Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

run aboard the Loral Lake Honda, especially considering that he had failed to make the show here one year ago, was bittersweet. "There's a city ordinance," Jones said. "1 don't know what they're going to do to me. They're supposed to fine me. 1 don't know. 1 told them that they had to let us run halfway to make it official. They got their rules to go by. There's nothing I can do now. At least we did better than last year. Of all the places I'd not want to miss a main event, this is it. The weird part is that I've only ridden three races all year, and I think I'm in the top 10 now. 1 just tried to ride smart. The guys in front of me were just hangin' it out a little farther than I was." F&S Harley-Davidson's Steve Morehead was fifth after running out of contention for the win until the restarts gave him a helping hand. The points race now shakes out as follows: Davis still has the lead with 123 points and three victories. Parker and King are tied at 112 apiece with Parker claiming three wins to King's one. Joe Kopp leads Morehead for fourth, 95-83. HEATS USC's Varnes grabbed the win in the first heat of the night after facing an early four-way battle with Joe Bisha/TCR support rider Brent Armbruster, Bob Norfleet Racing's Georgie Price IV and King. Armbruster's gutty run came to a quick end, however, as the young Michigander made contact with King, slid ou t in turn three and crashed. Armbruster was quickly up, and the race continued with Varnes continuing to streak toward the finish while King was briefly held up by Price before going on to take second place. "When Armbruster ran into King, it 'just pushed King wide," Varnes said. "I was right there to get by." . H-D of Dallas rider Willie McCoy also set a torrid pace and ran Price down to grab the final transfer. 'What a relief it is to make the main event," McCoy said. "It's nice knowing that you'll have plenty of time to relax and make changes for the final. All you have to do is keep an eye on the track' and watch to see if it changes." Jones scored a popular win in front of the hometown crowd during heat two by leading the race from start to finish in runaway fashion, thus making it clear that he wanted to win his own show. '''That's the general idea," Jones said. "Last year was the first year that 1didn't make the main. Last season was frustrating. That's part of why I'm not riding all the races this year. But I've been doing a lot to promote this race, and my enthusiasm is real high." Washingtonians Joe Kopp on the H-D of Sacramento entry and Dan Stanley on the Schmulbach Racing Harley-Davidson brought home the other two transfer spots after a classic confrontation. Stanley wired the start and tucked right in behind Jones while Kopp was stuck behind Team Undo's Brett Landes in the early going. Kopp then passed Landes and rode like a madman to run Stanley down and dip inside him on the narrow groove off tum four to win a drag race to the checkered flag. Stanley was still pleased to earn a direct transfer. "It's coming together," Stanley said. "That's pretty good for no practice (see Briefly.. .). 1 was this close to' being on the front row for the main event, but I'm just glad to be in there. If anybody had to beat me, I guess Joe's okay." Davis took a back seat to the rejuvenated Spectro/Moroney's H-D rider Jason Fletcher at the start of heat three, (Opposite page) Scott Parker (1) leads eventual winner Rich King (80) and the rest of the pack during the AMA Grand National final at the Oklahoma City Half Mile. (Above) Kevin Varnes was in the hunt all night and eventually finished third behind' King and Parker. (Right) Promoter/racer Ronnie Jones had a successful night, finishing fourth'in only his third race of the year. but the veteran had the measure of the kid on the back straight and powered around him to claim the lead for good. I had to try and stay on the groove and not fall down," Davis said. "It's a little bit marbly out there right now." Meanwhile, Davis' TCR teammate Kevin Atherton was putting on a passing clinic on "the notch" after having jumped the start and coming from the penalty line. Atherton got a flyer of a start and then negotiated his way by Deeley H-D's Steve Beattie and then Fletcher to claim second. Fletcher was third. "That was just to see if I could do it/, Atherton joked. "No, not really. But 1 had a lot of confidence. Tltis the hardest place to pass that we've been to all year. I tried to nail it, but once I jumped the start it was like, 'Oh, well, I might as well try and pass 'em all.''' Parker and Morehead once again continued what seems to be turning into a weekly battle in the final heat race, as the two were paired up once again. And once again the "Findlay Flyer" led the early laps before Parker scoped him out and then shot under him in turn one for the lead and the win, this time on lap three. "Back together again, huh?" Parker said. "I just followed him. He was really having trouble in one and two. He couldn't make the bike turn. He just left a little opening, and I got by. He was running a little wide. 1 was running right around on the bottom." Morehead held on for second while Graham just got past a hard-running Chance Darling, who had the misfortune of losirig a carburetor on his Corbin Racing Honda at about the same time, for third. SEMIS After suffering through a miserable . '96 season that has been plagued with injury and misfortune, Spectro/ Moroney's Mike Hacker finally put his XR750 into a main event by winning the opening semi in convincing fashion over ex-teammate Price. "It feels so good to be in the main event," said Hacker, who was second here a year ago. "That motorcycle has some horsepower, and it really hooks up. I still can't get through one and two, though. I don't know why. I can't find a good line through there." Corbin Racing's Dave Camlin regained control of his destiny with a win in the second semi over Beattie. The "mile specialist" Camlin had no difficulty with "cushion specialist" Beattie in the eight-lapper. "We've struggled all night," Camlin said. "We're using the bike that Skip (Eaken) built. It hooks up, but it has been hard to ride. Skip made some changes though. That guy is a genius." Bea ttie filtished ahead of USC Racing's Terry Poovey, ending the tough Texas veteran's night early. Landes and Darling flogged their Honda RS750s to the checkered flag in that order during the final semi to claim the last two spots in the program. The two ran' nose-to-tail for the duration with Darling looking just a little faster but electing to take the conservative route to the final. "It feels better every time 1. ride the bike," Darling said. "There is definitely a different riding style with these Hondas. My biggest problem is that I concentrate too hard and make mistakes. 1 didn't want that to happen out there." GRAND NATIONAL The Harley-Davidsons of Davis, Parker and Atherton formed up ahead of the Hondas of Jones, Varnes and King when the 18-rider field blazed into turn one in a battle for control of the groove. Kopp made contact with several riders and dropped back to 12th. Varnes was the first rider to start charging toward the front as he rocket-

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