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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128381
ence, not knowing what to do, trying to
pick the right gear."
Kopp was shuffled from second to fifth
on the last lap, leading part of the
Michigan Mafia - Smith and Springsteen home. Varnes won the war for eighth
over Mees and Murphree. Varnes had
moved through the field, catching Mees,
Murphree and his teammate johnson by
lap 20.
"I didn't get going right away at the
start of the main event," Varnes said.
"The track was totally different than I
ever raced here. I've been racing here for
15 years. It was kind of pick your line. The
groove was slick, so you kind of had to
find the moisture. We were running higher on the track than I've run before. It
was kind of different. I finally got a line
that was working for me, and I was able
to move up."
johnson's race came to an end on lap 21.
"I had an electrical problem - something like that," joked johnson, who was
actually bit by a problem that plagued
many a Suzuki rider back in the
SuperTracker days. As he was coming out
of his tuck down the front straight, he
inadvertently hit the kill switch.
"I wasn't running as good as I wanted
to," he said. "In the heat race, I felt really
good. The track dried out in the main
event. In the practice session, it felt really
good. I felt like I had something. Really, I
couldn't get through the corners as well
as everyone else. I kind of settled in
where I was. Me and jared [Mees] were
running together, and then Kevin [Varnes]
got up there. Then the electrical problems kicked in, and I was parked on the
back straightaway."
Mees and Murphree rounded out the
top 10.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON
SPORTSTER PERFORMANCE
NATIONAL
After the Grand National winners' circle,
the
Harley-Davidson
Sportster
Briefly...
Chris Carr's second-place finish coupled
with Jake Johnson's DNF put Carr back into
the points lead, with 67 points. Kopp and
Coolbeth are now tied for second with 53.
Team Suzuki Flat Track fills out the top five,
with Johnson (49) and Varnes (46).
I.R. Schnabel had set a weekend goal of
30 points and hit it right on the head with
his win in the IT and 12th-place finish on
the Mile. "Next time we come back to
Springfield, my goal is 32 points," Schnabel
said. "That would give me a top-lOon the
Mile and a win on the short track. n
Scott Stump (center) held off Merle Scherb (left) and Chris Hart
(right) to win the opening round of the Harley-Davidson
Sportster Performance Series.
Performance National class held its heats
and National, the first of 2005.
Defending Series Champion, Harv's
Harley-Davidson Racing's Chris Hart won
the first heat over Pore Attitude Active
Wear's Bryan Hazel. The second six-lap
heat went to former Champion Scott
Stump on his Lima Harley-Davidson/Jeff
Eibling-backed
Sportster.
Powell
Performance/TNT Action Sport's Clayton
Riggle finished second. Doc's HarleyDavidson/jim Wagner's Merle Scherb
captured the last heat over F&S HarleyDavidson's Ricky Marshall.
The first attempt to start the 12-lap
main resulted in a red flag when Clayton
Riggle fell in turn one. After some qUick
repairs, Riggle restarted from the penalty
line.
The three heat winners went right to
the point, but Hart bobbled on lap three
and left Stump and Scherb to battle for
the lead. Hart and Marshall fought over
third as the laps wound down. Hart
regrouped and caught the leaders.
Scherb grabbed the lead on lap 10, but
he couldn't hold onto it as Stump roared
back into the lead and went on to victory.
Hart finished a close third, behind Scherb,
while Riggle's big charge took him to
fourth. Marshall held onto fifth as Brian
Kromroy closed in on him. Kromroy was
sixth.
eN
IUINOIS STATE FAIRGROUNDS
SPRINGFIELD, IWNOIS
RiSULTS: MAy 29, 2005 (ROUND
4
OF
Jared Mees was a little apprehensive coming into the weekend but fared well. "Practice went really well for us; I felt fast,'· he
said. "In the scratch heat, Kevin [Atherton]
got away from me pretty quick, then we
got some rain. 1knew the race would
either be spectacular or pretty slippery.
The heat race went really well except for
the last lap. I stuck my foot a little bit and
kind of upset the chassis a little bit. I had a
ninth last night and ninth today. We're
happy with that. I'm like every racer - I
wish I could take the race back and do
things a little different. Now our tracks are
coming up. Those little skittery, groove
half-miles are right up my and Johnny
Goad's alley."
17)
HEAT I <10 laps; 12 riders. top 5 transfer): I. Chris
<:Me (H·D); 2. Joe Kopp (H·D); 3. B