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(Left) Jennifer Snyder (151 put together a late-race charge In the main event to nln as high as second on the last lap. Snyder slipped back to fifth at the finish, but proved that she has completely recovered from the devastating injuries that she suffered at the Seattle Mile in 2001. (RIght) Kevin Atherton was the fastest rider with the worst luck. Atherton appeared set to win the Pro Singles main event when he ran out of gas two laps from the finish. A crash in the Super Singles & Twins race knocked him out of contention there as well. start of the main that he would be a serious contender. But although his heart was in it, his bike was not, and on lap 10 King came to rest on the outside of turn two with a broken shock. "I'm very disappointed," King said. "The track was in good shape, and we had very strong equipment. We were in great position to get a win for Harley-Davidson... Atherton led through lap 18, and then followed Poovey for three more rounds. The unthinkable happened on lap 22, though, when Atherton coasted to a stop, out of fuel. It marked the second time in two years that a rider has lost a race by running out of fuel at Sacramento. Last year, Dan Stanley won the Pro Singles main event and then lost the Super Singles & Twins race by running out of fuel two laps from the end. With Poovey's competition sidelined, and very little time left in the main event, the best Kopp could do was finish a distant second. Trading second place through lap 24 were Kopp, riding a KTM, Bryan Smith, on a Honda, Willie McCoy, on an ATK, and Jennifer Snyder, the number-two rider for the factory Harley-Davidson team. Snyder, making a remarkable run from her last-place starting spot, was given credit for second on the white-flag lap. She held second going into three, then through turns three and four she lost forward traction, giving Kopp and Smith their only opportunity to get by her for second and third. "I followed Smith for quite a few laps," Kopp said. "When I looked back, I saw two riders coming up but I didn't know whether it was Snyder or McCoy. I thought to myself. 'I got to get racing these last couple of laps.' When Snyder went by me on the last lap, I was thinking that she'd be hard to get by as she's so small and light, which makes a big differ· ence on these long straightaways. But she slipped off a bit going into the last corner, and went in a little too hot and got on the edge of the groove. That was my opportunity to get by her." Snyder scrubbed off so much speed that Willie McCoy passed her on the front straight to finish fourth, relegating her to a fifth-place finish. But fifth wasn't bad considering that, after last year's crash in Washington, some questioned her return to racing. Snyder removed all doubt by qualifying fourth, placing third in heat race number three, then displaying a tenacious ride to the front in the main event. J.R. Schnabel was tied for the points lead going into Sacramento, but missed a transfer opportunity and finished sixth in the first heat. Starting in the second row of the first semi, Schnabel, on a Rotax, raced his way to third, challenging Stanley on a Honda for the last transfer spot. But Schnabel fell short as Stanley wisely out· maneuvered him, keeping his main event hopes alive. Dave Durelle garnered a win for Suzuki, staying ahead of Stanley in the first Pro Sin· gles semi. Durelle also placed fifth in the first heat race. Pro Singles semi number two was an all-California affair and a Honda sweep, as Gary Rogers of San Jose and Nate Wait, of Lodi, made the main event. Wait had a fifth place in the second heat race, while Rogers was seventh in the first heat. Third-fast qualifier Steve Murray pulled out a narrow win over Aaron Creamer riding a CCM in the lastchance qualifier. Murray, on an ATK, missed the last transfer with a fifth in the third heat race, then managed a fourth in the second semi. The second and third heat races in came together. Poovey slid out of the groove and fell back to sixth. "That race stayed pretty crowded at the front," Poovey said. "I thought I had it won when Kevin ran into me and took me out of the groove. At that point, it was anybodY's race." Roeder, winner of the second Super Singles & Twins heat race, stayed in the hunt, edging out Smith for third behind Schnabel, who won heat two. McCoy took fifth at the line over Poovey. Atherton, riding a Harley·Davidson twin and garnering fast times in both classes, was only half a second faster on his Super Singles & Twins mount. He was the first rider to break the 38second mark in the Pro Singles class. In 2001, the quickest time was only 38.267 seconds at 94.076 mph. Atherton, although fast in both classes, missed his transfer chance in the first heat, with a fifth-place finish. He dueled with Jason Tyer and Rogers before earning the win and the transfer. Poovey now goes to Tacoma for the TT event with a 42-point lead over Schnabel, Kopp and King in the Formula USA Drag Specialties National Dirt Track Series points standings. In the Super Singles class, Kopp has put himself in the hunt for the 1st Legal.com Challenge. CN the Pro Singles class were so close that the bikes were quicker than the eye as the computer and photos determined the winner of both races. Brian Vincent was declared the winner of the third heat race over Matt Wait. Snyder, Wait and Vincent came to the line side by side. Honda rider Cory West claimed the second heat race as McCoy, Smith and Larry Pegram all came to the line within inches of each other. The Super Singles and Twins main event went to Kopp, as he passed Schnabel on the last lap for the win. There were 23 lead changes in the 12-lap event. George Roeder II, of Monroeville, Ohio, riding a HarleyDavidson, led the first lap. The lead was swapped twice, and when they came to the flag on round two, it was Smith ahead of Roeder and Schnabel. Positions were traded on the back stretch, but lap three was given to Smith as they came to the line. In a surprising move, Poovey used the draft, shooting from fourth place to first going into turn three. He held the lead through lap six as the three riders came to the line. Smith nosed out Poovey to get credit for the seventh lap. Poovey and Smith swapped the lead on the back stretch, then Smith drafted by him leading one more lap. On lap nine, the lead changed three more times before coming to the line with Poovey leading the way. In round 10, the tide had changed as Poovey and Atherton Cal Expo State fairgrounds Sacramento, Califomia Results: September 14, 2002 (Round 6 of 91 PRO SINGLES NATIONAL (2S laps; 18 riders); I. Terry Poovey (ATK); 2. Joe Kopp (KTM); 3. Bryan Smith (Hon); 4. Willie McCoy (ATK); 5. JenniFer Snyder (H-D): 6. Brian Vincent (Hon); 7. Nate Wait (Hon); 8. Matt Woit (Hon); 9 Steve Murroy (KTM); 10. Lorry Pegrom (Suz); 11 Cory West (Hon); 12. Dan Stanley (Hon): 13. Gery Rogers (Hon); 14. Aaron Creamer (CeM); 15. Paul Bergstrom (Hon); 16. Kevin Atherton (Hon): 17 Ollve Durelle (Suz); 18. Rich King (H-D). Time: 16 min. 16.924 sec. FORMOLA OSA/DRAG SPECIALTIES NAT'L DIRT TRACK SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (Afler 6 of g rounds); I. Terry Poovey (228/1 win); 2. (TIE) J.R. Schnabel (186/1 w,n)/Rich King (186/2 wins)/Joe Kopp (186/1 won); 5. Bryon Smith (12): 6. Don Stonley (116); 7. Lorry Pegrom (106); 8. (TIE) Kenny Coolbeth (l04)/Willie McCoy (104); 10. Chris Corr (86/2 wins); I I. Steve Murroy (76); 12. (TIE) Cory West (62)/Jored Mees (62)/Mott Woil (62): 15. Bry~n Bigelow (60); 16. Jennifer Snyder (58): 17. Trenton Bailey (56); 18. Brion Vincent (52); 19. Merle Scherb (50); 20. Cory McDermitt (44). SOPER SINGLES & TWINS CHALLENGE (10 laps; 10 riders); I. Joe Kopp (H·D); 2. J.R. Schnabel (H-D); 3. Geo Roeder II (H·D); 4. Bryan Smith (ATK); 5. Willie McCoy (ATK); 6. Terry Poovey (Hon); 7. Jess Roeder (H-D)j 8. Larry Pegram (Suz): 9. Jason Tyer (H-D); 10. Kevin Atherton (H·D). Time: 7 min., 34.176 sec. Joe Kopp (centerl bagged a lucrative victory In the 1stlegal.com Super Singles & Twins Challenge, barely beating J.R. Schnabel (left), who was aboard Rich King's factory Har1ey-Davidson for the 10-lap race. Geo Roeder II (right) finished third. cycle Upcoming Rounds: Round 7 - Tacoma, Washington, September 28 Rounds 8/9 • Del Mar, California, October 5-6 n e ..... • OCTOBER 2.2002 35