Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

DIRT TRACK AliA NATIONAL GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES (Left) Dan Butler surprised himself more than anyone by moving through the pack to fourth place in the feature. (Below) Dissed again: Rich King ran second for most of the main event before being sidelined by a flat tire. He was credited with 11th. holeshot, and I knew that we could run away with this thing," Landes said. Bartek Harley-Davidson's developing young speedster Johnny Murphree showed Butler his rear fender for just about half of heat four before Butler cranked it up on the cushion and pulled the trigger to slingshot around the outside of Murphree off turn four and take the lead for good at the start of lap six. "It took me a little bit to find my line - about four or five laps," Butler said. "I was working about five feet higher than everyone else was. Once we got by him (Murphree), we pulled away pretty good." Murphree hung on to the other transfer position. Morehead and Friday-night flyer Kenny Coofbeth and his Burks Motor Sports entry were among the riders headed to the semis. Harley-Davidson of Sacramento's Joe Kopp found himself in a bar-banger with Charlie Orr, the latter on the Scott Adams Racing/Eastside Liquors Rotax, in the early going of heat five before Kopp pulled clear and Orr fell back into the clutches of Moroney's/1-800-FASTHOG's Jason Fletcher. Orr ran third to Fletcher briefly before sliding under him in turn three to make the transfer as Kopp took the win. "There was a little bumpin' and grindin' going on out there," Kopp said. "I didn't really feel too comfortable. We changed the bike from the scratch heats and went b"ackwards. We've changed it back for the main.''' 1997 Rookie of the Year candidate Jeff Randolph got a flyer of a start in the final heat race and led the first three laps before a bobble off turns three and four allowed Moroney's/1-800-FASTHOG's Mike Hacker, Springsteen and Total Control Racing's Kevin Atherton to scoot on past him. Randolph dropped all the way back to eighth while Hacker did a masterful job of holding the charging Springsteen at bay. "I just got a good start," Hacker said. wadded up on the inside edge of the track while Morehead careened off the corner and ate the hay bales. Both riders did get up and make the restart, although Morehead did not finish the main. Davis later described the incident. "I was just coming off the corner when that 14Z guy (Paul Iwanaga) got completely sideways right in front of me," Davis said. "He was going down, but I hit him so hard that I stood him back up and got him going again while I did an ungodly faceplant." On the restart, Land es never got the same opportunity, and Poovey never made another mistake. Kopp's chances for the win were never in doubt. He would not win it as his clutch fried just three laps into the race. He was credited with 16th place. Morehead was the next to pull in after running about 11 laps. Up front, Poovey was doing a masterful job of not only leading the race, but dictating his own tempo. He never appeared to get excited and was careful to steer clear of lappers. Hacker ran fifth early before being displaced by both Butler and Camlin in the late going. McCoy also got by the young Virginian to put him to eighth. King ran second to Poovt'!y but was gaining no ground as the laps ticked away, but misfortune struck the Iowan in the form of a flat rear tire on lap 21. King tried to stay out on the deflated rubber and salvage as many points as possible, but he was forced to throw in the towel when the tire peeled off the. rim. '1 guess I shouldn't have bOught that used inner tube," King said. King's demise set the field to the finish as everybody moved up one position. Everyone, that is, except Poovey, who didn't need any help as he wheelied across the line for his second shorttrack victory in as many nights and jumped onto the podium to embrace that long-awaited 10th AMA Grand National trophy. But Poovey said that he could use some help now. The Texan faces the enviable/unenviable dilemma of standing atop the GNC points chart and on the sidelines without a 750cc ride for 1997. "1 was just going to ride a few races;" Poovey said. '1£ 1 could find someoop.y to help me this year, I could still ride." That much is certain. Terry Poovey can still ride. t"N "The idea was to stay smooth and let them pass me. The track was good and my bike was perfect. I actually built this - one myself this past winter." SEMIS A win in one of the four semis was the only way to earn one of the last four berths in the 16-rider Grand National feature. Camlin, Davis and Morehead all did their thing to grab spots on the third row with Davis' race in semi number two coming down to a showdown between the North Carolinan and Parker. The pair had the fans roaring as Davis road-raced the low line while Parker held his Bill Werner-tuned Rotax wide open in the cushion. The two would be miles apart in the turns only to run side by side down the straights. Parker's chances ended with a bang when his motor let go down the lront straight on lap six. Parker was not disappointed, and actually high-fived Werner when he coasted to a stop by the pit gate. "I don't care about the motor, I still love coming to Daytona," Parker said. "Besides, I know when the real racing begins." Adding to what would turn out to be a historical evening, John Nickens III gassed his Nickens Racing/Departure Bike Works Rotax past Fletcher off the last lap in the final semi to become the first rider of African~American descent to make an AMA Grand National main event. GRAND NATIONAL Landes conferred with his mechanic Rick Canode and then carefully chose the inside pole rather than the groove to start the 25-lap main event. It appeared to be a good move as he rocketed off the line right behind Poovey when the field thundered into turn one. In fact it looked as though Landes was just biding his time. '1 was, I had it," Landes said. "Terry had already made two mistakes on the .first lap. Then that red flag came out." It was for Davis and Morehead as the two got together in turn fOUI. Davis was Daytona Municipal Stadium Daytona Beach, Florida Results: March 8, 1997 (Round 1 of 23) HEAT 1 (10 laps; 10 riders, top 2 transfer): 1. Terry Poovey (RtX)i 2. Tim Mertens (ATK); 3. Will Davis (ATK); 4. Keith jacobsen (W-R); 5. Craig Estelle Oi-D); 6. Dave Hebb (Rtx); 7. Bill Newkirk (Hon); 8. Mike Klopp Oion); 9. Ryan Brow.. (Rtx); 10. Dale je""eman (Rtx). Time: 3 min., 24.416 sec. HEAT 2 (10 laps; 10 riders, top 2 transfer): 1. Rich King (Rtx); 2. Paullwanaga (Rtx); 3. Scott Stump (Hon); 4. Dan Stanley (Rtx): 5. Pat Behrle (Rtx): 6. Mkhaet-' Varnes (A TK); 7. Roger Durkee (Rtx); 8. Robert Lewis (W-R); 9. Steve Mayfield (Rtx); 10. Mark Larive (Rtx). Time: 3 min., 27.186 sec. REAT 3 (10 laps; 10 riders, top 2 transfe.u: 1. Brett Londcs (ATK); 2. Willie McCoy (ATK); 3. Davey Camlin (Rtx); 4. Pa.ul Morgan [I] (Rtx); s. Doug O'Boyte (Rtx); 6. Scott Parker (H-D); 7. Gee Roeder U (H-D); 8. Chance Darling (Rtx); 9. Lonnie Pauley (W-R); Eric O'Boyle (Rtx). Time: 3 min., 24.090 sec. HEAT 4 (10 laps; 10 rid..., top 2 tr....fer)' I. Dan Butler (Rtx); 2. johnny Murphree (W-R); 3. john Nickens III (Rtx); 4. Steve Morehead (Rtx); S. Kenny Coolbeth (W-R); 6. jerry Vanderkooi (Rtx); 7. Ken Yoder (Rtx); 8. John Hlebo ill (Hon); 9. Scott Buchan (Rtx); 10. Steven Gill (Rtx). Time: 3 min., 28.540 sec. HEAT 5 (10 laps; 10 rid..., top 2 transfer), 1. Joe Kopp (H-D); 2. Charlie Orr (Rtx); 3. jason Fletcher (Rtx); 4. Todd Winsett (Hon); 5. BreI: Beyer (Jhx): 6. Jon Cornwell (w-Rl; 7. j.R. Schnabel (H-D); 8. Gary Rog... (ATK); 9. Marco Morello (Rtx); 10. Billy Martin (Rtx). Time: 3 min., 31.860 sec. HEAT 6 (10 laps; 10 riders, top 2 transfer): 1. Mike Hacker (Rtx); 2. Jay Springsteen (H~D); 3. Kevin Atherton (Rtx); 4. Scott Shin (Rtx); S. Bobby My... (Rtx); 6. Troy Thames (H-D); 7. Ian Segedy (Rtx); 8. Jeff

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