Throwback Thursday: Scott Pearson Leads an All-Star Cast at Harrington
Larry Lawrence | June 23, 2022
Parker, Shobert, Mertens and Filice Give Chase
In this week’s Throwback we travel back to 1981 and that June’s Harrington Half-Mile AMA Grand National in Delaware. Harrington usually started off as a cushion track, but a narrow groove generally developed during practice. The groove would gradually get wider, but starts were often critical to have a good finish there. This Paul Schwab image shows Scott Pearson (No. 95) out front during a Semi, followed by Scotty Parker (No. 11), Bubba Shobert (No. 67), Tim Mertens (partially hidden) and Jimmy Filice (No. 17). As you can clearly see in the photo, the groove was maybe two riders wide, but if you tried to pass on the outside, you risked slipping off the groove and losing positions. Pearson is seen here hugging the low line making sure anyone who was going to pass him would have to go high. It worked. Parker eventually tried to make a move around Pearson, slipped off the groove and ended up being passed by Shobert, Mertens and Filice. Pearson won the Semi and was the only rider in this group to advance to the national.
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