Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

.39th annual Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Flint/Flint Me Indoor Ice Race sklel pllisSprlngSleen (Above) Mark Wyskiel (98) put a halt to Chuck Springsteen's dominance in the IMA Sports Arena during the 39th annual Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greatef Flint/Flint MC I'ndoor Ice Race. Wyskiel won the 250cc Pro main event, while Springsteen finished last. (Left) Rough and tumble: Springsteen (1) and Brian Hardin (2) clashed repeatedly during the evening on the reshaped racing surface. Springsteen managed to hold on to his number-one plate by virtue of having the highest points tally going into the main event. By Jody O'Hara Photos by Shawn Poynter FLINT, MI, JAN. 30 I 2:' 2 J:) of 28 t was only a matter of time. After winning 22 consecutive races on the IMA Sports Arena ice, Chuck Springsteen saw his brilliant win streak come to an end in the final heat of the 39th annual Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater Flint/Flint MC Indoor Ice Race. Springsteen not only failed to win that heat, but later watched Mark Wyskiel take the checkered flag in the main event, thereby returning legendary ice-machine tuner Byron Molloseau to the witmer's podium. "I'm all for Byron ha ving one of his bikes win this thing," Springsteen, the older brother of three-time Grand National Champion Jay Springsteen, said. "He deserves it more than anybody, and so does Markc He had a real good ride out there." Wyskiel had such a good ride that if it hadn't been for a spill in h.is first heat of the night, he may have taken Springsteen's number-aile plate'as well. But because he finished with four wins worth tbree points each, and earned nothing for last place in -the heat in which he fell, Wyskiel finished the night with 12 points. Springsteen, who hit the ice in his fifth heat, still managed a third-place finish, which was good enough for one point. With four wins, he earned 13 points on the night - enough to earn the right to display the champion~s plate for the sixth straight year. "That's six straight, and I like the sound of tha t," Springsteen said. Changes made to the track made for a night of exciting racing, with more passing and rubbing than had been seen in years at the race. TCR Inc. owner and general manager Tom Cummings convinced race organizers to narrow one end of the oval, creating an apex turn and providing much more room for riders to take the h.igh side and pass, or go underneath and duel tire to tire. It was just SUdl a duel that cost Springsteen in h.is fifth and final heat. Brian Hardin was battling Spring-. steen for the third position and was putting his tire into the side of the champ's bike in every corner. Coming out of turn two, both riders went down. Springsteen managed to get up and finish, while Hardin went after AMA official John Zwerkin, who just happened to have the black flag in h.is hand. "That's bullshit," Hardin said. "If two riders go down, they're su pposed to stop the race. They make these rules and then they don't enforce them." Zwerkin was of the opinil;>n that Hardin needed a refresher course in AMArules. "I don't care what he says," Zwerkin said. "If there's a clear track and nobody's in danger, and one lap has been completed, then it's a race. r was going to throw the black flag on him the next time he came around anyway. r had it ill my hand." The black flag was to be the penalty for the aggressive way Hardin had been riding. "The rules say no T-boning, and that's exactly what he was doing," Zwerkitl said. Hardin had won two heats and finished second and third in two others good enough for nine points and a spot on the back row for the eight-rider main, in which he finished fifth. The other point he could've picked up in that last heat wouldn't have changed his spot in the grid for the main, but if he had taken that point from Springsteen, it would have created a four-way tie between Springsteen, Wyskiel, Craig Pickett .and Doug O'Boyle for the championship. Pickett and O'Boyle each had ~2 points (as did WyskielJ and they finished second and third, respectively, in the main. More aggressive riding in tHe main once again put Springsteen on the ice and had him starting from the penalty line, a situation from which he was unable to recover, and he finished in la t place. Once again, the action took place coming out of turn two. Wyskiel and Pickett pjnched Springsteen between them, and he went down hard. "One of them hit me in the back and the other one took out my front tire," Springsteen said. "But that's exciting stuff, and it's what the fans come to see. That's just part of racing." From the restart, Wyskiel grabbed the holeshot and never looked back. 'This is awesome," Wyskiel said. "It looks like we'll be back next year." Molloseau, who enjoyed five National indoor championships with Garth Brow, had joked with Wyskiel that he had better tart winning. "I told him, 'If you don't win one tonight, I'm going to fire ytJu:" Molloseau said. "I haven't won in about five years, and it sure did feel good. You don't come out here to lose, and you have to win to have fun." Wyskiel said the tuner had provided him with a grea t ride aII nigh t. "Except for tl1at first heat, where I fell off:' Wyskiel said. "After that, we came back and made some adjustments, and it was perfect the rest of the night. The thing that capped it off was that last ,heat race. I was really pumped alter tha t. Byron stuck with me a II these years, and it's .nice to be able to win it for him." Wyskiel said the changes in the track were a big plus. "I thought that helped my ride a lot," he said. "It made for a lot more room for passing." Pickett was also a beneficiary of Molloseau's tuning expertise after having a valve go bad in his Honda. He rode Molloseau's spare for all but the main event. "Write this in capital letters: I blew the second star, in the main:' Pickett said. "I was just a little late and I couldn't catch Mark. r've got to give these mechanics credit, though. Pa t Tilley, Jimmy DeSantis and Rick Kessler - those guys worked their butts off, and this bike ran excellent." Tilley and DeSantis work for Pickett, while Kessler is Springsteen's longtime tuner. The men completely rebuilt the head of Pickett's 250cc Honda while he earned points on Molloseau's bike. As is customary a t this race, the younger riders put on a great show for the crowd. Corey Slavik, an AMA Amateur National champ in motocross, won the 80cc event, wh.ile Eric Miller, ~ho finished second be'hind Slavik in the AMA nationals, won the 65cc division. Rob Lapeen took the PW50cc Senior main, and Stephen VanderKurr won the eN PW50 Junior race. .. IMA Sports Arena Flint, Michigan Results: January 30, 1999 250 PRO: 1. Mark Wyskicl (Hon); 2. Craig Pickett (Hon); 3. Doug Q'Bpyle (Hen); 4. Pat Buchanan (Hon); 5. Brian Hi\Tdin (Han); 6. Bryan ViUelJa (Han); 7. Jack Mayer Jr. (1-lon); 8. Chuck Spring~teel1 (Han), 80: 1. Corey Sinvik (Kaw); 2. Carter Myers (KClW); 3. Taylor Knapp (Knw); 4. Nicole Chez., (Suz); 5. Nick Hiltz (Kaw); 6. Nick Cummjngs (Hon), 65: I. Eric MilJcr (KMV); 2. Nicole Cheza (Knw); 3. Kurtis Lee (Kaw); 4. Trnvis Myers ()(.1W); 5. jesse Potts (Kaw); 6. J,e. Cooper (Kaw); 7. Austin Collier (Kaw), PW/SO SR: 1. Rob Lapeen (Yam); 2. Joey Boulis (Yam); 3. Cody Rabideau (Yam); 4. Steven Sh30ds (Yam); 5. Jacob Holtslander (Yam); 6. Chad Selvig (Yam). PW/50 JR: 'I. Stephen VanderKurr (Yam); 2. Conor Edgar· (Yam); 3. Blake Childers (Yam]; 4. Rob Boulis (Yam); 5. Levi Selvig (Yam); 6. Brandon Mercer (Yam); 7, Chaz Springsteen (Yam).

• Cover