Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

""' o .... · u Q.) ..0 o Chris Carr wrapped up his third consecutive 600cc National Championship with a win in the Castle Rock TT. (From left to right) Kirk Strong, Miss Budweiser, Chris Carr and Troy Norris celebrate after the Budweiser Shootout, a race featuring the top six qualifiers. Carr wins Castle Rock TT, • takes 600cc title, agam By Derryl Anderson Photos by Dave Hoenig/Flat T ra k Photos CASTLE ROCK, WA, SEPT. 22 arley-Davidson 's Chris Carr did it again at the Castle Rock IT, winning both the National and the $3000 Budweiser Shootout en route to wrapping up his third consecutive 600cc National Championship. The 23-year-old Carr actually clinched the title before the flag dropped on the National as his championship rival Mike Hale failed to ' qualify in front of the estimated crowd of 5000. Carr defeated rookie Expert Kris Kiser and local favorite Rex Fisher by 40 yards, but not before spending the first half of the race methodically H 14 picking off the six riders who had squeezed him off at the start. "I want to thank the Mt. St. Helens Motorcycle Club for everything, including building a great track for tonight's race," Carr said. Carr left Castle Rock with $5800 after taking the $1500 winner's share of the Budweiser Shootout, along with his share of the $16,000 National purse and an additional $1000 that was posted and billed as Beat Chris Carr money. And that's not counting what he made during Friday night's Darell Davis Western Regional. "You bet I like Castle Rock," Carr told club president Paul Simonsen. " I can make more money here than I do a t a Grand National." Time Trials Fifty-three riders showed up to qualify for a program that would take o nly th e fastest 48. In addi tion to establishing heat race lineups, time trials would also determine the field for th e Budweiser Shootout, a 10-lap race between th e six fastest qualifiers . Carr went out earl y on the Kenny Tolb ert-tuned factory HarleyDavidson and set a blistering 22.88second lap. Everyone else was in the low 23s until local Del Schni tzer took his Lou Kinnish-backed Rotax to an identical tim e to that posted by Carr . The two top times held up until Sturgis short track National winner Bryan McDowell stopped the clocks at 22.83. Fourth fastest time went to Kirk Strong at 22.89 with Troy Norris (22.90) and Randy Roose (22 .98) rounding out the top six qualifiers for the shootout. Dan Stanley (23.04), Aaron Hill (23.04), Rookie of the Year Mike Hale (23.05) and Dan McDonnell (23.07) rounded out the top 10 qualfiiers. Heats The first of four heat races got underway with Hill getting the holeshot ahead of Hale, McDowell, Fisher, Speedy Kell and the rest of the pack. On lap two McDowell slid under Hale, but the title hopeful repaid the favor two laps la ter. Fisher got past McDowell on lap six and went after Hill, who had established a lead over the battle behind him: Hill went on to take the win ahead of Fisher, but exiting turn four Hale was passed by McDo well, sending Hale to the semi. The second heat belonged to Carr. The Manteca, California, resident got a perfect start and went wire to wire ahead of Kiser, Stanley, Paul Iwanaga, Tim Mertens and McDonnell. The third heat race had Roose and Garth Mulkey-backed Mike Sullivan going down entering turn one. The race was restarted with both riders making the grid, and it was Don Wilson getting the holeshot. He was followed by Roose, Rich King, Terry Poovey, Travis Babcock and Dave Durelle. Roose and King swapped the runner-up spot frequently. Poovey, meanwhile, was only one position from a transfer spot when his tire went flat, putting him out of action for the night. fI King, who had disposed of Roose, went outside of Wilson going into turn three and p ulled enough of a lead to take a narrow win with the fastest heat of the night at 3 minutes, 21 seconds. Third p lace and the final direct transfer to the National went to Roose with Durelle, Schnitzer and J.P. Simonsen heading to the semi. The fourth heat race saw a pileup in the first corner. On the restart, Castle Rock's own Mickey Fay nailed the ho leshot followed by Sponseller Raeing's Larry Pegram. Behind Pegram came Troy Norris, Strong and Joe Kopp. Norris passed Pegram on lap two and the National transfer positions were set. At the flag it was Fay, Norris, Pegram, R o n Yamamoto, Strong, Kopp and Rick Henson. r. uS S erms I The first of two semis saw Hale get the initial lead followed by Kel1, Mertens, Iwanaga, McDonnell and Mayfield. Kell was all over Hale in turn four with Kell taking over the leaajn turns one and two . Mertens moved in on Hale's rear tire, but couldn't make the pass. At the finish it was Kell going directly to the main event. Yamamoto got the ear ly lead in the second semi, but Durelle wasted no time in going by on lap two . Durelle stretched out a 40-yard lead on Yamamoto and the rest of th e field, transferring directly to the National. Last Chance Qualifier , Strong took the win in th e LCQ, leading the ra ce wire to wire. Kopp ended up second with Yamamo to third, followed by McDonnell, Mayfield, Iwanaga and Hale. With Hale eliminated, Carr had secured his third AMA 600cc National Championship before even starting the final. Bu d w eis er Sh ootou t ,, The dash for the cash was initially led by Strong with Carr jammed up' back in fourth. By the second lap Carr was up to third and was pressing Norris. On lap four Carr went into turn one hard and went around Norris with a close outside move . Carr dove inside on the left -hander and held it wide open heading for the following right-hand corner and the jump, showing the style that's made him the " Kin g of Castle Rock." With less than two laps to go, Carr slid under Strong in turn three as the crowd roared its approval. Meanwhile, Norris also found a way around Strong as Carr took the win and the $1500 check that went with it. Norris pocketed $500 for second and Strong took home $400 for third. 600cc N ation al At the start of the 25-lap National, Kiser got the holeshot followed by King, Hill, Fisher, Fay and Roose. carr was stuck in seventh. Carr let a few laps go by before mounting his attack. King, meanwhile, slid out on lap six in turn two . One by one Carr carefully reeled in rider after rider. On the seventh lap he was up to Fisher, and by the 10th lap he passed the Oregon rider. Two laps later, Carr put his move on his last target - Kiser. T he rest is history as Carr stretched a lead to the finish. Meanwhile, Kell and Durelle were battling as Norris and Pegram did

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