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/128386
AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship Brief'Y··· Heading into a three-week break, the AMA Ford QualiTy Checked Flat Track Championship points race is closing up. Chris Carr still leads in his quest for his seventh crown, but Kenny Coolbeth has narrowed the gap down to 16 points. "It would have been good if Joe and Chris both broke today," Coolbeth joked. ''I'm going to try not to even look at the points. I'm going to go out there and try to win races. That's what we're doing, and hopefully we'll do it at Greenville. Peoria is coming up, and I've been training hart!' We did good there a couple months ago. I think we have a chance." Jared Mees may not be so happy to see the summer break, as he is currently on a roll. "I haven't been on the box at all my whole life, and then I'm on it two weeks in a row," Mees said. "I hope I don't get a fifth or sixth again." It was a bitter night lor 2000 AHA Grand National Champion Joe Kopp. "When the bike started to slow, I was still coming out 01 the turns pretty hard, but I was coming out harder than that belore," Kopp said. '" started a little spin coming out of turn two. I could really rev it harder going into three. We made a lew changes for the main event. They watered it and kind of changed the track for the main event. For the first few laps, I could ride off the groove. I've got to go when I can. I needed those points bad." Kopp fell back to fifth in the points, 38 behind Chris Carr. Raun Wood, KK Supply/American HarleyDavidson's Charlie ltalia, and Team Suzuki Flat Track/Parts Unlimited's Kevin Varnes rounded out the finishers. HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER PERFORMANCE NATIONAL KK Supply/F&S Harley-Davidson's AJ. Eslick had things going his way for most of the 12-lap Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance main event, but Scott Stump had a major fire built under his lima Harley-Davidson/Jeff Eibling/Widman Motorcycle Sales/Bike Works-backed Sportster. Stump worked his way into second, and then grabbed the lead on lap 10. The surprised Eslick qUickly fought back, but he could not retaliate until the last turn of the last lap. Eslick then ran alongside Stump in turn three and made a pass of turn four to win the race. Eslick's F&S Harley-Davidson teammate Ricky Marshall and Doc's HarleyDaVidson/Jim Wagner/K&N's Merle Scherb fought over third. Marshall took over for good on lap nine, taking the last podium spot. Defending series champion Chris Hart cruised home fifth on his Harv's HarleyDavidson Racing-backed Sportster. Pro Sport rider Bryan Hazel has been notching some consistent finishes on his Pure Attitude Active Wear Sportster, and he finished sixth, over Simpson Helmets/C&F Machine's Robert Lewis, who started in second but slowly drifted 26 After finishing eighth in the main event, Paul Lynch may have turned the comer with his new SJS Racing Team. "This was my first National this year," Lynch said. "I think I've missed all of them by one, a couple by two positions. We've always had speed. We've been missing little stuff here and there. Switching rides into the season never helps, but everything is clicking real quickly with the SJS team. Everybody is working together great_ With James [Hart}, it's fun to go racing. I think we're going to have some high expectations for the rest of the year." Crowd favorite and flat-track legend Jay Springsteen made one of his rare appearances at Lake Odessa, but he couldn't get a handle on the tricky racetrack. "Springer" finished with a pair of fourths in his heat and semi, missing the main. (Top) Riding for his new SJS Racing Team, Paul Lynch (19) mode his first main event of the season and finished ninth. (Above) Another Young Lion: West Coast Flat Track Champion Jethro Halbert (69) earned his first "big bike" National start. Holbert went on to finish 12th in the main event. back to his seventh-place finish. West Bend Harley-Davidson/ Innovative Technologies' Jeremy DeRuyter, Low Country Harley-Davidson/Stokes Automotive Group's William Seyle, and Mom & Dad/Scott Stump/Pingel's Brian Phillips filled out the top 10. 01 JULY 13, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS IONIA RACEWAY PARK lAKE ODESSA, MICHIGAN RESULTS: JULY 2, 2005 (ROUND 7 OF 17) HEAT I <10 laps, II riders, top 2 transfer): I. Kenny Coolbeth (HoD); 2. Bryan Bigelow (H-D); 3. Shaun Ru"ell (H-D): ~. ","ul 4'nch (H-D): S. Hen')' WoI", (H-D): 6. Boyan Smith (H-D): 7. Shawn Rae, (H-D): B. Ga')' Roge... (H-D): 9. J." Roede' (H-D): 10. Joe H"'rich (H-D): II. Rkky M""haJi (H-D). Time: 3 min., 48.097 sec. The best semi action saw local riders Steve Murray and Bryan Smith battling for the last ticket into the main event. Murray held the spot for 7 3/4 laps of the eight-lap race, but Smith slipped inside going into turn three and kept Murray out of his first "big bike" National. There was a little more to the story, however, according to Smith. "Steve Murray used my motor that I used last year," Smith said. "We put it in his chassis this morning. I helped him, and he darn near beat me. I would not have been happy il he'd have beat me out of a transfer spot." Continued on page 28