Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Cycle News 1996 11 06

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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'I.NTHETAPES • ' " SY'ScoUROusitau , E ighteen of 21 events. Eighteen. That's how many AMA Grand National Championship events I had the good fortune of attending during the 1996 racing season. ' It upped my record, set last year in my rookie season of covering Grand Nationals for Cycle News, py one event, and if nothing else, gave me the chance to see a lot of racing and gain a lot of perspective on.the events that make the AMA Grand National Championship Series what it is, or isn't. So I thought J'd take a little space back here and analyze the events I attended, keeping in mind things like venue, track preparation and the mere turn of events that took place at each and thus colored the series in one way or another. With those criteria in mind, I've decided to lump them into two general categories - Happening or Not happen,ing. , Daytona Short Track - One cool happening. I hadn't been here before, but many riders told me that the track was in better shape than in recent years. You could actually pass on it. Will Davis proved that by coming from a fifth-place start off the second row and threading his way through traffic to daim his first Daytona Short Track victory and start the season off with the series points lead. Parker was his typically crappy self at Daytona, finishing 14th. Graham was back, crashed, got hurt, got up, got sixth, and then left with a broken hand. A clean facility as usual, and all the dignitaries were up there in the press box. Wish J was. lt was 38 degrees on the stadium floor! Good stuff, anyway. Pomona Half Mile - Typically happening. Pomona was...Pomona. Parker destroyed the field, but Davis was second to remain in the points lead. Graham was. back already and finished third, holding high hopes for the rest of the season. Last year's winner Springsteen finished 10th. Bummer. I was hoping for a repeat. Not much wheel-ta-wheel racing, but not much to complain about otherwise, reaUy. The track was in good shape, alid the fans, many of whom attended as part of the LA Superbike weekend, seemed to dig it. Still, if they'd tear out the bushes and the railing so that we could see more of the race, it would be twice as happening. Sedalia Half Mile - Not happening. A pretty shabby venue, a dry, dusty one-line race track and a dismal crowd count did not exactly equate to dirt track heaven. Parker wasted 'em again on the twingle. Morehead got second on aeonventiona.) motor and grumbled about the twingle. At least Rich King started to get moving on his new R&R I Team Saddlemen ride, coming in fifth. Davis finished fourth and still kept the points lead. Georgie Price IV kicked ass on the 883, something you could see coming from the firstJap he made in practice on the big, heavy Hog. The RM250-style number plate got banned in the same fashion tha tit got 'Pproved: without anybody really knowing it had been approved, and then banned. Or why. Lima Half Mile - Way happening. This was the Lima I had come to see in '95 and gotten gypped out of. The dirt was where it belonged - on the race track, and so was the action. Parker won again, making for unprecedented back-to-back Lima wins. Davis and Morehead were right there again. Morehead and Geo Roeder were the absolute 'heroes of the high line. Atherton crashed his brains out in the main event but walked away unhurt. Promoter Dave McCarthy gave his big-time race a cozy, festive, hometown flavor by hiring a brass band and making several presentations at intermission. The dirt flew while a standing-room-only crowd lined the fence all the way around. A really good time. Oklahoma City Half Mile' - Not happening. Midweek rains wasted the race track, turning it from last year's pool table minimile to a rough-shod pounder. Lonnie Pauley started his 600cc reign of terror. Parker and Davis were having the best race of the year until they collided on lap nine, breaking Davis' leg, to which he suffered the added indignity of falling and then being steamrolled by an unsuspecting Graham and Morehead - a real turning point in the year. Graham broke a shoulder and was gone for the season. Davis would miss Peoria. Several stops and starts later, King took a red flag 21 laps into the main event and was dedared the winner. Confused? J sure was. Peoria TT - A good old-fashioned happening. The "hill people" came out en masse to see one heU of a race at the oldest track on the circuit. Joe Kopp qualified for Grand National superstar status after crashing into the creek while trying to make a pass for the lead over the jump. Kenny Thibert gathered the bike back together, gathered Kopp back together and sent the youngster back on the track, not expecting much. But Kopp wowed the place by putting on a Jerem.y McGrathlike charge through the field to finish third. The frenzied crowd went so wild they nearly forgot the brilliance Andy Tresser displayed en route to his first career Grand National win, or that King was second and took the points lead. The track was in awesome shape, and stayed that way throughout the day. A real highlight 0('96. Rapid City Half Mile - More happening with each passing year. Promoters Johnny Landers and Gary Thomas get my vote for "most iinproved" Grand National of the season. Black Hills Speedway isn't the most . beautiful facility on the GNC trail, but it sure isn't the ugliest either, and hey, this is Sturgis, man. The track prep for this midweek stop was much better than last year. It was still slick, l:!ut fast, and with multiple lines for passing. Kevin Atherton proved it by running high and low from a 10th-place start to take his first win of the year. Morehead, King and Davis followed. Parker was sixth behind Varnes - the guy that I thought was going to win the race. Can't wait until next year. I plan to spend the whole week there. Lincoln Half Mile - Happening, for the first time around. ln his ever-constant attempt to introduce or reintroduce dirt track to different markets, Chris Agajanian brought the "Rolling Thunder Show" and two other dasses to the Nebraska State Fair Park in Lincoln, Nebraska. The first-time event was fairly well-received .at this first-rate facility, and the 6,139 fans wound up getting their money's worth as on-track drama reigned supreme. Parker crashed while comfortably leading the race. Davis then appeared to have the race in the bag until a Geo Roeder crash caused a restart, whereby Morehead pulled a Bobby Rahal-style slingshot around Davis to collect his first and only win of the year. The show was run promptly, making a good case for the three-dass program. The track could have been more conducive to racing, and it will be next year. They promise. lf it is, the race will be better than this year's. I promise. Indy Mile - Grinding, but happening; Part 1. The Indiana State Fair race was the prelude to the most grueling but eventful weekend of the year. The track was in gO<)d shape, the crowd wasn't. They missed out as Parker and Atherton battled right to the wire with Atherton gambling that he could get a run on the ebamp and slingshot by him at the line for the win. Nice try, Kevin. Parker was back on top of the box for the first time since Lima, and he took the points lead from Davis, 176-175. Things were just starting to get interesting. I ate well. Why don't we go to more State Fairs? Du Quoin Mile - Grinding, but happening; Part II. The first rain date of the '96 season, the Du Quoin Mile gave Atherton a measure of revenge over Parker, who defeated him just 15 or SO hours before at lndy. The champ finished second and picked up points on Davis and King, but the kid and the TCR team were really starting to strut their stuff at a critical point in the year. It rained again at Du Quoin, but the lMDA did an unbelievable job of salvaging the trae!< after the sun came out. The 9,600 attendance figure was way inaccurate; 'it looked more like 960. The 883s got hosed on account of darkness. But the show went on, and it was a damn good one. Hagerstown Mile - A "Parker wished it wasn't" happening. Atherton blew 'em away on a beautifully moist track, beating Kopp, who led half the ra.ce. Davis was third and Morehead celebrated his birthday with a fourth-place showing. Soft-spoken privateer Dale Jenneman was awesome in fifth. The' champ was a dismal 14th - bad night. Eric Bostrom checked out on the 883. The show got over relatively quickly, There was a crab feed afterward with lots of food ana drink. And more drink. Things get hazy from there... Springfield Mile Doubleheader - The happening of the year! Accident, freak of nature or whatever, Labor Day weekend represented all that is good and right about AMA Grand National dirt track racing. 25,000+ fans jammed the stands over the two days. The facility was beautiful. The sun was. shining, and so was Springer on Sunday, there in all his glory aboard a factory HarleyDavidson XR750. The race track was awesome on both days, and So was Dave Camlin, winning in two photo finishes after practically everyone was in the hunt. A little oil cleanup drill on Sunday did little to ' blacken the enthusiasm of the masses. lMDA, do this again next year. Please! Syracuse Mile - Not happening. Because it was rained out. Score another one for Mother Nature. " Rossburg Half Mile - A wellpromoted, scary fast happening. If Steve Morehead ever retires, he can always go into the promotions game fulltime. He's got it doWn pat. Morehead's race was the best paid, and one of the most prolific, most advertised happenings on the dirt track calendar all year. It was also on a track that is faster than the racers are. Atherton gained the win and a serious points boost, but the series lost Kevin Varnes and Danny Koelsch to terrible leg injuries. King ran third but was kicked out for running an illegal tire, causing his championship hopes dire harm. Morehead says he's going to build the track for a slower pace next year. Hopefully the event's growth won't slow proportionately. U.S. Motorcyde Nationals - Not happening, and in danger of not happening again. And that would be a shame. Another midweek rash of bad weather screwed up the track. It was cold again. Curfew was missed by hours - not minutes, making a case against the three-class program. Parker unintentionally stunk up the show by absolutely killin' 'em, leaving a hapless Atherton in his wake with just two events left on the schedule. Rich King ate it big time and was lost for the rest of the season with massive injuries. J.R. Schnabel ran a brilliant second in the main event only to be 00' d for illegal carbs. This event needs to be run earlier'in the year to become more of a happening. lf we lose happenings at such happening facilities, that would not be happening. Follow me? Sacramento M~e - ·More happening than in recent years. Chris who? I watched Parker have his hands full with no less than Atherton, Camlin, Morehead and Brett Landes. Parker just beat Atherton, and may have put the last nail in the coffin as far as the title race goes. It was over for Davis, and Coolbeth I Adkins. The show got done right on time, making a case for the three-class pra-. gram. The best Sacramento mile I've ever seen, and I've seen a few. Cal Expo is always a beautiful place to visit. Here's to many happy returns. Del Mar Mile - The happening to end all happenings, and not happenings. Del Mar wasn't as happening as it had been in the two previous years, but those years were really bitchin'. The track was rougher than it could have been, the supposed victim of a dispute over who would prepare it. Atherton looked spectacular while Parker laid in the weeds to 'collect his seventh title. The facility was beautiful, and the race appeared to be well-attended. The show ran late, making a case against the three-class program, and the argument for or against it a draw. In all, Del Mar was kind of a microcosm of ille year itself. It was great, good and not so good all 'in one. That's about it. It's all over now, and as J sit back, I'm relieved. I don't think I could have handled one more dirt track this year. Then again, I went to San Jose. Good show. And there was this Barn Burner deal there. Hmm. And Nixon wants me to come back to Maryland to ride the Timonium indoor short track. Won't miss that Michigan charity ice race again this year. Hey, when's Daytona?' ItOOKINGBACK.. j A 25 YEARS AGO... NOVEMBER 16, 1971 M alcolm Smith and Gunnar Nillson took their Husky 400 to the Baja 1,000 win. Bill Silverton and Gene Fetty finished a few minutes back on their Honda to take second motorcycle honors, while Phil Bowers and Mike Patrick finished third on a Yamaha ... Only 200 riders finished the Jackass Enduro held in Red Mountain, California. 7S0 riders started the event...Heikki Mikkola took his Husky to the win in the International class at the TransAMA race held in St. Louis, Missouri. Suzuki's Joel Roberts and Sylvain Geboers finished second and third, respectively. CZ-mounted Brad Lackey was the top-finishing American in 13th place behind Roger DeCoster. Tim Hart won the National dass on a Maico, while Gary Chaplin and Barry Higgins dosed out the top three. 15 YEARS AGO... NOVEMBER 11, 1981 H onda's Steve Wise won the annual Superbikers event held at Carlsbad Raceway in Southern California. Honda-mounted Graham Noyce finished second and Eddie Lawson took his Kawasaki to thi:rd place...The 51st £onsecutive running of the Cowbell National Enduro earned Husky rider Mike Melton his third National Enduro win of the year, as he beat out teammate Terry Cunningham by one second in a tie breaker... Cycle News ran spy photos of Harley Davidson's rumored watercooled V-4 taken at Alabama International Motor Speedway...The Griffith Park Sidecar Rally celebrated its 10th anniversary and drew 327 registered sidecars to the event...Kawasaki's Jeff Ward topped Honda's Johnny O'Mara and Yamaha's Doug Dubach in the 125cc Pro race at Saddlebaek Park in Orange County, California. . 5YEARS AGO... NOVEMBER 13, 1991 ycle News conducted its annual C 125ee motocross shootout on the newest crop of 1992 bikes. The Honda CR125's excellent motor made it a unanimous winner...Honda's JeanMichel Bayle won the Milan SupercrQss in Italy, followed by Suzuki's Larry Ward and Tallon Vohland in third ... Suzuki's Randy Hawkins won the AMA National Enduro in Bear, Delaware, but KTM-mounted Jeff Russell clinched the series championship with his second-place finish. Honda's Scott Summers got third... Cycle News ran an interview with two-time SOOcc World Champion Wayne Rainey...Mike Brown, Jim Neese and Chad Lough took the top three spots in the 125ec and 250cc A-dasses at the final round of the AMA MegaSeries in Blountville, Tennessee. L~ I ~ I-< OJ E ~ z 63

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