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/128623
· 2 4 t h A nnu a l AMA D irt T r a c k G r and C h ampionships INDIANAPOUS, IN, JULY 3-JULY 5 t's a hec k of way to spend the Fourth of July weekend . Dirt track rac ing families from all over the country con verge on the state of Ind iana to spend five fast days, contesting the AMA Dirt Track Grand Championships; that's a fancy name for the ma rqu is amateu r national dirt track event in the country . The weather is usually hot, but the competition is hotter, and by the end of the week , the nat ion 's top amateur and semi -pro d irt track tal ent, ranging in age from 5 to 50, rises to the fore and cla ims a National class win - or better yet - an overall Grand Championship number-one pla te . Same as always , attendees at this ye a r's ev ent watched as several riders raced t he ir wa y to mu ltiple main -ev en t victorie s , althoug h con sistency claimed th e titles. 38 JULY 26 , 2 000· c ue • e GROUP I H A L F M ILE, .J ULY:3 Wit h all the r a in o u t s a n d ra in dela ys that ha ve been experienced at its top-tier Progressive Insurance U.S . Flat Track Championships , th e AMA, along with event promoter Fast Trac k Rac ing , had fingers crossed in the hope that decent weather would pre va il. The sanction ing body might as well change its name to the American Rain Association. Monday 's program of half-mile action at the Indiana State Fa irgrounds was held up by precip itation , forc ing a program c ha nge that had the Group I (youth and mini) classes running exclusive ly, with the Group II (250cc and above disp lacement groups , and th e vet divisions ) being punted ba ck to th e first portion of th e Tu esday pro gram , with the Group One c rowd get n e vv So ting its second crac k at the half m ile afte r th e c o m p le ti o n of t he Gr ou p Two main events. Jesse Jan isch grabbed the h ol es h o t in the 85cc DTX ( 9 - 13) ma in ev ent to sta rt o ff the string of fina ls tha t would be held in the afternoon . The 12-year-old Wiscons init e was set to pull awa y from the field when John Lewis crashed in turns one and two . Lewis was unhurt; and the race res um ed with Janisch pulling clea r of Carte r Myers and Bobby Fong to claim the win. It was the Pat Jacobsen and Bailey Spence show in th e 50cc Jr. (4 -6) ma in, as the two ran away from the KTM's of Justin Pitman and Troy Desimone. Jacobsen was a litt le bette r off the corners than was Spence, and that was th e diffe rence as they ca m e to the line. Pitman held off Desimo ne in a close battle for th ird. The 85cc Mod (7- 1 1) cla s s fe a t ured a four -rid e r scra p ea rly , with Bobby Fong bar ely pu lling out ah ead to lead Justin Hittle across the stripe. Hittle then buried it into tum one a nd emerged with a le a d that he wou ld not re linqu ish . John Lewi s came through to pass Fong for second on lap four . Pat Jacobsen was cl e a rly the fastest gun in th e 50cc Pee Wee (4 -6 ) ma in event. Brad Hermanson got the holeshot, but Jacobsen ra n up high as his PW50, which was obvious ly geared much higher than the rest of the field 's machinery, got wound up . Jacobsen took the lead on the back straight and ran away with the race. Hermanson fin ish ed second, and Kevin Walter finish ed third. Jesse Jan isch returned to domi nate the 85cc Mod ( 12 -15) cla ss final aboard his borrowed Young America