Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127845
DIRT TRACK AAfA GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES "Terre Haute's Action Track was the scene of plenty of action - but not the racing kind... Crash after crash marred the 18th stop on the AMA Grand National Championship/Camel Pro Series... Rough and dangerous track conditions... turned the event into a fiasco... There were no cries of outrage when the National was called; the riders had had enough." Cycle News reporter Gary Van Voorhis, August 14, 1977 By Scott Rousseau Photos by Flat Trak Fotos 18 TERRE HAUTE, IN,JUNE 14 ,---- hat was the scene some 20 years ago, the last time that the AMA Grand National Championship Series paid a visit to the Terre Haute Action Track west of Indianapolis, where the track conditions were so horrible t):lat the 20-lap National was called after a number pf incredibly violent crashes. One of them - involving Ted Boody - was so bad that the ABC television network used it as an "agony of defeat" segment in the opening of its Wide World of Sports program for sever;li years. An incredibly ugly race track won the race that day, and the Grand National heroes of the era never returned. Until now. Though some of the players who visited the Action Track in August 1977 were back again, it was mostly an allnew group of heroes who returned to do battle on - and with - the nasty heartland half mile. Even so, they'd heard the stories, and they had come to settle the score_ When it was all over, redemption was in hand. They came, they saw, they kicked its butt. Total Control Racing's Will Davis kicked the most. The Action Track was mean, but the normally friendly North Carolinian got meaner, taking control from the start on the choppy but fast clay / sand racing surface and leading all but one lap en route to his second win of the 1997 season, thus becoming the first two-time winner of the year in a whiteknuckle affair that was highlighted by a three-rider battle up front for most of the race. In addition to the race track, Davis survived attacks by TCR teammate Kevin Atherton and Team HarleyDavidson's Scott Parker in the late stages of the Grand National feature. He was just able to beat Parker at the line, after" the seven-time and defending Grand National Champion damn near yanked the throttle cables out of their housings in an attempt to steal the race down the final straightaway. Parker came up short by little more than. a wheel length. "I told you before the main event that you were going to see a good race," an excited but dog-tired Davis said. "Man, was that awesome, or what? This TCR motorcycle was unbelievable. The thing was turning real good off two. We were set up (to get) off the corners, and it worked off the corners. I just didn't want to mess up, because 1 knew Scott was right there. Second place ain't where it's at in this deal, and 1 knew he would go for broke." Second for Parker matched his best finish of the year thus far and, with that, practically mirrors a typical start to a typical championship season for the tough, 35-year-old Michigander from (Top) Will Davis (21) held off Scott Parker (1) for his second Grand National victory of the year at.the Terre Haute Half Mile. Davis also reclaimed the series points lead from Rich King. (Above) Davis (21) battled with teammate Kevin Atherton (23) In both their heat race and the main event. Atherton dropped back to third after losing his left footpeg on only the third lap of the main event.