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/128389
Joe Kopp picks up his first win of '05 STORY AND PHOTOS BY DAVE HOENIG/FLATTRAKfOTOS.COM resh off a short vacation, the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship Series resumed at a brand-new venue. The Treaty City Motorcycle Club and Darke County Agricultural Society hosted the first annual Annie Oakley Shootout on the Darke County Fairgrounds' pea-gravel half mile, where after a red-flag restart and 25 wild laps Latus Harley-Davidson/Jones Powersports' Joe Kopp came away with the hard-earned win. "I was fired up after breaking at Lake Odessa," Kopp said. "I needed it really bad." Kopp had nailed the start of the 25-lap National, only to see the red lights flash as the leaders stormed down the back straight on lap two. Canadian cushion specialist Dominic Beaulac slid his KK Supply/Picotte Performance-backed Harley-Davidson down when he ran out of room at the top of turn one. In the confusion, Dan Gedeon also dropped his Fatzinger Auto Salvage! Jonny's Vintage- F 44 AUGUST 3,2005 • backed Harley on the bottom of the turn. Both ridtt.nry Wiles (17) ....... hoIeshot __ .... ers made the restart from restarted main - ' got under WG'f In eame", foIlawec1 by Carr (1) and Kopp (3). Wile. would the penalty line. end up fourth at the flnl.h. KK Supply/Winchester Harley-Davidson/Twigg Cycles' Henry Wiles was the first few laps," Wiles said. "He got a the surprise leader on the restart as he good run on me, but he kicked his back grabbed the holeshot over Quality Checked Certified Pre-Owned Ford's out right on my front wheel. That took me all the way up to the hay bales and Chris Carr, Kopp and Saddlemen/ Lancaster Harley-Davidson's Jared Mees. kind of messed me up. I had a freight train right there inside of me, and I went from "I got a great start, I was haVing fun," Wiles said. "I felt really comfortable out first to fourth. That messed me up, but I just regrouped and kept going." front. I'd rather be out front, especially on a track like this, where you get sprayed Schnabel said he had a great bike and down." got a decent start. "I think Iwas third or fourth," Schnabel Clearly the fastest rider on the track said. "I was follOWing my high line that I was Memphis Shades!Yamaha/Parts Unlimited's J.R. Schnabel, who had his was using in my heat race. I went to the lead and pulled a little gap. I was thinking, yellow Harley-Davidson up in the hay bales and was headed to the front, replac'As this race wears on, this is going to be great.' I was fiXing to run away." ing Wiles at the point on lap three. It wasn't to be, however. Suddenly, on "J.R. [Schnabel] got a good drive on me, [and] he was really hauling the mail lap seven, Carr and Kopp were up front, CYCLE NEWS and Schnabel fell off the pace as his bike dropped a cylinder. "We had 750cc the first couple laps and only 375cc at the end. It wasn't quite enough to get it done in the cushion," Schnabel said. "It was a little disappointing. One time coming down the front straight away it missed a little bit, and I didn't think anything of it. Then in two more laps coming out of turn two, it really bogged down. I thought I knocked the carb off of it. I looked down, and they were both on. I went another lap and a half, and it started running again, and I think was in about fifth. After it took off again, I thought, 'Oh good,' and got back up to fourth, and then it died out again. The rest of the race, it was