Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMAIProgressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships Round 1 8: Scioto Downs Kenny Caalbelh finally realizes a dirllrack dream for that last to go, and it just took forever. The last five laps, I was really tip-toeing going into one, because my tire was pretty much shot. This is what I've been working for my whole life. Maybe they'll come a little bit easier now." The Corbin/Samson/Burks' Motorsports-backed Coolbeth had to work his way up from fourth on the opening lap, but was able to use his Carl Patrick-built Harley's horsepower to slice through traffic and pull to the convincing win. "Awesome, this really feels good," Coolbeth said. "I don't think it's really hit me yet. I'm really pumped. I'll be able to drive all the way home. We were able to get faster as the groove came in, but I wasn't sure what they were going to do to the track, so I was kind of nervous about that. It worked out to our advantage, that's for sure. I had to work for the win, and that's the way I wanted the first one to be. It's pretty cool." Ohio's favorite son, Geo Roeder II (KK Supply/Las Vegas Harley-David- STORY AND PHOTOS BY DAVE HOENIG/FLAT TRAK FOTOS COLUMBOS,OH,SEPT.22 enny Coolbeth had become known as the fastest motorcycle racer to never win a Grand National. The 25-year-old had labored on the AMA's Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship trail since 1994. So many times he had come so close to his first win, only to have mechanical problems or fall just inches short. The 2002 season was coming dangerously close to finishing without Coolbeth gaining that elusive win. But when round 19 of the 20-race series came to the Scioto Downs pea-gravel half mile, Coolbeth assumed the lead six laps into the main. This had happened many times before, but always something had short-circuited his race. But not this time. Coolbeth finally crossed the stripe first, earning a much-deserved Grand National win for the first time in eight years of trying. "I was nervous, man," Coolbeth said. "I was waiting for that five to go, K 22 OCTOBER 2, 2002' cue I e n e vv s son), was the surprise leader for two laps, but the tight groove was too much for the cushion master, and he faded to sixth. Jones Powers ports/ KTM's Joe Kopp was the next to lead, but that, too, was fleeting, as defending Grand National Champion Chris Carr had his Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Ford-backed Harley up in the cushion and had the lead by lap five, but it was short-lived. "Chris just got a little sideways," Coolbeth said. "I was on the groove and got a better drive coming off turn four. I was kind of nervous there at first. It took me a while to get all my bearings in place. I just started picking them off. When I got by Chris, he was messing up quite a bit, and I was able to get away." Carr said that he was was real good early, bumping the cushion when he was getting around the competition. "After I got to the front, J dropped down on the groove, but I could never establish a real hot pace," Carr said. "I made one little bobble, and [Cool- (Above) Ohio's own Ceo Roeder II (88) grabbed the earty lead In the Scioto Downs half mile. Roeder leads Steve Beattie (28), Kenny Coobeth (31), Joe Kopp (3) and the rest of the field in round 1g of the AMA U.S. Flat Track Championship. beth) got a good run off the inside, and he got me pretty good. From then on, it was pretty even. I could go as fast as him, but I couldn't go any faster. " Lancaster Harley-Davidson/Saddlemen/Dodge Brothers' Steve Beattie got off second behind Roeder but dropped back to sixth before scratching his way back up to third. Coolbeth and Carr held a short lead over a tight scrap between Beattie and Kopp. "I felt somebody on the outside, and literally he was touching his handlebar on my right boot," Beattie said. "I was thinking, 'Whoever this is, he's trusting me, so don't do anything squirrelly,' but I wasn't going to give up the inside. He was sticking his clutch knob in my boot."

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