Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

~I AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships Round 3: Illinois State Fairgrounds and a few other recently departed friends of the host Illinois Motorcycle Dealers Association. BRIEFLY••• Grand National number 13 Chris Boone is one of several riders to benefit from stepped-up programs this year. Boone was spotted in the pits warming up an ex-TCR Harley-Davidson, which was purchased for him by sponsor Dick Agles. "We got it from Jim Landes [father of GNC rider Brett LandesJ," Boone said. "I It wasn't an accusation, just an observation: After the Springfield main event. Jay Springsteen commented on Rich King's line selection . .. Rich has got some funny lines here sometimes," Springsteen said. "His bike is fast. so he'll go squeeze it off tight on the inside, then you have to whoa up to let him back in line. It kind of screws you up, but hey, the guy won the race, so you can't say too much." King explained his tactics. "I just like to be on the inside while those guys are barreling around the outSide," he said. "What I'm trying to do most of the time is just tire management. I like to keep the pace slower. It seems like some guys are more worried about their corner speed than their straightaway speed. I worry more about my straightaway speed and the draft. They can go as fast as they want to go through the corners. All that matters is the line." haven't ridden it yet - we just sat on it for the first time this morning. But I do have a lot better program this year. We've got a brand new KTM and two Harley-Davidsons. We're looking to do some good this year. " For the first time in 20 years, veteran dirt tracker Terry Poovey did not run a Honda RS750 through the tech line, the decision quietly closing the book on the era of the once almighty RS. "I'm okay without it," Poovey said. "You know, I could keep racing mine, but then I wouldn't have anything left, and I wanted to keep it around, so I parked it. Besides, I've gotten a lot of help since I'm back on Harleys. Doc's Harley-Davidson and Patriot HarleyDavidson are both help'ing me out now, and USC and Firstlegal.com are still with me, so it's a good deal. It's funny, I was the last guy around to race Bultacos too. I still have one of those left, too." His second-place finish at Springfield meant that Chris Carr is dead even with Scott Parker for the most consecutive Springfield Mile wins. Both have five. "We're sure not dead even on championships won or race wins, though," Carr said. "But we sure went through a lot of years where we made each other better racers. I think that right now, I'm making some of these other guys racers - and I'm still learning myself. So, I'll file this one away. and we'll draw from it in the future. Guys like Scotty Parker and Ricky Graham taught me a lot here. I paid a price for it then, but they were good lessons. I got another lesson to draw from today. We'll just wait for the next one." racer at Springfield. Like the Goad machine, the Lloyd bike went on a diet over the winter, dropping 35 pounds, according to owner David Lloyd. "About two pounds of that came from just stripping the excess wiring out of it," Lloyd said. "Now we're about 16 pounds over the limit. Skip Eaken has worked his butt off on it, and we've got Larry Pegram to ride it today." Unfortunately, in three sessions of practice, Pegram got only a few laps after various gremlins cut his laps short. In his semi, though, Pegram looked strong as he pulled into the lead, only to have another problem force him into the pits. "The thing has a lot of potential," Pegram said. "Unfortunately, about everything that couid go wrong today did. With just three laps of practice, for us to almost put the thing in the main, I think it has got a lot of potential. " Legendary tuner Skip Eaken agreed with Pegram' s take on the Aprilia. "It's definitely a work in progress," Eaken said. "We changed the rear suspenSion geometry on it. and it has only got a three-speed transmission now because that's all it needs. It makes 94-95 horsepower on a Dynojet dyno. Most good Harleys are in the high 80s on a Dynojet. Larry should be able to give iots of feedback on it. He's a great development rider - I know that from working with him in the past. Plus, he has ridden HarleyDavidsons, Hondas, Ducatis and Suzukis." Bryan Bigelow finished ninth aboard a Harley-Davidson XR750 New Englander Aaron Creamer was paid a rather royal visit before the day's racing activities when dirt-track legends Carroll Resweber and Everett Brashear stopped by to chat with Creamer's tuner. Eddie Adkins. "It was pretty neat to have those guys in our pit." Creamer said. Last Memorial Day, Creamer missed the main event by one spot in his heat and in his semi. He was looking for better things this year. ''I'm excited," he said. "I just didn't have much experience then, but now I have more. Plus, I have Eddie, and he has over 40 years of experience in this game. I plan on making the main event today. " Jay Springsteen also commented on his much-hyped Victory Tour. "It's a farewell tour," Springsteen said. "but I can say farewell for years. I'll be at all the races thiS year, and I'll still come to Daytona and here for sure, but after that if a promoter wants me to be there, pay me some money, and I'll be there." Pitside chatter had it that Johnny Goad's new Lancaster Buell was dressed for battle at Springfield sans 25 pounds of Geo Roeder II admitted that it has been tough dealing with the sudden loss of his father, George Roeder, who passed away weight and up 20 more horsepower. All that the former championship-winning tuner would cop to was the diet plan. "It is about 25 pounds lighter than last year's bike," Goad said. "It weighs about 325 pounds now. We have it in a new C&J frame." As for the power increase, Goad kept that close to the vest. "It has enough, I think," Goad said. "We'll find out. If we can just get it to handle... " suddenly just before Springfield. "We're [the Roeder family] doing okay," Roeder said. "Talking to a lot of people about Dad is comforting, but it has been a little distracting here. Our bikes are really ready to go, but I just need to get into the right frame of mind to race today. Dad always used to give me a pat on the back and a big hug before I'd go out on the track. I'm really going to miss that. I also want to say that all the people who have been offering their condolences have been overwhelming_ We have gotten a lot of support, and it makes you feel good to know that Dad was well-liked and respected. I can tell you that there was never a better dad than he was. " Canadian Chris Evans was the rider tabbed to ride the Lancaster Buell at Springfield, and after spinning some laps aboard the machine, he agreed with Goad's assessment of it. "It's got bugs. buddy," Evans said. "It's quick and fast, but we've got to get the shakes out of it. " Just prior to the national anthem. a moment of silence was held during opening ceremonies to honor the late George Roeder Aprilia RSV Mille continued to show potential as a viable Although plagued with mishaps during the day, the Lloyd Racing that might best be remembered as "The Insomniac" by tuner Greg Crow. The story. according to Crow, goes like this: "I was working that engine on the dyno, and it just seemed flat, so I tore it apart at 10:30 p.m. last Thursday night and had it all back together by 3 a.m. on Friday morning. I had to take a couple of those herlbal pills that you can get to keep you awake. But then when I got the motor done, there was no way in heck I was going to get to sleep. " The factory Suzuki TL 1OOOs being ridden so successfully by Kevin Varnes and A.J. Eslick were not exactly the same as those ridden by Kenny Coolbeth one year ago. according to team tuner Dennis Town. ~These have new chassis. a different exhaust and carburetors. " Town said. After the first practice session, the machines appeared to be maintaining the status quo, but in the second session both Varnes and Eslick picked up about 1.5 seconds per lap. Later in the day, Vames would make a bit of history by putting his machine in the main event. F&S Harley-Davidson's Charlie Italia made his Springfield debut a successful one by edging Geo Roeder II out of the main event and making his first Springfield start. "This is my first Grand National twins race, and it feels pretty good to make the main," the teenager said. "I had a tough heat race. but in the semi, I ended up second in that photo finish between me and Roeder. In the main, I just got a bad start. Me and Chris Hart were going back and forth in the back. Typical rookie race. I was just trying to do my best and see if I could at least beat a couple good guys. It was fast out there. It's definitely different. " AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships Round 4: Illinois State Fairgrounds By SCOTT ROUSSEAU PHOTOS By DAVE HOENIG/ FLAT TRAK FOTOS SPRINGFIELD, fl, MAY 26 is NASCAR Super Late Model stock car racing commitments mean that Auctiovox/Quaker State's Brett Landes is no longer a regular on the AJIIA Progressive Insurance U,S. Flat Tl'ack Championships circuit, but in the heat of the day at the Springfield TT, the Los Gatos, Californian proved that when the going gets dry and sUck, he is still as good as anyone else on the track. H n e _ s

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