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/143880
(Above) Gary Scott (5), Randy Goss (6), Steve Eklund (8) and Terry Poovey lead the final. (Inset left) Junior action. (Right) Eklund/Poovey. AMA Grand·National Championship/ Winston Pro Series: Final round Goss wins Ascot finale in record time: Graham the new champ By Karel Kramer Photos by Dan Mahony/Wizard Racing Photography GARDENA, CA, SEPT. 25 The Winston Pro Series wound up to a stunning finale at the Ascot half mile with Randy Goss and the factory Harley-Davidson taking the win in record time. Points leader Ricky Graham gated right behind friend/rival Jay Springsteen in sixth position and let only Alex "Jorgy" Jorgensen 10 through his defenses to finish two points ahead of Springsteen in the final Winston Pro point tally. In taking the coveted number one plate, Iron Horse/Harley-Davidson/ CastioIlShoeilWiseco/Hi-Point-sponsored Graham became only the third privateer champion in the history of the series. Graham also returned the title to California for the first time since 1979. Texan Terry Poovey put his Shoei/ Casuol/Conley's H-DlWiseco Harley into second, and fourth in the . standings, after early second place runner Gary Scott hita hole coming out of tum four. Scott took a few laps to find the exact location of the hole and got back on the gas. He. was too late as Goss and Poovey were gone. Several records were tied and broken while the Ascot sell-out crowd watched the twice rain-postponed National, Randy Goss set a new 20-lap record at seven minutes, 25.2 seconds. Goss joined Sammy Tanner as one of the two riders to win the Ascot half mile National four times and the most likely candidate to take it for the fifth time. The pressurewas clearly on Cra,ha m and Springsteen; with only four points separating them coming into the final, the title chase seemed destined to go down t?the last lap. On Saturday, the original date for the race, Graham had been subdued, while other riders had -seemed carefree - including Springsteen. Scotty Parker had commented on Saturday night, "Everyone is feeling good tonight, I just haven't got it figured how everyone can winl" Tonight Graham said, .. I felt kind of balled up, not myself, the other night. I feel twice as good tonight." Springer was keeping to himself. Gary Scott, eighth in the standings and experienced enough to deal with the with the pressure, said it for the riders, "We got here on Saturday and everybody was pumped up. Then we got rained on and sat around; it's been a long weekend. Plus, the ,track is a little different, and that has everbody a little spooked." Time Trials Hank Scott's Dickey/Fass Gass/Sisemore/RPM/Barnes/KRW/KK Supply/Casuol/Bill's Pipes Harley has a history of doing well for riders other , than Hank. Tonight it set fast quali- fying time with Garth Brow aboard. Gary Scott was in with a 22.16 and Scotty Parker was around in 22.266 for third fastest. Unranked Rich Arnaiz and improving Tim Mertens were slight surprises as they qualified in fourth and fifth respectively. Graham was in at sixth fastest and Springsteen was 10th. Heats Mertens got his night, and his Belleville Hon/KRW/ Car l Patrick/Maxie Shoes Harley, off to the right kind of start with a holeshot in the first heat. Brow and Goss tucked in behind with jorgensen and Billy Herndon following. Goss quickly moved up and put pressure on Mertens briefly before going into the lead. Mertens showed real brilliance for a second year Expert as he kept the heat on Goss until Brow fell in turns three! four and Steve Monger fell on the finish straight. Monger's fall caused a red flag, and the race was restarted single file. The restart allowed Brow to get back in the race, although, he had to On the restart, Goss went out front and seemed to pull away easily. jorgensen picked up a little too much traction and wheelied. He time, but was back in the thick of things. Mertens went wide in tum two and jorgy and Herndon went by. That set the top three. The toughest heat race of the year in Winston Pro competition pulled to the line for heat two. This year ' alone; there were 12 Nationals won by the riders in this heat. Gary Scott's KK Supply/Sisemore/Bell XR750 showed it's heels to Graham and Springsteen from the green light with . Bubba Shobert in fourth. Gary stretched out his lead as Graham and Springer went to war. Springer was diving deep into the turns and going . under Graham, but Ricky would drive out harder. Nearmid-race,Graham's front wheel wouldn't quite stick going into tum one, and Springer went into