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Photo Finish
By Kent Taylor
It’s becoming very difficult to determine what is real and what is artificial intelligence these days, as phony photos and voodoo videos are fooling even the smartest folks. There was a time when a photograph was proof that something actually 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 Morgan Freeman voice: Gene Romero, Kenny Roberts, Gary Scott, Rex Beauchamp, Scott Parker, Steve Morehead, Andy Dufresne. Except for that last guy, who carved his way through the Shawshank 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 richest 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 competition. 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 victory 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 fastest 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.
In 1987, there was still an overall AMA Grand National Champion, but a separate AMA Dirt Track Series champ was also being recognized. Dirt track racing in 1987 was pretty much a Honda versus H-D show, and The Mile (as it had been dubbed by one motojournalist) was going to be yet another showdown between the two brands. Shobert’s Honda may have been the fastest qualifier, but Parker won the Camel Challenge race, which pitted the six fastest qualifiers against each other. He picked up a very cool $10,000 “in an all-out, do-or-die five-lap dash,” wrote Cycle News.
Not even listed among the top 10 fastest was Honda rider Doug Chandler, who, at just 22, was already in his fifth season on the AMA circuit. When the green flag dropped to kick off the main event at San Jose, it didn’t look like this would be his day to get that one on his resume.
“Poovey powered off the line at the start of the 25-lap main event, followed by Shobert, Boody and Parker,” wrote Cycle News. “Gremlins in the electrical system on Carr’s Mert Lawwill Harley-Davidson took the young Californian out of the race as the pack exited turn two.” Shobert would slip past Poovey for the lead, with Ted Boody, Park, Graham, Ronnie Jones and Scott Pearson in tow. Chandler, on a Honda sponsored by Freddie Spencer, was all the way back in 12th position.
Nearly every other discipline of motorcycle racing has labored in futility, trying to emulate what dirt tracking seems to do naturally, i.e., handlebar-to-handlebar racing from flag to flag. For decades, dirt tracking was a game that wasn’t over until it was over, until the fat lady sang, good to the last drop and so on. Especially on The Mile.
“Livin’ on a Prayer” was a big hit for Bon Jovi in 1987 and Doug Chandler must’ve been ridin’ on one that day at San Jose. “Chandler,” wrote Cycle News, “unnoticed by the front four, continued to reel in the leaders. By lap 22, he was on Parker’s rear fender. On lap 23 he moved into third, while Graham led Shobert.”
Heading into turn three on the final lap, Chandler made his move on the Team Honda riders. “The trio powered out of turn four, headed for the checkers and they crossed the line in such close quarters that no one present, including any of the 18,000 spectators, had any idea who had won the race.”
“I don’t think three people ever came across the line that close,” said Shobert. “Wasn’t that the closest race you ever saw? No wonder I’m going bald,” he added. “I never,” said Graham, “crossed the finish line before with a handlebar in my armpit.”
The Cycle News photo finish gave the win to Chandler, though “give” wouldn’t be how Chandler would describe his hard-earned victory. “That was the toughest race I ever had to run. Halfway through the race I decided I had to change my line and that’s when I started picking up time.”
Halfway there…livin’ on a prayer. And a Honda race bike that talks so tough. Don’t believe it? There is a real, old-time black-and-white photograph to prove it. No artificial flavors added.CN
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