AMA Grand National Preview for West Virginia

04/29/97

AMA GRAND NATIONAL MOTORCYCLES RETURN TO WEST VIRGINIA MOTOR SPEEDWAY
HALF-MILE

WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- The speed and the rumble of AMA Grand National
dirt-track racing will return to the West Virginia Motor Speedway this
Saturday. Top AMA Grand National riders from across the country will
converge on the small town of Mineralwells, W.Va., just a few miles
south of Parkersburg, for the first AMA Grand National event at the
speedway in three years.

Seven-time AMA Grand National Champion Scott Parker won the last race
at WVMS in 1994, and he will be one of the favorites coming into
Saturday's race. Others, like Ricky Graham, Will Davis, Kevin Atherton
(all former winners at WVMS) and the rest of the Grand National
brigade, hope this is the year they put an end to Parker's dominance
of the series.

Terry Poovey, the surprise winner of the series' opening round at
Daytona Beach, Fla., in March, will miss this weekend's
race. Surprisingly, he is still looking for a ride for the rest of the
season. Poovey's racing program suffered a devastating setback last
July, when his long-time friend and mechanic, Lou McCreary, died in a
traffic accident. Poovey lost all of his racing bikes in the fiery
crash.

Poovey may lead the series, but in his absence, Californian Brett
Landes will be the points leader among the racers attending. Series
veteran Jay Springsteen is next in line, after taking third at
Daytona.

West Virginia Motor Speedway has the reputation as one of the fastest
half-mile ovals in the AMA series. Under certain conditions the track
surface can also turn into one of the toughest to ride.

"That's what makes Parkersburg unique," says defending champ
Parker. "You never know what to expect, so the riders have to be ready
for just about anything."

R97039				Contact: Larry Lawrence
April 28, 1997			Phone: (614) 891-2425
For Immediate Release		Fax: (614) 891-7368