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Savannah, GA . Mar-ch 3. 2000 AMA National Hot Shoe Series - Round 1 : Oglethorpe Speedway Florida Flat Track Series - Round 1 : ., By and closed in on the battling teammates. Rogers took the lead at the halfway mark and pulled away. At the same time Lorge's skid shoe came loose and was dangling from his leg. Lorge lost ground and was caught by Long. After a couple of laps Lorge was able to shed the shoe and the finish order was set at Rogers, Disalvo, Lorge and Long. The large 600cc Expert class had four heats with the wins going to HarleyDavidson of Sacramento Phoenix/ Big Valley Ford's Chris Carr as Paul Lynch and Kenny Coolbeth battled over second with the nod going to Cool beth. The second heat was a great race with Brett Landes leading J.R. Schnabel and defending 600 Hot Shoe Champion Joe Kopp. Kopp was able to push his Corbin/Lopko ride into the lead on the last lap. Landes and Schnabel were right behind. The third heat was another fine race with Greg Tysor and Jason Sentell locked up in a battle over the lead. Ricky Winsett and Don Mullen battled over the last transfer. M £, K Racing/Progressive Suspension's Sentell edged Tysor for the win, while Mullen topped Winsett. In the last heat John Nickens jumped to a big lead only to have his Rotax start to tie up. Pat Behrle was the first to take advantage while Nickens hung on to second over Scott Sehl. Tim Eades and Jaime Aguilar struggled over fourth. LZ Racing's Behrle took the win, but Nicken's race ended as he exited turn four, making the Eades/ Aguilar battle a race for the last transfer. Sehl and Eades moved on to the main with Behrle. Pat Behrle and Joe Kopp led Chris Carr into turn one, but it was Carr in front at the end of the first lap. Kopp took a couple of shots at the lead, but then settled into a battle with his teammate, Coolbeth. Lynch held on to- fourth as Sentell, Schnabel and Landes fought their way forward. Schnabel got by Sentell and caught Lynch, but the order was set. During qualifying Kevin Varnes fell hard in turn one and suffered a shoulder injury. Varnes was forced to fly home where he will likely have surgery. DAVE HOENIG PHOTOS BY FLAT TRAK FOTOS glethorpe Speedway was the site of the first dirt track race of Bike Week 2000. The fast half-mile hosted the opening round of the American Motorcyclist Association's National Hot Shoe Series, as well as the Florida Flat Track Series and it's S10,000 point fund. There were nearly 150 entries in the five classes that make up the National Hot Shoe Series. Defending AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr made the most of the new AMA rule that allows Experts to ride both the 600 and 750cc classes. The Sacramento Harley-Davidson/Phoenix/Big Valley Ford-sponsored Carr came from behind to sweep both hard-fought mains. Rogers Lake/Mitchell's Modesto Harley-Davidson/Custom Chrome's Gary Rogers moved around his Modesto Harley-Davidson teammate, Michelle Disalvo and pulled to a convincing win in the Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance main. Last year's AMA Horizon Award winner Bryan Smith overcame three restarts on his A TK Motorcycles/Paul Lackobacked ATK to win the 600cc ProSport main. Another Michigan ProSport, Brian Vincent, won the 250cc Pro-Sport main on his West Michigan DT Assn./Dennis Vincent/Ourybacked Honda. The 250cc Pro-Sport's led off the nights racing. Vincent and AAA Septic Service/Mom £, Dad-backed Joe Zydinsky won the two heat races. In the main, Vincent got the holeshot over Will Adams and Zydinsky. Vincent maintained the lead, while Shane Livingston worked his way to the front. Livingston slipped into the lead at the halfway mark, but two laps later Vincent was back in the front. Late in the race, Livingston was caught by Adams, Zydinsky and Brandon Laursen, which ended up being the final order. The two Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance class heats went to Indianapolis Southside Harley-Davidson/High Hopes-sponsored Kyle Long and Rogers Lake Racing/Mitchell's Modesto Harley-Davidson-backed Gary Rogers. Kevin Hilbert led Michelle Disalvo into turn one of the main, but it was Disalvo in the lead at the end of lap one. She was soon joined by her Mitchell's teammate, Rogers. Tim Lorge worked his way around Hilbert O 52 MARCH 22,2000' eye I e n e vv s (Left) Carr took two class wins on the night, including the 600cc Expert and 750cc Expert 12·lap mains. (Above) Chris Carr (1-left) and Joe Kopp (1-right) do battle in the 600cc Expert race. The four 600cc Pro-Sport heats went to Bryan Smith (ATK Motorcycles/Paul Lasko), Brian Vincent (West Michigan DT Assn./Dennis Vincent). Bob Weiss (Moroney's H-D /1-880FASTHOG) and Shane Livingston (AGR Performance Engines/livingston Racing). Will Adams, Joe Zydinsky and Brian Vincent led the main into turn one, but Bryan Smith was driVing forward. Smith took the lead from Adams on the fourth lap and started to pull away. Adams was a solid second while Jason Goodwin, Joe Zydinsky, Vincent and Livingston battled over third. On lap eight they tried to go into turn one, three wide. Vincent hit the dirt and the red flag came out. One lap into the restart another red flag came out as Greg Boyle fell. Adams nailed the restart and Smith tried to work his way back to the front. Smith retook the point on the white-flag lap with Adams in second over Goodwin and Zydinsky. On the last lap Adams fell exiting turn four also collecting Livingston. The first 750cc Expert heat was an all out-war between Will Davis and Chris Carr. George Richtmeyer held down third over Chris Evans and Mike Hacker. Carr edged Davis while the battling Evans and Hacker set Richtmeyer back. Steve Beattie, Paul Lynch and Bryan Bigelow led the second heat into turn one. USC Racing/Lancaster Harley-Davidson/Manheim's Bigelow took over the lead on lap five, but couldn't shake Beattie. Lynch was a solid -third over Chris Boone. The last heat saw Geo Roeder leading Cory Roth and John Nickens. Nickens and J.R. Schnabel worked their way around Roth. Team Pow- eli/SuperTrapp's Schnabel grabbed second on lap four and one lap later blasted around Roeder for the lead. Nickens held onto third while Roth held off Mike Vames and Jason Tyer for the last transfer. Davis, Bigelow and Carr led the main into turn one. By the end of lap one Davis and Carr renewed their heat race battle. Carr didn't wait as long to take the lead this time and had his Harley-Davidson of Sacramento/Phoenix/Big Valley Ford backed Harley into the lead by lap three. Davis shadowed Carr all the way, waiting for a mistake that never came. Bigelow, Steve Beattie, Schnabel, Lynch and Roeder were giving chase. Schnabel closed on Bigelow, but couldn't get by and settled for fourth. Beattie, Roeder, Lynch, Boone, Nickens and Evans rounded out the top 10. eN Ogletb_ Speedway Savannah, 6eorgia Results: March 3, ZOOO (Round I ef 8 ef the AMI Nat'l Hat Shoe Series) (Round I ef & ef the Florida Flat Track Series) 250 PRO/SPRT (t 2 laps. 12 riders): 1. Brian Vincent (Han); 2. Shane U'o'ingston Hon)~ 3. William Adams (Han): 4. Joe Zydinsky (Han); 5. Brandon Laursen (Hen); 6. Greg Archer (Suz): 7. Joel Henson (Rot); 8. B,.u Pankey (Hon); 9. Gordon SChopi....y (Han); 10. John McClelhmd Jr. (Kaw): 11. Brian Hogdes (Hon); 12. Rod Hartzel (Rot). H-D SP 883 (12 laps. 12 riders); I. Gary Rogers: 2. Michelle Disalvo: 3. Tim Lorge: 4. Kyle Long: 5. Dusty Faulds; 6. Kevin Hilbert: 7. Tom McGrane Jr. 8. Paul Normandin; 9. Donnie Steward; 10. Timmy Mitchell; 11. Joey Tyerar: 12. Jeff Landrum. 600 EX (12 laps. 12 riders): I. Chris Carr (Rot); 2. Joe Kopp (Rot); 3. Ken Cool beth Jr. (W-R); 4. Paul Lynch (Rot); 5. J.R. Schnabel (Rot); 6. 8rett Landes (ATK): 7. Jason Sentell (Rot); 8. Tim Eades (Rot); 9. Donald Mullens III (W·R); 10. Scott Sehl (Rot), 11. Greg Tysor (Rot); 12. Pat Behrle (Rot). 600 PRO-SPORT (12 laps, 12 riders): 1.8ryan Smith (ATK); 2. Jason Goodwin (Rot); 3. Joe Zydinsky (Rot); 4. Jason Spearin (Rot); 5. Robert Weiss (Rot); 6. Demny Casey (W-R); 7. Brian Vincent (Rot); 8. Hisateru Taniguchi (tioo); 9. William Adams (Rot); 10. Shane Livingston (Rot); II. Greg Boyle (Rot); 12. Gordon Schopieray (W-R). 750 EX (12 laps. 12 riders): 1. Chris Carr (H-D); 2. W;U Davis (H-D); 3. Bryan Bigelow (H-D); 4. J.R. Schnabel (H·D): 5. Steve Beattie (H·O); 6. Geo Roeder II (H-D); 7. Paul Lynch (H-D); 8. Chris 800ne (H-D); 9. John Nickens (H·D); 10- Chris Evans (HD); 11. Cory Roth (H-D); 12. Mike Hacker (H-D).