Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMAIProgressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships Round 14: Peoria Raceway Park the red flag came out I was really glad to see that," said the KK Supply/R&D Machine-backed Hayden. "I got a lot better start in the single-file restart. I was second, Chris [Carr] had a few bikes on me, but we were staying even. I was hoping to hold that distance for eight or nine laps, then pick up the pace. I was real comfortable there. I know his first few laps are really good, so I just wanted to stay right there." A pivotal point in the race - possibly in the season - came on lap six. "When I came over the jump, the chain came off, I didn't know what was wrong and when I fried to get back on the gas, the chain locked up the rear wheel," Hayden said. "Luckily I was okay and got to restart from the back." Defending Grand National Champion Joe Kopp really needed the red flag that followed. "The last half of my day was pretty stressful. I was feeling pretty good all day until the final. I couldn't get a good start for anything. I kept having to work my way up," said the Corbin Racing/Dave Burks Motorsports/ Harley-Davidson of Missouri-backed Kopp. "On the second start, I went over the jump and into the right-hander and the brake was gone. A halfinch aluminum bracket just broke right in two, it wrapped around and snapped the brake line too. I think we went about two and a half laps, until Nicky crashed. Luckily, Denny [Lopp] and my crew were able to get me going. Carr's crew, Travis, thank God they were helping, they had to bleed the brake line and everything." Hayden's crew also bent his mount back into shape. Hayden started last, but was charging to the front, when his race suddenly came to an end. "I got up to about sixth and could see the podium wasn't that far away, I figured another red flag and I would be right back in it," said the part-time dirt tracker, "then the oil line came off. I'm really disappointed. This is one I've been waiting for, for a long time. I'd really like to thank Will Davis and Mike Wheeler for letting me ride their bike. Their bike probably had 10 horsepower on mine. My bike was good, but down the front straightaway, it wasn't that good." Lap eight saw Harley-Davidson Factory rider King drop Hacker to third. "I kept him [Carr] in sight, but I don't know if there was any pressure," King said. "I'd do good for a couple of laps and feel like I was reeling him in, then I'd lose a little." King was the only rider to keep Carr in sight as Hacker dropped into a battle with Kopp over third. "The restarts set me back," King said. "I got up and I thought I could run with Chris, then the restart I 30 AUGUST 29, 2001 • G U G I would drop back and have to work my way up again. After a couple of times doing that I was getting a little frustrated. I don't think I had anything for Chris anyway, but it would have been a little more interesting if I could have beat him into the corner and make him win it that way. Catching him was one thing, passing him would have been another. I'm sure he could have picked up the pace if he needed to." Kopp took third on lap II, but could not shake the determined Hacker. "It was a little stressful, I just knew I wasn't going to get to race. When I did get to race, I was just so wound up and up-tight, my arms just pumped up," said Kopp. "I didn't think I was going to be able to hold on, and I knew I had about 20 laps to go. I really got tired. It was all I could do to get around Mike [Hacker]. He was going good." Even after Kopp took third, Hacker wasn't through. "I could hear him behind me, and I could hear he was getting on the gas before me, and I was really struggling," Kopp said. "I was trying to relax down the front straight, but it's hard because you have to get on the brakes so hard into turn one. I was happy with third the way everythinfj e nevvs went. I could have just as easy finished 18th." Hacker was able to give Kopp his full attention as they were well ahead offifth. "TLC Racing built me an awesome motor - it was a rocket ship," Hacker said. "I felt real comfortable coming in here, I've been doing a lot of riding with Wes Kite, a motocrosser back home, and it really helped a lot with things like front-wheel braking and all. "Johnny [Goad] had the bike set up perfectly, I've never felt so good at Peoria. I'm usually all tensed up coming in here, but today I felt right at home. I really thought I could get Joe [Kopp], but I just couldn't pull it off. Johnny has been on me the last three races to get better starts, and I've really been concentrating on that. It's a whole lot easier to start up there with them. I'm pumped, this is awesome. I've been coming here just hoping to make the main and get some points." There was a great race going on for sixth, as Team Powell/West Bend Harley-Davidson's J.R. Schnabel ana Gardner RaCing/Lancaster HarleyDavidson's Bryan Bigelow battled back and forth. Late in the race they were joined by KK Supply/F&S Harley-Davidson's Willie McCoy. The last three laps proved to be anti-c1i- (Above) Another . - guy. New Yortter Ron Hall not only made his first career AMA Grand National main event at Peoria, but he also went on to finish a solid eighth. Hall hopes to be a fixture on the 2002 AMA Grand National circuit. matic as all three ran into mechanical problems. McCoy's were the worst. "It just quit," McCoy said. "I thought maybe I could kick it down a gear and try to bump it, but it wouldn't do anything. Something locked up in the engine. I came from way back, and I sure wanted to finish there. It's really frustrating when something like that happens. I just caught up to them and was trying to find a way around, and the bike got tired." Schnabel ended up with fifth, as Bigelow fell off the pace. "We got up to fourth for a little while, but I ended up fifth," Schnabel said. "About 10 laps into the race, I started getting a real high rev, slipping clutch. I thought I'd heard it in my heat race, but I was with Joe and Nicky and I wasn't sure. Sure enough; in the main [the clutch] started slipping, and I thought I'd never make the finish. I tried taking it easy, just milking it out of the corners and staying as close to Bryan as I could, somehow it stayed together. With two laps to go, Bryan ripped fiis brake

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