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/128167
"I just wanted to get into a rhythm on the bottom, that's where I made up all my time in the beginning," Bigelow continued. "Everybody went high, and everybody got roosted down, and people couldn't see. I just poked around the bottom, the very inside. After a while, it was like, 'Holy cow, 1 might win this thing.'" Lancaster Harley-Davidson/Saddlemen/Dodge Brothers' Steve Beattie made his first start since his Springfield crash and had a strong ride going until gremlins bit his Harley. "It wasn't too bad," Beattie said. " I really thought I was going to get third there, but about five to go I had a mechanical with the motorcycle and had to back out of it the last few laps." Beattie dropped from fifth to ninth in the last three laps. Coziahr Harley-Davidson/Country Motors-backed Johnny Murphree worked his way around the Factory Harley-Davidson of Rich King, took advantage of Beattie's problems and closed down on Bigelow on the last lap. "I was struggling along in the main, but then the track came to me," Murphree said. "The notch came in, exiting the corner, then I was fine. I was driving around guys like crazy, but it was too little, too late. 1 thought I had Bigelow passed on the last lap, but coming out of four, he just drove me up into the fence. But I'm happy with fifth." Rich King's sixth-place finish was his best of the year. "I really expected to go a lot better here than we did," King said. "The bike was the best it had been all day in the main event. After the halfway, I just got tired. I haven't been able to train or anything, and that's what I need to do. Murphree passed me at the end. I'd passed him early on, but when I got tired he passed me back. The track changed quite a bit as the race went on. "Maybe they had the track a little too wet at the start," King said. "It was kind of muddy and you couldn't Don't call It a comeback: After missing two races, Kopp retumed to the AMA circuit with a lI1rong runne....up finish, his first Grand National podium appearance of the season. top and led Roeder, Kopp, Kevin Varnes and the rest of the l8-rider field down the back straight. Last week's winner, Varnes, pushed his Memphis Shades/Parts Unlimited/ Drag Specialties Harley into second, but it was all for nothing as Chris Evans fell in turn four. With less than three laps run, the race was completely restarted. On the restart, the 2000 Grand National Champion, Kopp, took the lead in a National for the first time in 2002. "I got the holeshot on the restart and put in a couple of good laps before Chris [Hart] got around me in turn three," Kopp said. "I felt good all night. I think this is the first time I've ever even won a scratch heat at this place." After reassuming the lead, it was apparent that it was to be Hart's night. "I just kept telling myself, 'One more lap, one more lap. '" Hart said. "We got the holeshot, and the whole key to this stuff is to spray everybody down and keep the rooster on everybody else. We just rode the cushion all night. Joe [Kopp] was a little faster down in one and two, and I kept seeing him come down on the bottom. We were faster down in three and four. I told myself, 'If I can do it for a few laps, I can do them all.' I just talked myself through it. This is just awesome." After lap four, the top four positions were set, with Bryan Bigelow securing fourth. The Gardner Racing/Waiters Brothers Harley-Davidson-backed Bigelow had quickly moved from the second row to the front. "It was the same old deal," he said. "We started the day off terrible. We just kept working on the bike all day. It's just unbelievable how these guys keep working to get it right. I got a good start from the back. My first start was really good. 1 got by a couple of guys on the first row, then we got the red flag. The second start was a little better, I couldn't believe it. I kind of ran by myself. 1 caught George a couple of times, then I'd fall back. Catch him and fall back, catch him and fall back. It wasn't real comfortable racing out there, it [the track] was so inconsistent, slippery, groove, marbles ... everybody was everywhere. (Below lett) Roeder Is always fast on the cushion, but at Harrington he eamed his third place by running much of the race on the groove. (Below) Steve Beattie had a lI1rong ride going In his retum from his Springfield Injuries, but mechanical trouble dropped him from fifth to ninth in the feature. cyDle n __ S • AUGUST 14, 2002 9