Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Kopp was abl e to salvage a fourth p l a c e fin is h w i t h a l a st -l a p pas s of Hacker. "I tried to go under B ry an [Bigelow] on e lap and c oul dn 't make it with out p ushing hi m , and I d idn't want to do that, " sa id Kopp . " The n ex t co rne r Jo hnny [Murphree] tried to roll around the outside of m e. I thought if he was ma k in g that w o rk , maybe that h igh li ne wa s still there. I tried to m ake it wo rk , and two or three guys g ot by m e. I was abl e to get back by [Mik e) Hacker on the last lap ." BB3 NATIONAL Cape F ear Ha rl ey -Dav idson/ Harley D a v i d so n o f H igh Po in t 's Rob ert Le w is ' and S m o kin Moe s /F r i ez e Harley - D av i d so n ' s Sc o t t Stump led the l Zvlap Na tiona l in to turn one w it h Brian Thomas, Scott Sch erb and Eric Rickman bunched be hi nd . Lew is sli pp ed , and Stu m p led the fir st lap ov er Jim W agner/Mar k Coffm an ' s T ho mas and Li m a H ar l e y D av id so n/ Mc D er m it t Rac in g' s Cory McD erm itt. St ump sm oothl y rod e away fro m t he p a ck as D o c ' s Harl e y Dav idson /J im £, Je n ny W a gn er ' s Scott Sche rb m uscl ed h is w ay int o second over McD ermitt o n lap nin e. Scherb ba cked up his Hagerstown wi n w ith a dramatic last- lap , last -tum p as s for the w in . M cDe rm itt w as a solid th ird . Pow e ll Pe rform a n c e /WD- 40 's Andy Sprin gst een work ed his wa y up from 10th to post his best HDSP fi nish in fourth . Lew is held on for fifth over Gutterridge Harley -Davidson / Aupperl e Rac ing 's Josh Toungett, Th omas and Eric Rickman, who was ma king his first 883 rid e on T ryc e Welch's Sportster. CN Scott Sheri! made • pea In the final comer on the lest lep to win the 883 Netionel. M lnDuri $taU f . lrgraund sedalia , Missaurl Results: August za, ZDD3 l Rou nd 1Z of 17 1 HEAT 1 ( 10 lap s: 9 ride rs , to p three tr ansfe r): I. Kenny Coolbeth Jr. (H·D): 2. Joe Kopp (H·D): 3. Jok e Joh nson (H·D) : 4. J .R. S chnabe l (H· D): 5. Shawn Beer (H-D) ; 6. Sam Lowe (H· D) ; 7. Mik e Hinds (H·D): B. Lee Johnson (SU 9. Scott Scherb(H·D). l): TIm e: 4 m in., 11.81 9 sec. HEAT 2 ( 10 la ps ; to ride rs , top th ree tra ns fe r): 1. B rya n Bi gel ow ( H · O ); 2 . Chr is Carr (H· O) ; 3 . Shaun Russell (H·D) ; 4. Johnn y Murph ree (H· O); 5. Kevin Vames (Suz) ; 6. Reun Wood (H -O) ; 7. J eremy Deru yt er (H· O); 8. Cha rlie Italia (H· D): 9. Tim Eades BRIEFLY••• M o st people felt the racet rack wa s the best it has ever been, much of that att rib uted to the AMA ' s flat track operation s manag er Steve M or ehead . M orehead spent his 48th birthday cruising the race track o n a John Deere tracto r. ' W e have to give props to the birt hday boy Steve Morehead." said Johnny M urp hree . • He worked and wo rked on the track and made a one-line piec e of junk into a race track. By the time the semi s ran , it wa s better and then bet ter yet for the main. I pas sed three guys in one and two one time . I have no idea how.' Bryan Bigelow' s nig ht wa s also bittersweet. " For whatever reason , it just didn 't work out. W ith the w ay this year has gone, I sho uld be happy wit h third , but I thought I really had a chance to w in it. ' said Bigelow . • Peop le kee p telling me you have th ese kind s of yea rs . but I've never experienced it before. It' s touq h - it' s tough on the wh o le team . A ft er las t yea r we expe cted a lot o ut of each other th is ye ar. I told Greg maybe w e burned up o ur luck last year, but it wa s good to be bac k racing w ith the guys up fr ont. I snuck by him , but Kenny [C oo lbethl wa s just too fast. I sho uld have qui t playing ga me s and just w ent for it. Wh at it co mes down to is, I haven 't bee n up the re eno ug h thi s year to remembe r wh at it feels like . " 10. Ricky Winsett Jr. (H·D): II. Steve Beattie (H-D): 12. Goo Roeder II (H·D): 13. Kevin Atherton (H·D); 14. Jess Roeder (H·D); 15. Dominic Beaula c (H·D); 16. Raun Wood (H-D) : 17. Chris Hart (H·D): 1B. (H-D): Ie}. Brion Thomas (H·D). Time : 4 min., 1J.2 75 sec . HEAT 3 ( 10 laps; 10 riders. top three tronsfer): 1. Mike Hacker (H- D); 2. J ess Roeder (H- D); 3. Ja y Springsteen (H·D): 4. Goo Roeder II (H·D): 5. Garth Ba s t ia n ( H·D) ; 6 . Ga ry Ro g e rs ( H· D) ; 7 . Cor y Sbeun Russell (H-D) . Time : 23 min.• 32.525 sec . - Red A89 AMA /PROGR ESS IVE IN SURA NCE U.S . FlAT TRACK C'SHIP POINT STANDINGS (after 12 of 17 round s) : 1. Chr is Carr ( 2 13/4 w in s) ; 2. J ohnny Murphree (l B2): 3 . Joe Kopp ( 172/ 2) : 4. Kenny Coolbeth Jr. (152/1 ): 5. Rich King (123/1): 6 . Joke Johnson ( 113/1) : 7. (TIE) Bryon Bigelow (B2)/ Joy Springsteen (B2): 9. J.R. Schna bel (BO/l ): 10. Kevin McDermitt (H·D) : 8. Paul Lyn ch (H· D) ; 9. Ken Yoder (H·D): 10. Mike Meyer (H-D). Ti me: 4 min.• 12.024 sec. HEA T 4 ( 10 laps; 10 ri der s. to p three t ransfe r) : 1. Rich Ki ng (H- D); 2. Rick y Wins ett J r. (H -D) ; 3 . Steve Beattie (H-D ); 4 . Brand on Cartwright (H-D) ; 5 . Chris Hart (H-D ); 6. Domin ic Beaula c (H-D) ; 7. A.J . Kevin Athe rton (H-D) ; 9. Roy Miller Esli ck ( Suz); a. Athert on (79 ) ; 11. Mik e Hacker (7 6) ; 12. She un Russell (60); 13. Peul Lynch (5 1); 14. Goo Roeder II (SUl): 10. Chris Boone (H-D). Ti me : 11 min .• 57 .36 1 sec . • Red Flog - (50); 15. Steve Beattie (46): 16. Brett Landes (43/1 ): 17 . Willie McCoy (39) ; lB . Jored Mees (36): 19. Rou Wood (35): 20. Terry Poovey (34 ). n HARLEY·DAVIDSON SPORTSTER PERFORM· ANCE MAIN ( 12 lops. 17 riders): I. Scott Scherb: 2. SEMI 1 (8 laps ; 8 ri ders . top t wo transfer ) : I. Jo hnny Murp hree (H -D); 2. Dominic Beeulec (H- D); 3 . Sha wn Clark (H· D ); 4 . Garth Ba stian (H -D) ; 5 . Jer emy Deruyter ( H ~ D ) ; 6. Paul Lynch (H- D); 7. Roy Miller (SUl) ; 8 . Lee J oh nson (Suz). Time: 3 m in .• 20.953 sec. SEMI 2 (8 lap s; 9 rider s , top two transfer ): 1. Kevin Atherton (H- D) ; 2. Chr is Hart (H· D); 3 . J .R. Sch nab el ( H -D ) ; 4 . Ga ry Rog er s ( H- D) ; 5 . Chris Bo on e (H -D ) ; 6 . Ken Yode r ( H· D ) : 7. M ike Hinds (H· D): 8. Kevin Varnes (Suz); 9 . Charl ie helle (H- D) . Time: 3 min.• 23.687 sec. SEMI 3 (8 laps ; 8 ri ders , to p two transfer ): 1. Goo Roeder II (H·D): 2. Reun Wood (H·D): 3. Cory McDerm itt (H -D ); 4 . A.J . Esl ic k (Suz); 5 . Br and on Ca rt w rig ht ( H · D): 6 . T im Ea des ( H· D ) : 7 . Scott Sc ott St ump ; 3 . Co ry McDer m itt; 4 . An dy Spring steen ; 5 . Robert Lewis: 6 . Jos h Toungett; 7. Brian Thom es: 8. Eri c Rick m an; 9. Joh n Faulkn er III; 10 . S h a wn Be e r: 1 1. Clint E rickson ; 12 . Dea n Stand ish: 13. Ben Siudar a; 14. Ben Knight ; 15. Shane Fo x; 16 . Corby Sc herb; 17. Mike Meyer. Time : 5 min.. 20.807 sec. HARLEY ·DAVIDS ON SPORT STER PERFORM· ANCE SERIES POINT STANDINGS (aft er 6 of 10 rou nds): 1. Scott Sche rb (9 9/2 win s); 2. Scott Stum p (92): 3. Cory McDermitt (BB): 4. Shown Boer (73): 5. Robe rt Lew is (68 ); 6. J o sh Toungett (6 5) ; 7. Merle Scherb (53) ; B. Bri an Tho mas (5 2); 9 . Jared Mees Scherb (H·D); B. Sam Lowe. Ti me : 3 m in.• 21.750 sec. GRAND NAn ONAL (25 laps, 1B riders): I. Ken Coolbeth Jr. (H· D); 2. Johnny Murphree (H·D) : 3. Br ya n Bigelow ( H-D) : 4 . J oe Kopp (H -D ); 5 . Mi ke (49/2); 10. Andy Springsteen (46). U pco mi ng Ro unds Round 13 - M ilw aukee , W isconsin , Au g ust 29 Rou nd 14 - V ern on , Ne w York . S eptember 6 Hacker (H-D); 6 . Chris Carr (H-D) : 7. Rich King ( H ~ D); 8. J ake Johnson (H -D) ; 9. J ay Springsteen (H-D ); K e n n y C oolbeth was not as dominant gaining his second G rand N ational win as he was last year at Columbus . • Befor e the red flag . Joe IKoppl had a pretty good gap : Cooibeth said . - I don't know if he would have just kept pulling away or not. I do n' t know wh at would have happened if we didn 't have that restart : fortu nately we did . I wa s fifth on the re start. and Rich [K ingl got real sideways o n the single file restart. Chri s [C ard almo st got into him, and I almost hit both of the m . Luckily, no one go t together. It was pretty exci ting . There 's nothing easy in th is business - you de finitely have to work for everything you ge t. • As the remain ing ro unds of the Progressive Insuran ce U .S . Rat Track Cha mpionsh ip dwind le , de fending champion Chris Carr's points lead stays stro ng . ' W e were leading by 37 poin ts co ming in. and now it's 3 1. " Carr said. " O f co urse, w e w ould rather have increase d the lead . but we didn 't have a real stron g night. It' s st ill a so lid lead . We 'll take it and move on to Mi lw aukee . ' Johnny Murphree holds second in the poi nts but is far from happy wi th the way the yea r has prog ressed . ' It's just a big fight every w eek end, " Mu rphree said . " I ju st fight it all night lon g, then we co me out pretty goo d in the main. O nce again it was struggle, struggle, but if yo u keep struqgling. you can get w hat you want. We 're just going to M ilw aukee loo king for a win no matte r w hat. " Mu rphree also added a plug for Danny W alker' s American Supercamp. " Supe rcamp helps out a lot with these situations . It w as real tricky - you co uldn' t just run in there , t urn the gas o n and go . I just kind o f rolled to the center of the tum , no brake and no throttle. W e smoo thed o ut a cou ple of laps in. I wa s pinning the thing early off turn fo ur. I still had to find the mo isture and find the straight lines . It wa s just enough to get arou nd tho se guy s . On ce I co uld ride my own line , I made up q uite a bit of time . It' s getting really frustrating · once again being the fastest guy not to w in it.' (Fro m le ft to ri g ht) Murphree, Coolbeth and Bigelow celebrate their t op-three finishes. c ue I e n e 'ftI' s S EPTEM BER 3 , 2003 25

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