Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

BDIRTTRACKAMA~dN~o~C~~~m~_~_w_cl_h_oS_m_'~_:R_oo_~_8~~~~~~- ! For the third time this year, Kevin Atherton crossed the finish line second. Grand National Champion Scott Parker notched his fifth win of the season. For the second year in a row, George Roeder II (66) finished third. Chris Carr (20) did all he could to pass Roeder, but was forced to settle for foarth. Harley-Davidson teammate, finished second. Local favorite George Roeder II finished third, the second consecutive year he has done so at the Allen County Fairgrounds oval. The win allowed Parker to pad his series point standings lead over teammate Chris Carr, fourth at Lima, to an even 20, 137-117. The event went off without a hitch in front of a near sellout crowd estimated at 10,000. Although plagued with lengthy delays in the past, this year's program ran on time, thanks to the cooperation of all who were involved. "I can't believe that 1 have been given all of the track time that I need to take care of this race track," said Charlie Metzger of Bud's Race Track Service. Time trials Parker cruises to Lima win By Bert Shepard LIMA, OH, JUNE 27 cott Parker sailed home the winner of the Lima Half Mile, finishing all alone after early challenger Ricky Graham was forced to make a pit stop on lap six. "Ricky and I went at it and I think th'at is what helped us break away," Parker said. "After that I was just cruising." The win was Parker's fifth of the season and he extended his record of Grand National Championship victories to 48. Graham, the only ri~er who seemed capable of racing with Parker, fell prey S 12 to a fuel petcock that closed. Tuner Johnny Goad, who is part owner of the Honda RS750 that Graham campaigns, was dejected. "I have a zip-tie that holds the gas petcock open and it broke. Then the petcock worked its way closed," Goad said. "I just can't believe it," said Graham, who missed several laps while -the problem was diagnosed and eventually finished 15th. With Graham tending to his problems, Parker was left without a serious challenger. Kevin Atherton, Parker's Qualifying laps yielded unusually close times as nearly half of the 48rider qualifiers logged laps within eight-tenths of a second of fast qualifier Atherton, who earned the pole in the first heat with a 26.157 second lap. "It was just the luck of the draw," said Atherton. "I got out early." Atherton was in the seventh set of riders who took time trial laps. His fast time was far short of Parker's eightyear-old track record of 24.994 set in 1984. The track lost some of its speed as the qualifying process took place. Rusty Rogers was the second fastest qualifier with a 26.251 second lap. Roeder, with a 26.258 lap, and Greg Sims of Michigan were the third and fourth fastest qualifiers, respectively, and they also earned heat ·race pole positions. Terry Poovey, Larry Pegram, Jay Springsteen, Will Davis, Parker and Darrin Erichsen rounded out the top 10 qualifiers. GTaham provided the excitement near the end of time trials. "I knew I had to do something outrageous, so I tried to ride the very top. I fell as I passed the pit gate, but I wasn't going to let off," Graham said. The two-time Grand National Champion suddenly lost control and crashed into the hay bales and the catch fence. The postcrash inspection revealed a flat rear tire. Whether it caused the crash or was a result of it, no one knew. "It was like a flash from the past with Tex Peel," said Graham, referring to the tuner/owner of the Harley-Davidson he won the 1982 Grand National Championship title on. "Tex finally said, 'I ain't fixin' these bent pipes if you keep bending them.' " Goad made the appropriate repairs and Graham qualified 18th. Heats With the track groomed to perfection, the capacity crowd was in for a treat as the field lined up for the first of four 1O-1ap heat races. Parker and Atherton refreshed everyone's memory of what good dirt track racing can look like. The teammates used a variety of lines to earn their tickets to the main. Those who watched .c1osely saw real "hand to hand" racing. Atherton reached over and slapped teammate Parker and Parker retaliated on the next lap by kicking Atherton. "It was like playing in the backyard," winner Parker said. "Up in the cushion - feet up and wide-open! We just moved around the track to see where we could go." The "playing" yielded the evening's fastes~ heat. The race wasn't as much fun for Canadian Chris Evans, Mike Hale and Chance Darling, as they rounded out the top five,in that order, and were all headed for a semi-final. The second heat belonged to past Grand National Champions Graham and Springsteen. Graham led the heat from start to finish aboard the Goad/ Irby Honda and three-time champ Springsteen finished a close second aboard the Bartels' Harley-Davidson XR750. Wi.th the champs out front, the crowd focused its attention on the race for the front row spots in a semi and that race involved Darren Erichsen, Steve Morehead and pole-s{tter Rogers. Rogers worked the top of the race track and Morehead circulated near the middle. By the halfway mark, veteran Morehead took command of third after putting Rogers away in fourth. Donnie Estep had moved up and displaced fellow Buckeye Erichsen to take fifth. "I am happy to win. There was some tough company out there," Graham told race announcer Larry Maiers: That tough company, Springsteen, said, "I'm happy to be in the main. I feel okay tonight. Two weeks ago, I felt myoid problems coming on Saturday night, but my medicine was not at the track (Syracuse Mile) and there was nothing I could do. After I took my medicine, I felt fine by Sunday afternoon." Springsteen finished 16th in the Saturday night Syracuse Mile but scratched from Sunday's race. Pole-sitter Roeder uncharacteristically took the low inside line at the

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