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/128232
AMA P r o g r e s s iv e Insu r an c e U .S . F lat Track C hampionshi p s R o u n d 1 4: V e r non D o w n s la p s no o ne el se cou ld match . Co o lbeth to ok the lead from las t year 's winner , K ev in Ath e rto n , on lap 13 a nd then put a halfstraightawa y lead on the field . By mile rac ing standards , it was a huge lead. In the f our y e ars V erno n D ow n s has h o st ed th e Gr and N at i on al Seri es , th e t rack h a s nev er been th e sam e. Th is ye ar's ver sion was arg ua bly th e best it h a s eve r be en . Th e tra c k wa s g roo med betw een eac h ra c e in an effo rt to k eep a groove from f orming and k eeping a s mu ch c ush io n as possibl e. The rid ers e ither loved or hated it, but no doubt, th e sm ooth track create d sp ectacular multiline racing. National Cycle/Kersting-Perry Harl ey -Davidson 's Kevin Ath er to n backed up his fast heat per fo rmance as he opened up a big STORY A ND PH OTO S BY D AVE H OENI G/ FLAT T RA K F OT O S VERN ON,NY, SE 6 PT. o n the AMA's Progressive Insu r - ance U.S. Fl at Tra ck Champion ship t rail , Vernon Downs is as close to a hometown track as it gets for Connecticut's Kenny Cool beth, a nd sinc e the seri es began v isiting th e seven- e ighths-mii e h ors e ra cing venue, he has yet to d isappoint the large gathering of fam il y and friends who attend th e New York m ile. " I don 't think I' ve finished off the podium her e , so I feel pretty g ood coming in tonight, " Coo lbeth said ear ly in the day. This ti me he kept that p o d i u m rec or d intact in th e best possible way , with a spectacu lar ride t o victo ry in the 25 -lap Nationa l. After a midpack start, the KTM North America /Jones Powe rsports rider started cl icking off (A b ove ) Kenny Coolbeth was unstoppable at the Vernon Downs M ile in New York, earn ing h is third career w in and h i s f irst career m ile w in. (L eft) Co o lbeth (31) cam e f rom behind and put a pass o n Kevin Atherton (p a rtia lly h idden ) at the halfway point before pulling away to win by ha lf a straightaway. 40 S EPTEM BER 17,2003ยท e y e I e nevus le ad early in th e N ation al. Fresh off his first win of th e y ear , at Milwaukee, J ohnny Murph ree had h is Coz iahr Har le y -D a v id son /National C ycl e m ount in second , with Har ley -David so n Mot or Co mpa ny 's Rich K ing and B arte ls ' Ha rl ey -Da vidson / Corb in ' s J ay Sp rin gst een fig hting o ver th ird. KTM No rth America / Jones Powe r sports' Joe Kopp held down fifth over anothe r " hom e town hero" Ch ris Hart (o n t he Lomba rd i Harl ey -D av id so n/ Schott Harley -D avidson /R&D Mach ine), and Qua lity Check ed Certifi ed Pre Owned Ford 's Chris Ca rr. C ool beth w a s n ext, but he was obviously j ust getting warmed up . " I' m no t sur e how far back I was," Cool beth said . " I thought those g uys were all go ing to ge t away from m e, fo r su re . O nce Coo lb eth found h i s line, he pic k ed off a rid er a lap until he lo c k ed o n th e Ri c h K ing by l ap eig ht. "I ran them d ow n p retty q ui c k ; I just k ept pick in g th em off, " Co o lbeth sa id. " I was g oi ng int o the c o rn e rs