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/128230
AMA P rog r e s s iv e In s u r anc e U .S . F la t Track C h amp ionsh ip R o u nd 1 2: M issouri S tat e F a ir g r o u n d d on e , i t w a s KTM North America / Jones Powersports ' K en ny Cool be th w ho worke d th e tra ck th e best , taking his fi rst victory of th e season and the second of his career. But the win did n' t com e wi thout a fight from the usual pla yers. D efend ing Gr and N at ion al Cha mp i on C h r i s Ca r r p u t h i s Qual ity C h ec k e d C e rt ifi ed Pr e - O wn e d Ford /Lan c a st e r Harl ey -D a v i d so n backed XR-7 50 into tu rn one first in the N ati onal , bu t KTM North Ameri ca /J o n e s Po w er sp ort s ' J o e K o p p qui ckl y too k th e poi nt. Kop p p ulled away from his cha lle ngers in a hur ry as fast q ual ifier Br y an Bige low p ush ed h i s Gardne r Rac ing / W a lt er s B ro th er Ha rley -D av id so n/Lan c ast er S TO RY AND P HOT OS BY D A VE H O E NI G/ F L AT T RA K F OT OS SEDAUA, MO, AUG. 23 he AMA Progressive Insuranc e U.S. Flat T ra c k Ch ampion ship wa rri ors rolled into Sedali a, Missouri, for the ir a nn ual race o n th e weat hered St at e Fairgro unds ha lf -m ile . Over the years the track has received th e rep utatio n o f a " r o u g h " rac etrack , as a l o ng sum m er of car ra ce s us ua lly tak es its toll on the trac k 's surf ace. This year. however , the track wa s surpris in g ly sm ooth - b ut the new challenge was to get enoug h m oisture into th e sur f ace to allow for p as sing . Con st an t atte ntion to the track m ad e tha t pos s i b l e , and whe n all wa s sa id and T 22 S EPTEMBER 3 , 2003' IC U IC I e n e vv s H ar l e y -D a vids on -bac k ed mo unt into second. Harl ey -D avids on Mo to r Company's Rich K ing wa s also o n the m ove, t ak ing third from Carr on lap five. T hen as the field thunde red out of turn four to co m ple te lap six , phase one of the race was ove r . Lomb a rdi H arl ey D av id so n/Sc hott Harle y -D av id son 's Ch ris Hart ha d sp un o ut, collectin g B a rt e l s ' Harley - Da v idson 's Sh aun Ru ssell and Lim a Harley - Davidson/ La s Veg a s Harl ey -D a v id son ' s J ess Roeder in the process . Ko pp 's quick lead was just as qu ic k ly era sed . All three riders eve ntually got up, but o nly Roeder was able to m ak e the re start , as Ru sse ll and H art ' s b i k e were too damaged. "It's just a bummer dea l, anoth er red fl ag - I hate red flags ," said Kopp. "That's tw ice thi s y ear that has ha p pened . I had a good line wor k in g up hi gh and was startin g to work m y way d own th e trac k w hen t h e red fl a g ca me out. " The ra ce now was a 20 -la p event as th e li ght flash ed g reen . B ig e lo w had th e le ad t he fi r st lap ( l ap six) a r o u n d ah ead o f Kopp a n d C ar r. Kopp rega in ed the lead , but the domina nce he ha d shown in th e fi rst part of the race was suddenl y gon e. "I f th e race h ad gon e g re e n t h e whol e w ay , I th ink Joe wo ul d have r un aw ay w it h i t ," sa id B i gelow. " I do n 't know if he lo st fo cus o r if hi s ti re cooled down o r w hat. He was so