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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127737
DIRT TRACK . Dirt Tl3Ck Amateur·NationaI Championships Bigelow on the half mile; Schnabel was second. Thirteen-year-old Toby Jorgensen returned from California to resume his winning ways in the 85cc (12-15 yrs.) class. Jorgensen swept the 85s, but ran into a little trouble in the two 250cc classes he ran. The nephew of lO-time Grand National winner Alex Jorgensen did come away with the 250cc DTX half mile title. He even surprised himself by winning the 250 overall with a fourth in the short track and a second on the TT. Dan Kauffman collared the TT, with Josh Butler topping the short track. Bryan Bigelow upheld the home state honor by taking two overall titles, the Open Modified and taking the tie breaker from Nicky Hayden in the 250cc Modified. In the nine races ridden by the 14-year-old, he took three wins, five seconds and a third. In the 250cc Modified class Bigelow and Hayden finished with identical one, two, three scores. Bigelow's second on the TT topped Hayden's third, thus awarding Bigelow the overall. J.R. Schnabel won the TT. Schnabel and Bigelow once again squared off in the Open Modified, Bigelow winning the short track and half mile, with Schnabel second. Schnable turned the tables on the TT as Bigelow finished second. By Dave Hoenig Photos by Flat Trak Fotos LAKE ODESSA, MI, JULY 4-6 or the second year in a row, amateur dirt track racers from all across the nation traveled to . Tom Baptista's 1-96 Speedway in central Michigan for the AMA's Amateur Dirt Track Nationals. The Nationals consist of the three disciplines of dirt track action, short track, scrambles (TT) and half-mile, over a three-day period. More than 650 entries filled the three days of racing. Sixteen individual champions were crowned on each day, plus an overall winner of each class. Most of the 16 Nationals held a full field of 12 riders and the competition was ferocious. Unfortunately, much like last year, rain played a big part in the event. On the first day the short track heats were under way when a large rainstorm hit the area, turning what had been a dry, slick track into a super-tacky and intimidating quarter mile. The rains hit around two o'clock and the heats resumed, after a lot of wheel packing and grader work, at a little after nine that night. The last nationals were run a little after one in the morning. Wednesday morning dawned sunny, but once again rain fell during the scrambles heat races. This time it was terminal and the race was postponed to resume after the half-mile scheduled for the next day. The plan was to stop all activities at 11 p.m. and finish off any races on Friday morning. F 22 (Above) J.R. Schnabel (16) leads Bryan Bigelow In the SOOcc Modified class during the TT event. Flfteenyear-old Schnabel was the wlnnlngest rider at the Dirt Track Amateur Nationals at Hl6 Speedway. (Right) Bigelow (42), here leading Schnabel, ruined Schnabel's bid for a perfect ride. Schnabel's only defeat carne In the hands of Bigelow In the 500cc Modified class during the halfmlleevenl When 11 o'clock came only a few nationals remained and the decision was made to carry on. It proved to be a wise one as the racing concluded just before midnight and the Michigan monsoon started again and it rained well into Friday morning. A tribute to the tenacity of everyone involved, all the races were run to full length 0.'1 good race tracks. It was fitting that the winningest rider of AMA Amateur Nationals, Wisconsin's J.R. Schnabel, would grab the most wins. The 15-year-old topped five races bringing his total to 34. It was his last Amateur National as he will turn Pro next month. Schnabel came up with one overall win, the SOOcc Modified. Schnabel's only defeat in the 500 class was at the hands of Bryan Jake Holden was the top rider in both 85cc classes for the seven- to 11-yearolds. In six races the Washington speedster nailed down three firsts and three seconds. Much of Holden's competition came from his home-state neighbor, Chris Waite, as Waite defeated Holden twice. Henry Wiles was the DTX TT winner. Japanese native Yuhiko Hirao came