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/127851
DIRT TRACK AMA GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES By Scott Rousseau Photos by Flat Trak Fotos . ROSSBURG, OH,JULY 26 iven his four wins and eight topfive finishes thus far on the 1997 A MA Gra nd Natio nal Cha mpionship tour, Total Control Racing's Will Davis was already laughing on his way to the banks. By the time he left them, he had to be downright hysterical. For it was on the lightning-fast hig h ba nk s of Eld ora Speedway, Ohio's famed sprint-ear Valhalla of speed, that Dav is scored his fifth win of the ye a r wh en he con qu ere d th e F&S HarleyDavidson Eld ora Half Mile. With that, th e 32-year-Old North Carolinia n also made a huge withdrawal from the richest pu rs e o n the series schedule $10,000, to be exact. Though there was more money on the line, Davis handled the main event in much the same manner as he would ha ve at one of t he cheaper G ra n d Na tionals. He got a good s , rode his own race, and once aga in rolled right on past TCR tea m ma te and ea rly race leader Kevin Atherton to score his 15th career win in Grand National competition . Ecstatic as he was, Davis admitted that the season to date is begi nning to seem rather su rreal. 6 "I ain't feeling a thing:' Davis said. "This is just awesome. It' s jus t unreal. Kevin has been rid ing his butt off, and fo r me to run him down fro m half a straig h t d own like that... Well , I just ca n' t take all the cre d it for that. Th e moto rcycle I'm rid ing is awesome. T.e. and those guys have built me w ha t I wanted. I'm really at a loss for words." Davis got off the line fifth during the wi cked-fas t ma in event but went to work qu ickly , using 'a lower line tha n anyone in turns one and two to qu ickly shoo t by Team Co rbi n R&R Racing' s Rich Kin g , I -BOO- FAST HO G / Mor oney' s Harley-Da vid son' s Da vey Ca "l'li n and USC Ra ci ng / La ncas te r Harl ey-Davidson's Kevin Varnes to set off in pursuit of his TCR/ Acrel/Bunzl USA teammate, who was fast ou t of the gate and attem pting to flee. But Davis continued to d rop low in the first and second tu rns, stead ily eating away a t At he r to n's adva n tage be fo re pullin g in to h is sh a dow just as AM A starter Steve Faraci displayed th e fi v e- la p board to the field. Davis ducked und er A therton in turns one and tw o a lap la ter, and then upped the pace to slip away from the former Harley-Davidson factory ride r by the lime Faraci hung out the lau nd ry. "Th a t was lik e th e red -clay tr a cks tha t I grew u p riding on:' Davi s said. "You jus t had to roll through th e wet st u ff without tou ch ing you r br a kes or