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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128171
AMAIProgressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships Round 1 S: Illinois State Fairgrounds Varnes would not get another chance to lead, as he was kicked out of the main event when his machine developed an oil leak on the starting line. On the restart, Atherton led the first lap, followed by Russell, Coolbeth, Carr, McCoy, Hayden, King and Murphree. Russell, who' later said that he was on a mission right from the start, led laps two and three. "I got a good start from the second row," Russell said. "My goal was to get up front early, and I actually led the first lap. I just wanted to be up there, and I got that done. After that, it was just a battle, so I started trying to figure out where I needed to be on the last lap. I figured out pretty quickly that if I was second or third off turn four, then I wouldn't have anything for them guys." King then reeled off three straight at the front, with Carr still hovering between third and fourth and Murphree working his way to fifth. After struggling to finish 12th in the previous night's short track, the Californian was looking to make up for it on the mile. He would end up fifth at the finish. "After that night, we had last night, and the first half of the day we had today, I was happy to get up there as quickly as we did. I got up quicker than I thought, but in the meantime, I punished my tire pretty bad. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do to get up front. If it wasn't for one mistake on my part in the last turn, and one other move by the rudest guy that we rode with on the track today ... that's how we ended up fifth. I'll just write that stuff all down in my notebook and come back stronger next year. Tim Coziahr, I promise I'm going to win you one of these things. I'm trying everything lean." Long before the finish, though, Schnabel pulled into the pits aboard the Buell, on lap eight. The Wisconsinte grew tired of fighting the 24 SEPTEMBER 1 1 , 2002' II: U II: machine, which suffers from having engine cases that are too wide. After dragging the left side too many times during the day, he was warned by tuner Johnny Goad to bring it in if he didn't feel comfortable. After a dismal start in which he lost the lead draft early, Schnabel settled for 16th. Atherton was looking comfortable in the lead draft early, but then his ride began wobbling terribly down the straightaways. It was a condition that he had fought during his heat race as well, and whatever adjustments his team made only amplified the problem. Atherton pulled up high off turn one and out of the chase on lap 10. "We tried changing everything offsets, wheelbase, shocks - and every time we went out, we couldn't cure it," Atherton said. "At the red flag, we messed with the shock to try to get more weight on the rear end, and that didn't work. There was no sense in continuing like that. I've been through enough as it is." Atherton continued to circulate the track at part throttle, however, and wound up 13th. Johnson proved that he was a force to be reckoned with by running closer to the front of the lead pack by lap 10. "We came here in the spring and ran 11 th, and I didn't really know what to do and when to do it," Johnson said. "This time, I just kind of let it all hang out. I found a high line through turns three and four, and before I knew it I was leading it. Then back to fifth, then leading it again. It seemed like, with 10 to go, I was right inside the top five, then I saw five to go, and that's when everybody started scrambling. I still wasn't sure where I wanted to be, but I guess it worked out pretty well for me." Cool beth, who had run up front early, dropped back into a battle with Hayden and Springsteen, all of them seeming to have variations of the same problem: They could run near • EO nevvs Custom Chrome/Kiesow Racing's Gary Rogers has been hauling this trick-looking HR3 Brawler· complete with custom Gary Rogers replica paint - to select races in an effort to make cruiser fans more aware of the high-quality motorcycle kits that his primary sponsor sells. "They gave us this one, and we decided to build it and bring it to the races to expose Custom Chrome's products and show everyone how good they look," Rogers said. "The bike uses their new HR-3 100-inch motor and six-speed transmission. Every product on the bike is available through Custom Chrome. These kits sell for around $16,500." Rogers said that this particular example will be up for sale for" around $25,000" at the end of the season. Interested parties should contact him via e-mail atcrbn53@aol.com. For more infonmation on the HR-3 bike kits, visit www.customchrome.com. the front, but they could not run at th~ front. Springsteen would go on to finish sixth, his toughest challenge coming from the fans seeking his autograph after the races. "That [signing autographs] was tougher than riding," Springsteen said afterward. "I just got a bad start and had to work my way up. I was 15th or so the first couple laps. I was coming, but a couple guys got in hot, and I was going around the outside of them, and I had to back off. Racing on the mile, you've got to take when you can and give when you can, and there were some guys out there who were taking and not giving. It's so close that if something bad happened, it would take half the field down. I've been around long enough that, when it gets like that, I'll back out of it a little bit. Guess that means I'm getting old." Coolbeth would follow Springsteen home, with Hayden eighth. "For me, the handling just went away," Cool beth said. "There just wasn't much I could do about it. It sucks when that happens." Hayden was disappointed as well, but blamed himself. "I'm bummed because I think I just rode too conservatively out there," Hayden said. "My bike was awesome, and I think I could have won it, but I just couldn't get up there with those guys. I needed to be way more aggressive than I was. I lost two spots on the last lap." Hayden said that he would skip the Vernon, New York, Mile and take his last swing at bat during the seasonending Du Quoin Mile. King once again appeared to be the strongest rider in the front pack late in the race, leading laps, IS, 16, 17, 19 and 20, but when the white flag flew, he found himself a little out of position. "The last lap, I wanted to be second or third going into turn one, and I was fourth, so coming down the back (Below left) Steeriikel: Grand Slam candidate Nicky Hayden struggled to run up front in the main event, finishing eighth. (Below) Russell, Carr, King on the Springfield podium.