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AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships
Round 3: Illinois State FSlrgrounds
dirt track
The Harlew rider's fortune turns around in just 25 laps
By SCOTT ROUSSEAU
PHOTOS By DAVE HOENIG/
FLAT TRAK FOTOS
SPRINGFIELD, IL, MAY 25
f this edition of the Springfield Mile
could be likened to a high-stakes
poker game, then Team HarleyDavidson's Rich King was just about
down to his last silver dollar when the
25-lap main event rolled to the line.
He had struggled to get up to speed
in practice and then had battled tooth
and nail for the win in the slowest of
the six heat races that made up the
modified event format.
But then came the main event. and
)lis fortunes changed drastically. Call
it luck or call it a bluff, but when King
"called" by leading off tum four in the
final dash to the stripe, he was the
one holding the high cards.
The 39-year-old Iowan rebuffed a
determined Chris Carr to win the
great American race at the Illinois
State Fairgrounds, earning his 16th
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(Topi The Springfield Mile gets under
way with Joe Kopp 131 leading the
pack that includes Kevin Atherton
1231, Rich King 11001, Chris Carr (1),
Jay Springsteen 191 and Kenny
Coolbeth (31).
(Leftl The race settled in with Carr 111,
Atherton {231 and King {1001 pulling a
slight gap on the rest of the field.
10
JUNE 4. 2003'
cue
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