and gained some," Varnes said. "Once I
got ahead of Stanley and pulled away, I
felt pretty good. This is only my second
National on the Harley. It felt good."
Stanley finished a very respectable
eighth.
"The same guys kept passing me all
night because I kept getting good
starts," Stanley said. '1 got a real g~
start on the first start. I was fifth from
the third row off the turn. I came off
turn two with Ricky, for third, on the
single-file restart. I thought I was riding
good. Towards the end, the line I was
riding went away and I was losing traction. Once Parker got back by me on the
restart, I tried to follow his line and it
was working pretty good for me - not
quite as fast as I wanted to be, but Ljust
wanted to stay smooth and ride the .race,
not get too tired until the end, just hold
my lines, Then I saw Varnes' wheel
come in on me with about four laps to
go. I had felt myseU slipping, but that
made me wick it up a little bit. It was a
good day: fast qualifier, made the
National."
Mike Varnes finished inside the top
10 with a ninth. "It was dusty toward
the beginning, but once everybody got
sorted out, it wasn't too bad," Varnes
said. '1 think they could have watered it
a little more."
But the race belonged to Davis as he
cruised to the finish. He had little more
to say, other than to offer a brief tribute
(Left) Teammates
Davey camlin
(27) and Mike
Hacker (67) get
the Jump on the
field during the
AlIA 883
tutionIIL
(Below) CamIin
\jiillltled the
vlc:tory, his
-.cIina
III8IIY rounct. of
the . . . . .
before the teams loaded up and made
the 12-hour trek to Springfield, Illinois,
for the Memorial Day weekend running
of the Springfield Mile.
"[ want to dedicate this win to Dennis Sylva, who we lost in a car accident
after the Harrington race," Davis said,l:N
West Virginia Motor Speedway
Minerai Wens, West Virginia
Results: May 23, 1997 (Round 3 of 23)
HEAT 1 (10 laps; 11 rid.... top thr« transfer" 1.
Will Davis (H-D); 2. Kevin Atherton (H·D); 3. Steve
Morehead (H-D); 4. Dan Stanley (H-D); 5. Davey
CamUn (H-D); 6. Scott Stump (H-O); 7. WilUe M'
one out of the way_ That was a part of racing. I
in a while and finished a strong third. "I wasn"t
could never do that. never have been able to.
1 00 percent on top of my game. but I was
do that. Sometimes I do ride the comer'S a litvery, very close," Graham said. "It's so comtle mote aggressively, and sometimes there is .
parable to fhe '93 year: I rode three races
contact. but where are you supposed to
befora we started winning. I can see little sim'pass?" Parker didn't see it that way. "Kopp
larities. There is a line to be above everybody.
and there's only a few people that have. was ahead of us coming off tum four. but
Ricky just kept drifting up off the 'corner,"
reached that line. To get that drive and be able
Parker said. "All Ricky had to do was move
'tb handle everything just right .. Of course,
over a little tilt OtT the race track. He just kept
that can change every week. too. I feel really
drifting right into him (Koppl. It was like, Well.
good going to Springfield. "
he's, (Kopp) got to shut off sooner or later.'
Ricky was right next to him, and as soon as
With his win; WIll Davis has also noW taken
Kopp shut off, Ricky h,it his handlebars and
over the points lead from Davey Camlin. That
Kopp went ass-over-teaket!le. Soon!!r or later,
was not. however, the most important thing to
as you're coming off the tum 'and a guy is on
him, "WYlIe) Rhonda told me I took the lead in
the outside. you've got to say, 'Okay, I'll give
points,' Dallis said. "But it's like last.yeer. By
him ~ little bit of room: Joe was to the point
this time. I'd wOn two Of three. We've gal 20some races betWeen now and October. All I where he had to shut bff or.hit the wall; he was,
at the po'nt where he would either hit the wall
want to do is jUs~ fo!:get about a championship.'1
~nd take them both out or shut off and try to'
just want to oome every week and haVe fun, do
save himself. When he shut off, Ricky' clipped,
What we did to.night. have fun and try to win a
his handlebars and a!mos.t fell, too."
race. If you start thinking about 'the poi'lts and
all thaI. you star) rorgettingw~y'you're here
Des.p'ite the viciousness of !he .I... Kopp
tonight. You stop having fun. If you do badly,
accident: he was re.leased from the hospital'
you're all depressed because you 'IDSa' points,
and if you win, ,li0u' re all pumJ)<'d up - too many that night, severely battered but with no oro· .
highs and lows. Just take it fof what it is'- a.race· ken bones, "I don't remember anything about.
it," Kopp said. "I guess that's good. I'll .be
win -. and at t~ end of-the year. we'll see where
we're at." Anyway. Dallis holds a three.point 'back for laSalle. Now we can only p"!'y for the .
rain (at Springfiekl). I'm too sore: be.sides,
lead over ..Jay Springsteen and is seven
Kenny has already taken the bikes home."
points ahead of RiP> ~.
.
Armbruster (H-D); 7.·Robert Lewis Jr. m:O): 8. Lan
Segedy (H-D); 9. Jeff Randolph Darling (lion).
Time 4 min., 23.137 sec.
SEMI 1 (8 laps; 11 riders, top two traDsferl: 1. Ceo
Roeder II (H-D); 2. Dan StanJey (H-D); 3. JoR- Schnabel
(H-D); 4. Dan 8utler (H-D); S. Willie M Darling (Hon); 7. Rob Gette (H-D); 8.
Robert Lewis Jr. (H-D); 9. B.... lleyer (H-D); 10. Randy
Shank II (H-D); 11. Steve Liberty (H-D); 12. Steve Beattie
(H-D).
Ti.me: 3 min.. 32..34S sec.
GRAND NATIONAL US Lapo; 18 rid..." 1. wm
Da';'; (H-D); 2. Jay Springsteen (H-D); 3- Ricky Graham
(Hun); 4. Srott Parke< (H'O); S. Rich King (Hon); 6. Ceo
Roeder II (H-D); 7. K2vin Varnes (H-D); 8. Dan StanJey
avey CamJio
8. 8r
