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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128168
Formula USA/Drag Specialties National Dirt Track Series Round 6: The Red Mile (Left! Rich King grabbed his second Fonnula USAlDrag Specialties National victory of the season on the Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky. King and his factory Harley single ran away and hid from the competition. worked the track all throughout practice trying to get the track to come around, but it steadfastly refused. Despite their best efforts, a narrow, black groove developed low in the corners. However, once the sun descended beyond the horizon just before the semis, the moisture returned to the track. and suddenly the cushion was a viable option through the corners, which allowed for passing in the corners. Davey Durelle topped the Pro Singles qualifying charts on his Delano Sports Center-sponsored Suzuki with a 39.756-second (90.552 mph) lap around the Red Mile. Durelle's Pro Singles qualifying time would have been seventh fastest among the Super Singles and Twins. Defending By BERT SUMNER PHOTOS BY GARY KIDD lEXINGTON, KY, JULY 27 ~lear Channel Entertainment \S brought the Drag Specialties National Dirt Track Series into Lexington's Red Mile for the first Formula USA-sanctioned long-track event of the year. When it was all over, Team Harley-Davidson's Rich King claimed his seventh career Formula USA National Dirt Track Series win. Bryan Smith and Steve Beattie made triumphant returns from injury, and the Pro Singles Championship race tightened up closer than ever. Some 35 Pro Singles and 18 ~uper Twins competitors signed up to compete in the 92-degree heat. A quick scan of the pits revealed an increasing number of production-chassis motorcycles; in fact. 20 of the Pro Singles competitors were aboard "non-framers." There were four factory-backed teams with 11 factorybacked riders encamped in the pit area: Harley-Davidson, KTM, Suzuki, and Honda. The brand breakdown was as follows: 13 Hondas, three Suzukis. three KTMs. three Yamahas. one Buell Blast, three ATKs. one CCM, seven Rotaxes, and one WoodRotax in Pro Singles competition; and six Harley-Davidson XR750s. three Suzuki TL1OOOs. one Honda RS750, one Buell, one Aprilia RSVI000, one ATK, and five Rotaxes in Super Singles £, Twins competition. Once practice began, the officials realized that, despite heavy watering. the track was not holding the moisture very well. They continuously 40 AUGUST 21. 2002' cue I National Champion Terry Poovey's 1st Legal Honda clocked in second quickest at 39.842 (90.356 mph), while Jason Tyer claimed the final heat race pole position on his Davidson Racing-sponsored ATK at 39.972 (90.063 mph). King regrouped from his 18th-fastest Pro Singles time by claiming the pole for the first Super Singles £, Twins heat race with a 38.364-second (93.838 mph) lap on his factory Harley. Beattie claimed the final Super Singles £, Twins heat-race pole on his Lancaster Harley-Davidson-sponsored XR with a 38.698 (93.028 mph) lap. Honorable mention should go to Dan Stanley in his first appearance on the Lloyd Racing Aprilia, clocking in third fastest. Cory West grabbed the holeshot in the first Pro Singles heat race, but King grabbed the point in turn two and checked out immediately, leading Durelle, Gary Rogers, Willie McCoy and West after one lap. By lap three, King was comfortably ahead of Durelle, who had a gap on the next four riders, which now included Jennifer Snyder. On lap six, Snyder moved into the final transfer spot with a draft pass into turn three that got the crowd roaring. King led Durelle. Snyder and McCoy to the main; Rogers and West were semi-bound. King's winning time of 5 muntes, 32.068 seconds (86.729 mph) would earn him the pole position for the main event. Poovey, Joe Kopp, and Stanley jumped out in front of the second Pro Singles heat race and quickly left the others behind. Kopp and Stanley each took turns hounding Poovey. but the defending National Champion repeatedly showed his motor down the front stretch to lead nearly every lap. All three - Poovey, Kopp. and Stanley - headed for the main, along with Cory McDermitt. Tyer and Brett Pankey led the pack into turn one for the third Pro Singles heat race, but Larry Pegram got a tremendous drive on the bottom and passed four riders to grab second before they reached turn two. Bryan Smith, in his first racing action since fracturing his elbow' in June, grabbed second on his factory Honda at the end of lap one. As Smith and Tyer debated the win, the battle for the final transfer spot heated up into a five-rider battle between Pegram. Pankey, points leader J.R. Schnabel. Steve Murray, and Steve Beattie. Smith drafted into the lead going into turn three for the final time and was able to hold off Tyer before the flag. Schnabel led the five-rider pack off turn four, but Pegram nipped him at the line. inches ahead of Beattie and Murray. Smith. Tyer. Pegram, and Schnabel earned spots in the main. Rogers and West jumped out to a comfortable lead in the first Pro Singles semi, until Wes Brown overcame a poor start and caught up to the leaders on lap five. West had superior corner speed by riding high on the cushion, but his lack of experience drafting on the straights allowed Rogers to keep him honest. On lap Steve Beattie cruised to victory In the opening round of the 1stlegal.com Super Singles & Twins Challenge at the Red Mile. • n e _ os