Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

DIRT TRACK AMA GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES 2: Delaware State Fairgrounds + arrln By Dave Hoenig Photos by Flat Trak Fotos HARRINGTON, DE, MAY 16 cott Parker rolls on. Sure, Parker credited ASCAR's Dale Earnhart for the incentive to capture his first Daytona Short Trac}<, but the Harley-Davidson factory rider must not have been paying attention when Earnhart's post-Daytona results headed south. But Parker remained as dominant as ever, a he scrambled to career Grand National win number 86 on the sandy, pea-gravel half mile at the Delaware State Fairgrounds. "1 just jumped on the cushion for the first six to eight laps, then dropped to the bottom and rolled around the bottom," the AGV /Eck Excavating-backed factory rider said. "The first few laps got my distance, then everyone was going the same speed - we just held a steady gap." . Early in the day, Parker's former teammate and chief nemesis, Chris Carr, appeared to be the fastest man on the track. Once again a full-time dirt tracker, Carr is quickly returning to his old form, as is evidenced by his runner-up finish in the 25-lap feature. "1 was comfortable - not as good in the National as in the heat, but the bike worked really good," the Sacramento Harley-Davidson / Phoenix Racing-sponsored Carr said. 'That race was won in the first 10 laps. Scotty put in a great 10 laps, beating the cushion. 1 didn't think the cushion would last that long. It took a while for the groove on the bottom to develop, and by that time he had a lead. It stayed pretty steady the rest of the race, but he was gone. There was nothing that I could do about it." . Geo Roeder suffered through an emotional roller coaster. After setting qualifying-hea t fast time on his Eddie & Mike Adkins Racing/Harley-Davidson of Seaford / Winchester Harley-Davidson-backed XR750, Roeder got the perfect start in the Grand National final, only to be greeted by a red flag at the end of the first lap. Canadian Chris Evans had bailed in turn three, and the field headed to the mechan.i~s box at the pit gate. "1 was really upset when the red flag came out, but Eddie settled me down S (Top) Parker gets 86'd????: No, that's 86. The eight-time and defending AMA Grand . National Champion scored another In his long list of victories at the pea-gravel Half Mile on the Delaware State Fairgrounds. (Above) Chris Carr (4) proved that he's not too far from his old sell as the 1992 champion raced to a convincing runner-up finish in the 25-lap final. Carr ran about the same speed as Parker but could not cut into the winner's early-race lead. and.said everything happens for a reason," Roeder said. "We were standing there watching everybody get ready, not paying attention. When we took the bike down off the stand after the red flag, the rear tire was flat. We were lucky to get a new 0 e on and get back out there." Unfortunately for Roeder, the team couldn't get the tire on within the 10minute time limit, but track offidals gave them enough time. According to AMA rules, Roeder could restart - but from the penalty line with Evans. "I was about 10th off the line and got a couple of guys in the first comer, and a whole bunch in three and four," Roeder said after blitzing through the field to score a third-place finish. "After the fi rst lap 1 think 1 was up to fourth or fifth. Eddie kept telling me before the first start to get out front; then we had the red flag and it was, 'Oh man, (low I've got to do this again.' But it worked out for the best." rt had been a long time since either Carr or Roeder were on a dirt track podium. Getting his 25-year anniversary tour off to a strong start, F&S Harley-David- son/KK Supply-backed Steve Morehead rode to a steady fourth ahead of Rich King. "1 knew 1 was probably holding Rich up, but 1 couldn't skid through the turns and J was about out of tire," Morehead said. "All I could do was just hold my line and putt around the bottom. I couldn't do anything any faster. The cushion was too far up on the race track on one end, and you couldn't see the edge of it to go up and bump it, and it was too rough to go up and ride the cushion." Corbin Racing / SuperTra pp / Craig Rogers-backed King was still satisfied with his fifth-place finish. "I ran out of tire - just chewed it up," King said. "It was almost a new edge. 1 was running it in pretty hard and skating it, and this track is real abrasive. You can't give Parker and those guys a lead that big to start with." HEATS By virtue of his fast qualifying heat race, Roeder sat on the pole for the first heat. However, it was Carr leading Morehead, Dan Butler and Roeder into the first turn. Carr went high into the cushion and was followed by Roede; and Butler. Morehead moved to the bottom and stayed close. At the halfway point, Butler's USC/Lancaster Hadey-Davidsonbacked Harley coasted to a stop. "The gas got shut off somehow and I just ran out of gas," the disappointed Butler said. The three qualifying positions were set, but three young lions battled over fourth. John Nickens III, Johnny Murphree and Nicky Hayden battled over fourth and finished in that order. All were semi bound. ·The second heat saw Saddlemen/l800-FAST-HOG / Moroney's HarleyDavidson's Mike Hacker lead Rose Racing/Schaeffer's Harley-Davidson/B&B Trading's Kevin Varnes into turn one. Varnes was at the hay bales all the way around, and as the pack thundered down the back straight, he was forced off the outside edge. "I stayed out there too long and if cost me," said Varnes, who dropped to midpack. Hacker now held the point over USC's Bryan Bigelow, Parker and RC Trucking's Jay Springsteen. By lap three, Parker had pulled to second and Springsteen was challenging Bigelow. At the halfway point, Parker took the lead, and Varnes was slowly working his way back into contention. 0)1 lap seven, Springsteen's race came to an end with a puff of smoke. Varnes had taken third away from Bigelow and held on to the last transfer position. White's Harley-Davidson's Mike Varnes got the holeshot in the third heat, with Joe Kopp and Paul Morgan ill right behind him. Steve Beattie quickly pulled his Stylemaster Cu tom Motorcycles ride into the battle. Morgan took the lead on lap two, but by lap four Beattie was in command. "The track was awesome, and I used . it to my advantage, because 1 came from the second row," Beattie said. "1 used it to get where J needed to be, then ducked down. I used it about two laps extra, to put some distance on those guys." Coziahr Harley-Davidson's Morgan held a safe second, while Varnes, Kopp and Dan Butler fought over third. The' pole sitter, Gardner Racing/WalterS

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