Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

t ie lo n g e r, but he wa s th in kin g t he s a m e th ing ... last lap. I wa s in panic m o d e then . It was my fa ult. I ju st didn 't see the board ." Kopp was a close fourth . Finishing on Kopp's heels was his teammate Ke nny Coolbeth . "I really wa nted to make the main out of my heat, I didn 't want to have to run a semi because of m y hand : sa id Cool bet h . "I've be en babying it a ll day . I'm surpris ed it di dn't hurt more. b ut it still hurts . We ha d a _ brand -new b ike a nd it wo rked aw e some. I th o ught t he tr a ck wou ld be mor e ta c ky, but it jus t gr ooved right up . I t ho ug ht I wa s g oi ng to get up th e re a littl e cl o s er , bu t fifth is all right." Sa d dle me n / La ncas t e r Ha rl e y Da v id s o n /D odg e Br oth ers ' Mi k e Ha c ker worked h is way to the fro nt after s tarting on th e penalty line . "My main b ike messed up in the s em i and we had to go to the back up : sai d Ha c ke r. "I just p icked 'e m off one by one. It was rea lly a to ugh race . It wa s really hard to pass. I'm pretty happy with s ixth . I got up there and I thought maybe I could do it, but it was just so hard to pass. When you c a m e off the corner, it wa s like bu c k shot, everybody just scattered ." S pringstee n 's yo u ng t e a m m a t e , Sha u n Russell, h a d o ne of his be st rides in a long time , posting a seventh-place finish . "It was a good da y," sa id Rus s e ll. "I wou ld h a ve liked b ette r starts . I started in the ba c k all da y, bu t I was a ble to work m y way through . Luc kily th e d ra ft stayed tog ether, a nd I wa s able to pick m y wa y up . By th e time I got up to the fro nt, I'd lost my tires , I ju s t d idn 't ha ve a ny thi n g left. It's b e en a long ti me s ince I felt th is good . After getting hurt, I lost some confidence, but Springfie ld is always good for me . I rea lly fe el like I ca n run with them aga in." Aft e r leading the first lap , HiS Harley-Da vidson /KK Su ppl y's Willie McCo y slipped ba ck in the fie ld and finis hed eighth. "I had a great start, I led th e firs t lap and I' d never led a Nat ional before , t hat was exci ting, " sa id McCoy. "I tho ught I'd se ttle down and take my time , ev ery tim e I'd g et re ady t o d ra ft s o m e o n e, so m e on e would pass m e . Th en I'd wa it a nd get rea dy to pass somebo dy , a nd somebody e lse wo u ld g o by . I deci ded I couldn't wa it a ny longer, but by now I was be hind -Poovey and that Honda is so fast I cou ldn' t get a run on him . I starte d tryi ng to co nserve m y tir e . I was still in th e lea d d ra ft , so I was g o in g to try a n d ta ke it easy . The F £,S b ik e ran g rea t , I gu e s s I just have to ride a little harder." Memphis Shade s /Coz lahr Ha rle y Dav idson /Jagg Oi l Fil t ers ' Kev in Varnes finished outside the top five for the first t im e in 2001 . Varn e s ' ninth -place fin ish does keep h im in the th ic k of the points race, though . After getting rocket-ship starts all da y lo n g , USC Rac ing /! stlega l.com 's Terry Poovey brought h is Honda home in 10th. Fast quali fie r Johnny Murphree struggled home 11 th on his Coziahr Harle y -D a vid s o n/ Me mp h is S ha de s backed Har ley . "I shot m ys elf in the foo t," sa id the yo ung charg er . "We s tarted the day off rea l we ll, but d idn 't p lan it o ut very wel l. We didn 't have th e tire pr o g ram dow n , and a li tt le b e fo re halfway, m y tires we re gone . I wa s do ing all I cou ld to stay in the lead (Left to right) Spri ngst ee n, Ca rr an d King celebrate on the Sp ringfield pod ium. (Above) Jess Roeder (9 4) had one of his best days on the mile, makin g the main event and fi nish ing 14 th. d raft , a n d th e y were all just rid ing aroun d , try ing to fe e l each other out. I tried to go around J oe on the outs ide , a nd my tire was just gone. T he front e n d tucked und er , and about five guys went by me. I screwed up again and Terry got me. I guess I ended up 11th o We had it go ing early , but just didn't have our s ix Ps ." Kevin Atherton 's 2001 debut was aborted 15 la ps into the ma in. "Ba d forks . it was like rid ing a pogo stick: sa id Atherton . "It started e a rly in th e heat race , the front end would chatte r. Nothing we t r ied helped . It turne d out it was just an old set of forks that was just shot. It just kept getting wo rse and wo rse ." Lik e most e ve ryo ne e lse, Carr's main concern wa s tire wea r. "We d idn 't have a whole lot of tire we a r in th e heat, bu t I was a little concerne d - the pace had picked up qu ite a bit sinc e th e heat race s ," Carr said. "Whe n I got up tow ard th e front, I just kind of mainta ined. I stayed in fourth and fifth ju st to make sure I'd have en oug h tire for the end of th e race. I wa s watching the other g uys ' tires. It didn't look ba d , but yo u never know: you can't see your own ." 600 S U P P O R T After the entire Gran d Nat ional program was run, the 600s came out for the ir heats and m a in. W illie McCoy led the main for most of the way on h is KK/Kim £, Karl Klementbacked ATK , and won . "If I'd got two first -pla ce trophies it would have been better, bu t on e ' s pretty good: said McCoy_ McCoy's only challenge came from Roo kie of the year c a nd id a te, Bryan Smith who e nded up a close se cond . BBRP/Circle F Racing 's Dan Stanley e d ged Rog er Lee Ha yden and Greg T eagu e for third . J ennifer Sn yder brought her fa ctory Harley home in sixth . Paul Morgan Ill, Scott Scherb, Jason Tyer and Charli e Orr rounded out the top 10_ Hea t winner Shawn Clark ran in the lead pack until his Rotax let go on th e last la p . eN cue I e Illinois S_ Fairgrounds Springfield, Illinois Results: May Z7, Z001 (Round 4 0' ZOI HEAT 1 ( 10 laps: 9 riders. top three transfer): I . Chri s Carr (H-D); 2. Ken Coo lbeth Jr. ( H· D) : 3. Nick y Hayden (H-D): 4. Kevin Vames (H· D): (H·D ); 5 . Steve Beatt ie (H-D) ; 6 . Bryan Smith ( H· D): 7. Jason Ty er (H-D); 8. Chris Boone (H-O); 9 . Donnie Steward (H-D ). Time: 6 min.. 01 .611 sec. HEAT 2 ( 10 laps: 9 riders. top three tra nsfer): 1. Will D avis ( H- D); 2 . Rich King ( H-D ) ; 3 . Gee Roeder 11; 4 . J.R. Schnabel (H-o ); 5 . Kevin Atherton (H-D); 6. Terry Poovey (Han); 7. Gary Rogers (H· D); 8. Jim Sumner (H-D); 9. Eric Rickman (Han). Time: 5 min.. 58. 135 sec . HEA T 3 ( 10 laps; 10 riders. top three: tra nsfer) : 1. Joe Kopp (H-D) ; 2. Willie McCoy ( H· D) ; 3. Sheen Rus",11 (H- D); 4 . Roger Lee Hayden (H-D) ; 5. Shawn Oark (H-D); 6. Jess Roeder (H-D); 7. run Eades (HD); 8 . Paul Lynch (H-D); 9 . Greg TY50r (Suz) ; 10. Devon Pritchard (H- D ). Time: 5 m in.. 57.955 sec. HEA T 4 ( 10 laps; to riders. top three transfer): 1. Johnny Murphr~ (H · D ) : 2 . Jay Springsteen (H- D); 3. Bryan Bigelow (H-D) ; 4. Mike Hacke r (H-D); 5. Paul Morgan III (H-D); 6. Robert tewrs (H-D) ; 7.Chri. Hart (H-D); 8. Cory Roth (H-D): 9. Kyle Long (H-D); 10. Roy Mill er (Suz). Time : 5 min., 56.591 sec . SEMI I (8 laps; 9 riders. top two transfer) : 1. Kevin Ath ert on ( H· D); 2 . Mik e Hecker ( H-D ) ; 3 . Sha wn Clark (H- D) ; 4. Paul Lyn ch ( H-D ) : 5. Jim Sum ner ( H- D ); 6. Donnie St eward ( H· D ); 7. Roy Mill er (H-D) ; 8. Bryan Smith (H-D); 9. Chris Hart (HD ). Time: 4 min .. 50 .624 sec. SEMI 2 (8 laps; 9 riders. top two transfer): 1. Terry Poovey (H·D): 2. Steve Beattie (H-D) ; 3. Paul Morgan III (H-D); 4. Roger Lee Hayden (H-D); 5. Tim Eades (H-D); 6. Chris Boone (H-D ); 7. Cory Roth (H0 ); 8. Devon Pritchard (H ·D) ; 9 . Eric Rickm an (Hon). Time: 4 min.. 48.808 sec. SEMI 3 (8 laps: 8 riders. top two transfer): 1. Kevin Varnes (H- D ); 2 . Jess Roeder ( H· D) ; 3 . GllIry Rogers (H · D ): 4. Jason Tyer (H -D ); 5. Robert Lewis (H-D); 6. Kyle Long (H·D); 7. J .R. Schnabel (H-D); 8. Greg TY50r (Suz). Time: 4 min.. 4 5 .147 sec. GRAND NATIONAL (2 5 Iepe : 18 ri ders); I. Chris Carr ( H - D) ; 2 . Ri c h K in g ( H - D ); 3 . Jay Sp ri ngs t een ( H · D) ; 4 . J oe K opp ( H- D) : 5. Ken Coolbeth J r. ( H-D); 6. Mik e Hack er (H-D); 7. Shaun Russell ( H -D ) ; 8 . Willie McC o y ( H -D); 9. Kevin Vamee (H-D ); 10 . Terry Poovey ( H-D ); 1I. Jo hnn y Murphree (H-D) ; 12. Bryan Bigelow (H-D) : 13. Je.. Roeder ( H-D ); 14. Gee Roede r II (H-D); 15. Kevin Atherton (H-D) ; 16. Nicky Hayden (H-D) ; 17. Steve Beattie (H-D) : 18. Will Dav is (H-D). Time: 14 min .• 4 1.24 7 sec. AMA / PRO GRES SIVE INSU RANCE U . S . FLAT T RACK CH AMP IO N S H IP S ER IES PO INTS STANDIN GS ( A ft er 3 of 19 rounds ); I. Joe Kop p (54): 2. Chris Carr (SO/ I ): 3. Kevin Vames (42) ; 4. Will Davis (38/1 ); 5 . Rich King (32) ; 6 . Mike Hacker ( 3 1) ; 7 . J ay Springsteen ( 25); 8 . J .R. Schna bel (2411) : 9 . Kenny Cool beth (22); 10. Will ie McCoy (2 1); I I. Greg Tysor ( 19 ); 12. (TI E) Terry Poovey ( I7)fRobert Lewi s ( 17)/ Jo hnny Murphr ee ( 17); 15. G eo Ro ed e r 11 ( 16) : 16 . ( T I E ) Br ett La nde s ( 15)/Shawn Clark ( 15); 18. Donnie Steward ( 13): 19 (TIE) Sheun Russell ( 12)/ Ja5O Tyer (12 ). n 600 SUPPORT MAI N ( 12 lap s: 18 riders); I. McCoy (ATK ); 2. Brya n Smith (ATK); 3. Dan Stan ley (Rot) ; 4 . Roger Lee Hayden (Rot); 5 . Greg T ea gue ( Rot ) ; 6 . J ennifer Snyde r (H· D) ; 7 . Pau l Mo rgan III (Rot) ; 8. Scott Scherb (Rot) ; 9 . Jason Tyer ( Rot); 10 . Charlie Orr ( CCM) ; 11. Donnie Steward (CCM ): 12. J eff Landrum (Rot ); 13. Mik e Farr o II (Rot); 14 . Ja me s Hart (Rot) ; 15 . Brent A rmbruster (Rot ): 16. Rob Will iams (Rot); 17. Shawn Clark (Rot); 18 . Brian Thomas ( ATK) . Tim e: 7 min.. 16.07 4 sec. wnne Upcoming Rounds: Round 4 - Springfield, Illinois, May 28 Round5 - Joplin, Missouri, June 2 n e _ S • J UN E 6 , 2001 37

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