Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

(Left) High-flying Scol! Parker may have seen his hopes for another Grand National title hit the dirt for good when he crashed in his qual ifying heat, suffering a broken bone In his hand and torn ligaments in his shoulder. He could miss the next round or two as a result. (Above) Coulda, woulda, shoulda: Of all the riders at Peoria, Nicky Hayden mounted the most serious threat to Carr. Hayden ran a second early, and appeared to be making time on Carr before bending his rear brake lever and locking up the re ar wheel. He wound up 15th . p ie of tim es today when I ya n ked on the handlebars pretty hard. I can ' t raise m y a rm o ve r my sh oulder now." Meanwhile, Davis r olled s te a d ily to ward a si xt h-place finish. "I was getti n g off the jump decent, n othin g spectacu la r, but we' re going to k e ep plu g gin g a wa y a t t h i s pl a c e ," D a v is said . " O ne o f th e s e d a ys we' r e going to get on the bo x here . I' m pretty h appy - I ca m e o u t of here w alking." Russell s truggled all d a y a nd finally e n ded h is d a y on the g ro u n d in turn four of la p 22. He w as in ninth pl ace a t th e time. ; "It' s been a rough d ay, man," Ru ssell said. "We had to change th e clutch after the scratch heat, then in th e heat race I got a decen t s ta rt from the back row. I worked m y way up and got into third, and th o u gh t I was go ing to transfer, then we broke a ro cker arm with a coupl e laps to go. In the se m i I m oved up Briefl a n d passed Bryan (Big e lo w) a n d w on that, so I felt good for the main. "In th e main I jus t go t a bad start. It's ki nd of touchy on th is track w hen yo u ha ve to start in th e back. I took m y time to get through everybod y . I just go t by Mike (Hacker), and I hit a ll th e holes in tu m fou r. It just got away fro m m e." Hacker was satisfied with hi s ninth. "When Ru ssell fell , I ran off the tra ck, b ut was a b le to k eep goin g ," H a ck er sai d . " I ca m e o u t o f here with so me points and th e best finish I ever ha d, so I' m pretty h a ppy w it h the d a y . Righ t o ut of the truck th at bike felt good . It mad e thin gs a w h ole lot easier . It was r eal rough th e la st c o u p le of l aps. Through th e right-hander, it wou ld jigg le the h andlebars r ight ou t of your ha nd s. That's how Ru ss ell w ent down." Bryan Bige low wa s an other r id e r happy with h is d ay, w ith an l l th-pla ce finish . . "T he w a y the da ywas going , I'm pretty happy just to get in to th e Nationa l," Bigelow s a i d . " G e tt i n g o ver the jump on the first lap of the National, I wa s pretty ex ci ted because la s t year I never made a complete la p . I' ll ta ke an 11th here. I wa s able to get a little more co mfor ta b le the la st few laps o f th e National , a nd m oved u p a littl e. We go t som e points and got ou t o f here without getti ng busted u p . I d on't think I have a bruise o n m e. My d ad built th e bikes I r od e tod a v, and h e told m e t h at if I could m a k'e 24 o r 25 la ps, I' d be 10th , 11th o r 12th - to just stay o n two wheelsan d he was right, I think we got m a ximum points for u s." Willie McCoy continued h is habit of qualifying for Nationa ls and came ho m e 12th. " T h is rough t r a c k wore me ou t toda y," McCoy said. "If I'd h ave found a s moother line, I might have m o ved himself. "I hope after this race 1 can ge t a 750 ride and we can go do so me of the last races ." . . ••• With nothing but podium finishes in 1999. Chris Carr continues to pad his points lead at Peoria. He now has 217, which is a 66·point lead over second-placed Rich King and 76 over the now-injured Scott Parker. "I've got a big gap in the points now, unfortunately for Scotty, but my deal is to win races now." Carr sa id. "It 'doesn't pay a whole lot of money to win the championship. I've got to make my money winning races. " '.Scott Parker was able to retum to the track in time for the National and give the traditional. "Gen tlemen, start your enqines " co mmand. After the race , he drscussed his spill and injuries. " l broke a little bone on the outside of my left wrist. and what looks like a st ress fracture on the knuckle on my left fist. " Parker said. "It looks like the bike came down on my forearm. The tire , because I've got rubbe r on it and it' s bumed. probably because it was still tuming pretty fast. They say I tore the ligaments in my right shoulder. Sometimes they don't do anything. but some times it heals faster if they'operate . I'll go see my doctor tomorrow and see what he says . My knee is a little sore . but all in all. I'm all right. I was under Kopp and I thought I had him'dialed in. It just busted loose. I was on the gas, wide ope n. I tried to correc t and. hindsiqht, it probably would have been better to just let it bust loose . r think it loaded up on the front end and just slam med me. ~ Toby .Jorgensen has been to two Grand Nationals , qualifie d for both, and has finished 12th and' second. Needless to say, he was one happy camper after the race. "I'm excited," Jorgensen sa id. "I didn't expect this really, to finish second. I thought I could have been up there, but not sec ,ond place. I made a mistake in the heat race and finished seco nd, so I was kind of wondering if I could 'run up there or not. I was wondering what it was going to be like in the main because the track was all chopped up and stuff. When I came here in the spring, I didn't know what to expect. Forthis race I got my bike working better. I worked a lot harder for this race and it showed." The youngste r then added a small commercial for Almos t as happy for Jorgensen was the. winner. Chris Can'. " Having Toby up on the box is reallyspecial." Carr said. "I've bee n watching him ride since he was about four or five years old. It's neat. the kid has come a long way. He came here in J une and finished ninth. To be able to finish second now with the talent that's here , that says a lot One of these kids is going to come along and wax my ass one of. these days, and I'll be happy for them. but I've always sa id (that) the day someone beats me here will be the most satis fying win, but they're going to have to work for it harder than any win they'll ever have ." Larry Pegram s howed he st ill has the fire burning with his co me-frombehind ride . "I haven't been able to ride my motocross bike at -all since I fell at Indy,' Peg ram said. "I hurt my shoulder, and I've been trying to baby it through the last couple of road races. I think that's why I got the anm pump.' I've never had a problem with that before. I had such a ball today. I mean lrniss this stuff so much. Skip had a bike for me to ride. but we had some trouble with it so Will stepped up and sa id "No problem. you can ride my backup." I had so much fun today. I've always done well here and I wanted to do well. I'm not really happy with the way Idid finish. but 1had never been on that bike before . IJumped on it and got fourth in my scratch heat so I'm on the back row for my heal. 1got fourth in the heat so now I have to run a sem i. I won the se mi and I'm on the thind 'row in the main and come to seve nth. We did a good job. Could I beat Chris? No way. but could I have bee n top three? Maybe. Could I have been top hve? ' Sure . I'm not happy with how we did, but I had a great time." Injury updat e : As of Mond ay, August 16t h. Kenny Cool beth was released from SI. Francis Hosp ital in Peoria , Illinois . with two broken bones in his lower right leg, the res ult of his crash in his heat race . Coolbeth had reportedly not been to see 'his own physician yet. but the possibility exists he may need s urgery to repair the damage. Either way. the 1994 Rookie of the Year is done for the rest of the season . Bob Knapp suffered broken ribs in his crash, and was treated and released as well. up. I w a s just trying to hang o n for 25 laps. I sta rted to try a n d pi ck up the pace , and it just tri ed to throw m e down. I decided to ju st try and finish' the race. I'm ha p p y w e were in there, bu t I just n eed to start work ing out so w e can hang in the re . I feel good, m a kin g th e m ain events, but I wa nt to start finishing in the to p five." Varnes was running eig h th when he stubbed his toe in turn four. " I sp ra ined my ankle again," Varnes sa id , "I got it caught while it was s till on th e peg and it jus t kind of folded under m y p eg . I re all y wanted to pull off, but [ thought I'd try a couple of laps. Then [ sa w a co u p le o f guys drop out and then there was n o way [ w as go ing to pull o ff." Varnes ended up 13th. eN Peoria Motorcycle Clubgrounds Peoria, Illinois Results: August 15,1999 (Ro und 12 of 19) BEAT 1 ItO laps; 12 ri ders . top three transferh 1. Joe Ka pp (W- R); 2. DJn Sta nley (Rtx): 3. Cha rlie Orr (ATK); 4. Sha un Ru ssell (W~ R); 5. TefTVPoovey (Rtx); 6. J.P. Simonsen (Rtx); 7. Dan Butler (Rtx); 8. Eric Rickma n (Rtx): 9. Ken Yoder Jr. (ATK); 10. Beau Brown (W·R ); 11. Gary Ma loney (W-R); 12 Bob Knapp (ATK). T ime: 4 min.• 30.962 sec. H EAT 2 no lap s: 12 ride rs. top three transferk l. Nic ky Ha yden (Rtx): 2 Toby jorgensen (CCM); 3. John Hlebo III (W ~R ) ; 4. Willie McC o y (A TK ); 5. Bryan Bigelow (ATJ(); 6. Ma rc Gifford (w-R); 7. Rex Fisher (W~ R); 8. Jeff A nnen (W·R ); 9. Stl'VE' Beattie (ATl() ; 10. Billy S Martin (Rtx); 11. Trento n Bailey (CCM) ; 12. Will DaVI (ATK). . Ti me: 4 rnin., 30.327 Sl'C HEAT 3 (to la ps; 12 riders, top three tra nsfer): 1. Bre tt La nd es (ATK ); 2. J.R. Sc hn a be l (W-R); 3. Mike uila r (WHa cker (Rtx): 4. Lonn y Kopp (Rtx): 5. Jaim e Ag R); 6. Rob Mill er (Rtx): 7. Jason Tyer (Rtx): 8. Jos h But ler (Rtx ): 9. Ryan An derso n (W-R); 10. C hris Boon e (Rtx); 11. Michelle Disa lvo (W~ R); 12. Don n ie Ste wa rd (Ano. Ti me : 4 m in., 36.155 St."C. H EAT 4 (10 taps; 12 riders, top three tra ns fer): 1. Chris Carr (A00; 2. Rich King (CCM) ; 3. Kevin Varn es (Rtx); 4. Larry Pegram (ATK); 5. To m Troud t (W- R); 6. Bria n Shi rley Jr . (Rtx) : 7. Paul Lynch (Rtx) : 8. Da le jenncman (Rtx): 9. Frank Kaiser (W-R); 10. Mike Varnes (W -R); I I. Ken Coo lbeth J'. (W- R); 12. Gerrv Booher (Rtx). • T im e: No tim e d ue to red Ilag . S EM I 1 (8 bps; 12 riders, top two fran sfer): 1. Rex Fish er (W· R); 2. Willie McCoy (ATK); 3. Jaime Aguila r (W-R); 4. Brian Sh irley Jr. IRod ; 5. Terry Poo vey (Rtx); 6. n Eric Rickma n (Rtxf 7. Billy Ma rt i. {Rtx): 8. Fra nk Kaiser (W-R); 9. Josh Butler (Rtx): 10. Michelle Disalvo (W· R); 11. Ga ry Malon ey (W·R); 12. Ge rry Booher {Rtx). Ti m e: 3 mi n., 43.618 St.'C . SE M I 2 (8 laps; 12 rid e rs, top two tr ansfer) : 1. Sha un Russ ell (W -R); 2. Bry an Bigelow(A TJ(); 3. Dal e jcnnemnn (Rtx); 4. Rob Miller (Rtx); 5. Dan Butler (Rtx); '6. Tom Troud t (W-R); 7. Rya n Ande rso n (W-({); 8. Jeff A nnen (W-Rl; 9. Beau Brown (W·R); 10. Trenton Bailey (CCM); 11. Ken Ccolbcth Jr. (W-R); 12. Donn ie Stew ard (ATK). Tim e: 3 min., 43.928 sec . S EM I 3 (8 la ps ; 12 ri ders, top two transf er): 1. Larry Peg ram (ATK); 2. Will Davis (ATK); 3. Ma rc Giffor d (WR); 4. Jaso n Tye r (Rtx), 5. J.P. Si. monse n IRtx): 6. Steve Beattie (A TK); 7. Lonny Kopp (Rtx): 8. Paul Lynch (Rtx); 9. Mik e Varnes (W-R ); 10. Ken Yoder Jr . (ATK); 11. Chris Boone (R,, ); 12. Bob Knapp (ATK). Time: 3 min., 45.337 sec. G RAN D N ATI O NA L (25 laps; 18 rid ers ): 1. Chris Ca rr (A TK); 2. Toby j orgensen (CCM); 3. Rich King (CC M) ; 4. Joe Kopp (W -R); 5. Brett Lan des (ATK); 6. W ill Da vis (A TK) ; 7. Larry Peg ram (A T K); 8. Da n Stanley IRtx ): 9. Mike Hacker (Rtx ): 10. Joh n Hl ebo 111 (W ~ R f; 11. Bryan Bigelow (AT K); 12. Willie McCo y (ATK); 13. Kevin Varnes (Rtx): 14. Charl ie Orr (ATK); 15. Nicky Hayd en (Rtx): 16. Shaun Russel l (W-R); 17. J.R. Schnabel (W·R) ; 18. Rex Fishe r (W·R) . T ime: 11 min ., 22.370 Sl"C. A MA G RAN D NATIONAL DI RT TRACK SER IES POINTS STANDIN G S (After 14 of 21 round s): 1. Chris Ca rr (217/ 4 w ins); 2. Rich King (l SI / 2); 3. Scott Parker (141/ 1); 4. Will Davis (131/ 2); 5. Kevin Atherton (107/ 1); 6. Bryan Bigelow (lOS); 7. Ceo Roeder 11 (97); 8. Joe Ko pp (96 ); 9. Jay Sp ringsteen (93 /1) ; 10. Kev in Varnes (89); 11. Ken Coolbeth Jr. (75); 12. Dan Butl er (06); 13. (TIE) Steve Mo reh ead /Mike Ha cker (58); 15. mEl Bre tt Lan des/Nicky Ha yd en (55); 17. J.R. Schna be l (44) ; is . Sha un Russell ( 4(1); 19. Steve Bea ttie (36); 20. Terry Poov ey (34). '" C> C> Lt> N -" ' ::> Cl ::>

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