AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships
Round 4: Illinois State Fairgrounds
By SCOTT ROUSSEAU
PHOTOS BY FLAT TRAK FOTOS
C
hris Carr didn't win his first
Springfield Mile until 1995. Lately, it seems as though he can't lose
there.
Aboard his Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Ford Racing-backed,
Kenny Tolbert-tuned Harley-Davidson XR750, Carr rolled to career
Grand National win number 55 - his
fourth in a row - on a beautifully
sunny day at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
During the 25-lap American
Chevrolet-presented main event, Carr
ran as low as eighth at the start
before methodically picking his way
through the stout competition ahead
of him to lead the draft for the first
time on lap 10. From there, he diced
back and forth with Saddlemen Racing/National Cycle's Kevin Atherton,
Coziahr Harley-Davidson/Country
Motors' Johnny Murphree and Bartels' Harley-Davidson/Corbin's Jay
Springsteen until American Honda's
Nicky Hayden came calling with less
a
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Roiling Thunder!: Kevin Atherton (23)
Jay Springsteen (9). Chris Carr (1)
Johnny Murphree (20) and Nick)'
Hayden (partially hidden) duke it ou1 at
the Springfield Mlle. When It was over.
Carr Petti netted his fourth-straight
Springfield Mile win.
than five laps to go, the Kentucky
youngster searching to complete the
prestigious AMA Grand Slam by winning the Springfield Mile. Carr would
lead only five of the 25 laps in the
main event, but when crunch time
came, he kept his cool. After Atherton
made a final run off turn four, Carr
simply drove across the groove
toward the wall and then turned up
the straightaway to effectively block
Atherton from getting a good drive. It
gave Carr his fourth Springfield win in
a row. Atherton, Murphree, Hayden
and Springsteen, followed him across
the line to complete the top five.
"Rich King showed me that move
here a couple years ago," Carr said.
"He invented it. The AMA rules say
that we are allowed one move, so my
move was toward the wall. Of course,
