Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

weld on his fuel tank cracked and gas began to leak onto the track. Sakaida Racing's Terry Poovey grabbed the holeshot but was gobbled up by Parker and M&M Racing's Dan Ingram on the first lap. On the second go-round, Poovey tried to strike back, but entered tum three too hot and made contact with the rear of Ingram's Honda. Poovey was spit over the bars and suffered five broken ribs, a broken collarbone and a punc tured lung. The likable Texan was transported to the hospital, where he was treated and released on Monday, October 12. Ventura H-D/Fresno H-D/Aztec Racing-backed Ben Bostrom grabbed the holeshot on the restart but, like Poovey, couldn't fend off Parker and Ingram. During the delay to attend to Poovey, Morehead borrowed a fuel tank from Gardner Racing's Ronnie Jones and was able to make the restart. Morehead blasted his way through the pack after starting on the back row and joined Parker and Ingram in the battle for first by the third of 10 laps. Parker dropped the hammer and left Ingram and Morehead to argue in his dust and greeted the checkered flag with a comfortable 25 bike length lead. Morehead rode the cushion through turns one and two on lap five to overtake Ingram for second and managed to pull away by 10 bike lengths at the finish. Ingram crossed the finish line third, well ahead of Don Estep, Willie McCoy and Davey Camlin. Parker and Morehead headed for the main, while Ingram and the others would race again in a semi. "I feel great — I'm just trying to get my job done," said Parker. "I don't want to race with anyone tonight." The second heat race saw Belleville Honda's Tim Mertens grab the initial lead, only to be swooped by Graham at the opening of lap two. Once into the point position, the race was a cakewalk for two-time Grand National Champion Graham. Atherton, meanwhile, suffered a mediocre start and battled early in the race with Hud Racing's Billy Hemdon, crowd favorite Springsteen and Mertens. In his attempt to charge into qualifying position, Atherton tagged the inside guard rail in tum four with his left hand and dropped off his torrid pace with a badly-bleeding gash. "I was trying all kinds of lines, it was pretty hairy out there," explained Atherton. "I've been riding high most of the night and I thought I'd try to go low. I guess I went too low." Springsteen, Hemdon and Atherton battled over second in the remaining laps, while Mertens dropped off the pace with a slowing motorcycle. Hemdon got the best of that battle and finished second, nearly a straightaway behind winner Graham. "Things didn't go all that great in practice and time trials," said Graham, who qualified 10th fastest "But we seem to have things sorted out The track is really good, you can really pin it." Pegram and Carr dueled early in heat three, while Winchester Harley- Davidson's Rodney Farris and Southeast Harley's Chance Darling did their best to keep up. Carr gained the advantage over Pegram and enjoyed a five bike length lead by lap five, but the race was red-flagged when Mike Dillon high sided in tum one. Dillon was transported to the hospital, luckily only suffering minor abrasions and bruises. Carr continued to control the race at the single-file restart and led Pegram, Farris and Darling into tum one. Carr went on to notch the win with a commanding lead, while Farris capital ized on a next-to-last-lap slip by Pegram in tum four to sneak into second. Pegram and Darling finished third and fourth, Scott Parker (1) and Chris Carr (20) assumed first and second, respectively, early in the race. Carr eventually dropped to third. respectively, while Davey Durelle crossed the finish line a distant fifth aboard a borrowed machine. The lower end on Durelle's Donahue Harley tied up during practice, and the diminutive rider piloted Springsteen's spare steed. "I battled with Larry early on, but I got my rhythym going and was able to break away," said Carr. "I need to match Scott's every move tonight." The fourth heat saw 1991 Camel Pro Rookie of the Year Ian Segedy and Edmonds Racing's Jason Fletcher jump the gun and restart the race on the penalty line. To no one's surprise, Hill grabbed the holeshot on the restart and led Bartels' Harley-Davidson's Mike Hale, Roeder and Jones into tum one. Together, the four riders pulled away from the rest of the field and engaged in a battle that provided the best heat race action of the night. Roeder even tually gained control and pulled out a 10 bike length lead at the finish, while Hale nipped Jones for second and a direct transfer with just two turns left in the race. Hill finished a close fourth, well ahead of Canadian National Champion Steve Beattie and Fletcher. "I always look forward to coming here," said Roeder, son of multi-time National winner George Roeder Sr. "I think I can put it on the box tonight." When asked what he would do if he got between title contenders Carr and Parker, Roeder replied, "Heck, I'm here to race, not to play favorites." Semis After his heat race, Atherton had his hand bandaged and returned as deter mined as ever in the first of three eight lap semis. Hill grabbed the holeshot at the start, but Atherton chose the high road and slid into the lead. Fletcher and Evans also found their way past Hill, who was unfamiliar with his machine. Hill piloted the Sacramento Harley- Davidson-backed XR750, previously ridden by the injured Paul Polhemus. Atherton crossed the finish line with a half-straightaway lead over Fletcher, who in tum enjoyed 20 bike lengths on Evans. All three riders would participate in the main, while the rest would spectate. Mertens was the fastest off the line in the second semi, but he had Ingram and Springsteen breathing down his neck. To the crowd's delight, Springsteen came to life on the fifth lap and smoked past both his competitors and into the lead. With a clear track ahead of him, Springsteen rode the high line, rode the low line, and flat pulled away. Ingram edged Ricky Graham reeled in and passed Carr for second in the closing stages of the race. Mertens at the line for second, some 20 bike lengths behind Springsteen. Spring steen, Ingram and Mertens headed for the main, while fourth-place Darling would lead the rest of the field into the stands. The final semi was a Pegram benefit. McCoy, Fletcher and Jones did their best to keep Pegram in sight, but to no avail. On lap three, Durelle lost control while running fifth and hit the dirt in turn two. With nowhere to go, McBee plowed into both Durelle and his motorcycle and was sent flying over the handlebars and into the hay bales. McBee was uninjured and made the single-file restart, but Durelle was taken to the hospital with a broken hip and cracked pelvis. The last four laps were no different than the first four. Pegram split from the pack and finished the race with a 25 bike length lead. Jones struggled through the field with a slipping clutch to gamer second, comfortably ahead of McCoy. Camlin finished fourth but out of luck. 883 Exhibition Jay Springsteen, Greg Sims, Mike Hale, Tony Donahue, Gordon Schopie- ray, Randy Texter and Steve Beattie lined up for the six-lap Harley-Davidson 883 Sportster exhibition race, a forerunner of a series that will be conducted next year on the basically stock bikes. Donahue grabbed the holeshot and led Texter, Sims, Hale, Springsteen, Scho- pieray and Beattie through the first tum, but things would change before the completion of the lap. Sims led the charge on lap two but fell prey to a hard-charging Springsteen on the next circuit. Hale latched on to Springsteen's rear wheel and motored into second, while Donahue held a firm grip on third until a missed shift sent him reeling back in the pack. After using the first two laps to get acquainted with the machine, Beattie turned up the wick and motored into third. (Beattie filled in aboard the injured Durelle's machine and competed with out the benefit of practice). 13 O ctober 21, 1992 1 ^ 3 3 2 3

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