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/1546567
I t's becoming very difficult to determine what is real and what is artificial intel- ligence these days, as phony photos and voodoo videos are fooling even the smart- est folks. There was a time when a photograph was proof that something actu- ally happened, and in 1987, a finish-line photo helped determine a winner in one of the closest dirt-track races in AMA history. Even the most casual of dirt track racing fans knew about the San Jose Mile. Read through this list of winners in your best Mor- gan Freeman voice: Gene Romero, Kenny Roberts, Gary Scott, Rex Beauchamp, Scott Parker, Steve More- head, Andy Dufresne. Except for that last guy, who carved his way through the Shaw- shank prison, these are some of the greatest names in the history of dirt track racing. Cycle News referred to the event as the "$75,000 Honda San Jose Mile," and at that time it was the rich- est dirt track race ever held in America. If Honda was going to kick in big yen to sponsor a race, you can bet that they were expecting a good whooping up of the competi- tion. Taking a look at the list of Honda riders that day, that would be a pretty safe wager, as Ricky Graham, Bubba Shobert, Scott Pearson, Hank Scott, Terry Poovey and some other hotshoes were all riding Hondas. In time trials, Shobert set the pace at 36.840 over the Harley-Davidsons ridden by Steve Morehead and Jay Springsteen, and he would show even more speed with a runaway vic- tory in the first heat race of the day. Ricky Graham and Doug Chandler battled for second, with Chandler nudging ahead at the flag. Other winners were Chris Carr, Terry Poovey and Scott Parker, with the fast- est heat race victory of the day. Parker, on a Harley, topped Alex Jorgensen and Jimmy Filice, who was riding the very same Harley-Davidson machine he raced to victory at the San Jose Mile four years earlier. (Left) A photo finish isn't uncommon, but not when it involves three motorcycles, as was the case at the San Jose Mile in 1987. (Right) Doug Chandler was declared the winner, topping fellow Honda-mounted riders Bubba Shobert (right) and Ricky Graham (left). CNII ARCHIVES P140 BY KENT TAYLOR PHOTO FINISH San Jose Mile: 1987