e field. Charlie Orr led Craig Estelle an d John Hlebo to the semi pay window . Pennsylvani a' s Ken Yoder led th e th ird sem i wi re-to-wire, but he had to stave off th e cha llenges o f first Wi lli e McCoy then Ken Coolbeth, who had overcome a midpack start. Coolbeth closed to Yoder's rear wheel, but couldn't get by . The last semi belonged to Joe Bisha/TCR-sponsored Brent Arm bruster, who pulled well clear of a big battle over second between Ken Mohler and Dan Butler Gardner Racing's Butler took over second with two laps left. GRAND NATIONAL As the Nation al was called to the line lightning flashe d all around, and visio ns of H ar r in gt on d a nc ed in eve ryone's head . The field came out with engines running to pick their starting spots. Davis took second from the ou tside, dead on the gro ove . Kopp pulled up on Davi s' right si d e, an d Pr ice, Durkee, Arm en trou t an d Kin g w ere to Da vis' left. Mor ga n, Landes, Hacker, Stanley, O' Boyle and Fisher mad e up row tw o. Yoder, Cam lin, Arm bruster and Mor ehead occupied row three. The skies got dark er an d darker with the lightn ing draw ing closer and closer. With th e flas h of th e green, Price led Kopp into tum one. Then all hell broke loose. By the time the dust settled, Morgan, Hacker and King w ere strewn around tum two and the back straight, bringing out the red flag. The res tart found Kopp lead ing Durkee and Davis, but this also was aborted wh en O'Boyle fell in tum two. To add salt to his wounds, O'Boyle was bodyslammed int o a mud hole at the edge of the track. O 'Boyle also rec overed and made the second restart. Kopp got one mo re holeshot as he led Price, who was m ired deep in the field on the previous restart, an d Davis. At the end of lap one it was Kopp, Price, Davis, Morgan, Landes and King. Kopp was holding off Price until lap nine. Davis th en go t by Price. Kop p's lead only lasted th ree more laps. "There was a real narrow band down in turn one th at yo u h ad to h it ju s t right," Davis said. "When I chased them in there, if they got on the gas too hard it wo u ld d rive them high . As soo n as that happened I was by." At m id race th e runnin g o rder h ad se tt led to Davis, Kopp, Price, Land es, King, Durkee, Morehead, Camlin, Stanley and Arm en trou t. The top three posi- H EAT 1 (IO laps; 10 riders, top 2 transfe r); 1. WiD Davis (ATK ); 2. Bre tt Landes (Rtx); 3. M ike Va rnes (Rtx) ; 4. J.P. Sim onsen (Hon); 5. Terry Poovey (Rtx); 6. Dave Ca m lin (Rtx); 7. Kevin VamPS (Rtx ); 8. Bret Beyer (Rtx); 9. Craig Este lle (Rn); 10. Charlie Orr (Rtx ). Time: 2 min, 4727 sec, HEAT 2 (10 ta ps; 10 riders. lop 2 transferls 1. Roger Durkee (Rtx); 2. Doug crBoyle (ROI); 3. John Hlebo m (Hon); 4. Steve Beattie (Rtx); 5. Steve Mo rehead (Rtx); 6. Re dl H art (Rtx); 7. Bri a n Thomas (R tx) ; 8. Kenten Longco r (Rtx); 9. Keith Jacobsen (W-R); 10. John Nickens m (Rtx). Time: 2 min., SO.81 sec. HEAT 3 l.ap~; 10 r tder s, top 2 tran ded: 1. Ceorgie Price IV (KThI); 2. Mike Hacker (KTM~ 3. Jeff Annen (W-R); 4. An d y Tresser (Hon); 5. Chance Darling (Rrx): 6. Bill Ne w kirk (H o n ); 7. Jos h Butler (W· R); 8. Dave H ebb (H-D); 9. Rand y Deeke (Rtx); 10. Scott Parker (H·D). Ti me: 2 m in ., 48.93 sec . HEAT 4 (10 la ps ; 10 riders, top 2 tra nsferk 1. Joe Kopp (Rtx); 2. Paul Morgan III (Rtx); 3. Ken Yoder Jr. (Rtx); 4. Willie McCo y (Rlx); 5. Ken Mohl er (Rtx); 6. Scott Stev ens (Rt x); 7. Jason Fletc he r (Rtx); 8. Ga rth Bastian . (W-R);9. Eric Rickman (Rtx); 10. Pat Buchana n (Rtx~ Ti m e: 2 min., 48.01 sec. HEATS (10 lap s; 10 ri ders, to p 2 transfer): 1. Rich King (Rtx); 2. Rex Fi..her (W-R); 3. Jim Sumner (Ra ); 4. Lennie Pa uley (Rtx); 5. Ian Scgedy (Rtx); 6. Billy Martin (Rtx); 7. Sh aun Russell (Rtx); 8. Ricky Graham (Hon ); 9. Bobby Myers (Rtx); 10. Dale jennenan (Rtx]. T ime: 2 min.• 495 2 sec. H EAT 6 (10 lap s; 10 ri de rs, top 2 tra nsfer); 1. Kris Armentro u t (Hon ); 2. Dan Sta n ley (Rtx); 3. Brent Armbruster (KTM); 4. Dan Butler (Rtx); 5. Ken Coolbeth (W-R); 6. Paul Lynch (Rtx); 7. Rob Miller (Rtx); 8. lonnie Kopp (W- R); 9. Todd Kendi g (Rtx); to . Kevin O lliges (Rlx ). T im e: No tim e due to resta rt. SEM I 1 (8 la ps; 12 rid ers, winner tran sfers ): 1. Steve Morehead (Rtx); 2. Kevin Varnes (Rtx); 3. J.P. Simonsen (Ho n); 4. Bret Beyer (RtX); 5. Redl Ha rt (Rtx): 6. Andy Tresser (Hon); 7. Cha nce Darling (Rn); 8. Keith Jacobsen (W- R~ 9. Joh n Nic kens III (Rtx); 10. Da ve Hebb (H·D); 11. Randy Deeke (Rtx); 12. Mik e Varnes (Rtx). T im e: 2 min .• 15.41 sec. S EM I 2 (8 laps; 12 riders, winner transfers): 1. Dave Camlin (Rtx); 2. Ch arlie Orr (Rtx); 3. Craig Estelle (Rtx); 4. Joh n Hl eb o III (Hon); 5. Ie ff Anne n (W- R); 6. Bill Newkirk (Hon); 7. Steve Beat tie (Rtx); 8. Brian Thomas (Rtx); 9. Terry Poov ey (Rtx); 10. Kenten Longcor (Rtx); 11. Josh Butler (W·R ); 12. Scott Parker (H-D ). Tim e: 2 mln, 14.90 sec. SEMI 3 (8 laps; U riders, w in ner transf~n): 1. Ken Yoder Jr. (Rtx~ 2. Ken Coo lbeth (W-R); 3. Willie McCoy (Rtx); 4. Paul Lynch (Rtx); 5. l o nni e Pauley {Rtx ): 6. Jaso n Fle tcher (Rn); 7. Ga rth Bastian (W -R); 8. Bobby Mye rs (Rtx); 9. Ian Segedy (Rtx); 10. Todd Kendig (Rtx]: -11. Kevin Ollig es (Rtx); 12. Ricky Graham (Hem). Time: 2 rrun., 14.86 sec. SEMI 4 (81.lipS; 12 riders, winner tr.J.nsfers t: 1. Brent Armbruster (ATK); 2. Dan Butler (Rtx) 3. Ken Mohler (Rtx ); 4. Jim Sumner (Rtx); 5. Scott Stevens (Rtx); 6. Sha un Russell (Rtx ); 7. Billv Martin (Rtx); 8. Rob Miller (Rtx); 9. Lonny Kopp (W-R">; 10. Pat Buchan an (Rtx) ; 11. Eric Rickman (Rtx); 12 Dale Ienneman (Rtx ). Tim e: 2 min. , 15.06 sec . G RAND N ATIONAL (25 la ps; 16 riders ); 1. Will Davis (A TK ); 2. Joe Kop p (Rtx) : 3. Georgie Price IV (KTM); 4. Rich King (Rtx); 5. Brett Lan des (Rtx); 6. Roger Du rk ee (Rtx); 7. Steve Mo reh ead (Rtx); 8. Dan Stanl ey (Rtx); 9. Rex Fisher (W· R); 10. Paul Morgan III (Rtx); 11. Dave Camlin (Rtx); 12 Brent Arm brus ter (ATK); 13. Kris Arm entou t (Hon ); 14. Ke n Yod e r Jr. (Rtx ); 15. Doug O'Boyie (Rtx ); 16. Mike Ha cker (KTM ). Time: 7 min.• 0.69 sec. A M A G RAND N A T IO N AL C HA M P IO NS HIP S ERIES POI NT STAN D INGS (After'; of 23 round s); 1. Will Da vis (65 po ints /2 wins); 2. (TIE ) Rich King!Joe Kopp (45); 4. Brett Lan des (34); 5. Georgie Price IV (30) 6. (TIE) Ricky Graham /Kevin Varn es (29); 8. Scott Parker (28/1); 9. Kevin Atherton (25); 10. Stev e Morehead (22); 11. Dave Camlin (20); 12. Jay Sprin gsteen (16); 13. (IlE) Roge r Du rkee /Ken Coolbe th (13); 15. (TI E) Dan Stanley /Ronnie Jones /Terry Poovey (11); 18. Rex Fisher (10); 19. Paul Morgan 111 (9); 20. Charlie Orr (8). no Upcoming Rounds: Round 6 - Dallas , Texas, June 15 Round 7 - Sedalia, Missouri, June 22

• Cover