San Jose Mile (spoilers)

[Ron O'Dell]

Following is an article I wrote for the local newspaper where I live
about the San Jose Mile race earlier today. After that will be complete
rundowns of all races. I do have complete qualifying times as well, if
anyone would like to know how certain people qualified.

The race won't be televised until August, so a spoiler warning really is
kind of silly, but here is one, anyway.


Here goes, then:

-----------------

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Make it eight.
Swartz Creek, Mich.'s Scott Parker rode his factory Harley-Davidson
mount Sunday to his eighth straight win at the San Jose Mile, in the
first 750cc event in the American Motorcyclist Association's Grand
National dirt track series for 1993.
The win was by just inches over privateer Honda rider Ricky Graham
of Salinas, Calif., who led most of the way.
A 600cc support event was won by James Hart of Centralia, Ill.

Graham showed the Harley riders early on that he was ready to
return himself and Honda to the San Jose winner's circle, when he won
the five-lap, $5,000-to-win Grand National Challenge race for the top
six qualifiers of the afternoon. Graham had the only Honda in that
field.
Even earlier than that, Graham won a heat race. Parker, however,
also won his heat race. Graham and Parker qualified second and third
fastest, respectively, as well.
Honda riders won eight straight on the San Jose oval in the 1980s,
but besides that, Harley-Davidson has won all but three of the 41
events there.
One of the Harley wins was Graham's first of two in the 25-mile
event, in 1983.

Last year, Graham said, the Hondas couldn't draft past any of the
hogs down the 100mph straights, but the lightly overcast sky and cool
breeze helped keep the track in a good condition for him this year.
A mistake in the final turns cost Graham the win.
``I got too low going into the third corner,'' he said, ``so I
really didn't have good enough straightaway speed. I didn't think I
had a chance then.''
Parker followed Graham for the first 20 laps, and then began
making his moves on the front straight. Graham, however, was able to
draft past every time on the back straight.
``That was probably the hottest we've ever gone into Turn 3,''
Parker said after his victory. ``I couldn't draft Ricky on the back
straight, though. If the start/finish line had been back there, he
would have won.''
Sometimes when Graham would pass on the front straight, he would
be ahead at the start-finish line. Other times, he would be behind.
Both riders drifted high coming out of the final turn, as Parker
made his move.
``I didn't want to get right on him in the turns,'' he said,
``because then I would have had to back off, and wouldn't be able to
draft past.''
Before winning his first in San Jose, 31-year-old Parker -- the
all-time leader in mile-track victories -- had finished second on
seven occasions. Parker was the Grand National champion for four
straight years, but barely lost last year to his teammate, Chris Carr
of Valley Springs, Calif. Carr was third Sunday.

Graham is not strong only on the dirt. Last weekend, he competed
in the AMA road racing event at Laguna Seca. He finished fifth in the
883cc Twin Sports event there.
``It was really my first serious attempt at road racing,'' Graham
said. ``It was a great finish for me. I'm really enjoying it, but the
dirt is my main priority.''

Brett Landes, a former 600cc champion from Los Gatos, Calif., made
his debut in the 750cc bikes, teaming with Graham.
``I was kind of intimidated by the 750s, with the weight and all
that,'' Landes said after dismounting upon completion of his first
practice session. ``But it runs really good. It's not that hard to
hold up. You really notice the speed difference, but that's something
you can get used to.''
Landes took it easy for his first night of competition, getting
off the starting line slowly, and battling in the back of his heat
race and semi-main fields.

Sunday's results from the American Motorcyclist Association
dirt track series event at the San Jose Mile:

750cc GRAND NATIONALS
Fast Time -- 37.645 seconds; Mike Hale, Carrollton, Texas, Harley-Davidson

Heat Race 1, 10 laps -- 6:14.92
1. Dave Camlin Rock Island, Ill. Harley-Davidson
2. Hale
3. Don Estep Orient, Ohio Harley-Davidson
4. Jason Fletcher Warren, Conn. Harley-Davidson
5. Lance Jones Gadsen, Ala. Harley-Davidson
6. Rusty Rogers Richmond, Va. Harley-Davidson
7. Steve Beattie Burlington, Ontario Harley-Davidson
8. Will Davis Goldsboro, N.C. Honda
9. Sal Hoffman San Francisco, Calif. Harley-Davidson
10. Jeff Dietz Billings, Mont. Harley-Davidson
11. Tim Selby Lodi, Calif. Harley-Davidson
12. Les Washbon Lockport, N.Y. Harley-Davidson

Heat Race 2, 10 laps -- 6:16.73
1. Ricky Graham Salinas, Calif. Honda
2. Terry Poovey Euless, Texas Honda
3. Dan Ingram Indianapolis, Ind. Honda
4. Rich King Waterloo, Iowa Harley-Davidson
5. Dale Jenneman, Sr. Grand Island, Neb. Harley-Davidson
6. Kris Kiser Pound, Va. Honda
7. Mike Inderbitzen Modesto, Calif. Harley-Davidson
8. Michael Dillon Las Cruces, N.M. Harley-Davidson
9. Adam Sabedra Vista, Calif. Yamaha
10. Darren Konechney Oklahoma City, Okla. Honda
11. Allon McBee Gilroy, Calif. Harley-Davidson
12. Willie McCoy Richardson, Texas Harley-Davidson

Heat Race 3, 10 laps -- 6:18.98
1. Scott Parker Swartz Creek, Mich. Harley-Davidson
2. Chris Carr Valley Springs, Calif. Harley-Davidson
3. Ronnie Jones Oklahoma City, Okla. Honda
4. Rodney Farris Wichester, Va. Harley-Davidson
5. Greg Sims Flint, Mich. Harley-Davidson
6. Cory Perreault San Jose, Calif. Harley-Davidson
7. Ben Bostrom Brisbane, Calif. Harley-Davidson
8. Aaron Hill Stockton, Calif. Harley-Davidson
9. Scott Stump Marion, Ohio
10. Jake Zemke Paso Robles, Calif. Harley-Davidson
11. Jess Roeder Monroeville, Ohio Harley-Davidson
12. H.P. Myatt Clovis, Calif. Harley-Davidson

Heat Race 4, 10 laps -- 6:49.33
1. Kevin Atherton White Pigeon, Mich. Harley-Davidson
2. Steve Morehead Findlay, Ohio Harley-Davidson
3. Jay Springsteen Lapeer, Mich. Harley-Davidson
4. Keith Day Salinas, Calif. Honda
5. George Roeder Monroeville, Ohio Harley-Davidson
6. Ted Taylor Arbuckle, Calif. Harley-Davidson
7. Randy Texter New Providence, Pa. Harley-Davidson
8. Brett Landes Los Gatos, Calif. Honda
9. Chance Darling Northfield, Ohio Harley-Davidson
10. Rex Fisher Warren, Ore. Harley-Davidson
11. Michael Varnes Birdsboro, Pa. Harley-Davidson
12. Don Roberts Fresno, Calif. Harley-Davidson

Semi-Main Event 1, 10 laps
1. Estep
2. G. Roeder
3. Farris
4. Rogers
5. Bostrom
6. Hoffman
7. Inderbitzen
8. Varnes
9. Zemke
10. Landes
11. Washbon
12. Konechney
13. King
(Personal note: King and Estep had a crash in Turn 1. Both riders went down.
King's bike moved away all the hay bales, leaving him to hit the metal guard
rail. He was down for a while but was OK. Estep had to restart from last
place, but came back to win.)

Semi-Main Event 2, 10 laps
1. Ingram
2. Kiser
3. Fletcher
4. Sims
5. Hill
6. Day
7. Beattie
8. Fisher
9. Texter
10. J. Roeder
11. Dietz
12. Sabedra
13. McCoy

Semi-Main Event 3, 10 laps -- 5:06.78
1. Springsteen
2. R. Jones
3. Davis
4. Perreault
5. L. Jones
6. Dillon
7. Jenneman
8. Darling
9. Selby
10. Myatt
11. McBee
12. Stump
13. Taylor
14. Roberts

Grand National Challenge, 5 laps -- 3:11.40
1. Graham
2. Carr
3. Parker
4. Hale
5. Springsteen
6. Atherton

Main Event, 25 laps -- 15:35.68
1. Parker
2. Graham
3. Carr
4. Morehead
5. Springsteen
6. Hale
7. Atherton
8. R. Jones
9. Camlin
10. Poovey
11. Farris
12. G. Roeder
13. Ingram
14. Estep
15. Davis
16. Fletcher
17. Kiser

Top series points, after two events:

1. Scott Parker 23
2. Chris Carr 23
3. Dan Ingram 22
4. Terry Poovey 21
5. Ricky Graham 21
6. Steve Morehead 13
7. Dave Camlin 13

600cc SUPPORT CLASS
Fast Time -- 38.711 seconds; Andy Tresser, Redwood City, Calif., Rotax

Non-qualifiers were: Scott McPherson, Boise, Idaho, Rotax; Richard
Facciano, Brisbane, Calif., Wood Rotax; Allen Auzenne, Santa Rosa, Calif.,
Rotax; Lawrence Greene, San Jose, Calif., Wood Rotax; Tim Wallace, Modesto,
Calif., Rotax; Tim Hlebo Sr., Saratoga, Calif., Rotax; Trapper McDaniel,
Atascadero, Calif., Wood Rotax; Danny Hart, Salinas, Calif., Wood Rotax;
Perry Lang, Prunedale, Calif., Kawasaki.

Heat Race 1, 6 laps -- 3:57.39
1. James Hart Centralia, Ill. W.R.
2. Ronnie Brown Paso Robles, Calif. Wood Rotax
3. Jeff Eklund Pleasanton, Calif. Rotax
4. Ricky Smith Salinas, Calif. Rotax
5. Jaime Aguilar Stockton, Calif. Wood Rotax
6. Tresser
7. Steve Raymond Los Gatos, Calif. Wood Rotax
8. David Woodward Salinas, Calif. Rotax
9. Joseph Pineda Stockton, Calif. Rotax
10. Joe Winston Laguna Hills, Calif. Harley-Davidson
11. Steve Fischer Modesto, Calif. Rotax
12. Kenneth Mohler Terre Hill, Pa. Harley-Davidson

Heat Race 2, 6 laps -- 3:58.88
1. Bobby McDowell Galt, Calif. Rotax
2. Kevin Varnes Pottstown, Pa. Harley-Davidson
3. Thomas Troudt Greeley, Colo. Wood Rotax
4. Dan McDonnell Hayward, Calif. Rotax
5. Kevin Bricker Escalon, Calif. Rotax
6. Craig Howard Fresno, Calif. Rotax
7. Eric Green Salinas, Calif. Wood Rotax
8. Ray Dugan Phoenix, Ariz. Rotax
9. John Hlebo III Los Gatos, Calif. Honda
10. Bob McDonnell Hayward, Calif. Rotax
11. Robert Bacosa San Jose, Calif. Rotax
12. Mike Gresham Woodland, Calif. Rotax

Heat Race 3, 6 laps -- 3:58.40

1. Wink Freitas Newman, Calif. Rotax
2. Paul Polhemus, Jr. Galt, Calif. Wood Rotax
3. Bryan McDowell Galt, Calif. Wood Rotax
4. Matt Wait Lodi, Calif. Rotax
5. Alan Eadie Mineral Wells, Texas Rotax
6. Stephen Mayfield Stockton, Calif. Rotax
7. Jimmy Higuera II Salinas, Calif. Wood Rotax
8. Ryan Anderson Portland, Ore. Rotax
9. Robert Damron Morgan Hill, Calif. Wood Rotax
10. Dan Argano San Luis Obispo, Calif. Rotax
11. Donald Paul Seattle, Wash. Wood Rotax
12. Aaron Bricker Escalon, Calif. Wood Rotax

Main Event, 14(?) laps -- 9:49.89
1. Hart
2. Freitas
3. Bobby McDowell
4. Varnes
5. Eadie
6. Wait
7. D. McDonnell
8. Brown
9. Aguilar
10. Smith
11. K. Bricker
12. Troudt
13. Bryan McDowell
14. Eklund
15. Polhemus