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/128326
Gary Rogers was impressive with his eighth-place finish . Geo Roeder brought his KK Supply/Las Vegas HarleyDavidson/Schaeffer's Harley-Davidson up to a ninth, and Kevin Atherton had his Gerencer's Harley-Davidson/Perry Harley-Davidson/Saddlemen-backed Harley as high as fifth before slipping to 10th. My 19 SPORTSTER NATIONAL Twenty-seven riders signed up for the first Harley-Davidson Sportster National of the year. The riders were placed into four heats With the top finishers from each guaranteed advancement and fifth from the fastest heat. Defending series champion Scott Scherb won the first heat on his Illinois OWN RACE Paul Lynch 53 5th Paul Lynch made the most out of his first Nationa l main event of 2004. "I was chasing the moisture. and then I finally ran out of room . The walls were getting pretty close:' said Lynch. "I tried to back off, but I was spinning the tire too much. Every time somebody wou ld get by, I'd calm down and pull back on them, but then I'd get throttle happy, and it would break loose again. Those first few guys had a little bit better setup I think. We were looking forward to this. We struggled in Daytona and that indoor at San Francisco, but I've been waiting for this. I knew it was a clay halfmile, and I've been training hard, and I felt this was going to be a good day. We started the day kind of slow, but once the moisture started to come up, we started working better. I was getting good starts all day. and that reallyhelps. It seemed like every race, Chris [Carr] was right in front of me; I guess that's good and bad news. It would have been good to be in front of him, but he 's not a bad one to follow." 67 Mike Hacker 6th "Finallyfor the main event we put the bike back to the way we always do," said Mike Hacker. "I should have done that earlier, and we would probably have been a lot better off. The bike was definitely capable of winning the main event." 28 Shaun Russell 7th "The key to the main was getting a good start," said Shaun Russell. "I was eighth or something on the first lap, so that was pretty good from the third row . I had a hard time going forward from there. I just kind of maintained. We lost a little speed the re at the end, but it was a pretty good deal from where we started the night." Buell/Doc's Harley-Davidson-backed Sportster. Powell Racing/TNTharley.com's Clayton Riggle was second over Paul Normandin and Brian Kromroy. Lombardi Harley-Davidson/Schott Harley-Davidson's Chris Hart ran away with heat two over Dad & Mom/Doc's Harley-Davidson's Merle Scherb. Ricky Marshall , Scott Stump and Brandon Gary Rogers 8th "It's been a while since we had a good night. We kind of chased the setup during practice : ' said Gary Rogers. "But it allcame together during the scratch heat . I felt good about the main event. Coming from the second row, we got a decent start, but guys were going by me the first half of the race . I dropped to about thirteenth, but I just put my head down and started to move around . I found a low line that was just working killer. I just rode around a smaller track than everyone else. I was about the same speed, just on a smaller track. I had to do something , and it just worked out. I started to pick guys off the last five laps. The track was just beautiful, smooth and consistent - you could just roll aro und. Whoever could keep the most momentum up was doing the best job." 66 G eo Roeder 9t h "We were really last early in the day, but then we kind of slowed dow n," said Gee Roeder. "I got going in the main pretty good. I was coming off the second row whe n Uoe] Kopp missed a gear right in front of me, and that dro pped both of us back in the pack. I was able to start moving up, but it was really hard to make up time . I caught [Mike] Hacker, and I tried to go around him on the outside _ going into turn one . I hit his rear wheel with my handlebar, and it sent me up to the hay bales. If I hadn't done that, I think I could have got a few more, but I'm pretty happy with the way things worked out. I went out on the bike Skip [Eaken] built for these clay tracks, and it felt pretty good , but I tried the one I rode at Troy last week on a cushion, and I was faster on it. So that 's the one we used. I don't know what that means. We were pretty good on the notch . Then I moved up off the notch , and I wasn't as good . I was catching guys, but I'd run it off in there, then you to just squeeze the throttle on easy. Every time I'd get on the gas hard, I'd get sideways. It was like 'Slow down, slow down.' Every time I'd slow down, I'd go faster - too much disciplinefor me." (Above) Kenny Coolbeth rode strong all night, ending up an eventual second to Chris Carr in the National, (Top left) Mike Hacker (67) leads Joe Kopp (3) in the National. Hacker finished sixth with Kopp moving all the way up to fourth, Larsen would also advance out of the fastest heat. The thi rd semi was a rugged one as Harley-Davidson/McDermitt Lima Racing's Cory McDermitt jumped out into the lead . West Bend HarleyDav idson/Mack Daddy Racing's Jeremy Deruyter and TNThonda.com's Shane Vance were battling over second ,