Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

(Above) Carr (1) got close to Springer (9), but could not find a way around the three-time champ, who clung to the notchy black groove that had developed on the low line. (Right) Poovey (center) hinted that he wouldn't mind chasing the entire circuit in 2000. Kopp (left) hopes to make a strong run at the championship, while Landes (right) may have a new 750 deal in the works. Brock (Rtx); 9. Chris Boone (Rtx); 10. David lloyd George Richtmeyer (Roc); 4. Geo Roeder II (Rtx): 5. J"son Fletcher (ATK); 6. J.P. Simonsen (Hon); 7. Tom McGr"ne Jr. (RlX): 6. Trenton Bailey (CeM); 9. (Rtx). Robert Knapp (Rtx); 10. Steven Gill (W-R). Time: 3 min .. 15.254 sec. HEAT 3 (10 laps: 10 riders, top 2 transfer): 1. (Hon); 8. Robert Knapp (Rtx); 9. Phil Libhart (Rtx); wm Davis (ATK); 2. Brett Landes (ATK); 3. Rich King (H-D); 4. Willie McCoy (ATK); 5. Dale Willie McCoy (ATK); 2. Rich King (H-D); 3. Roger 10. Paul Normandin (ATK): 11. Chris Boone (RLx); Trenton Bailey (CCM): 6. Shaun Russell (Rtx); 7. Gary Rogers (Rtx); 8. Chris Evans (ATK); 9. Roger Lee Hayden (Rtx); 10. Tom McGrane Jr. (Rtx): II. Dusty Faulds (W·R); 12. Eric Rickman (Hon). Time: 2 min.. 43.813 sec. SEMI 2 (8 laps; 12 riders. winner transfers): 1. ~attie (ATK); 7. Mark Burch (Hon): 8. Ken Yoder (ATK); 9. Brian Shirley (Rtx); 10. Jim Mdlvena (Rtx). Time: 3 mins.. 18.909 sees. HEAT 5 (10 laps; 10 riders. top 2 transfer): I. Paul Lynch (H-D); 2. Roy Miller (Rtx); 3. Mike Hacker (Rtx); 4. Samuel Lowe (Rtx); 5. TIm Eades (Rtx); 6. Greg Tysor (Rtx); 2. Donnie Steward (ATK); 3. Jason Fletcher (ATK); 4. Pat Behrle (Rtx); 5. Garth Brow (W-R): 6. Johnny Johnson (Rtx); 7. J.P. Simonsen Jeremy Thompson (Rlx): 7. Joe Eades (Rtx); 8. Joey (ATK); 14. Paul Lynch (H-D); 15. Steve Beattie (ATK); 16. Greg Tysor (Rtx). Durkee (Rtx); 4. Tim Eades (Rtx); 5. Jl!rl!my Thompson (Rlx); 6. Mark Burch (Hon); 7. Ken Yoder Geo Roeder II (Rtx); 4. George Richtmeyer (Rtx); 5. Jennemlln (Rtx); 6. Steve Bigelow (Rtx); '10. Willie McCoy (ATK); 11. Michael Varnes (H· D); 12. Roy Miller (Rtx); 13. Dan Stanley SEMI 2 (8 laps; 12 riders. winner transfers): 1. Jaime Aguilar (Rtx). Time: 3 min.. 23. t 22 sec. SEMI I (8 laps; 12 riders, winner transfers): I. Kenny Coolbelh (W-R); 2. John Nickens iii (Rtx); 3. Tysor (Rtx); 4. Donnie Steward (ATK); 5. Chris EVllns (ATK); 6. Gery Rogers (Rtx); 7. Johnny Johnson (Rtx); 8. Bill Newkirk (Hon); 9. Eric Rickman (Hon); 10. Dusty Faulds (W·R). HEAT 4 (10 laps: to riders. top 2 transfer): I. Davis (ATK); 8. Kenny Coolbeth (W-R); 9. Bryan 12. David Lloyd (Rtx). Sohl (Rtx); 4. Roger Durkee (Rtx); 5. Pal Buchanan (Rtx); 6. Donnie Mullen II (Rtx); 7. Ian Segedy (ATK); 8. Phil Libhart (Rtx); 9. Paul Normandin (ATK); iO. Bryan Bigelow (Rtx); 2. Dan Staniey (ATK); 3. Greg Chris Carr (Rtx); 6. J.R. Schnabel (W·R); 7. Will 10. Paul Normandin (ATK); t 1. Chris Boone (Rtx); Time: 3 min., 24.245 sec. HEAT 6 (10 laps; 10 riders. top 2 transfer): I. Chris Carr (RLx); 2. Michael Varnes (H·D); 3. Scott BRIEFLY••• Although they were minus Kevin Varnes. the Memphis Shades/Coziahr Harley-Davidson team showed up at the Daytona Short Track with team members Brian Shirley and Johnny Murphree, with Shirley making the 60-rider cut to eam a starting spot in the night's regular program. Team owner Tim Coziahr said that crew chief Babe Demay had headed home with Varnes' broken motorcycle in the hope finding out what caused it to split in two at the Savannah, Georgia. Hot Shoe National earlier in the week. leaVing Varnes with a broken shoulder. "Babe feels just terrible about what happened to Kevin." Coziahr said. "We're disappointed because we were expecting good things with Kevin, but we're still going to have a good year. We got this behind us now, and now we'll move on. That's all the bad luck we·re going to have this year because we've had our share. R Tim Cozlahr did update the condition of Kevin Varnes, reporting that the Pennsylvanian was scheduled for surgery to have hIS shoulder pinned. "The outer bone of the socket is cracked, and the doctors have told Kevin that it will grow back just fine, but If it is not properly aligned, It could wear away at that cushion In the socket: Coziahr said. "So they"re gOing to align it so that he doesn·t have problems with it years down the road. " 'Steve Beattie was suffering from a little racing rheumatism after being battered in a crash during the 12th scratch heat at the Hot Shoe National on Friday. "Dan Stanley's spark plug cap came off when he was in front of me," Beattie said. "My own teammate, and I just happened to ass-pack him wide open. We've got the Advil working: Beattie offered nothing but praise for his new Gardner Racing team, and the Canadian is looking to have a good season. "These guys are great." Beattie said. "They're really relaxed. That's all I wanted, was a relaxed atmosphere with no pressure. So far there·s none, and everything IS going good: As if to prove the point, Beattie made the main events on both nights. .Joe Kopp set fast time in the scratch heats held during the morning at Municipal Stadium, earning a $100 bonus from AMA Pro Racing. "It'll give me a good starting spot in the first heat, when the track is smooth as glass, so we feel good about tonight." Kopp said before the regular program began. He also expressed satisfaction with the new Corbin Racing sponsorship package that has been brought to the Burks Motorsports team, which showed up in a new transporter with Corbin livery, the whole crew clad in matching uniforms. "I think this is great.' Kopp said. "The Corbin people are real fun people to work with, and our team is pretty much the same as it was last year, other than that we have the Corbin colors. Both Kenny (Coolbeth) and I have really stepped it up this year. and we're looking for good things." Kopp finished second in the Grand National main. while Coolbeth finished ninth. Time: 8 min., 20.20 I sec. (ATK); 8. Pal Buchanan (Rtx); 9. Phil Libhart (Rtx); AMA/PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE U.S. FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 1 of 16) rounds); I. Terry 12. David Lloyd (Rtx). Time: 2 min., 44.099 sec. SEMI 4 (8 laps; 12 riders. winner transfers): 1. Steve Beattie (ATK); 2. Dale Jenneman (Rtx); 3. Mike Hacker (Rtx): 4. Scott Sehl (Rtx); 5. Donnie Poovey (23/1 win); 2. Joe Kopp (19); 3. Brett Landes (16); 4. Jay Springsteen (l5); 5. Chris Carr (14); 6. J.R. Schnabel (13); 7. Will Davis (12); 8. Kenny Coolbeth (11); 9. Bryan Bigelow (10); 10. Willie McCoy (9); II. Michael Varnes (8); 12. Roy Miller (7); 13. Dan Stanley (6); 14. Paul Lynch (5); 15. Steve Beattie (4); 16. Greg Tysor (3). Mullen II (Rtx); 6. Joe Eades (Rtx); 7. Ian Segedy (ATK); 8. Joey Brock (Rtx); 9. Jaime Aguilar (Rtx); 10. Jim Mc1lvena (Rtx): II. Brian Shirley (Rtx); 12. Stlmuel Lowe (Rtx). Time: 2 min.. 45.810 sec. Upcoming Rounds: Round 2 - Harrington, Delaware, May 20 Round 3 - Springfield, Illinois, May 28 U.S. FLAT TRACK NATIONAL (25 laps; 16 riders): I. Terry Poovey (Rtx); 2. Joe Kopp (Rtx); 3. Brett Landes (ATK); 4. Jay Springsteen (Rtx); 5. Former San Jose Mile winner Garth Brow showed up to Municipal Stadium for both nights of Short Track racing, marking his first Grand National appearance since 1996, when he rode a third bike for the TCR team for much of the series. "I'm just out here crashin·· Brow said. "I crashed twice last night [at the Hot Shoel and decided to park the bike and wail and see what happens for tonight. You know how it is. once you start [dirt track racing3 you can't quit. I enjoy racing, especially when they·re In my own backyard." Brow missed the main events on both nights. White's Harley-Davidson rIder Michael Varnes put together a great two days at Municpal Stadium. The former Eddie Adkins Racing rider, who plans to run his own bikes again in 2000, started off with a bang by running well at the Hot Shoe on Friday night, where he carded a ninth. On Saturday. Varnes backed It up by qualifying sixth fastest and finIshing second to Chris Carr for a direct transfer to the maIn event in heat six. He was 11 th in the main event. if hay bales could talk, they'd probably tell you that they are terrified of Geo Roeder II. After the hard-charging Ohioan had destroyed practIcally every hay bale in the joint on Friday night. Las Vegas Harley-Davidson/Schaffers Harley-Davidson team owner Chico Bednar elected to park a smashed hay bale next to the team's transporter, thus allowing Roeder the opportunity focus on that one and leave the nice bales out on the track alone. Bednar had also modified Roeders 600 as well. placing a child·s bicycle bell on the handlebars so that Roeder could ring it to let people know that he was comin' through. Unfortunately, despite getting decent starts in his heat and semi, Roeder was unable to put it together for a spot in the Grand National. He was smoother, though. And the hay bates were thankful for that. There was a lot of talk that Brett Landes had put together a deal with Tom Cummings to have Cummings prepare his equipment for the upcoming season, but when asked, the Californian played it close to the vest. "We haven't really put that together yet: Landes said. "I rode TC's bike last night, and I liked it. I liked working with him. We'll see." After Saturday night's Grand National. one of Landes' Harley-Davidson XR750s was spotted in the back of the TCR truck, headed for Michigan. R"och King reported that he is enjoying the additional celebrity of being a Harley-Davidson factory rider. "There are more people paying attention to me now," King said with a smile. "I've sure talked to a lot of people about it. It has all been really positive. I don·t feel pressure, I feel confidence. I'm gelling along with my team, and I'm haVing a great time. Every time we go out on the track, we feel better and better with each other, and we click better. I have no complaints, and I don't think they have any complaints." As you will have read elsewhere in this issue, King went like hell on Friday, and he looked like Scott Parker (that's synonymous with hell at Daytona) on Saturday. "" U Prior to the start of the Daytona Short Track. Chris Carr tuner Kenny Tolbert was keeping his fingers crossed. hoping to avoid a repeat of the problems that the team had suffered on Friday night. -I don't want to have another night like that one: Tolbert saId. -We had electrical problems. A stator went out on us. That's only the second one that I've had go out on us since '88 All I can say is that it was running when I parked it. and then it wouldn·t start and it was like, 'Damn.' We struggled with it, so Chris had to jump on the spare. and he put that in the main event. Then we got the number one bike fixed and he wanted to ride that in the rnain, so he had to start in the back again. Then he took and fell down." The team had a much better outing on Saturday night. with Tolbert getting the added satisfaction of seeing his brother-in-law, Terry Poovey, win the Grand National main event. Poovey is married to Tolbert's sister. Kathy. Despite missing the main event on Saturday night. Mike Hacker said that he feels extremely confident about his prospects with his new Saddlemen RaCing/lancaster Harley-DaVidson/Dodge Brothers team. and he can't wait to get on the 750s. "They"re just as good to me as Moroney's was, and Pat was real good to me." Hacker said. - Everybody here is trying to help me out. Johnny and I are working together really good. I got to spend some time In the shop With him before Daytona, and we got to go over some stuff together and work things out. I like being at home Nirgima). It's nice to be home with all my fans and all my fnends, and to have my motorcycles right there where I can touch 'em whenever I want. I like it a lot. " Rnally, Scott Parker was on hand at the Daytona Short Track to watch the action in the main event - something that he did a lot while in his Harley factory leathers. The difference was that on this occasion the nine-time Grand National Champion was a bonafide spectator. "I didn·t realize that you had to have passes to get into this place: Parker told Larry Maiers during an interview on the Stadium floor. "' came up to them and said, 'I'm Scott Parker.' and they said, 'Who? Where's your pass? You don't have a pass? You need to have a pass." Parker told the crowd that he really didn't regret retirement yet, but he could see where that might be coming. "Right now, , can say that I don't miss it because [wife] Wanda and I have gone through the winter pretty much the way that we always have, and now we·re at Daytona. And this pretty much feels the same because, hell. I didn't ever make this thing but maybe three times in 10 years of coming down here. Plus the fact that I'll get to go out and do it about three times is going to help. The problem is, you start looking at the schedule and you go, 'Well, maybe I didn't like that track so much, but I went fast there, and I always went pretty good at this place over here.' You start thinking how you want to go to Springfield, and to Lima, and to Del Mar. and here and there, and sud, denly you wonder how you're going to be able to pick Just three to go to." "" I e n e vv s MARCH 22, 2000 23

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