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/128208
AMA Progressive Insurance U. S. Flat Track Championships Round 2: Paul Battle Arena up," Bastian said. "I kept it on the bottom and just rolled it on nice and smooth. I just can't believe it! The last five laps I knew I could do it. If I just concentrated and stayed smooth, I knew I was making huge time in one and two. I knew once I got by, there wouldn't be anything they could do." In almost a tortoise-and-hare scenario, Bastian inched his way to the front, officially taking the lead for good on lap 29. Carr had nothing for him. "You know, I've won races like that before," Carr said. "You know, you get a second chance, and tonight I lost one that way. Garth Bastian was better the last nine laps of that race than I was." Kopp was forced to "settle" for third place, as he just couldn't quite get around Carr. "My bike was faster on the high line all night long, but sometimes on a short track you have to go to the bottom just to block guys," Kopp said. "If Chris wouldn't have moved up, I know I could have won that thing. I had the lead on him a couple Qualifying 'IT'w@ (?®®\5 [?QOU"li@Q00 what I had been, but that low line I was using just went away, and I lost my rhythm big time. After Garth went by, I moved up. Then Joe went by up high, and I thought 'Man I'm not up high enough.' So I tried to go real high, and Yoder went under me. It was like where are these guys coming from? I looked back, and we had a little gap, so I started working high and low, but nothing was working. I was frazzled. After those guys went by, I was done." Meanwhile, Kopp was flying on the high line. "for the restart I told Travis (Smith) I was going to the top, depending on what the guys in front of me did," Kopp said. "He told me 'No, you have to go to the bottom.' I thought, 'We'll see what happens in the first 10 feet.' They all jumped out pretty good and just pole putted into turn one. I just turned right and went 24 APRIL 9, 2003' cue I e to the cushion. It felt like I gained some ground, so I just stuck it up high, and it was working and working, and I thought, 'Boy I'm going to win this thing.' Chris was stuck on the bottom, and the next thing is, he's looking over his shoulder every chance he could get. He moved up high, and I just couldn't get by him." That little change by Carr kept Kopp at bay but opened the door to Bastian, who was glued to the bottom. "I put my foot on the [inside] berm all main event long, everr when it was real loose there at the beginning," Bastian said. "With my big, wide body, I just kept it there and twowheeled all the way around. No one was going to get under me. "At the end it got real slippery in one and two; I think Joe helped me out, because he was making time up top, and Chris saw that and moved n e _ lIS ®wc9J ffi)@ When the dust settled after the 22 qualifying heats, Moroney's 1-800fASTHOGjAmerican Honda's Jake Johnson was the fastest qualifier. Unfortunately for Johnson, his title defense would virtually come to an end in the fll'st turn of the opening heat race, as his Honda coasted to a stop. Although he would switch to his back-up bike for the semi, the third row-start doomed him. With Johnson out of the way, Chris Carr cruised to the fastest heat win, over Rob Pearson. Bryan Bigelow and Charlie Orr battled over a better starting spot in the semis. The second heat was all Johnny Murphree's as he led Steve Beattie into the main. Shaun Russell easily took the third heat, but the race for second was a dandy, with polesitter Jason Tyer, A.J. Eslick, J.R. Schnabel and Rich King fighting over the last transfer. King finally took over but was well behind Russell. Heat four saw Motorcyclist's Post/Nf Sheldon's Harley-Davidson's Aaron Creamer break on top, with Terry Poovey, Mike Hacker and Eric Rickman right behind him. On lap two, Poovey got out of shape and gathered up Rickman. The red flag came out, and there was a complete restart, with Rickman and Poovey on the penalty line. Creamer repeated his start, with Hacker and Raun Wood fighting over second. Hacker pulled away to leave Mark Williams, Wood and Poovey to battle over third. Ken Yoder got the holeshot in heat five but left just enough room for Garth Bastian to squeeze inside. Joe Duvall challenged Yoder for a while before giving way to Cory McDermitt and Kenny Coolbeth, but they didn't fare any better with Yoder. The last heat was also red flagged on the first lap as Kevin Hilbert and Don Mullen II tangled. Both riders made the restart. Henry Wiles had led the first start, but the time that counted saw Joe Kopp in the lead and pulling away. Kevin Varnes, Wiles and Bryan Smith all held second at one time or another, but it was Mullen, on the move from the penalty line, who took the spot. With only the winners of the four semis going to the main, the action was intense. Bigelow won heat one, but Canadian National Champion Dominic Beaulac was closing, then ran out of laps. The second semi was another barnburner, as Orr and American Suzuki's Eslick traded the lead back and forth. Eslick had the lead It when it counted. USC Racing/lstlegal.com's Poovey held off first Wood, then both Wood and Cool beth to take the third semi. Rickman led most of the final semi, with a big target on his back. first Tom McGrane moved Rickman off the groove, only to have Rickman charge right back into the lead. After repeating this action a few times, Smith stepped up and took his shot at Rickman on the last lap. Smith stalled his bike, but it left the door open for Monster Plates/Paradise Truck £, Tiresponsored McGrane to blast through.