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/128381
AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship Series STORY AND PHOTOS BY DAVE HOENIG/FLATTRAKFOTOS.COM emorial Day weekend is always an important time of the year for the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship Series. The doubleheader weekend doubles the number of crucial swing points in a still-young 2005 season. Every spring, the Illinois State Fairgrounds Rodeo Arena hosts a TT the night before the fabled Springfield Mile. The beautiful little arena once again proved to be very comfortable for Memphis Shades/Part Unlimited/Drag Specialties' j.R. Schnabel, who smoked the competition again to defend his 2004 Springfield TT event title. "This place has been good to me," Schnabel said after dominating the 25-lap Grand National main event. "This is the fourth win in a row - two short tracks and now two TTs. It's really helping me rack up some National wins. This track and the Yamaha motorcycle have been the two best things in my career." Mack Daddy Racing/Kiesow Racing's Henry Wiles and Team Suzuki Flat Track/Parts Unlimited's jake johnson waged a race-long battle over second place. The pair ran virtually nose to tail for the entire 25 laps and finished the race the way they started, with Wiles in second, ahead of johnson. "It was a pretty good night," Wiles said. "I thought I might have something for J.R. [Schnabel], but he rode a real good first five laps and got away. I knew jake Uohnson] was right there. Sometimes I could hear him, and sometimes I couldn't." johnson said he didn't get the start he wanted, "I don't know if anybody had anything for j.R. tonight, though; he was really fast," johnson said. "Wiles and I had a good battle, though. He actually stalled his bike early in the race, and I thought I had him. I grabbed a big old handful and spun up the rear tire. He restarted and pulled away from me. I was right there on him but just couldn't find any way around. I'm happy; I can't complain." Schnabel's night had started off shaky M 34 JUNE 8, 2005 • at best as he stalled his engine at the start of his four-lap qualifying heat and started half a lap down. He was only able to salvage a fifth-place finish, not good enough for a direct pass into the night's full program. Seventy-eight riders attempted to qualify for the 48-rider field. "I was panicking after I killed the bike on the starting line in my qualifying heat. It made us work from behind all night," Schnabel said. "We dug a hole for ourselves." Forced to qualify out of the secondchance qualifier, Schnabel started his heat from the second row, where he was able to work his way forward and was closing in on Wiles for the win when the checkered flag fell. That performance earned Schnabel an all-important front-row start for the National, though it was not one of the preferred inside starting positions. "I didn't get first pick for starting posi- CYCLE NEWS tion and had to take the outside, but that worked to my advantage," Schnabel said. When the green light flashed to start the 25-lap main, Wiles got the drive off the inside, with Bartels' HarleyDavidson/TNT Harley.com's Shaun Russell right behind him. When the field hit turn one, Schnabel rode the high line around everyone and into the lead. From that point on, the race was for second as Schnabel checked out. "When we went into the first turn, everybody wanted the bottom so bad that they were all gathered down there, brake-checking one another," Schnabel said. "I just pinned it around the outside. I was leading by the jump and was smiling at that point. "I knew from the heat race, when I got behind Henry [Wiles], that it was hard to make a clean pass," Schnabel said. "I figured if I could put a couple of clean laps while it [the track] was still deep, I could get away." Wiles held down second, over polesitter johnson. The Daytona winner kept the pressure on Wiles for the entire race but could not find an opening. Russell held steady in fourth, over rookie sensation Nick Cummings. "I didn't feel to comfortable early in the night, but as the night went on, it got better," Russell said. "I was able to win my heat and get a front-row start for the