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/128621
AMA/Progr e s s iv e In s u r a n c e U .S. F let Tra c k Cha m pionships Round 7 : R o u t e 66 R a cew a y S T OR Y A ND PHOT OS BY D A VE H O ENI G/ F LA T T RAK F OTOS JOUET, IL, JULY t ~ or the first tim e since Daytona , the AMA's Progressive Ins u ra nc e U.S . Flat Tra c k Ch amp ionship Series was not affected by rain , and the Illino is Motorc ycle Dealers Association and Magi c Racing gave the riders a beautiful half-mile on which to race . The result was a great night of whe el-to wheel action. "T ha t old man ' s tough . ai n 't he !" Will Dav is sai d of J a y Sp ringst e en after a race -long battle . "Whe n I got by him in th e beg inn ing , I fe lt that I c ould get a way . I can't wait till I'm 43 y ea rs o ld too, so I ca n b e a re a l man." Th e lap c ha rt fails t o sh o w the intens ity of the rac e , as th e to p four riders held their positions fo r virtua lly t he e n tire ra c e. Da vis a n d Sp ring steen ' s b attl e was we ll a h ea d of Bryan Bigel ow a nd Joe Kopp. The Moroney's H·D/fasthog.com/Gould Erectors -ba cked Da vis led e ve ry lap a fter fo llo wi ng Spring ste en into th e first turn . Th e two vete rans put on a h alf- m ile c lin ic as they entertain ed the crowd. "I he a rd someone coming up behind m e : Davis sai d . "I wasn't s ure who it was . I never did actua lly see J a y. I loo ke d back two o r th re e r 10 JULv12,2000' cue I e times , a nd I knew he was probably th e on ly one out there with a motor tha t wasn 't twinq led . I c ould hear the motor, a nd I sa id, 'Whoe ver the hell it is, th at ain 't a twingle.' I kept peeking ba ck , b u t I ne ve r co uld pick up a numbe r. I kept thinking , 'It' s got to be him .' I was ho ping he 'd get tired with about five to go . Hell, he was getting stronger and s tronger. No matter what I'd d o , I kept putting la p s togeth er , and he just sta yed right there. " As the laps wore down " Spring st een app e a red to be p ick in g up ste am , a nd he moved right to Da vis' rea l wh e e l. T hen with two laps lef t , the lea d duo ca me up on two lapped riders , and the s huffle wo uld settle the race. Da vis dove low as th e four riders hi t tu rn o ne . The lap ped riders (Geo Ro ed e r a n d S h a w n Cla rk ) m o ve d up sli g ht ly a nd gathered u p S pringsteen. "Whe n I ca me up on Clark , I was goi ng to go around th e o utside, but I ca ug ht some m a rbles dow n th e m iddl e of th e front straig ht," Da vis said . "I th ou ght s ure h e was g oi ng t o s weep to th e outside. I was afraid th at when I we nt into .o ne , I was go ing to pus h the fro nt and h e was going to get a roll. I c ut a p retty good corner, but I figured he was rig ht on my butt. " n evvs In fact , Springer's cha lleng e was all but ove r. Ba rte l's H-D/C o rbin Rae ing /McCoy's -ba cked Springsteen took full bla me for his proble ms with th e lapped traffic, saying "When I c a me up o n th e back t raffic , it was my own fau lt. Instant reaction for ba ck traffic is for them to drift wide, and I wen t wide to try and keep my momentum up, and was hoping Will would get tangled up with th em , bu t he d idn 't. I should ha ve stayed on the bottom , but I was trying to keep m y m ome ntum up." "I th ought I had so me t hi n g for him ," S prin gsteen sa id . "I wa s getting into the comers better a nd getting off be tte r, too . He had different geari ng, a nd I th ink he was ge tti ng a little m o re at t he b ig e nd : s ai d Sp rin g st een. "I changed my line two or thr ee times as the race we nt on, and I could see whe re I was gai ning gro un d a nd whe re I wasn't. " "I said to m ys e lf, 'All rig ht for g et a bout it and do yo ur own t hing ; just ride ha rd," Davis sa id. "I put togethe r thr ee la ps in a row , whe re I fe lt su re I give m y s elf some roo m . I'd p e e k back , and he 's right the re. It' s like, "I'm in trouble, now. I'm jus t goi ng to try and block!' I'd already pu t in th e hard est laps I could, and un less I went searching for another li ne, I When finally given a ra in-free race in which to show their stuff, the AMA regulars put on a show to be proud of. Will Davis (21) got th e win, but not w ithout a fight from Jay Sp ringsteen 1 Chris Ca rr (1) . Bryan Bigelow 111) 9). and the pack give chase. wasn't getting away from this g uy . I had about three le ss teeth [geari ng] on than him , and it wa s helping me o n the big end to roll in, bu t then I was trying to get it whoaed and get going again . He had a ll that gear and could get a dr ive o n me. It was a hell of a race , I kn ow that. I th ought he was right on m e th e last lap . I rode that la s t la p as h a rd , b ecause I thought he was righ t th e re . I said'All rig h t , whoe ver it is , he's goi ng to have to m a ke a he ll of a run ; I ai n't go ing to let hi m c ha rge underne ath me .?' USC Rac ing/ Lan c a ste r H. D/ Dodge Br o th e rs ' Br y a n B ig el o w ran th e who le ra ce in th ird pla c e an ex ce llent rid e fo r a not her of th e yo ung lion s . "I wa s ha ng ing wit h th em for th e first t 8 o r so , but I ke pt s lipping down in on e a nd two : Big elow sa id. "I fel t we had three a nd four pr etty we ll d ial ed -in, a nd seemed to m ake up gro und t he re all night. All day I stru ggled in one and two . I th ink that cost me t he w in tonight. We were >