Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
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AMA Progressive Insurance U. S. Flat Track Championships Round B: Allen County Fairgrounds STORY AND PHOTOS By DAVE HOENIG/FLAT TRAK FOTOS UMA, OH, J(JNE 28 he last Saturday of June always finds the American Motorcyclist Association's flat track stars at the Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, Ohio. Typical of the rest of 2003, round eight of the AMA's Progressive Insurance US Flat Track Championships was affected by inclement weather. T Heavy rains hit as the qualifying heats were being held. Once the rains 26 JULY 9. 2003ยท cue I e stopped, the track crew went to work, with the road grader being called into action. After sitting through a twoand-a-half-hour delay, the large crowd was treated to a great night of half-mile racing. KTM Sportmotorcycles/Jones Powersports' Joe Kopp had the best night as he took the lead on lap seven of the 25-lap main event and was never headed. Sentimental favorite Geo Roeder had gotten off the line first and briefly pulled to a small lead on his Las Vegas Harley- n e VII sa Davidson/KK Supply/Schaeffer's Harley-Davidson-backed Harley. The first few laps found riders trying lines all over the track. Roeder, the acknowledged cushion master of Ohio led the first lap over Kopp, Chris Carr, Jay Springsteen, Rich King and Aaron Creamer. It appeared that Roeder might pull away as everyone eise battled over second, but Kopp was not to be denied. "The first lap or two Geo kind of gapped me a little bit," Kopp said. "If you start worrying about the guys behind, you can't catch the guy in front. r knew Chris was right there on me, but I just put him out of my mind. The next thing I knew, I was right behind Geo. I knew once I caught him, I was going to pass him; I just had to follow him a couple of laps to figure out how I was going to get by him." Once Kopp had the lead, he smoothly charged to his second win in the last three races. As Kopp rode on alone, the action behind him really heated up. Roeder, Harley-Davidson Motor Company's King and Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Ford's Carr were all over one another. "Honestly Joe's a great rider, but I thought my main competition was going to be Chris tonight," Roeder said. "] could feel the pressure from somebody, then when he went by me it was 'Hey that's three, one can't be too far behind.' Then Rich passed me, and I knew I had to get my crap together. I think 1 was trying to ride too hard, trying to keep up with Joe. Once I started to ride my own race, 1 wasn't fast enough to beat Joe, but 1 was fast enough to beat everybody else. Every time Rich got by me, 1 was able to turn it back under hjm and get back in front." Roeder and King battled away, with Carr sticking his wheel into the fray on occasion. "Me, Geo and Chris were battling, blocking and passing each other, trying to get the upper hand," King said. "I think that's why Joe (Kopp) got away. r felt like I was faster than Geo, but I'd go in and try and square it up, and when I did, Carr would get underneath me and block me off. I could pass Carr easier than 1 could pass Roeder." Carr had been the polesitter via his fast heat time but never fulfilled that potential. "The track dried out, and 1 just couldn't get a hold of it," Carr said. "I think we were a little bit off on gear for the main. I thought we'd be able to run the top in the main event, but it was too dry; there was nothing to get a hold of. My bike didn't work up there. 1 wasn't riding all that well, ei~er. "I kind of lost my rhythm when 1 was fighting with Rich, but no matter what, they both got away from me," Carr added. "I was good early on when there was a little something to get a hold of, but after it brushed off, we just weren't geared to ride the track dry. 1 expected a wet track, and they put water down, but it seemed like it lasted two laps. r struggled the last 12 laps. I fought the bike all the way around. I never found a good comfortable line for a repeated amount of laps." Once Kopp got the lead, he said he wanted to put in a couple of good laps. "After about three laps, 1 looked