AMAlProgressive Insurance U. S. Flat Track Championships
Round 1 S: Illinois State Fairgrounds
STORY BY SCOTT ROUSSEAU
PHOTOS BY DAVE HOENIG/
FLAT TRAK FOTOS
SPRINGFIELD, IL, AUG. 31
he Fed Ex Springfield Mile on
Sunday may be the curtain call
for the giant dirt track tripleheader at
the Illinois State Fairgrounds, but the
Illinois Motorcycle Dealer's Assocation's Fed Ex Springfield Short Track
Shootout has, in just two years, risen
to fame as the spark that ignites the
barnburner racing action on the
sport's biggest weekend of the year.
Just like last year, the little bullring
in the fairgrounds' rodeo arena hosted an epic battle, with three of the
sport's young guns taking center
stage in a clash that went to the wire.
When it was over, one of the sport's
T
(Top) Bryan Bigelow's (center) kinder,
gentler approach on the racetrack
paid off pig at the Fed Ell Springfield
Short Track Shootout. Bigelow cut 25
almost perfect laps on the low groove
to earn his first career GNC victory.
J.R. Schnabel (right) was second. Last
year's winner, Nicky Hayden, was
third.
(Right) Bigelow (11) and Harley/Buell
Blast-mounted Rich King (80) battled
for supremacy in the first comer.
Bigelow led off the tum, while King
slipped back to fourth, ultimately
finishing sixth.
30
SEPTEMBER 12,2001 •
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