Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

·DIRT TRAC.K. Series . Round 6: Lake Odessa, MI AMA Grand National Championship proved his undoing. Entering tum three, Parker dived to the bottom. "1 made a mistake," Parker said. "1 tried to play block instead of racing the motorcycle like 1 like to do. Instead of staying up and running around right where I passed him and made up my time, 1 thought 1 could beat him around the bottom of the race track. You only have a split second to make the choice. Sometimes you make the wrong one." All the while Atherton was making a spirited charge from deep in the pack. "I can't give them head starts like that," Atherton said. "We were down on the bottom and I was running like 10th, and I really couldn't get around anybody. So I started searching for other lines and went up to the top and found a couple fast lines and worked my way to the front. Then the red flag came out and 1 really thought that was going to help me out." . , It didn'.t help enough as the laps ran out on Atherton just as he caught the dueling leaders. "We made up some ground on them, and (on) the white-flag lap 1 knew 1 had to do something different," Atherton said. "Going into turn one 1 square~ it off more than 1 was and made up a little more ground on them. Going into three Scotty jumped to the bottom trying to block Will, and I thought he would get into his block and jump on the brake. 1 thought 1 had it figured out and would go around them both on the outside, but 1ended up with the best seat in the house. It was a fun race, 1 was relaxed and had a good rhythm going, we were going fast enough to win. Just carne up short." Fourth went to Team Saddleman/ Road Rider & Rogers Racing's Rich King. "We started out geared to run the top, and the track was on the bottom," the Honda-mounted veteran said. "Then By Dave Hoenig Photos by Flat Trak Fotos 18 LAKE ODESSA, MI, JULY 6 Speedway hosted round six of the AMA Grand National Championship Series and the partisan standing-room-only crowd was thrilled by the success of the Michigan-based Benson Ford Jr./TCR/Kolenda Tool & Die race team. Team riders Will Davis and Kevin Atherton sandwiched fellow Michigander and defending AMA Grand National Champion Scott l'arker on the podium. The three riders provided an extremely close and exciting finish as late-race heroics by Parker and Atherton fell just short. "That was fun," Davis said. "That was a lot of fun. It's the kind ohace all these fans come out to see." The win was Davis' third of 1996, but it was his first aboard his TCR Harle~ Davidson XR750, making him the first rider besides Parker to win a 750cc Grand National main event thus far in the season. Davis opened a large gap on the field early in the Grand National final only to have a red flag interrupt his charge. The rough, dusty half-mile claimed many casualties on the night, including a crash on lap 12 of the 25-lap feature. Gardner Racing's Dan Butler fell hard in tum two while in the middle of a tight pack. Butier had to be-transported to the Grand Rapids hospital, causing a delay (Above) Will Davis (21) pulled off a last-lap pass on Scott Parker (1) to steal the win at the Lake Odessa Half Mile. (Right) Davis had problems while leading the event early as his seat carne off. Davis continued without It, but a red flag on lap 12 allowed his team to make the necessary repairs. as the second ambulance was returning to the track after delivering Mike Hacker from an earlier accident. While the race was on hold, the water truck took advantage of the down and made several laps, thus changing the complexion of the event. Davis' large lead was gone and the track was changed. "1 knew the restart was going to put them there, but 1 knew my line was fast," Davis said. "Before the restart I was coming on, 1 felt comfortable and 1 was catching him. . "1 don't think he had it won," Parker said. "Bottom line, 1 was coming on, but it was a little dusty before. 1 think they did a smart move by watering the race track. I just got beat tonight. It happens." On the restart many of the chasers moved to the high line, but Davis continued to hug the bottom. "Those guys were running higher and it was faster up there, but 1 was scared to move up there in unknown territory,"· Davis said. "My line held on till the end of the race." This all led up to an electrifying finish. Parker and Davis exchanged the lead several times around the track with Parker leading laps 23 and 24. But it was Parker's last-lap strategy that on th.e red flag we changed the gear for the bottom, but the bottom went away after' about two laps. So we did just the opposite of what we should have done. During the red flag everyone got the idea that Will was running way dow;n low, so everybody went down low and then it really dried out in a hurry." Rounding out the top five was fast qualifier USC's Kevin Vames. "I don't really know what happened," the young Pennsylvanian said. "I wish 1did. 1 struggled for a while try-

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