Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

~ DIRT TRACK AMA Youth/Amateur Nationals ~ J.R Schnab el le ft Oklahoma with three overall champions hips an d 11 in dividual titles at the AMAlYouth Amateur National s. Ben Mill er (28), Core y Hormes (3) and Mike Klinger (205) diced for top honors in the 65cc DTX class, b ut all failed to win. Schnabel sizzles in Olahom k aheat By Dave Hoenig ·.28 OKlAHOMA OIY,OK, lAWIDN, OK, JULY 28-30 .R. Schnabel was a busy young man at this year's AMA Youth/Amateur Dirt Track Nationals, but hi s hectic schedule paid off and the 14-year-old J from Wisconsin earned 11 individ ua l titles and three overall championships at th e Mike Kidd Promotion s-promot ed event. Th e three-day ev ent w as held in Oklahoma during the week prior to the Ok lahoma City Half Mile Grand Nat ional. The IT and half mile events were run at th e Ok lahoma City State Fairgro unds, while Faxon Speedway in Lawton ho st ed the ev ent-con clu di ng short track leg. Schnabel en tered six classes each day aboard h is Sch nabe l Electric /U ncle Scott/Suburban Harley- Dav idson/ Mi ke's Cycl e /Gip p ' s Racing /Torque Ce n ter / Mid Cities Kawasakil]ean & Smokey Ranch- s ponso red machi nes , and came away the overall class champion in the 125cc Schoolboy, 125cc OTX and 500cc Modi fied classes. "It's not too hard to race this much, I ride a lot at home," said Schnabel. "But it su re is hot!" "It's not un us ual for J.R. to ride all d a y w it h another of o u r rid e rs fro m home," sai d Schnab el's p ro ud fathe r, Glen Schnabel. "Then, when my brother Scott comes over, they 'll fill the 125s up and run them till they run out of gas." J.R.'s uncle, Scott Schnabel, also won three classes and one overall championship. Ama teur racers from across the county gathered in Oklahoma just as a record-break in g heat w av e s wep t through the stat e. Temperatures above the 100-degree mark beat down on the rac er s at th e fai rg rou nds, p romptin g prom oter Mike Kid d to ru n Wednesd ay' s IT and Th u rsd ay 's half mile programs straight through. "We' ll try to run this off and have everyone back at the swimming pool by 7:00 p .m .," announced former Grand National Ch am pion Kidd at the riders' meeting, mu ch to the delight of the racer s. The main s were origina lly sched uled to start a t 7 p .m ., but th e d isappointing low rider turnout allowed the program to progress rap idly. The heat didn' t let up fo r Fri day' s short track, and a overbea rin g 111degree day at Faxon Speedway with a heat index ov er 120 d elayed the program until the sun went down. Practice sessions didn't begin until late afternoon, and after the follow ing heat races • were run, the tr ack was complet ely red one and the mains went to the line at approximately 9 p.m. This yielded the best track of the week, as the narrow groove tr ack w as tr ansformed in to a wide and tacky quarter mile. One of the most interested specta tors of th e week was Ann Carr, mother of defending Grand National Champion Chris Carr. "I just really love dirt track racing and I wanted to keep an eye on some of the boys from back home who are out here this week," said Mrs. Carr. The mos t success fu l of Ca r r's Ca liforn ia n eighb o rs was To b y Jorg ens en. The 11-ye ar old swept the 85cc OTX 7-11 year o ld and 85cc Modified 7-11 ye ar-old classes for six National wins and both overall championshil.' titles. 1T The ha lf mile and sho rt track cours es a t the fairg rounds w ere co mbi ned to make up the IT cou rse . After exiting tum two on the half mile, riders turned sharply to the left, crossed the banking of th e short track, made a lBO-degree righ t tum around a light pole, then proceeded to re-ent er the sho rt track on the back stra ight. Turns thr ee and fou r of the short track led to the finish line and eventuall y fu nnelled riders back onto the front straight of the half mile. While the half mile and short track porti ons of the course were hard and slick, the temporary sections were mo ist and rutted up . Riders were kept on their toes throughout the eight-lap Nationals. . The 85cc Modified 12-15 yea r-old race wa s the mo st competitive of th e day. Washington' s Christian Vernon came out on top of a ra ce-long battle with Jason Tyer, Thomas Skethway and

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