Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

He will likely make his 750cc debut aboard one of Johnny Goad's Lancaster Harley-Davidson/Saddlemen Racing entries at the Lima Half Mile. "I didn't get off to the best start, but I just found a line and calmed down and rolled on the throttle and kept the wheels in line," Mees said. "All I could think about was making I can ride the big bikes. points. Now We had a rough start to the season; we've broken a lot of bikes. Hopefully now our luck is turning around." eN Tri-Clty Speedway Granite City, Illinois Results: June 14, 2003 (Round 6 of 181 HEAT 1 (10 laps; 11 riders. top 3 transfer): I. Terry Poovey (H-D); 2. J.R. Schnabel (HoD); 3. Steve Beattie (HoD); 4. Shaun Russell (H-D); 5. Chris Hart (H-D); 6. Geo Roeder II (H-O): 7. Aaron Creamer (HoD); 8. Mike Hinds (H-D); 9. Timmy Mitchell (H-D); 10. Robert Lewis (H-D); t 1. Brien Thomas (H-D). STANDINGS (After 6 of 18 rounds): 1. Chris Carr (Ill /2 wins); 2. Joe Kopp (95/1 win); 3. Johnny Murphree (92); 4. Rich King (69/1 win); 5. Kenny Time: 4 min., 25.135 sec. HEAT 2 (10 laps; t 1 riders. top 3 transfer): I. Coolbeth (65); 6. Jake Johnson (60); 7. Shaun Russell (46); 8. Bretl Landes Chris Carr (H-D); 2. Rich King (H-D); 3. Jay (43/1 win): g. Bryan Bigelow (42); 10. Springsteen (H·D); 4. Johnny Murphree (H·D); 5. Chris Boone (H-D); 6. Shawn Clark (H-D); 7. Nick Williams (H·O); 8. Chllrlie Italia (H-D); 9. Roy Miller (Suz); 10. Cory McDermitt (H-D); 1 1. John Raun Wood (H-D). Time: No time, due to red nag. HEAT 3 (10 laps; 11 riders, top 3 transfer): I. Kevin Atherton (H·D): 2. Jake Johnson (H-D); 3. Sryen Bigelow (H-D); 4. Paul Lynch (H·D); 5. Jason Jay Springsteen (38); Tyer (H-D): 6_ Tim Eades (H-D): 7. Rick Winsett (H-D): 8. Jeremy DeRuyter (H-D): 9. R.J. Overholt (H-D): 10. 17 riders): 1. Jared Mees; 2. Josh Toungett; 3. Scott Stump; 4. Cory McDermitt; 5. Brian Thomas; 6. Brian Kromroy; 7. Merle Scherb; 8. Scott Scherb; 9. Corby Scherb; 10. Andy Springsteen; 11. John Faulkner; 12. Shawn Baer; 13. Nick Williams; 14. Robert Lewis; 15. Shane Fox; 16. Stephanie Welch; 17. Todd Perkins. Time: 5 min., 28.275 sec. 16. Terry Poovey (22); 17. John Raun Wood (21): 18. Ken Yoder (20); 19. (TIE) A.J. Eslick (19)/Greg Tysor (19). HARLEY·DAVIDSON SPORTSTER PERFORMANCE NATIONAL (12 laps; Dominic BeeuJac (H-D); II. Michelle DiSalvo (H-D). Time: 4 min., 19.286 sec. HEAT 4 (10 laps; 12 riders, top 3 transfer): 1. Kenny Coolbeth (H-D); 2. Joe Kopp (H-D); 3. WHHe McCoy (H-D): 4. Mike Hacker (H-D); 5. Garth Bastian (H-D); 6. Gary Rogers (H-D); 7. Sam Lowe (H·D); 8. Kevin Vemes (Suz); 9. Ken Yoder (H-D); SEMJ 3: (8 laps; 11 riders, top 2 transfer): I. Johnny Murphree (H-D); 2. Tim Eades (H·O): 3. 10. Jeff Landrum (H-D); 11. Joey Duvall (H-D); 12. Scott Stump (Suz). Creamer (H·D); 6. Ken Yoder (H·O); 7. R.J. Overholt Time: 4 min., 16.465 sec. SEMI I: (8 laps; 11 riders, top 2 transfer): 1. (H-D): 8. Robert Lewis (H·D); 9. Nick Williams (H-D); 10. Scott Stump (Su,): II. Cory MeDelTTlitt (H-D). Mike Hacker (H-D); 2. Chris Hart (H-D); 3. Shawn Clark (H-D); 4. Jason Tyer (H-D): 5. Sam Lowe (H-D); Time: 3 min.. 27.430 sec. 6. Jeremy DeRuyter (H·D); 7. Jeff Landrum (H·D): 8. Roy Miller (Suz); 9. Michelle DiSalvo (H·D); 10. Mike Hinds (H-D); II. Brian Thomas (H-D). Time: 3 min.. 23.008 sec. SEMI 2: (8 laps; 1] riders, top 2 transfer): 1. Peul Lynch (H·D): 2. Rick Winsett (H-D); 3. Chris Boone (H-D); 4. Gerth Bestian (H-D); 5. Dominic Beeulac (H-D): 6. Charlie Italie (H-D): 7. Kevin Varnes (Suz); 8. Joey Duvall (H-D); 9. Timmy Mitchell (H-D); 10. Geo Roeder II (H-D): 11. John I Raun Wood (H-D). Time: 11 min.. 13.795 sec. II. Kevin Atherton (37); 12. (TIE) J.R. Schnabel (24)/Willie McCoy (24); 14. (TIE) Paul Lynch (23)/Garth Bastian (23/1 win); Shaun Russell (H-D); 4. Gary Rogers (H-D); 5. Aaron AMA HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORT· STER PERFORMANCE SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 2 of 7 rounds): I. Cory McDermitt (31); 2. GRAND NATIONAL (25 laps: 18 riders): I. Joe Kopp (H-D); 2. Kenny Coolbeth (H-D); 3. Chris Carr (H·D); 4. Johnny Murphree (H-D); 5. Kevin Atherton Scott Stump (27); 3. (TIE) Scott Scherb (26)/Merle Scherb (26)/Brilln Thomils (26); 6. (TIE) D.nny Eslick (23/1 (H-D); 6. Willie McCoy (H-D): 7. Rich King (H-D); 8. win)/Jared Mees (23/1 win); 8. Shawn Bryan Bigelow (H-D); 9. Terry Poovey (H·D); 10. Baer (20); 9. (TIE) Bryan Smith (19)/Corby Scherb (19). Jake Johnson (H-D); 11. Paul Lynch (H-D); 12. Steve Beattie (H·D); 13. Jay Springsteen (H·D); 14. Tim Eades (H·D); 15. Mike Hacker (H-D); 16. Chris Hart (H·D): 17. J.R. Schnabel (H-D); 18. Rick Winsett (H-D). Time: 10 min.. 39.001 sec. AMA PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE U.S. FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS SERIES POINTS . BRIEFLY. •• "We're ready." defending event champion Bryan Bigelow said before the start of the night's regular program at Tri-City Speedway. '"I've been struggling a bit lately. so I need to get some con~dence back. and it'll be nice to be on a real bike with an extra cylinder here." Bigelow said that he would be on the exact same machine that he used to win here one year ago. "We switched to J&M frames at the start of the season." Bigelow said. "But we dragged myoid C&J-framed bike that I won on here along with us, and I rode it in practice and it felt awesome. so I guess that's what I'm going to be on tonight. It even has the same paint on it from last year. " After finishing a close second to Bryan Bigelow at Tri-City Speedway In 2002, Coziahr Harley-Davidson's Johnny Murphree was looking forward to returning and going one better. "You always want to go one better. - Murphree said. "The track is exactly the same as it was last year. The only way that it's going to get any better is if we keep going out and running around on it. .. Thanks to Debbie Russell. the mother of Bartels' Harley-Davidson rider Shaun Russell. Double Double fiend Willie McCoy was able to enjoy his favorite grub for lunch at Tri-City Speedway. Mrs. Russell carried a carefully wrapped In-N-Out burger with her from Califomia to the track. "It was tasty." McCoy said. "The only thing was that she had to get a new bun for it because the cleaning lady in her hotel room accidentally threw out the bun." The Tri-City Speedway concession stand courteously donated a new bun to the cause. "She [Debbie Russell] did this for me once last year at Charlotte. too." McCoy said. "She said that the next time she's just going to FedEx me a 20-pack so that we can have a big 01" party at the races. I guess this was my good-luck lunch. If I win. 1"11 have to give her a ride on the back of my bike during the victory lap. " Speaking of Shaun Russell. the Californian had one day left of his 23rd year when he arrived at Tri-City Speedway. Russell's birthday is June 15. "Man. I can't believe I'm going to be 24." he 1AJ>ove) Jared Mees won the 884 National. (Top IeftI Let the celebration begin. Joe Kopp takes a victory lap. (Top right .. left to right) Chris Carr, Joe Kopp and Kenny CooIbeth celebrate their three-aile-two finishes• said. "It seems like the time has just flown by. I remember when I started out on the road on 883s. I was 16." Shaun Russell was still hurting from the sprained left ankle that he suffered in practice at last week's Peoria Hot Shoe TT. Russell didn't crash. as we first reported; His foot slip off the pegs over the jump, and he ran over it. "It is how it is," Russell said. "I can put all my weight on it. but I can't move it. But I have to go out there and ride. I'm not some road racer who can skip races and still get paid. I'm already broke." Building XR750s is a lot like building hot rods - many V-eight tuning principles apply to the Milwaukee-bred pushrod V-twins. That being the case. Lombardi Harley-Davidson's Chris Hart and his tuner Carl Patrick are on the same page in spirit. Patrick is the proud owner of a 1939 Ford coupe. a 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle two-door wagon. and until just recently. he also had a 1940 Ford convertible. Hart. meanwhile. just finished the restoration in his 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28. "What's better than bikes and got rods?- Hart said. "That's iN" Even Hart's ~ancee. Heather Cummings. is a certifiable gearhead. who cruises around in a '96 Chevrolet Camaro with a 350 cubic-inch LT-l motor. National Cycle Supply's Kevin Atherton admitted that he has been struggling a lot this season. but he had hoped to turn things around coming into Tri-City Speedway. "We're behind. but I know that I can win one of these. - Atherton said. "You know, those two years that I was off injured. a lot of things changed. Last year we were still trying setups and stuff that we ran in 1996 and 1997, but that wasn't working. We'lI figure it out eventually. It's not rocket science. I still think that I can put it on the box tonight. but I know everyone came here to do that. " One of Geo Roeder II"s Skip Eaken-tuned KK/Las Vegas HarleyDavidson entries is now sporting a new ignition system that was designed by Eaken. "It's a battery system. and it's a lot lighter than a standard system." Many tuners and teams have tried battery systems in the past. with varying success. The battery itself always seems to be the weak link in such a system. That's still the case here, according to Eaken. but that doesn't matter to him. "The battery takes a lot of maintenance. but that's okay." Eaken said. "I don't really care for the standard II: U Upcoming Rounds: Round 7 - Haubstadt, Indiana, June 21 Round 8 - Lima, Ohio, June 28 Motoplat or PVL systems." The originally scheduled running of the Formula USA half mile in Rochester. New Hampshire. on June 13. sent a lot of racers scurrying across the country to St. Louis to make the Granite City Half Mile. The same was true last year. only this year the FUSA race was rained out and was rescheduled for June 14, bringing the two events into confliCt. Very few of the top contenders in both series stayed behind to run Rochester, including defending FUSA champ Terry Poovey. who showed up in the pits to do battle aboard his XR750. possibly risking his chance at a repeat title. "We just felt it was best for me to be here." Poovey said. - Doc's Harley-Davidson of St. Louis is one of my big sponsors. and this is their home race. so I really wanted to be here for them. Our 1st Racing Team still has Bryan Smith in Rochester. so we're well represented at both places.Speaking of flying across the country. reigning Progressive Insurance champion Chris earr likely has the mileage record for the week. -I did a press day at Haubstadt. Indiana. on Tuesday. and then I flew to Atlanta to film a Progressive Insurance commercial on Wednesday." Carr said. "Then I flew home for a day and then flew here on Friday. In the last 72 hours. I've been in 11 airports." Moroney's Harley-Davidson's Jake Johnson experimented with a set of Renthal Jimmy Button-bend motocross handlebars on his XR750 durin9 practice at Tri-City Speedway. The verdict? "I didn't like them. here. but that's not the end of the testing." he said. Kevin Varnes commented on the day that he and his Corbin Suzuki teammates had at last week's Peoria Hot Shoe TT. in which all three riders hit the 9round hard. "That was not our best week." Varnes said. -I was the last to crash. and I was just trying to take it easy when it happened. They say that everything comes in threes. so I should have known that I was doomed." While Kevin Varnes was ready to race at Tri-City Speedway. his teammates A.J. Eslick and Danny Eslick were not. though A.J. was in attendance. "The doctor just told me to take a week off," A.J. Eslick said. '"I'm still having trouble focusing my eyes. and my neck and jaw are real sore. We're just going to sit out this week. and we'lI be ready to go for next week." II: I e n eVIl's JUNE 25, 2003 33

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