Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Bubba Shobert (67) leads Steve Morehead, Jay Springsteen and Ted Boody in their six-rider battle for the win at the Syracuse Mile. across the line. but on each of those laps Morehead would draft by him on the backstraight to hold the point coming off turn four. Morehead reversed his strategy on the final lap by not drafting by Scott on the backstraight. The move paid off for Morehead as he pulled out of Scott's draft coming down to the line and took the win by inches. Fast qualifier Gary Scott finished fourth. "Hank's bike accelerates faster than mine and his chassis is set-up different. The track changed all day. but I didn't," said Scott at day's end. Heat two was Ricky Graham's from start to finish, but the racing behind him was furious. Ricky Campbell turned in some of the best laps of his career in the early going. Campbell hooked up in a dice with three-time Grand National Champion Jay Springsteen for second and held that position across the line on the fifth lap. But the next lap saw the pair racing for third after Steve Eklund moved by them for a secure second. Springsteen finally broke away from Campbell and the finishing order read Graham. Eklund and Springsteen. The third heat was another crowd pleaser that saw eventual winner Randy Goss fight all the way with Garth Brow, Terry Poovey and Tim Mertens, who finished in that order behind former Grand National Champion Goss. Scott Pearson. aboard the only other Honda NR750 entered in the race. finished fifth, a good distance behind the fight for the win. Alex Jorgensen and Shobert conducted a IO-lap battle in the fourth and final heat that saw Jorgensen lead every lap but the one that counts. Shobert got the best of the drafting affair as the checkered flag waved . Behind Shobert and Jorgensen was a race within a race that saw Canadian Jon Cornwell edge out Rob Crabbe for third and the final heat race transfer to the National. The heat was the fastest of the day which gave the choice of the pole position in the National to Shobert. Semis 12 Twelve riders had qualified for the National out of the heat races and the two semis offered just four riders a chance to make the National - the winners and the runner-ups. Semi one brought fast qualifier Gary Scott back into action, and Harley-Davidson factory rider Scott Parker gave Scott all the action he wanted and more. While Campbell pulled off the holeshot. Scott was slow off the line and exited turn two in sixth. The horsepower of brother Hank's bike was unleashed by Gary down the back straight. and by the time the field dove into turn three it was Scott with the lead. Lap two saw Scott and Parker hook up together. The pair raced side-by-side and wheel-to-wheel right down to the checkered flag where it was Parker over Scott in a photo finish. Oklahoman Scott Adams took over the lead of the second sem i on the third lap and held it to the finish line. Behind Adams was some heated racing involving Steve Hall. Rob Crabbe and Scott Pearson. It was Hall grabbing second at the finish line to transfer to the National. ' Ingram was racing under trying conditions. His brother. Sammy. is hospitalized in serious condi tion. "My brother was hit by a car while riding his street bike," said a somber Ingram following his victory. "My dad (former pro racer Sam Ingram) couldn't be here today because he's with my brother; I don't have any major sponsors. but I want to thank Bill Armstrong for helping me, pI us say thanks to KR W, Diamond Chain and IBCO Gaskets." National The National was reduced from 25 laps to 20 laps due to excessive tire wear that had become obvious in the heat races. Fast heat winner Shobert chose a starting position right on the groove. Last Chance Qualifie r one spot over from the grandstand It seemed as though the Last Chance wall where Morehead started from. Qualifier. so named because only the Rounding out the front row of the winner would advance to the Nationthree row grid were Goss, Graham, aI, took longer to run than the four Jorgensen and Boody. Row two was heat races that preceded it. One reoccupied by Eklund. Hank Scott, start after another took place as getBrow. Cornwell. Boody and Springoffs and false starts brought out the steen. Sitting on row three were red flag. Parker. Adams, Gary Scott, Hall and Scott Drake was the first to jump Farris. Thirteen of the 17 riders had off and referee Charlie Watson. refewon National mile races before. reeing his last dirt track National It was Shobert leading the Rolling before retiring from the demanding Thunder Show off the line and around job. had an irate rider to deal with the oval on the opening lap. The after he told Drake he could not join field stayed tightly bunched with the restart. That incident was repeated shuffling of positions being conwhen Jay Beach jumped off on the ducted both on the straights and in restart and was also told to. load up. the turns. Garth Brow dropped out of the Yet another restart saw Scott Pearson have a bikelength on the field before race on the fifth lap, the only rider to anyone else at the race saw the green do so. "My ignition was arcing off light. my leg. and then on the fifth lap the The red flag was displayed for the motor let go," said a disappointed fourth time. but when the grid was Brow after the race. reassembled Pearson still sat on the Shobert held the lead across the front row. Pearson led the first two start/finish line for the first nine laps. but Ronnie Jones and Rodney laps. but that "lead" was often one of inches as the Texan was but one of Farris worked their way past him and carried their fight down to the wire. seven riders in a tightly bunched Farris led where it counted and gained pack. Morehead led Shobert. Goss, Boody. a spot in the National. Finishing third was a disappointed Hank Scott, Springsteen and Poovey across the line on laps nine and 10, Ricky Campbell. who had raced his heart out all day. Pearson finished and from the halfway flags to the fourth. white flag those riders turned in their own version of "The Magnificent Junior Invitational Seven." , Goss, Springsteen and Shobert took After a restart brought about when Mike Ashton jumped off on the third turns leading the pack across the line lap. the twelve lap Junior Invitawith Shobert having those honors as tional race developed into a three the white flag was waved. man fight with Dan Ingram. Eric The last lap sawall seven bunched Rausch and Matt Rozowicz the comtogether as tightly as was possible ba tants and XR 750's the weapons. coming do wn the back straight. but Ingram won the race with Rausch exi ting tu rn four th e count had dropand Rozowicz finishing 2-3. - - - - - ped.to six ri ders as G oss got o ff the groove and slipped back from the fight to eighth behind Parker who was trailing the fight for the lead. Goss, the only rider other than Graham and Springsteen who has a shot at the Number One plate. was a dejected figure after the race. Shobert managed to pull that extra little bit out of his XR's motor and held off the drafting pass attempt by Springsteen to win his second mile , race of the season. Shobert. in addition to thanking his season long sponsors - Scott "Mach ine/ ] ack Sisemore/Megacycle/ Bruster's H-D. said. "Ken Parker of Michigan provided me with a great bike for the race today. Tex Peel helped Ken and lowe both of them a lot of thanks." Runner-up Springsteen and third ' place finisher Morehead both said they felt the race had been "a good, clean one." All who watched knew it was more than just "good." It was , great. While the top three finishers celebrated, Hank Scott proudly wheeled his Honda back to the pits. While Scott Pearson's Louisville Half Mile win was certainly noteworthy, Scott's performance on the long Syracuse oval gave notice to all that Honda has caught up with Harley-Davidson in the horsepower department. The circuit heads west for the final two races of the season, the San Jose Mile and the Ascot Half Mile. Graham faces the toughest two races of his career as former champions Springsteen and Goss have both been through this type of thing before. Graham knows what he can do and at Syracuse he said. "I know what I have • to do and I know I can do it." Results 20-LAP NATIONAL: 1. Bubba Shobert (H-D); 2, Jay Springsteen (H-D); 3. St eve Morehead (H-D); 4:Hank Scon (Hon); 5. Terry Poovey (H-D); 6. Ted , Boody (H·D); 7. Scott Parker (H-D); 8. Randy Goss (H-D); 9. Rickey Graham (H-D); 10. Alex Jorgensen (H-D); 11. Gary Scon (H·D); 12. Steve Eklund (H-D); 13. Jon Cornwell (H·D); 14. Steve Hall (H·D); 15. Scott Adams (H·D); 16. Rodney Farris (H-D); 16. Garth Brow (H·D). TIme : 12 min.• 4.643 sec. AMA GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPI INSTON PRO SERIES POINT STANDINGS : 1. Ricky Graham (198) ; 2. Jay Springsteen (190); 3. Randy Goss (166); 4. Terry Poovey (157); 5. Scon Parker (151); 6. Alex Jorgensen (134); 7. Bubba Shobert (11 9); 8. Gary Scott (114); 9, Ted Boody (93); 10. (TIE)Steve EklundiSteve Wise (89); 12. St eve Mojo· head (84); 13, Mike Baldwin (72); 14. Mike Kidd (66); 15. Wes Cooley (62); 16. Tim Me'rtens (57); 17. Ronnie Jo nes (53); 18. Hank Scan (49); 19. Mi ckey Fay (43); 20 . Steve Lawso n (4 2). MANUFACTURERSPOINTSTANDINGS: 1. HarleyDavidson (348 ); 2. Honda (24 1); 3. Yamaha (127); 4. Can -Am (89); 5 . Kawasaki (81); 6. Suzuki (78); 7. Tr iumph (12); 8. Ma ico (11).

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