Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

just coasting around. To come from the third row, here, we're real happy to be in the top 10." Rounding out the top 10 was 1-S00.FASTHOG/Moroney's Harley-Davidson's Mike Hacker. "It feels good to be back on a 750 again," Hacker said. "1 just couldn't get my stuff together early in the day. We kind of fumbled around until about halfway through the main; then we started picking guys off. Early in the day 1 was going pretty good, but then, later on, [ kind of 10 t my rhythm. The track kind of had me spooked after getting hurt here last year. It seemed like the last 12 laps of the main, I got it going pretty good." HEATS The first heat was an amazing race, with as many as eight riders shooting for the three advancement spots. Kopp led teammate Kelmy Coolbeth into the first turn, with Rich King right behind them. Kevin Varnes used a high line to blast to the front over Kopp, King and another rim rider, Jason Sentell. Just when it looked like Varnes would open up some daylight, a slip dropped him into the clutches of the pack. Kopp took over on lap four, only to find King leading Kopp, Sentell, Varnes, Schnabel, Coolbeth and fast qualifier Dan Stanley at the halfway point. Sclmabel was now on the move and took first on Lap seven, only to give it back to Kopp a lap later. King settled his Corbin Racing/HarleyDavidson Cycle Center of Waterloo Harley into third. Schnabel was able to pull off one more pass and took the win. Kopp and King also advanced. Varnes just missed with a fourth. Despite a strong fifth-place finish, Sentell's nigh~ was over after his HarleyDavidson suffered a broken rockerarm stud. Coolbeth and Stanley were also semi bound. The second heat was somewhat anticlimactic, as "only" a two-rider battle unfolded. Atherton Jed from the pole over David Rayburn and Steve Morehead. Then, just as quickly, Allen-Marioneaux/SuperTrapp/Red Line Oilbacked Greg Teague blasted high around the field and took over the lead. Atherton picked up on Teague's lin~ and on lap six he retook the point exiting turn two. The lead duo then settled doWn, content to have direct tickets into the National. F&S Harley-Davidson/KK Supply-backed Morehead rode home a lonely third. Johnny Murphree and Shaun Ru sell desperately tried to close on Morehead, to no avail. Hacker got the holeshot in the third heat over Hayden and Springsteen. Hayden quickly took over the lead and pulled away. Springsteen was stuck behind Hacker until Lap four, when Springer then took over the second spot. Hayden was still well in control, but Springsteen was closing slightly. On the last lap, Hayden bobbled in turn one; Springsteen aw the opening he was looking for and took full advantage of it. He only led the last lap, but it was good enough for the fast hea t of the night. Bigelow had also worked his way around Hacker and took the last transfer. Hacker led Paul Lynch and Will~e McCoy into the semis. The last heat was ho-hum by comparison. Davis led wire to wire over Carr. The major developing story was Geo Roeder holding Parker to fourth, but with three laps to go Parker made his move, took third and sent Roeder to the semis, along with Mike Varnes, Butler and Steve Beattie. (Right) Springsteen dominated the race in much the same way that he did during his 1995 Pomona Half Mile win. Even minor brake problems could not slow him down. (Below) Tag team: Nicky Hayden (69) caught and passed Kevin Atherton (23) before finishing second. Hayden is now a series points leader in AMA dirt track and road racing competition. SEMIS All night, the red flag had rested comfortably in the flag stand. This would all change as the three eight-lap semis, which would each send two riders to the Grand National main event, got under way. The first semi saw Shaun Russell leading Hacker, Mike Varnes and Coolbetl1 into turn one. Hacker took over at the end of lap one, but Russell was back in front on lap two. Both Russell and Hacker were using. a high line, with Coolbeth gl ued to the bottom. As the race entered the sixth lap, Russell spun down on the top edge of the groove. The field missed the fallen rider and the red flag came out as Russell remained in the groove. After a short delay, Russell rejoined the field for the restart. On the restart, Russell charged from last place low through turn one to midpack. He was unable to hold the sLick low line, and he slid down once again. This tin1e he was not so fortunate. Randy Shank II was left with no place to go and plowed directly into Russell's XR750. The red flag was out one more time. Although both were unhurt, neither were able to make the restart. Hacker led the three-lap dash to the checkers, while Cool beth held second over Chris Evans, Brett Landes and Billy Martin. Landes made a Last-lap charge to put his Audiovox/Quaker State/ Donahue's Harley-Davidson mount into the main. The red flag flew for the last time as the second semi hit turn one. Shaun Clark slid down in the middle of the pack, but he was able to make the restart. Camlin shot his Gardner Racing/Spring- field Armory Harley into turn one ahead of Jolumy Murphree, who immediately got sideways in front of the field. Murphree saved it from high-siding, but he also slipped deep into the pack. Dan Butler took over second until the white-flag lap, when he powered around CamLin for the win. Both moved on to the main, while Murphree led Paul Bergstrom and Ken Yoder to the pay window for semi money. The last semi belonged to the Schaeffer's Harley-Davidson/Las Vegas Harley-Davidson-backed Roeder, who easily ran away from a four-rider battle over the last transfer. Dan Stanley, Beattie, Kevin Varnes and Willie McCoy were all in contention. Stanley appeared to have the upper hand, but a last-lap bobble let Varnes get a drive that put the Saddlemen/Lancaster HarleyDavidson/Dodge Brothers rider into the main in a photo finish. HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER PERFORMANCE SERIES The large field of 24 Sportsters were divided into three heats. Paul Bergstrom led James Hart into turn one of the first heat, but from there Nate Wait took over and ran away from the field on his Mitchell's Modesto Harley-Davidson/ American Made Suspension-backed mount. Bergstrom pulled away from Billy Martin, Hart and Joe Duvall to take second. JMK Pro Racing/Howell's HarleyDavidson's Robert Miller won the fastest heat of tl1e night, as Gary Rogers came out on top of a tight race with Joe Eades and Paul Normandin. Tim Eades and Kyle Long also moved into the main event. Miller Electric Construction/Bartels' Harley-Davidson's Shaun Russell outdueled Willie McCoy for the last heat win. Michelle DiSalvo finished a solid third. Brian Kromroy worked his way around Scott Stump, while Rob Gette took the last transfer spot. Miller led the field into the first turn of the 12-lap National, but a bobble set him back to fifth at the end of the first lap. Mitchell's Modesto Harley-Davidson/ Rogers Lake Racing's Gary Rogers took over the lead and never gave it up. Fellow Modesto rider Wait held second early, and then McCoy had it for a lap before Miller scrambled back into second. Russell was on the move from deep in the pack and grabbed second on lap nine. Russell then closed in on a tiring Rogers, but the laps ran out before Russell could make a bid for the lead. '1 had to ride the last 750 heat, then turn around and run this," winner Rogers said. "My arms were starting to pump up, but 1 wanted this real bad." Willie McCoy pushed his DPC Racing Sportster around Miller with two laps left for the last podium spot. Wait finished fifth over DiSalvo, Joe Eades, Martin, Hart and Normandin. GRAND NATIONAL The long rain delay pushed the start of the Grand National past the midnight hour as Springsteen led the field out to pick their starting positions. The front row was comprised of Sclmabel, Springsteen, Davis, Hayden, Teague and Atherton, from bottom to top. Row two held Morehead, King, Bigelow, Kopp, Carr and Parker. The last row was made up by Landes, Kevin' Varnes, Roeder,. Hacker, Butler and Camlin. 19

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