Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128157
AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships Round 3: Illinois State Fairgrounds hours from the end of TT, and if he were to win that, he would become the first rider since Doug Chandler to earn an AMA Grand Slam by winning a National mile, half mile, short track, TT and mile. "('II be honest with you, the last few months I've been thinking about this more than I have been thinking about the last couple Superbike races," Hayden said. "Honda probably doesn't want to hear that, but it's true. I've put in a lot of laps toward this. My bike was just awesome. Tom was riding great, but my bike was faster, and my steering was just a little better than his. The bike was just so comfortable." All three riders were among the majority that rode converted motocrossers at the TT, the same type of machine that was used when Tommy Hayden won last year's event. In fact, the main event was dominated by the new breed - especially the Honda CRF450Rs, which occupied 10 of the 18 spots on the grid. Apart from his admirable title defense at the TT, there wasn't much to tell about Tommy Hayden's runner-up finish. Riding the same machine that he used to win then, the eldest of the three Hayden boys looked fantastic all day long, easily winning his heat race to gain entry into the main. He got the holeshot and, after Nicky got by him, outpaced the rest of the field to finish a lonely second place. "( got off to a good start," Tommy Hayden said. "( had been struggling with my starts all night, but I finally got one in the main, which is the best time to figure 'em out. I felt good, but I could tell that, all night, Nick was just a little faster than me. I just tried to do what I could, but I couldn't run his pace today. My hat's off to him. He was a little bit better today. I don't know what happened. I think that he has been sandbagging on me. But he has been working really hard for this. He deserves it. It's a special night for all three of us to be up here like this." Of course, having all three Haydens on the podium would not have been possible but for the fantastic ride put in by Roger Lee Hayden on his Brand 34/Parts Unlimited/Pro Honda Oils Honda CRF450R. Riding a machine that he claimed was bone stock, Roger Lee Hayden continued to pick up speed throughout the night, winning his heat race and stopping the clocks with a 10-lap time of four minutes, 45.403 seconds to land the pole. Roger Lee came off the line third in the main event and stayed there for the entire 25 laps, trailed only by reigning AMA/Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Champion Chris Carr on the Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Ford Racing Rotax. 14 JUNE 5,2002' cue • _ (Right! Reigning series champ Chris carr was the first nonHayden and the first traditional flat-tracker across the finish line. Carr rode a brilliant race to finish fourth. (Below) Dan Stanley put together a solid ride, staving off challenges from behind to finish fifth in the main evenL OWB. That makes it good. It means so much that all my brothers and sisters are here." The race was marred by a relatively unnoticed incident involving Mike Hacker on the opening lap. The Virginian was attempting to move through the pack from the back row of the grid when he hit the small kicker jump that begins the start/finish straightaway, landed wrong and suffered spiral fractures to his left tibia and fibula. Hacker did not crash, and pulled off the track without much fanfare before being transported to St. John's Hospital in Springfield, where he was scheduled to undergo surgery to repair the damage. Hacker is expected to be out of action at least eight weeks. Polesitter Roger Lee Hayden chose the inside of the front row for the main event. Carr lined up to his right, "I got off the line pretty good," Roger Lee said. "The only guy close to me the whole race was Chris Carr, and I looked back and saw that I had a little gap on him, but I wasn't reelin' in Tom. I just kind of mellowed out and tried to keep the gap between me and Chris, and just bring it home." Bringing it home netted the 17year-old his first AMA Grand National podium visit, thus completing the Hayden trifecta. "I'm pumped," Roger Lee Hayden said. "This one here is for our parents, for all the hard work that they did for us in our careers. They gave us so much. I've also got to thank my buddy Clint Simmons for all the hard work he put in, and for all the friends and family who came out from the n __ s