Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

straightaway and slipped back to sev- of the race how close they were. I was enth place. The near takedown really reeling them in the last five or allowed Kopp to slip away while six laps, but I just ran out of time. I Johnson attempted to shake off 2002 passed at least five guys, I think. I Daytona winner Rick Winsett Jr. on was just able to roll through the mid- the Patriot Harley-Davidson entry. dle and block their lines coming off." Poovey quickly regained his compo- Kopp finally did hold ground in sure and went back on the charge, sixth place, finishing ahead of Win- lining up Winsett in his sights. Poovey sett. Team Harley-Davidson's Rich passed Winsett on lap six, but then King came from Poovey's ignition went sour on lap aboard his Bill Werner-tuned Harley- 10, the Texan's Rotax belching a big Davidson XR500R. Scott Power- 11th to eighth fireball out the exhaust pipe and sig- sports/Greenland Masonry's John naling the end of his bid for a third Raun Wood and White's Harley- Daytona victory. "Hell, I wasn't going to win tonight out the top 10. anyway," Poovey said. "The racetrack was just too shitty in the main event for me. Where I was, I was going to get maybe third or fourth until the thing broke. I had caught back up to Kopp and Johnson. Oh well, it's okay." Johnson, meanwhile swapped positions with Kopp on the back straightaway and into the turns during laps nine through 12, although John- Davidson's Michael Varnes rounded eN Daytollll Munlcip.' Sbdium Daytollll Buch, Florio Results: M.n:h 8, 2003 IRound 1 of 181 HEAT 1 (10 laps; 10 riders. top 2 transfer): 1. Chris Cerr (Vor); 2. J.R. Schnabel (Yam); 3. Michael Varnes (Rot); 4. Chris Hart (Hon); 5. Dominic Beaulac (Rot); 6. Sa:m Lowe (Hon); 7. Jeremy DeRuyter (Hon); 8. Clint Erickson (Rot); 9. Jason Tyer (Hon); to. John Nickens III (Hon). Time: 3 min., 14.746 sec. HEAT 2 (10 laps; 10 riders, top 2 tumsrer): I, Johnny Murphree (Rot); 2. Rich King (H-O); 3. Shaun Russell (Rot); 4. Donnie Mullen II (Hon); 5. Geo Roeder II (Hon); 6. Jess Roeder (Hon); 7. Robert Lewis Jr. (W-R); 8. Jerry Cartwright (Hon); 9. Justin Jay Springsteen isn't through yet. After a good perfonnance in the race, he decided that retirement can walt. He got away third at the start of the main, and that's where he ended up after a rather uneventful race. Voight (Hon); 10. Henry Wiles (Rot). son always managed to stay ahead at Time: 3 min.• 21.354 sec. the stripe. The battle was just enough Terry Poovey (Rot); 2. Jake Johnson (Han); 3. Greg Tysor (Han); 4. Rob Pearson (Han); 5. Willie McCoy (Rot); 6. Pat Behrle (Rot); 7. Kevin Vemes (SUI); 8. Garth BlIstien (Rot); 9. Brandon Laursen (Rot); 10. of a distraction that he was never able to mount a serious charge at Springsteen until it was too late. Even so, Johnson put in a good run aboard the DTX-Iook Honda, which he rowed between fourth and fifth gear all night long. "Having to shift didn't bother me at all," Johnson said. "A couple times I just tried running one gear when I was battling with Joe, but it hit the rev limiter. I almost got into Joe one time, but we never hit. It was a clean race. I kind of thought I could reel them guys in a bit, but I just ran out of laps. Leaving Daytona with fourthplace points, you can't expect much better than that. It's a lot better than what I did here last year, when I left with zero points." Kopp wasn't able to cut his losses to fifth place, either, as 1995 Daytona winner Brett Landes finally got going at about the same time. The Californian squandered his front-row start, running 10th on the opening lap aboard his Audiovox/Quaker State Rotax, but then he managed to pick his way through the field, grinding his way underneath fellow Daytona winner Winsett in turn one for the sixth spot on lap 14. Landes then hunted down Kopp just before the five-lap sign was shown to the field, running side by side with the former series champion on the back straightaway before rolling the low line in three and four to perfection for a quick escape to take fifth place. It marked a fine return to form for Landes, who has put together some nifty performances at the short track. Up until last year, he had not missed both the Fridayand Saturday-night main events at Daytona since 1994. HEAT 3 (10 laps; ) 0 riders, top 2 transrer): 1. Scon Sehl (Rot). Time: 3 min .• 22.165 sec. HEAT 4 (10 laps; 10 riders, top 2 transfer): I. Rick Winsett Jr. (Rol); 2. Joe Kopp (KTM); 3. Steve Beattie (Rot); 4. Shawn Clark (Rot); 5. Cory McDermitt (Rot); 6. Chris Evans (Han); 7. Steve Murray (KTM); 8. Tim Elldes (Yam); 9. Jered Cheney (Rot); 10. Bryan Douglas (Rot). Time: 3 min.• 25.857 sec. HEAT 5 (10 laps; 10 riders. top 2 transfer): I. Jay Springsteen (Rot); 2. Bryan Smith (Rot); 3. Bryan Bigelow (Han); 4. A.J. Eslick (Suz); 5. Noot Irvin (Hon); 6. Robert Weiss (Han); 7. Greg Sims (Rot); 8. Brody Miller (Rot); 9. Dan Stanley (Rot); 10. Jeff lllndrum (Rot). Time: 3 min.. 28.192 sec. HEAT 6 (10 laps; 10 riders, top 2 transfer): 1. Brett Landes (Rot); 2. Kenny Coolbeth (KTM); 3. Mike Hacker (Rot); 4. Greg Teegue (Rot); 5. John Raun Wood (Rot); 6. Tom McGrane Jr. (Rot); 7. R.J. Overholt (YlIm); 8. Paul Lynch (Han); 9. Benny Carlson (Han); 10. Aaron Creamer (Han). Time: 3 min.• 35.814 sec. SEMI I (8 laps; 12 riders, winner transfers): 1. Michael Varnes (Rot); 2. Donnie Mullen II (Han); 3. Pat Behrle (Rot); 4. Willie McCoy (Rot); 5. Geo Roeder II (Han); 6. Jeremy DeRuyter (Han); 7. Clint Erickson (Rot); 8. Jerry Cartwright (Hon); 9. Justin Voight (Hon); 10. Scott Sehl (Rot); 11. Chris Hart (Han): 12. Brandon Laursen (Rot). Time: 8 min., 47.627 sec. SEMI 2 (8 laps; 12 riders, winner transfers): l. Sam Lowe (Han); 2. Dominic Beaulac (Rot); 3. Shaun Russell (Rot): 4. Greg Tysor (Hon); 5. Kevin Vames (Suz): 6. Rob Pearson (Han); 7. Henry Wiles (Rot): 8. Jess Roeder (Hon); 9. Garth Basthm (Rot); 10. Robert Lewis Jr. (W-R): 11. Jason Tyer (Han); 12. John Nickens lIJ (Hon). Time: 2 min., 49.920 sec. SEMI 3 (8 laps; 12 riders, winner transfers): 1. John Raun Wood (Rot); 2. Steve Beattie (Rot); 3. Shawn Clark (Rot); 4. Noot Irvin (Han); 5. Tom McGrane Jr. (Rot): 6. A.J. Eslick (Suz); 7. Tim ElIdes (Yam); 8. Steve Murray (KTM); 9. Dan Stanley (Rot); 10. Brody Miller (Rot): It. Benny Carlson (Han); 12. Aaron Creamer (Han). Time: 2 min., 51.796 sec. SEMI 4 (8 laps: t 2 riders. winner transfers): I. Cory McDermitt (Rot); 2. Mike Hacker (Rot); 3. Chris Evans (Han); 4. Greg Teague (Rot); 5. Bryan Bigelow (Hon); 6. Greg Sims (Rot); 7. Paul Lynch (Hon); 8. Robert Weiss (Han); 9. R.J. Overholt (Yam); 10. Brylln Douglas (Rot); 1 J. Jeff Landrum (Rol); 12. Jerlld Cheney (Rot). Time: 2 min., 51.542 sec. GRAND NATIONAL (25 laps; 16 riders); I. Chris Carr (Vor); 2. Johnny Murphree (Rot); 3. Jay Springsteen (Rot); 4. Jake Johnson (Han): 5. Brett lllndes (Rot); 6. Joe Kopp (KTM): 7. Rick Winsett Jr. (Rot); 8. Rich King (H·D): 9. John Raun Wood (Rot); 10. Michael Varnes (Rot); 11. J.R. Schnabel (Yam); 12. Cory McDermitt (Rot); 13. Kenny Coolbeth (KTM); 14. Bryan Smith (Rot); 15. Sam Lowe (Hon); 16. Terry Poovey (Rot). Time: 8 min.• 35.426 sec. Margin of Victory: 00.989 sec. AMA PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE U.S. FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS SERIES STANDINGS (After 1 of 18 rounds): 1. Chris Carr (23/1 win); 2. Johnny Murphree (19); 3. Jay Springsteen (16): 4. Jake Johnson (15); 5. Brett Landes (14); 6. Joe Kopp (13); 7, Rick Winsett Jr. (12); 8. Rich King "Another top five? I'm happy," Landes said. "Of course, I want to (9); II. J.R. Schnabel (8); 12. Cory McDermitt (7); win, and that's what I come down Sam Lowe (4); 16. Terry Poovey (3). here for. I just didn't get the start I needed to get, and that cost me early on. I was really surprised at the end (11); 9. John Raun Wood (10); 10. Michael Varnes 13. Kenny Coolbeth (6); 14. Bryan Smith (5); 15. Upcoming Rounds: Round 2 - Tunica, Mississippi, March 29 Round 3 - Springfield, Illinois, May 24 BRIEFLY••• Chris Carr was especially happy that his third career Daytona Short Track victory was accomplished on a machine that he and tuner Kenny Tolbert have been preening into a competitive flat track single for the past two years, the Italian-made Vor. -To win here in Daytona is going to do a lot for that brand," Carr said. "It's a small company, but we're hoping to establish a lillie bit of growth for them. - Tolbert has echoed Carr's enthusiasm for the Vcr since day one. -These things are just so dam neat," Tolbert said. "You know how sometimes we get involved with these kinds of projects and they tum out to be a really big job. This thing is different. Working with it has really been a lot of fun for me. No surprises here: Aher clearly stating that he intended to retire from active competition aher the 2002 season. Terry Poovey has changed his tune. -rll be in the top 20 at the end.Poovey said. "rm not retiring. but it looks like we do have a deal to run some Supermoto races and some Formula USA races, and that's what rm going to do. rll run AMA races that don't con· fllct With those other races. The main thing IS that for the last two years, my sponsor. Roy Plattel of 1stLegal.com. has let me do the Formula USA thing. Last year, he wanted to race Hondas, and I wanted to race ATKs, and he let me race ATKs. Now he has come back around to help me again, so I feel like now we need to do what he wants to do." SuperTrapp/Moroney"s Harley·Davidson's Mike Hacker appeared to be the fastest rider who didn'/ make the main event at Daytona, a fact that had the Virginian less than pleased. Hacker has traditionally run extremely well at the Friday night Hot Shoe National. only to blow it on Satur· day night. "I don't know what it is about this place, but I cannot figure it out. - Hacker said. "I just have to work harder. That's alii can say. I need to get my short-track skills up to par. - The fact that American Supercamp instructors Carr and Murphree ran first and second in Ihe main event was not lost on Hacker either. Tm going to Iry 10 gel into one of those, seriously, - Hacker said. "I just have bad luck here every year... Team Honda's new MotoGP superstar, Nicky Hayden, was right where he wanted to be on Saturday night watching the Daytona Short Track. "I love this place, - Hayden said. "It's really a point·and-shoot track, which suits my style. ,. Aher the main event. Hayden offered his thoughts on the 2003 dirt-track season "Man, Carr has 25 points already, - Hayden said. -Them other boys are going to be playing catch-up all year long.Nicky Hayden wasn't the only Team Honda icon present at the Daytona Short Track. Fresh off his fourth consecutive win at the Daytona Supercross, reigning AMA Supercross and National MX champ Ricky Carmichael took in the action at Municipal Stadium. -I love this, - said Carmichael. a fan of many disciplines. "I don't know how Ihese guys do It. This is real racing 10 me. ThiS is pressure." Speaking of Hondas, Jake Johnson offered high praise for his American Honda·backed machine, which has had its rear suspension reworked but otherwise runs with the stock mainframe and bodywork. -A lot of other guys have lried these. but they don't seem to iike them. I love them. I really think that the way we have them set up and the way that they come off the comers really suits my style. We really nailed the setup here tOnlght.While five different brands were represented in the main event. there were no Suzukis among them. Aher finishing third at the Short Track last year, new Team Suzuki nder Kevin Varnes joined teammate A.J. Eslick on the sidelines this year. Vames was disappointed, but he remained upbeat about the team and the program. -Things were going good until I crashed while leading my scratch heat. - Varnes said. -I got In, but that put me on the second row for my heat. ThaI just put us behind the eight-ball for the rest of the night. I struggled. I could get In the comers good and come off good, but I was having trouble in the middle of the comers. - Even so. Varnes IS confident that his Suzuki DR-Z is ready to rock. ·We have plenty of horsepower. - Vames said. -The thing is as fasl as anything out there. Suzuki IS commilled. I never even rode the bike before tonight. If we had run on Friday night. that would have been a good test for us. and things might have turned out differently, and if I had gollen a front-row start for tOnight. it might have been different. too. I think that we're going to be good this year. We're prepared.- Normally. the Friday- and Saturday·nlght Daytona Municipal Stadium events mark the beginning and end of the week for Jay Springsteen, bul the three· time Grand National Champion was a busy fellow this year. In addition to the f1al tracks, Springer rode a Keith Campbell-owned, Carl Patrick-tuned Harley-Davidson XR750n to victory in the AHRMA Formula Vintage road race at Daytona Intemational Speedway on the Tuesday before the Daytona Short Track. and he also contested the BMW Boxer Cup spec. road race series at the Speedway on the day after the Daytona Short Track. In that event, Springsteen qualified 36th and finished 26th. cue I II! n eVIl'S MARCH 19,2003 31

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