Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~ DIRT TRACK AMA Grand National Championship/Camel Pro Series: Round 16 ~ 'Four-time Grand National Champion Scott Parker (1) edged series points leader Chris Carr (20) to dose to within nine points going into the final round. Parker edges Carr in Sacramento Mile thriller By Donn Maeda Photos by Mitch Friedman SACRAMENTO, CA, ocr. 3 f there had been a barn at the CalExpo State Fairgrounds, it would have been reduced to a pile of smoldering ashes at the end of the Sacramento Mile main event that saw four-time Grand National Champibn Scott Parker nip series point leader Chris Carr for the win. The 25-1ap barnburner-of-a-race Ieatured 38 lead changes, five different front-runners. and a nine-rider freight train at the head of the pack. And making the Valvoline-sponsored, Chris Agajanian Presems-promoted race even more exciting was the evertightening championship battle between Harley-Davidson teammates Parker and Carr. Entering the event, Parker trailed Carr by 13 points, 205192, but by winning Parker closed the points gap to nine, 221-212. Should Parker win the season finale - the October 10 Pomona Half Mile - Carr needs only a third-place finish to clinch his first-ever Grand National Championship. Finishing third in front of the 18,102 spectators was Texas H-D/Sponseller Racing-backed, Harley-Davidson XR750-mounted Larry Pegram, who capitalized on a last-lap bobble' by Team Harley's Kevin Atherton to stand on the lowest step of the winner's box. Atherton ran second behind Carr on the last lap; but slipped off the I 12 groove in turns three and four and allowed Parker, Pegram, Graham and Davey Durelle past. For his 50th career National win, Parker earned $5500 of the $33,000 purse, while Carr and Pegram were awarded $3500 and $2500, respectively. Parker padded his wallet with an addi tional $5000 by winning the Camel Challenge but, like Carr, he certainly has his eyes set on th,e - $100,000 bonus awarded by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company and the $40,000 bonus awarded by HarleyDavidson for winning the series title. Time trials The track was fast. Record breaking fast. Sakaida Racing's Terry Poovey led the way aboard his Honda RS750 with a time of 36.263 seconds at an average speed of 99.274 mph. Poovey --'- along with 12 other riders - shattered the track record of 37.012/97.266 set by Carr in 1991. ''I'm excited, this is only my second track record," said Poovey, who also owns the Ascot IT lap record. "I hope that I can 'stay that fast all night." Parker, Graham, 'Durelle, Steve Morehead and Atherton rounded out the top-six fastest qualifiers and would compete in the five lap $10,000 Camel Challenge. The Ha~ey Doty-prepared .track was "smooth as a billiard table," and proved to be the fastest-ever at the facility. Later in .the evening, Parker's National winning time/average speed of 15 minutes, 20.09 seconds/97.815 mph would also break the 25-1ap record of 15:25.690/97.225. he set in 1985. Many riders, most notably the factory Harley-Davidson squad, felt that the uproar amongst riders at the September 13 Fresno Mile brought about the excellent Sacramento track conditions. "See, it paid off," said Parker. "We protested the track conditions at Fresno and look what happens - we get the best track of the year at the very next race. Every track should be prepared this well." Don Henry, vice president of Chris Agajanian Presents, voiced a different opinion: "We didn't do anything special, (Harvey) Doty is just the best there is." , Heats Poovey, Parker, Graham and Durelle sat on ,the pole positions in the four 10-lap heat races that offered two direct-transfer positions each. Poovey gave up his pole-position advantage in the first heat by spinning his rear tire off the line and entering the first turn behind leader Carr, Ronnie Jones and Davey Camlin. Jones momentarily scooted into the lead, but Carr quickly retaliated on the second go-around. Poovey displaced Camlin on lap one and would later repeatedly trade the lead with Carr and Jones. Carr performed the final draft pass and greeted the checkered flag first, while Poovey barely edged Jones for ' second and a direct transfer. Camlin and Tim Mertens finished in close order some 20 bike lengths behind the front-runners and would join Jones in a semi. "I had a good feel fOT Ronnie and Terry, so I wanted to wait until the last lap," said Carr. "The track is great right now, but I think it might break up and get a little slicker." Carr's prediction didn't hold true, though, as the track continued to get faster as the evening wore on. Mike Hale was too anxious at the start of heat two and was sent to the penalty line for the restart. The second start also looked a little ragged, but the field was given the green flag as it began lap two. Pegram led the way at the start, while Parker hesitated at the line and negotiated the first turn sixth. Garth Brow and Rodney Farris chased Pegram early on, but by lap

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