Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

le ms forced him out of t he race on the fifth lap. From th e sixth la p on , Coo lbeth pulled ou t a lea d on Brya n Sm ith, who was also riding a TLJ 000 S uzuk i. Sm ith did not see th e ch eckered flag as his bike ran out of gas on eN the last lap. the finish line at the checkered flag , a re view of the official finish -line camera showed that Poovey had beaten Davis by inches . Behind th ese two, Powers port 's T im Eades and M.V.P.jJoe McCoy 's Christian Vernon ba tt led for third , with Ead es com ing o u t in fro nt , bu t b o t h rid e rs we re headed for th e semis. Colonial Downs New Kent, Virginia Results: Aprll21, 2001 [Round 2 of 12J SEMIS The 17 riders who did not qual ify for the ma in in the heat ra ces we re di vided in to two se mi s . Sem i one was led off the line by Gary Ricci's S coote r Vern on . As the r id er s c rossed the finish line at th e end of the fi rs t la p , Smi th had ta ken the point and was sta rting to o pe n up a lead t ha t grew every lap. Whe n the checkered flag waved on the e ighth lap , Smith had a ha lf-la p lead over the second -p lace finisher , s e lf-sponsored Pau l Normand in. Cool beth a nd Scooter Vernon were headed fo r the Last Chance Qua lifie r. In w in n ing semi one, Sm ith had the fas test la p of th e night, with a time of 47.265 seconds , and the fa s ted eight laps , with a time of 6:25 .602. Semi two was led wire to wire by Liberty. Finishing second afte r a race-l ong duel with Eades was 1st Leg al.co m Rac ing's Tim Witham . LeG The remaining riders who d id not transfer from a hea t o r a se m i had one fina l chance to ma ke the main ev e nt th roug h t he LCQ that wou ld adv anc e t he t o p e ight fi n ishers . Kenn y Co o lb et h , T im E a d e s a nd Depa rture Bike Work s ' John Nickens a ll to ok turns a t the fron t for the first thr ee la ps until Nickens passed Coolbet h at t he halfway po int. Nickens ha d th e race under control until his bike slowed on the backstretch on th e last la p , le a vi ng h im to fin ish last . Coolbeth c ro ssed the finis h line first with Eades a sh ort distance beh ind in HEAT 1 ( 8 laps : 8 riders. top 2 transfe r) : J enn ifer Snyder (H oD); 2 . Willie McCoy ( AT K); Stev e Li bert y (A T K) ; 4 . Mork Wi llioms (A TK): Scooter Vernon (ATK) ; 6. T immy Mitchell (Rtx) ; Jason Spearin (AT K); 8. Lee Johnson (Rtx) . 1. 3. 5. 7. Time: 6 min.. 39 .725 sec. HEAT 2 (8 laps: 8 riders, top 2 transfe r): 1. Mi ke Hock er (A TK ) : 2. Rich King (HoD): 3 . Kenny Co olbeth (Rtx } : 4 . Robert Lewis (RlX ) : 5 . Will iom Brom ley (Suz) ; 6 . John Nick ens ( Rtx): 7 . Bryan Smith (A TK ); 8. Sco tt Lowery (RlX). Time: 6 min.. 33 .528 sec. Snyder takes legendary tuner Bill Werner for a victory lap on her factory HarleyDavidson. seco nd . Th ird throug h ei g ht h were Mf,J Rac ing 's Rob ert Le wis , Denn is Vinc e n t- s po ns ore d Bri a n Vin c ent, Classic Auto 's Jason Sp ea rin, Sc ooter Vernon, Bromle y Suzuki's William Bromley, a nd Fas t Forward Racing's Stephanie Welc h. MAIN Before the ma in e vent wa s line d up , Formula USA officials decided to s h o rte n the las t ra c e of the even ing to 15 la ps from th e s ch ed uled 20 bec au s e of conc erns t h at t he t rack m ig ht start to b rea k u p . Wh en St a rt er S o n n y An d e rson flashed the green ligh t, Ha c ke r and Da vis le d th e c harge into tu rn o ne . As t hey approa ched the start/fin ish line, King led th e first lap , head ing Davis , Ha cker, S nyd e r and S m it h . One lap la te r, Snyder had taken the lead from King . On the t hi rd lap , Snyder led King , Hac ker, and Smith , while Da vis re tired with m echanica l problems . The top four ride rs continued their battle, pu lling away from the du e l for fifth, between Willie McCoy a nd Te rry Poovey. Poov e y got around McC oy on the seve nth lap , but he could not pu ll away from McCoy to join the fou r-wa y battl e ah ead of him. Snyder , King , an d Hac ker all too k turns at the poin t. King led lap s five, eight, nine , and 10. Hac ker led la ps 11 a nd 12. Snyder led la ps six, seven, 13 , 14 and the most im po rta nt la p of a ll, 15. Hack er and King followed Sn yder across the line , with Hac ke r just inc hes ahead of King an d S mith, rou nding out th e top four. Poove y ke pt fe llow Te xan McC o y at bay and cla imed fifth. As an added a tt ra ct ion , s e ve ra l rid ers wer e in vite d to bring th e ir Super Twins for an exh ibition race . Co rbin Racing -backed Coolbet h won th e heat and the ma in o n his TL1000 Suzuki and was unofficia lly clocked at 13 1 mp h. Hack e r got the hol esh ot a n d led the first four laps on h is 1200cc Buell until m ec hanica l prob - HEAT 3 (8 laps ; 8 riders. top 2 transfer): 1. Te rr y Poovey (RlX ); 2 . Will Davi s (ATK) : 3 . T im Ea des ( Rtx) ; 4 . Christian Vernon (A T K); 5 . Paul Norma ndin (ATK ); 6 . Stephanie Welch (Rtx); 7. Brian Vincent (Rtx ): 8. Wesley Kite (Rtx}. Time: 6 min.. 35.903 sec. SEMI 1 (8 laps; 9 rider s, top 2 tra nsfer) : 1. Bryon Smi th (AT K ); 2 . Poul No rmondin (AT K) : 3 . Kenny Coolbet h (Rtx ); 4 . Scooter Vemon (AT K); 5. Robert Lewis (Rtx); 6. Brian Vincent ( Rtx); 7. Jason Spearin ( AT K); 8. Chri stlen Vemon (ATK) ; 9 . John Nickens (RlX). Time: 6 min.. 25.602 sec. SEMI 2 (8 laps; 8 riders , top 2 transfer) : 1. Steve U berty (ATK) ; 2. Mork With om (ATK); 3. TIm Eades (Rtx); 4. William Bromley (Suz) ; 5 . Stephanie Welch (RlX); 6. TImmy Mitc hell (RlX) : 7. Lee Jo hnson (RlX); 8. Wesiey Kite (Rtx) . Tune : 6 min., 48.325 sec. LeQ (6 laps; 1 1 riders, t op 8 transfer ) : 1. Kenny Coolbeth (RlX) ; 2. Tim Eodes (Rtx ): 3. Robert Lewis ( Rtx); 4 . Brian Vincent (Rtx); 5. Jason Spearin (ATK): 6. Scooter Vemon (AT K): 7. Wiiliom Brom ley (Suz); 8. Stephon ie Welch (RlX); 9. Timmy Mitchell (Rtx) ; 10. John Nicke ns (RlX); I I. Christion Vemon (AT K). Time: 5 min.. 10.148 sec. PRO SINGLES NATIONAL ( 15 lop s; 18 riders); Je nnifer Snyde r ( HoD) : 2 . Mik e Hock er (A TK) ; 3 . Rich King ( H·D ); 4 . Bry on Sm ith ( ATK ); 5. Terr y Poo vey ( Rt x) : 6 . Willi e M cCoy ( A T K) ; 7 . Steve Liberty (AT K); 8. Paul Normandin (AT K); 9 . Kenny Cool beth (RlX) ; 10. Robert Lewis (RlX); II. Scooter Vernon (AT K) ; 12. Brian Vincent (Rtx) ; 13. T im Eades (Rtx); 14. Jason Spearin (ATK); 15. William Bromley (Suz); 16. Stephanie Welch (Rtx); 17. Will Dovis (A TK) : 18. Mork Withom (ATK ). Time: 11 min.. 56 .651 sec. SOPER SI NG LES/ TW INS EXHIB IT ION ; I . Kenny Coolbeth (Suz); 2. Bry on Smith (Suz); 3. TIm Eodes (HoD) ; 4 . Mik e Hock er (Bue). Time: N/ A FORMOLA OSA/SFX NATIO NA L DIR T TRACK SER IES POINTS STAND I NGS ( Aft er 1 of I~ rounds): Jennifer Snyder (44/1 win); 2. Mike Hacker (38): 3. Ric h King (32) : 4. Bryon Smi th (30 ); 5. Terry Poovey (28) : 6. WlIIle McCoy (26) ; 7. Steve Ubert y (2 4) ; 8 . Paul Norma ndin (22) ; 9 . Kenny Coolbeth (20) ; 10. Robert Lewis ( 18); II. Scooter Vernon ( 16) : 12 . Brian Vincent ( 14 ); 13 . Ti m Eades ( 12) ; 14 . Ja son Spearin (10 ); 15. William Bromley (8); 16 . Stephanie Welch (6) ; 17. Will Davis (4) ; 18. Mark Withom (2) . Upco ming Rounds : Round 2 - Plymouth, Wiscons in, June 8 Round 3 - Rochester, New Hampshire, June 15 (Left) Smith rode well to finish fourth In the main event after transferring via a semi. (Right - le ft to right) King, Snyder and Hacker celebrate an historic night of racing in Virginia . cyc le n eVIls MAY 16, 2001 51

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