dad's motorcycles, this is real special
to me."
It was the kind of short track race
that would have made the late Will
Davis smile, and Bigelow was quick to
dedicate his win to his fallen comrade.
"After this deal happened with
Will, I told people that whether I won
my first National this weekend or 10
years from now, I was going to dedicate that win to Will Davis because
he really helped me a lot in my
career. He was just a great guy, and
we miss him. I kind of feel like that if
he was here, the outcome would have
been different."
Bigelow did earn this one, as 2000
Springfield Short Track winner Hayden almost became a two-time winner of the race. After Winning heat
race number five, the Corbin
Motors/Samson-backed motorcycle
racing sensation got off the line third
in the main event, behind Schnabel,
and appeared to just be biding his
time as the three youngsters pulled
away from two-time AMA Grand
National Champion Chris Carr right
off the start. Hayden picked up on
Schnabel's line, watching as the Wisconsinite caught and then ran abreast
with Bigelow, flanking to Bigelow's
right side every time the two riders
came across the start/finish line. But
with the five-lap sign, Hayden, far
cagier than his 19 years of age would
suggest, finally pulled the trigger.
(Left and
Below) First
Schnabel (33)
and then
Hayden (89)
tried to attack
Bigelow (11)
from the
outside as the
trio ran in a
tight group.
Neither could
shake him
from his post
on the groove.
rising stars earned his first career
AMA Grand National win.
Gardner Racing/Lancaster HarleyDavidson's Bryan Bigelow lived up to
his "Bigs" nickname by coming up
big on the rough-and-tumble short
track. Just two weeks shy of his 21 st
birthday, Bigelow tore up the competition, winning the second of the six
short track heat races to sit on the
pole for the main event. He blasted
from his perch on the inside of row
one and pulled in front of a pack of
15 of the sport's best short trackers
two lead the opening lap. He would
lead every lap thereafter, maintaining
his position on the low line even
though he was tempted to head to the
dirt line being used by rivals J.R.
Schnabel and Nicky Hayden in their
pursuit of him. Bigelow stood fast,
and he was rewarded with his first
career Grand National victory, taking
the win by little more than a bike
length as the crowd, which appeared
to be much larger than last year,
came to its feet.
"They say that you're first win is
the easiet," Bigelow said. "I say that's
bullshit. This wasn't easy, but to win
it here at Springfield on one of my
•
cue
I
e
n
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•
SEPTEMBER 12. 2001
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