Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Round 3: Delaware State Fairgrounds AMA GRAND NATIONAL DIRT TRACK SERIES (Left) There was no two-ina-row for Jay Springsteen (9). Springer had to corne through the semis, and he started the main from the back row. He ultimately finished 12th, while Kevin Varnes (89) finished a disappointing' 14th after running near . the front early. you just get sprayed down. There's so much calcium on the race track right now, my eyes are still burning. It's hard to make up ground from the third row. There was no problem with the bike. You just can't win them aLI. I just wish they were all as easy as two weeks ago. It was really hard to pass. We made some changes and got better, bu tit's really hard to come from the third row." Morehead was even more upset with his 13th-place finish. "I don't think I know anything about anything anymore," Morehead said. "We couldn't hit our ass for nothing: We came with a twin and should have had a twingle, was the big thing. We came here with a motorcycle that made good numbers on the dyno, but just couldn't do anything with it. We just got our ass beat. The race track here tonight was probably the best I've ever seen it, as far as being racy. No excuses. We just got (Right) Roeder (left), Parker (second from left) and Carr (far right) reap the accolades on the victory rostrum. (Below) Gary Rogers is on fire in the Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Series. The Californian scored his second straight win at Harrington and has taken a commanding lead in the series standings. N CD § ~ 14 better. Once I found the righ t line, I reeled him right in." As Parker closed, Carr continued searching for a faster line. "We had a chance, but with rushing thi ngs along, they couldn't keep the moisture in the surface," Carr said. "If they had been able to do that, we might have been better off. It got pretty hard and skittery out there, and he's the master on that type of track. I made a couple of runs at him. I got up alongside a couple of times. He went good, and I'm content. I'm not overly ecstatic with second, but I'm pleased. I was 'pleased that we were on the same straigntaway with him this year, where we weren't last year." Davis was right in the middle of the best action in the race. "We're pretty happy," Davis said afterward. "When we got here today, we were really, really good. Sure, I wanted to finish on the podium, and I wanted to finis.h closer to Chris and Scott, but starting on the back row, that's just no good. You get sprayed down to start with, and those guys up front can ride their own line and get away from us. A cushion just isn't my cup of tea. To come out of here with a fourth, we're happy, and now we'll go to some of my race tracks." Atherton was in the same boat as Davis. "It worked good early on, bu t then the race track changed, and it was all downhill after that," Atherton said. "I don't think I had anything for Parker or Carr, but we had a good race going on with Will and Evans and Roeder. I got fifth - it's better than sixth. I'm still not quite there yet, as far as being on top of my game. It's been a while." Bigelow, who looked so strong early, found the going tougher as the laps ran out. "The track really dried out, and my line went away," Bigelow said. "No excuses - I was trying to conserve some energy for the last couple of laps. I knew I was running up toward the front. I was just trying to be smooth. I learned a lot, that's for sure. This was only the second front-row start I've ever had, and I'm starting to like !t. I like not eating that dirt the whole race - that's definitely a treat. It gave me good motivation to get a holeshot. I knew wha t was going to go on behind me." King's night ended with a ninthplace finish. "The bike ran good tonigh t; I just got tired," King said. "No ifs, ands or buts about it, it just wore me out. About halfway through that race, I was shot. I was catching all the little ruts, and it was just a matter of tiine. It wore me out. I didn't know where I was at. There's no excuses in the main. The bike ran good. I just got tired. I know I'm not the guy to beat on pea-gravel stuff, but I can go fast on it. When it gets rough and races wear on like that, that's usually where I start to shine and move forward. Tonight I went the other way. I couldn't capi talize on the track being rough. That's something I've got to work on, and I know what to do with that. It'll get better." On lap 23, the race ended when Murphree crashed hard on the back straight. Kopp was right in the middle of it. "1 was kind of on the move !J.P," Kopp said. "The nex! thing I know, Johnny's pestering me. Coming out of turn two, my back end was coming around. I could tell someone was leaning on my back wheel and pushing my back end around. I was fighting it to save it, and all of a sudden the pressu.re was gone, so I knew they must have high-sided off my back wheel. I looked back and saw it was Johnny. He must have had a real good drive corning off two or something." Springsteen followed his Hagerstown victory with a mediocre 12th-place finish. "The bike is working good and everything, but starting in the back really handicaps you," Springsteen said. "You have to get a good st here (or) beat and have to go on to another day. Everybody that was going good was on a twingle, but Roeder. Good for Geo that he did that well. He's a big boy, and if anybody could make one work, he can." Even further down on the disappointment pole was Kevin Varnes, who had started the night up front but slow. ly worked his way to the back.' "We got rolling good early, but I don't know what happened," Varnes said. "1 just kept fading. Somebody passed me every lap. The only thing we did to the bike after the heat was to switch wheels. I think maybe it was a little narrow. I wish I knew. The track was really dry. After the first couple of laps, it started grooving up." HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER PERFORMANCE NATIONAL Gary Rogers backed up his fast qualifying time by winning the first heat over Willie McCoy, Shaun Russell, the Eades brothers - Joe and Tim - Billy Martin, Rob Gette, Robert Weiss, Jeff Hiers and Stephanie Welch. It was the fa ter of the two heats. The second heat was somewhat of a comeback heat. The win went to Rob Miller, who is coming back from an injury-plagued 1998, while second fell to George Richtmeyer, who is a former national number holder. Vintage racing has kept Ricl\tmeyer sharp the last few years. Richtrneyer was chased home by Brian Krornroy, Nate Wait, Jason Fletcher, Michelle DiSalvo, Paul Normandin, Yuhiko Hirao and Gerry Booher. In the 12-lap National, Miller hit turn one first, leading Russell and Rogers. McCoy charged to second, but Rogers was on the move. Rogers advanced one position p~r lap and had the lead, pulling away, by lap three. Flying from deep in the pack was

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