Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMA Progressive Insurance U.S, Flat Track Championships Round 3: Illinois State Fairgrounds Georgie Price IV (Suz). Time: 3 min .. 53.338 sec. GRAND NATIONAL (25 laps; 18 riders): I. Nicky Hayden ,(Hon); 2. Tommy Hayden (Yam); 3. since recovering from knee surgery. sand dunes near Peoria [Illinois] on ing that cushion. Wednesday night. All I did was "But I'll tell you what," Varnes conhandful of gas in that cushion, and change the wheels on it," Schnabel's sixth-place finish mirrored his result in last year's race. the bike just went straight toward the "I got up there alongside of Stanley edge of the jump. There were two at the end, but I couldn't get him," corner workers standing there, and Schnabel said, "I'm a little disappoint- their eyes got really big because I ed because I had gotten such a good was heading right for them. I missed start, but then somebody punted me the jump completely, After the race, I from behind and threw me into some- rolled over there and apologized for one else. That's how it goes some- scaring them like that. Three times I times. Things were good, but I'm stalled my bike tonight, but it all looking for all top fives. This is some- ended up pretty good." thing to build on for tomorrow." That left Hlebo ninth and Beattie CN Illinois State Fairgrounds Springfield, illinois 10th. "The First Legal guys gave me a great bike to ride tonight," Hlebo said, "I'm just not used to these 25- lappers, but I was having a good time. The Springfield TT is a great place to race, I just got a good start and tried to keep it on two wheels this year. Thanks to Terry Poovey and his crew for getting me out here." All Beattie could offer was: "I can't believe I let them have it like that." Well in front of Varnes, Hlebo and Beattie, Stanley and Schnabel were engaged in perhaps the only other close race on the track. The two had dropped Hlebo by lap 16 and were running nose to tail until lap 23, when Schnabel found the drive off the long left-handed sweeper and over the Results: May 25, 2002 (Round 3 of 201 HEAT 1 (10 laps; 12 riders, top three transfer): 1. Nicky Hayden (Hon); 2. J.R. Schnabel (Han); 3. Bryan Bigelow (Hon); 4. Terry Poovey (Hon); 5. Kevin Varnes (CCM); 6. Willie McCoy (Hon); 7. Kevin Atherton (Hon); 8. Joe Duvall (Hon); 9. Marc Williams (WR); 10. Georgie Price IV (Suz); 11. John Nickens 1II (Hon); 12. Garth Bastian (YlIm). Time: None, due to red flag. HEAT 2 (10 laps; 12 riders, top three transfer): 1. Tommy Hayden (Yam); 2. Steve Beattie (ATK); 3. Trenton Bailey (Yem); 4. Sam Lowe (Hon); 5. Robert Weiss (Hon); 6. Tim Eades (Rtx); 7. Eric Mischler (Suz); 8. Michael Hinds (Rtx); 9. Dominic Beaulac (Rtx); 10. Noot Irvin (Han); 11. Rusty Rogers (Suz); 12. Bryan Smith (Hon). Time: 4 min., 48.547 sec. HEAT 3 (10 laps; 12 riders, top three transfer): 1. Chris Carr (Rtx); 2. Shawn Clark (Hon); 3. Kenny Coolbeth Jr. (KTM); 4. Shoun Russell (Han); 5. Gary Rogers (Hon); 6. John Hlebo III (Hon); 7. Scott Scherb (Hon); 8. Roy Miller (Suz); 9. Michael McKee (Hon): 10. Nick Daniels (Yam); 11. Rick Winsett Jr. (Rtx); 12. Eric Rickman (Rtx). Time: 4 min., 45.624 sec. HEAT 4 (10 laps; 12 riders, top three transfer): I. Roger Lee Hayden (Hon); 2. Dan Stanley (Rlx); 3. Joe Kopp (KTM); 4, Paul Lynch (Rtx); 5. Ronald Hall (Suz); 6. Greg Tysor (Han); 7. Mike Hacker (Han); 8. Jake Johnson (Rtx); 9. Ken Yoder Jr, (Yam); 10. on the front straightaway. The Mary- Mike Varnes (Rtx); 11. John Reun Wood (Rtx); 12. Jess Roeder (H-D). Time: 4 min., 45.403 sec. SEMI 1 (8 laps; 12 riders, top two transfer): 1. ott's HondafBBRPfCircie F-sponsored Mike Hacker (Hon); 2. Gary Rogers (Han); 3. Willie kicker jump to pull even with Stanley Stanley regained the advantage into turn one, however, and was not challenged for the fifth spot after that. "I had the holeshot off the start, but I got hit from behind and almost missed the jump," Stanley said. "The top four guys were just so fast. I had to pace myself. Then Schnabel came up there. That was really the most fun I've ever had at a Grand National. It was a fun track, a great time. Believe it or not, I was riding that bike in the 18 JUNE 5, 2002' cue 1 _ McCoy (Hon); 4. Roy Miller (Suz); 5. Mike Varnes (Rlx); 6. Robert Weiss (Hon); 7. Marc Williams (W. R); 8. Paul Lynch (Rtx); 9. Rick Winsett Jr. (Rtx); 10. Michael Hinds (Rtx); 11. Garth Bastian (Yam); 12. Rusty Rogers (Suz). Time: 3 min., 49.921 sec. SEMI 2 (8 laps; 12 riders. top two transfer): 1. Shaun Russell (Hon); 2. Kevin Varnes (CeM); 3. Ronald Han (Suz); 4. Jake Johnson (Rtx); 5. Byrem Smith (Han); 6. John Reun Wood (Rtx); 7. Scott Scherb (Hon); 8. Joe Duvall (Hon); 9. Nick Daniels (Yam); 10. Dom.inic Beaulac (Rtx); 11. Tim Eades (Rtx); 12. John Nickens 111 (Han). Time: 3 min., 51.873 sec. SEMI 3 (8 laps; 12 riders, top two transfer): 1. John Hlebo III (Hon); 2. Terry Poovey (Hon); 3. Greg Tysor (Hon); 4. Eric Rickman (Rtx); 5. Jess Roeder (H-D); 6, Ken Yoder Jr. (Yam); 7. Noot irvin (Han); 8. Michael McKee (Han); 9, Sam Lowe (Han); 10. Eric Mischler (Suz); 11. Kevin Atherton (Hon); 12. __ S n Rick Winsett Jr. (24/1 win)! Dan Stanley (24); 10. Nicky Hayden (23/1 Win); 11. Steve Beattie (22); 12. 111 (Han); 10. Steve Beattie (Rtx); 11. Kenny Coolbeth (KTM); 12, Joe Kopp (KTM); 13. Shoun Russell (Han); 14. Trenton Beiley (Yern); 15. Gary Rogers (Hon); 16. Bryan Bigelow (Han); 17. Mike Hacker J.R. Schnabel (21); 13. Terry Poovey (20); 14. (TIE) Tommy Hayden (19)/ Jay Springsteen (19); 16. (TIE) Bryan Smith (17)/ Kevin Atherton (17); 18. Roger Lee Hayden (16); 19. Bryan Bigelow (15); 20. Shawn Clark (12). (Han); 18. Terry Poovey (Han). Time: 11 min., 42.124 sec. Margin of Victory: 7.967 sec. AMA PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE U.S. FLAT TRACK C'SHIPS SERIES POINTS STANDINGS Upcoming Rounds: Round 4 - Springfield, Illinois, May 26 Round 5 - Hagerstown, Maryland, June 1 BRIEFLY••• Mike Hacker underwent a four-hour surgery at St. John's Hospital in Springfield to repair the spiral fractures suffered in his first-lap mishap over the kicker jump that shot riders onto the front straightaway, Doctors placed a rod in his left leg, screwing it in place just below the knee and just above the ankle. Hacker said that the surgery went well, but whether or not he would be to return this season was still in doubt. "When they went in there, they found out that it was even worse than they had thought." Hacker said from his hospital bed. "The surgeon was a real perfectionist. She said she got everything lined up really well, but she said that she didn't think I could come back this season because it will be a long time before I can put any weight on it." Hacker said that he would likely be released from St. John's on Tuesday. He plans to travel home to Virginia and immediately consult his sports physician. Iy found a better line, just kept chas- tinued, "Right at the start, I grabbed a Johnny Murphree (30); 5. Joe Kopp (26); 6. Mike Hacker (25/1 win); 7. Shoun Russell (25); 8. (TIE) Roger Lee Hayden (Han); 4. Chris Cerr (Rtx); 5. Dan Stanley (Han); 6. J.R. Schnabel (Hon); 7. Shawn Clark (Hon); 8. Kevin Varnes (CCM); 9. John Hlebo Shawn Clark rode a Carl Patrick-built Honda CRF450Rto a solid seventhplace finish in the main event. The race marked Clark's first (After 3 of 20 rounds): 1. Kevin Varnes (38); 2. Kenny Coolbeth Jr. (34); 3. Chris Carr (33); 4. Hondafest: While lOaf the 18 riders in main event were on Hondas - nine CRF450Rs and one CR250R - they weren't the only ones in the pits at the Peoria n. Of the 81 entrants, 25 of them had CRF450Rs. Nicky Hayden had two, bringing the tally to 26. Chris Carr said that. if the AMA can wrangle more facilities like the Springfield Rodeo Arena, he sees the MX invasion continuing to grow. "I think they really made a mark tonight." Carr said. "It will still be interesting to see how they'll do at a traditional n track like Peoria. I don't think that they'd have as much of an advantage there, but if we run more venues like this one, they're going to be really good. " Chris Carr actually did have a stock-framed Vor motocrosser on-hand, but the engine let go early in the practice sessions, forcing him onto one of his traditional Rotaxes. "It just locked up," Carr said. "We only had four and a half laps on it. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted," Nicky Hayden not only agreed with Chris Carr, but he supports the DTX idea completely. "It's the way to go," Hayden said. "I think the AMA has done a good thing by kind of copying PACE's [Formula USA's] rules. I wish they had made it 450cc so that I could ride it at Peoria. Having all the different brands is good for dirt track. " .Jay Springsteen, who made a cameo appearance at the track to visit before heading off to get some sleep for the Springfield Mile, simply said that the race looked like" one of them Honda leam-to-ride deals. " Nicky Hayden set a new four·lap qualifying record in the scratch qualifying heats at the Springfield n, turning in a time of one minute, 53.646 seconds. The old record of one minute, 56.985 was turned in by Tommy Hayden at last year's event. Nicky Hayden chuckled at the allegation by brother Tommy Hayden that he had been sandbagging at the family's Owensboro, Kentucky, practice track lately to lull Tommy into a false sense of security coming into the race. "That's funny," Nicky said. "I had been trying to get him to come out with me, because he is the fastest at our track. But then I found out that he was going riding on Wednesdays, so we just kind of kept track of each others times by looking at the stopwatches. But we wouldn't ride together because we didn't want to heip each other out. I didn't want to show him what I had." Despite the obvious anticipation of his fans, Nicky Hayden refused to heap pressure on himself to pull off the Grand Slam at the next day's Springfield Mile. ''I'm just going to go tomorrow and have fun, same as I did tonight," Hayden said. "That's when I do my best. I like the mile. It's or short track right here. I love this place." cool, but I'd much rather run on a lillie old n Just the same, Nicky Hayden could hardly contain his excitement at the prospect of earning the Grand Slam. "We're sneaking up on it." Hayden said with a smile. If he did so, Hayden would join an elite club that contains only Dick Mann, Kenny Roberts, Bubba Shobert and Doug Chandler, Although Kevin Varnes used a traditional CCM flat tracker to finish eighth in the Springfield '" couldn't find a bike for it," Varnes said. "I have an RM250, but I didn't think that would cut the mustard." n, he would have loved to be on one of the DTXers. Shaun Russell did cut the mustard on his Honda CR250R, however, matching pace with the best of 'em until the track grooved up. Still, Russell was confident that he would finish well prior to the main. "I think I can win it." he said. Russell wound up 13th. The kicker jump proved to be a rather controversial obstacle. as it was the site of more than a couple serious crashes dUring the night. Texas rider Greg Teague nearly took out the entire AMA scoring area after hilling the ground off the kicker. Teague wound up with a broken collarbone in the incident. Ceo Roeder II and .John Nickens III both wound up gelling their bells rung after crashing off the jump. And, of course, Mike Hacker may have had his season ruined by it. Of the Honda CRF450Rs in the pits, Bryan Bigelow and Mike Hacker may have had the , trickest ones of the bunch. Both machines sported C&J sWingarms, with Hacker's also utilizing offset triple clamps in order to tighten up the rake. Bigelow went on to finish 16th in the main event. Despite riding well to earn his spot in the main event through a semi, Terry Poovey elected to scratch from the Springfield My right shoulder hurts so bad that it feels like it is going to fall off," Poovey said, "I have a tom rotator cuff, and if I ride tonight. I won't be able to ride tomorrow," n ..

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