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/142447
it worked." The ' Kawasaki ' Good Times/Bruster's/Scott Machine/Sisemore/Megacycle/Simpson sponsored rider was Kawasaki mounted. Time Trials Steve Eklund left little doubt he had Santa Fe's slick quarter-mile wired as he broke the old track record - his own - with a 14.914 second lap in time trials. Jorgensen turned in the only other 14 second tour - a 14.984 ride. Dave Hebb, Springsteen and Ronnie Jones rounded out the top five. Fifty riders qualified for what could have been a 60 rider field with cut-off at 15.856 for Dennis Williams. Heats (Top) Alex Jorgensen was jubilant in victory and took home the weekend 's big check and the accompanying Winston Pro points. (Above) Jay Springsteen (9), Jorgensen (behind Springsteen) and Randy Goss duel in the final. AMA Grand National Championship/Winston Pro Series: Round 18 Records fall as Jorgensen wins Santa Fe By Gary Van Voorhis Photos by Bert Shephard/Silver Shutter HINSDALE, IL, AUG. 13 Friday the 13th was anything but unlucky for Alex Jorgensen as he collected his second straight win in the Winston Pro Series Chi10 cagoland Short Track National at Santa Fe Speedway . Jorgensen was head an d sho u lders above th e field , taki ng the lead on th e third of 25 lap s and coasting to a five second lead over .second p lace J ay Sp rin gsteen . The 25 lap track record was sha tte re d by Jorgensen , who trim med 26 seco nds off Han k Scott's 1978 time. Bubba Shobert came from the back row to grab thi rd followed by rookie Expert Bill y H erndon wit h, Ronnie Jones fill ing out th e top five. " It felt so good ou t there that I didn 't want to back off," said an elated Jorgensen aft er a champagne shower by his wife Von in wi nner 's circle. "The on ly strategy was to get the lead as soo n as pos sible and open up a big lead." The P ion eer Trucking/Jorgy 's of Stockton/Boss rider was on th e only Ca n-Am in the National. . Harley-Davidson 's Springsteen was also a ll smi les after closing th e gap on points lead er Ricky G raham by 16 points based on his second place finish a nd Graham 's night ending after a 10 lap heat race rid e. "Everything went so well all day long. I wish all Nationals were so smooth." " Sandy Rainey, who's helping me, said to ride smooth , calm and cool and not to let the th ird row start bother me ," said Shobert. "I did and The six heats which would transfer only the top two in each to the National, proved to be mainly battles for second place. Steve Eklund, looking to regain the secret which gave him wins in the 1976-78 Nationals at Santa Fe, took a n easy win in the first heat. Eklund took over the lead from Billy Herndon at the halfway point and cruised home to break the track record for 10 laps which had been held by Garth Brow. Herndon held off challenges by Bubba Shobert to become the only rookie Expert to make the field. Jorgensen took control of heat two as th e field exited turn four at th e end of lap one and never looked back. Dave Bradley sought to make it a battle with the defending champ, but got a bit out of shape in one corner and Jorgensen scooted away. Bradley retained :control of second to the finish. Santa Fe regular Dave Hebb holeshot th e third heat and left the fight for second to Mike Kidd and George Istvanek, Kidd cast a backward glance at Istvanek on each of the final five laps as the two exited turn four. The two played rubberband, but Kidd never relinquished his ticket to the National. i Springsteen, riding his Houston, Short Track National winner which began life as a Harley MXer in 1978 ~ dropped Terry Poovey from the lead t on lap two of heat four. Scott Pearson was right on Poovey's rear wheel. . Springsteen opened a commanding lead, but appear ed to nearl y crash - . due to coolan t being sprayed on the track by one of th e riders - before taking the win. Poovey held off a determined Pearson for second. Heat five was notable for th e ease with wh ich Ronnie Jones won and the fact that Winston Pro Series points' lead er Ricky Graham finished sev-l E en th which ended hi s p lans for th e s n ight. (Riders 3-6 tra ns fer to th e sem is.) Gary Scott even tua lly broke 1 away from a fo ur-way duel for second and landed himself a spot in the Nationa l. j ~ The best heat race of th e n igh t was the sixth whi ch featured a five lap ' handlebar-to-handlebar du el between Ra nd y Goss and Tim Merten s. T h ( two fin ally bu m ped ha rd going int o turn o ne o n lap six with Goss then taking a safe lead . Mert ens lost ground, bu t held on to fini sh second as Goss stretche d it o u t and gra bbed th e win. J Semis n Only the wi nne rs would transfer from th e two semis. Garth Brow , Sh obert and Scott Parker debated who wou ld lead for th e first fou r laps in sem i one. Bro w had th e upper hand until Shobert got a trem endous drive off turn two , shot past Brow on the inside as they headed into turn thr ee, and gained control. Brow didn't let Shobert get away, but co uldn' t wrest the win away. California Keith Day, making a rare Midwest appearance, dashed th e hopes of Ted Boody, Charlie Roberts