Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

deadpanned, then smiled. "To be honest, I really thought that I had Rich covered. Then he just started pulling away, ~nd I couldn't keep pace. I really felt comfortable out there. Rich just kept going and going. I ran where I wanted to run out there. I couldn't find any lines that were better than what I had." As for 01' Springer, it was just another day at the office for the 42-year-old three-time champion. His Jim Kellymotored, Joe Bisha-prepped Bartels' Harley-Davidson XR never faltered throughout the feature - heck, even the brakes worked right. After battling with Atherton early, Springsteen was content to go into cruise mode, far ahead of the sixth-place battle that included Geo Roeder, Kenny Coolbeth and Joe Kopp. Springsteen's performance was reminiscent of a Sunday drive, and it literally almost was, something the outspoken veteran was quick to point out after the event, which concluded near the witch,ing hour after a frustrating day in which the race track had to be prepared twice to be made raceable. "It was okay," Springsteen said. "But we should have started practice at about 6:30 p.m. instead of being here at 11 a.m. and then not getting the track done until 6 p.m. That's ridiculous. There would still have been plenty of time to get the fans into the pits early to see us. It's the same old thing. Anyway, I put a tooth on for the main, because I thought it was going to be fast down low. Then] sawall those guys going fast around the top, and I had to get up there. That just flattened her out a little too early is all. It was fast, but I didn't quite have enough with that tooth on to make it to the end of the straightaway." King's win gave his points tally a serious shot in the arm, and he now finds himself in at least a bit more of a familiar position in the points race while still getting acquainted with his new hogs. The as-of-yet-winless Carr leads the field with 86, gaining a couple on Parker, who has dropped into a tie with Springfield Mile winner Atherton on 68 points. With one win each, King, Springsteen and Will Davis follow, with 65, 54 and 49, respectively. Young Bryan Bigelow is displaying veteranlike consistency, and he sits seventh, with 44, as does road racer/dirt tracker Nicky Hayden, who was off racing the Loudon, New Hampshire, round of the MBNA Superbike Series. Roeder is ninth, with 35 points, one ahead of Mike Hackel'. HEATS Saddle men Racing/Lancaster HD/Dodge Brothers' Kevin Varnes took control of the first heat, with Carr, TLC Racing's Chris Evans and Team Undo/Donahue Harley-Davidson's Brett Landes giving chase, but HarleyDavidson of Missouri/Dave Burks Motorsports' Kenny Coolbeth found the high line to his liking and used it to square off turn four and dive under both Varnes and Carr for the lead. One lap later, Varnes caught his foot in one of the craters in turn one and nearly got sucked off his motorcycle. Almost appearing as if he was unsure of whether or not to continue, Varnes got back on the gas to salvage the transfer with a third-place finish. Carr, meanwhile, had all he could handle with Coolbeth, the 1993 Rookie of the Year pulling clear and taking the heat-race win. "I got a little sideways and lit it up off the start," .the soft-spoken Coolbeth said. "It was the first heat, and there was still a lot of moisture in the track. Bu t I just felt good. Now all I've got to do is get a good..start in the main and get it n." (Right) Hiya, pal: Old foes Carr (4) and Parker (1) provided the best duel on the race track. Carr slipped past Parker near the halfway mark to claim second place for good. (Below) Atherton (23) took a while to get the race track figured out, waiting for the dust to clear on the red clay before springing into attack mode with just five laps to go. He then caught and passed Parker (1), robbing the champ of a podium spot. Heat two might as well have been renamed heat 401K, as the soon-to-retire Parker, and Morehead - who swears he is going to retire, someday - shot away from the field and attempted to settle things between themselves. Team 1-800FASTHOG's Mike Hacker kept the age level somewhat in balance by running a close third, right behind the two veterans, as the three put several lengths on the next-elosest man, USC Racing/Lancaster Harley-Davidson's Bryan Bigelow: Morehead and Parker got real intimate as they pushed through turn one on the second lap, with Morehead pulling ahead by an elbow and then clearing the champ as they hit the back stretch. But Parker wasn't through yet, and after getting wild in turns one and two on lap three, he gathered it up, ran down Morehead and made an attempt at the pass on the low side in one and two. That try failed, but rolling around the top in the same bends on the next lap proved to be the recipe for success. Parker then honked out to a six-length lead by the finish, with Morehead landing second and Hacker hanging right in there for third. "He (Morehead) had a good second lap and got underneath me and rolled," Parker said. "I was tentative there for a lap or two, but I found a couple of lines, got hooked up, rolled in on him and pulled away a little. The track's better than what we had earlier, but I don't know why they can't be like that when we get here. Why does it alway,s have to be like that (poor condition)? Why? That shit should be done when we get here." Heat three belonged to Atherton from start to finish. No question. The Michigander simply outclassed his pursuers, Schaeffer's Harley-Davidson/KK Motorcycle Supply's Geo Roeder II, Springsteen, Team Powell/Sunoco Race Fuels' J.R. Schnabel and Gardner Racing/Walters Brothers H-D's Dan Stanley, the last of these really pushing the high line to the extreme in an attempt to move up, to no avail. The field simply strung out, Atherton moving toward a half-straightaway lead while Roeder stayed in front of Springer and Schnabel fell out of range for a possible transfer spot. That's how they finished. Even with wasted time in the form of a straightawaylong wheelie down the back chute, Atherton tripped the clock in four minutes, 16.949 seconds - almost three seconds faster than Coolbeth's second-fastest heat time. "Just havin' fun," Atherton said. "I was so upset early in the day, thinking tha t this was going to'be a piece-of-shit race track. Our filj.mber-one priority at these things should be to have a good race track. Luckily they got out the water truck and made it into a good track - not as good as it should be, but good. Still, I like coming here, and I think that you'll see an exciting main event." King unwittingly offered the fans a preview of things to come when he ran away with the fourth and final heat race. The Iowan barked off the line and set sail, . with H-D of Missouri/Burks Motorsport's Joe Kopp, DPC Racing/ Harley-Davidson of Dallas' Willie McCoy giving chase. Eaken Racing's Will Davis was forced to scramble to make up for a bad start, as was Saddlemen Racing/Lancaster H-D/Dodge Brothers' Dan Butler. Davis rolled under McCoy for third in turns three and four on lap two, with McCoy coming back and retaking the spot temporarily before Davis could make it stick on lap three. Meanwhile, Butler appeared to be in charge mode. He shot under McCoy in three and four on lap four and was quickly knocking on Davis' door. Butler then skittered underneath Davis going into turn one and took the transfer spot away. At the finish, it was King, followed by Kopp and Butler. "Tha t felt good," King said. "After they worked on the track for... it was only about four hours, wasn't it? 1 don't know if the track will last all main. 1 think it'll be smooth enough, but I think that the guy that wins it will be on the bales. I'm just going to get a holeshot and not look back. We're gaining on 'em. It feels better, but I guess you would say that after you win." Davis was disappointed to have to ride a semi. It would get worse. SEMIS As usual, the three eight-lap semis provided the nontransferring riders with three options: Get first, get second or get in the truck. Unfortunately for KK/DeFrank Autobody/Jeanine Rayburn-backed David Rayburn, he never got to exercise any of those, as he crashed heavily in turn one. Down for several minutes, Rayburn was transported to Camden Clark Memorial Hospital, where he was treated and released. Expect him to be back in action at the Lima Half Mile. K&N/Progressive Suspension/White Brothers' Jason Sentell was first off the mark and into the lead on the restart, followed by Schnabel and Mike Varnes. Sentell appeared to have the field covered until his bike started shedding pieces of its exhaust system. Despite the potential danger, Sentell was not black-flagged, although the snafu allowed both Schnabel and Varnes to close in; setting up for a wild Last corner. Varnes took to the high side of Sentell and Schnabel dropped low, the three coming onto the front straightaway three wide. Varnes took the win. Schnabel was the odd man out, along with the rest of the field. The second semi featured another three-rider battle. Bartels' Harley-Davidson's Shaun Russell jumped out front, but Gardner Racing/Wiebler's HarleyDavidson's Davey Camlin was all,over the Californian. The two traded the lead Q CO> CIl c: ...., 29 :::>

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