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/128171
eight. Hayden went on to win, with Schnabel transferring through in second. Bartels' Harley-Davidson/Custom Chrome's Shaun Russell was forced to hold off a trio of short-track heavies in the second heat, as he grabbed the holeshot and led Carr, USC Racing/lstlegal.com's Terry Poovey, and Team Powell/Yoshimura's Brett Landes. Russell got an excellent drive off turn two on lap three and appeared set to pull away, but Carr hounded him and reeled him back in. Carr then pulled inside Russell and dived to the lead in turn three on the last lap, only to have Russell square it off underneath him and beat him by a wheel in the drag race to the finish line. American Honda/Parts Unlimited's Jake Zemke was first away in heat three, towing Corbin Racing/Samson's Kenny Coolbeth, Paul Seliscar/Cayuga Tool £, ~ie's Shawn Clark, and Clyde Day Racing/Araibacked A.J. Eslick with him as the front four pulled away. Clark ground on Coolbeth several times in an effort to get by, but Cool beth proved too tough to pass. Eslick attempted an outside run of both Clark and Coolbeth in the last couple laps, but couldn't make that work. Zemke took an easy win, followed by Coolbeth. Heat four had to be red-flagged after Scott Powersports/Greenland Masonry-sponsored John Raun Wood got tangled up in the first turn and was promptly spit on his head. Wood was up quickly and made the restart. Varnes then got the drop on the field and pulled away to win by the largest margin yet. Varnes appeared to have an easy time of it, while Allen Racing/Davidson-Douglass Racing's Jason Tyer, Dutrow's Honda/Lancaster H-D's Steve Beattie, and Weirbach Racing/Shoei-backed Dominic Beaulac battled three abreast behind him. Beattie stuffed it under Tyer in (Below) Hayden (69) powered around Varnes (89) at the halfway point to take the lead. Varnes wound up third. (Below right) Jake Johnson put in another one of his spectacular comefrom-behind rides to steal away second place at the finish. turn one on lap three to land second, but Varnes had set sail by then. Varnes won the race by more than half a straightaway. Beattie held on for second. The 2001 Labor Day Weekend Springfield Short Track winner, Bigelow, grabbed the holeshot and pulled clear of a great battle among Second Chan'ce Auto Sales/White Brothers' Roger Lee Hayden, Johnson and KTM/Jones Powersports' Joe Kopp. Johnson pressured Roger Lee Hayden for second as early as lap three, and he was finally able to drive it underneath him in turn one on lap six to take the spot. Roger Lee tried to mount a charge in the dirt off turn two on lap eight, but that failed, and he dropped back. Bigelow took the win, followed by Johnson. Bigelow's winning time of two minutes, 24.268 seconds put him on the pole for the main event. "Just like last year, but it wasn't as smooth as last year," Bigelow said after the heat. "I had to come from behind this time, but now the cards are in my hand and it's up to me to get the job done. I guarantee you that, when the green light comes on in that main event, I'm going to get a holeshot like you've never seen. I cue I e n don't want any problems with anybody out there. We won it last year, and we're looking for the repeat." A good jump by Murphree and Dodge Brothers/Saddlemen Racing's Kevin Atherton was red-flagged after veteran dirt-track campaigner Garth Brow went down in turn two on lap two. Brow did not get up immediateIy, and elected to be checked out by the event medical staff rather than make the restart. The second attempt at a start brought even more carnage, as a chain-reaction crash took down all but Murphree, Dan Butler and Innovative Technologies/Johnny's 66-backed Justin Voight. Las Vegas Harley-Davidson's Jess Roeder needed to be taken to the ambulance to be checked over, but he made the restart. Once the race did get under way, Hart Racing/Fox Racing's Tommy Hayden and Murphree pulled away from the rest of the field to earn the last two direct transfers, Tommy leading Murphree all the way. Atherton had the crowd on its feet with e _ S • SEPTEMBER 1 1, 2002 29