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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128171
AMAIProgressive Insurance U. S. Flat Track Championships Round 15: Illinois State FaIrgrounds some hard riding that brought him from the penalty line to third by race's end. Former AMA Horizon Award winner Cory McDermitt held off Landes for all eight laps of the first semi to earn his first career Grand National start. Rich King was also in this one and failed to get the Blast-powered Harley 500R into the main. Charlie Orr held off Poovey for six laps in the second semi before bobbling off turn two and letting Poovey by. Orr tried, but failed at, a last-corner pass around the outside. Poovey was in. Orr was on the truck. Semi three was red-flagged when Chris Boone, of Nashville, Tennessee, highsided in turn one and was then run over by another rider. Boone was transported to St. John's Hospital in Springfield. A Roger Lee Hayden/Joe Kopp showdown was anticipated, but Hayden stalled his Honda on the restart and was eliminated immediately (see Briefly... ). Joe Duvall then crashed in turn two with two laps in the books and the race was red-flagged again. Kopp eventually won it. Atherton rebounded from the big crash in his heat race to reel off eight quick laps for the win in the final semi. John Nickens III battled with Atherton early, but the Michigander found his rhythm and pulled clear for the victory. Bigelow made good on his promise, as he rocketed into the lead from the low pole during the start of the main event, but his advantage was negated when Bartels' HarleyDavidson/Custom Chrome's Russell locked bars in the pack and wound up in a heap in turn one, bringing out the red flag. Russell would finish the night 13th, just ahead of an off-thepace Coolbeth. "That's just short-track racing," Russell said. "I went into the first turn, and somebody from the second row was trying to make something hap- 30 SEPTEMBER 11, 2002' cue pen, and they just got into me. We'll be looking for better things on the mile tomorrow. That's my favorite track." Varnes took control of the restart from his position one spot up from the low pole. Hayden, who had started on his right, and Bigelow, who had started on Varnes' left, filed in behind him ahead of Zemke, Johnson, Schnabel, Tommy Hayden and Atherton. Beattie charged his way from 12th to eighth in the first few laps, and then the pack began to string out a bit, with Varnes pulling out a gap on Hayden. Meanwhile, Bigelow had his hands full, holding off Johnson and Schnabel, both of whom had come from row two. "I spun a little bit off the line the second time, and that was the end of it right there," Bigelow said. "Starting up higher, those guys got to run the cushion a little bit, and they jumped off the line real good. When there was a little bit of dirt out there, we were fast. This short track used to be good to me, but now it seems like we're struggling here. After winning last year, nothing is going to be good enough but to win here." (Above left) Former Short Track winner Bryan Bigelow (iiI finished fourth, while road racers Tommy Hayden (22CI and Jake Zemke (98Z) (abovel finished sixth and 16th, respectively. Then there was another gap back to Tommy Hayden, who appeared to be holding off the rest of the field while running sixth. Both Haydens appeared to kick it up a notch between laps six and eight, Tommy moving away from Zemke and inching his way toward Schnabel's rear tire. Schnabel appeared to be just a touch slower than Tommy, but the Wisconsinite was riding a masterful race, holding his line and keeping his pursuer from getting up a head of steam. Schnabel finished fifth. "Fifth ... Our goal is to finish top fives," Schnabel said. "Let me tell you, that Jake Johnson kid is awesome. He got by Bigelow, and I kind of got hung up, and then I started getting crazy, trying to make things happen. Then I realized that I wasn't going to be able to make anything happen, so I just calmed down and made some really good laps. I was able to keep Tommy back there and almost get a shot at Bigelow." Hayden was still pleased to finish sixth. "I just kind of ran along with them there for the first 10 laps, but with about 10 to go I really started catching up," Tommy Hayden said. "Then, with about five to go, I really started trying hard to pass Schnabel. With about two to go, I moved up in the cush', and maybe I should have moved up there a little sooner. But this feels good, and I had a good time. This is the fourth National that I've rode this year, and I've rode four completely different bikes. When I used to run dirt track full-time, battling for a top-five every time, I would have been pretty stoked, but after winning last year, it's hard to beat that feeling." Nicky Hayden started getting good drives off turn two to regain the ground that he had lost on Varnes in the first few laps, and by lap 10 he was nipping at Varnes' heels. After Varnes him led across the stripe, with the halfway flags showing, Hayden made his bid for the lead. "I had found a line on the bottom, and I thought that I'd be able to get by him that way, but he heard me down there and moved down and running that line," Hayden said. "Kevin is a good, smart rider, so I knew that he probably wasn't going to let me get by him on the inside. I had to look around and try to find another line. I moved up and started bumping the cush'. The front was pushing, but I was able to make it happen. I just got a good drive and was able to go around him on the outside." (Leftl Terry Poovey (181 finished a disappointing 11th In the main event, once again appearing to be on the fence about whether or not he will retire at the end of the year.