Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

AMA/ P rogress iv e Insuranc e U .S . F lat T r a c k C h amp ions h ips (Left) Jay Sp ringsteen (9) failed to reca pture hi s winning fonn of a year ago at Hagerstown. Number nine finished ninth in this one. Kenny Coolbeth (31) slipped to 12th, (Right) J oh nny Murphree had another good main- eve nt run go ing w hen h is moto r expired on la p 10. (Bel ow) Larry Pegram won the battle of the knee-draggers by f inishi ng 10 t h in the m ai n event. Pegram's roadi e buddy Nic ky Hayden fi ni sh e d 15 th. "Better than w hat it's been latel y : Big e low sa id . "We had a cl utc h go o ut aga in in the h eat race , and that l eft u s starting t h e National i n the b a c k . It's just hard for me to get roll i ng f rom th e back , so I'm happy with sixth . We have four 750s, and th is is the one t h a t works the best, but th e cl u tch wo n 't ho ld u p . The track w as bea utifu l and we we re hopi n g for b ette r. It lo o k ed for a whil e like w e might h ave to start fro m t h e fou rth ro w o n a bac k - u p b ike, so I'm glad th e team busted th eir t ail for me , and we 'll m ove o n to Sed alia ." K ev in Varnes ha d h is best fin ish o f th e ye ar o n h is C oziah r Harley -Dav id son/Memphis Sha des Har ley , la nding sev enth at t he fl ag . " I c o u ld hav e us ed a .b etter st a rt ," V a rn e s sa id. " I se e m ed t o j ust get st uck ; I wa sn 't going forward , I w asn 't goi ng bac kwa rds, I just kind of hung aro u nd . I cou ld n' t han g wi t h Da v is in t h e h e a t ra c e , so we m ad e so me c ha nges for th e ma in . I wa sn 't ab le to g et turned and g et u nd er people to p ass ea rlier. It seemed to w ork better in t h e m a in . As t he ra ce we nt. o n I co u l d f e el m ysel f slo w i ng, bu t t h e c o n fi de nce is c om in g ba ck ." Scha effer's H arley -Dav idson/La s Vegas H arl ey -Davidson /KK Suppl y ba cked Geo Ro eder II seem ed to be regaining his str ide after a cou ple of off outings o n h is 750 , al th ough th e Ohioan did extrem ely well o n h is 600 at the Peoria TT. "I got a b ad st a rt a nd w ent h igh , and th at w asn 't th e pl a c e t o b e , " Roeder sa id . "I kept getting si deways . I jumped to the bottom and sta rted passing g uys . I got up to e ig ht h and tha t was about a s far as I c o u ld go . It's tough to get aro u nd this plac e . W e were a couple of tenths off a ll d ay . W e kept trying and changing, but it's hard to pick up t wo te nt hs . I'm h appy we got a top - ! 0 finish. W e got ninth at Peoria last weekend . I had to d o better th an th at o n a half m ile ." J ay Spri ngst een m ay hav e w on the s p r i ng e d i t i o n o f H a g e r s t o wn last year, b ut the Bartels' Ha rl ey -Da v id so n /Co rb in Racing /Rea l M cCoys ba ck ed former champ ion s t r uggled t onight . 16 AUGUST 30, 2000 cue' e Tim e: No Time - Red Flag . SEMI 1 (8 laps; 12 riders. top two transfer): I. Larry Pegram ( H-D): 2. John Nicke ns III ( H-D ); 3 . Willie McCoy (H· D); 4 . Gary Rogers (H· D) ; 5. Jaso n Tyer (H· D ): 6 . George Richtm eyer (H -D ); 7. Eric Rickm an (Hon) ; 8. Brent Armbruster (H·D): 9. Cory Roth (H· D) ; 10. Davi d Uoyd ( H· D); 11. Georgie Price (Suz) ; 12. J aim e Ag uilar (H· D). Ti me: 3 min.. 13. 111 sec. SEMI 2 (8 laps; 12 riders, top two transfer): I. Da n Sta nley ( H· D ) ; 2 . Paul Lyn ch ( H· D); 3 . T im Eades (H· D) ; 4 . Shawn Clark (H-D); 5_ Brett Landes (H-D ); 6. Shoun Clark (H ·D ); 7. Jess Roeder (H· D); 8. David Rayburn (H·D ): 9. Jeremy Thompson (H· D ); 10. Paul Normandin ( H- D ): 11. Ricky Winsett Jr. ( H-D) ; 12 _Kyle Lon g (H-D). " I c a m e ba ck wi th th e same se t u p w e won with , b ut t he t r ac k s are n ever t he sa me, " S pr in g st ee n sai d . "I m a d e a bunc h of c h an g es and had it wo rking b etter fo r the main event, but when yo u're starting fr om the back of t he pa ck i t 's so hard t o m a k e up gro u nd . We h ad so mu ch w heel sp in that I just cou ld n't ge t off the corners. I t r ied to j us t ease it on , but th en I' d ge t so far off the corner th at I h ad t o g et o n it b ec a use it was ge tting so late . I started the season ou t hook ing u p lik e c raz y , and n ow I c an 't g et a ny t r acti o n anyw h e r e . W e ' ll g et it fi g ured out. W e' r e n ot d o ne y et. If I d id g et ho o k ed up off the corner, then I' d lo se t he front en d g o in g in . I j ust c o u ld n 't fi nd a happy m ed ium." Road rac er Larry Pegram round ed o u t th e t op ten on h is Skip Eaken p repped Competition A c c esso r ies/MC St uff/C astr o l -back ed Harley . eN H agerstown Speedway Hagerstllwn, Maryland Results: August 19, ZOOO [Round 9 of 151 HEAT 1 ( 10 laps; 12 riders, top three transfer) : I. Mik e Hack er (H-D); 2. Nick y Hayden (H-D) : 3 . Mike Varnes ( H- D) ; 4 . Willie McCoy (H-D) ; 5. Tim Time: 3 min.. 14.70 6 sec. Eade s (H -D ) : 6 . J im M cll ven a ( H- D) ; 7 . Brent Armbruster (H· D); 8. Ricky Winsett Jr. (H-D): 9. Tom M cGr ane Jr . (H an) ; 10 . Dav id Lloyd ( H- D); 11. Shoun Russell (H·D ); 12. Roger Lee Hayden (H·D ). Time: 3 min.. 56.853 sec. HEAT 2 ( 10 laps; 12 nd ers . top three transfer): 1. Chris Ca rr (H-D) ; 2. Rich King ( H·D) ; 3. Geo Roed er II (H · D ); 4 . J . R. Schnab el ( H· D) ; 5 _ Ga ry Rogers (H-D); 6. Shawn Clark (H-D) ; 7. Chris Evans (H · D ) ; 8 . Georg e Ri chtm eyer ( H · D) ; g . Dav i d Rayburn (H -D ) ; 10. Yuhik o Hlrao ( $uz ) ; 11. Eri c Rickman (H en ): 12. Paul Normandin (H-D) . Time: 3 min., 58.785 sec. HEAT 3 ( 10 laps; 12 riders. top three transfer): 1. Joe Kopp (H-D) ; 2. Johnny Murphree (H-D); 3. Terry Poovey (Hon) ; 4 . Dan Stanley (H·D); 5. Larry Pegram ( H· D) ; 6 . Ken Coo lbeth Jr. (H· D); 7. J ess Roeder ( H· D); 8 . Jaim e Aguila r ( H-D ); 9 . Garth Bastian (H·D) ; 10. Jeremy Th omp son (H- D); 1 1. Georgie Price IV (Suz); 12. Chris Boone (H-D) . Time: 3 min.. 57 .7 15 sec. HEAT 4 (1 0 laps; 12 riders. top three transfer) : l. Will Da vis (H-D) ; 2. Kevin Varnes (H ·D); 3. Bryan Bigelow (H- D ); 4 . Jay Springsteen ( H-D) ; 5 . Paul Lyn ch ( H· D ); 6 _ J ohn Nick en s III ( H· D ) ; 7 . Dal e Jenneman (H-D) ; 8. Br ett Landes (H-D) ; 9. .Jeson Tyer ( H-D) ; 10. Phil Libha rt (H· D); 11. Kyle Long (H· D) ; 12_Cory Roth (H-D). BRIEFLY••• All things considered it was a small miracle that Will D avis was even rid- ing. much less winning. The man is a walking bruise. - Physically I could have rode Peoria at the time. but two days after that there was no way.Davis said. • Monday I was hurting on the plane. Tuesday I couldn't move. Wednesday I was back on a motorcycle. Tonight it was inside my rib cage that hurt the worst. Probably the easiest thing I do right now is ride a motorcycle.- The Moroney's Harle y-Davidson team seemed to have everything going against them lately. making Davis' Hagerstown win all the sweeter. "There has been so much going on the last month. then our truck broke down in Peoria and Mike !Wheeler] didn't get back home until yesterday.- Davis said. "I'm happy. just happy. happy. II was a wild night. There were just so many things going on tonight. With Mike Wheeler being from here in Maryland and our parents in the stands. IT's really special." Defending Grand National Champion. C h ris C a r r . now holds a 22-point lead over Davis. with J oe Kopp seven more back. M ik e Hacker has pulled to within one point of Kopp. D ecision s , d e cisions: For the first time that anyone can remember. the top dirt track riders in the country wilt be faced with a choice of races as the AMAlProgressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships series moves on to Sedalia. M issouri. on August 26 . while the upstart Formula USA/Wrenchead.com National Dirt Track Series will be racing in Fort Worth. Texas. on the same night. Chris Carr and Jay Springsteen are contractually bound to the Wrenchead.com Series. while the hot-riding M ike Hacke r is the current series points leader. Prior to the start of the year. the factory Harley-Davidson team of Rich King had said that it was n e vv s SEMI 3 (8 laps: 12 riders. top two transfer): I. Jay Springsteen (H-D) ; 2. Ken Coolbeth Jr. ( H-D); 3 . J .R. Schnabel ( H-D ); 4 . Dale Jennem an (H -D) ; 5 . Phil Libha rt (H ·D ); 6 . Ch ris Evans (H-D); 7 _ Gart h Ba sti an ( H - D) ; 8 . Yuhiko Hirao (Suz) ; 9 . T om McGrane ( Hon); 10. Ch ris Boone ( H- D ) ; 1 1. Jim Mcllvena (H-D); 12_Roger Lee Hayden (H-D) . Time: 3 min. , 13. 154 sec. GRAND NATIO NA L (25 laps; 18 rid ers): I. Will Devis (H· D); 2. Mike Hacke r (H· D) ; 3 . Joe Kopp (H · D) ; 4 . Rich King (H-D); 5. Chris CO" (H -D); 6. Brya n Bigelow (H-D) ; 7 . Kevin Vames (H-D): 8 . Gee Roeder II (H-D); 9 . Jay Springsteen (H-D) : 10. Larry Pegram (H-D); 11. Terry Poovey (Hon) ; 12. Ken Coolbeth Jr . (H· D); 13 . Mike Varnes (H-D); 14 . Dan Stanley (H· D); 15. Nic ky Hayden (H· D); 16. Paul Lynch (H·D) ; 1 Jo hn Nickens 111 (H-D); 18_Jo hnny Murphree (H· D). 7. TIme: 9 mln., 52.735 sec. AMNPROGRESSIVE INSURANCE us, Fl.A T mACK CHAMPION SHIP SERIES POINT STANDINGS (after 9 of 15 rounds): 1. Chris Carr ( 147/ 3 wins) ; 2 . Will Davis (1 25 / 3); 3 . Joe Kopp (1 18); 4 . Mike Hacker ( 117 /1 ); 5 . Bryan Big elow (10 7 ); 6. Rich King ( 101); 7. J ay Sprin gsteen (94) : 8 . Ken Coolbeth J r. (88); 9. Terry Poov ey (83); 10. Dan Stan ley (75); II. Geo Roeder II (62); 12. J .R. Schnabel (60); 13_ Kevln Varnes (52) ; 14. (TIE) Johnny MurphreetpauJ Lynch (44); 16 . Willie McCoy (42 ); 17 . Nicky Hayden (31); 18. M ike Varnes (25 ) ; 19 . Chris Evans (23) ; 20 . Brett Landes (2 1). Upcoming Rounds: Round 9 - Sedalia, Missouri. August 26 Round 10 - Springfield, Illinois, September 1 committed to the AMA series. but with King's recent performances in the Formula USA series. there is speculation that that could change. According to factory Harley tuner Bill Wern er. the team was leaning toward Sedalia . Will Davis' tuner Mike Wh eeler confirmed on M onday morning. August 21. that Davis and the Fasthog.com team will be in Sedalia. The friends of the late Rodney Farris (Brian Eckhart. Jim Hollister. Scott Saunders. Mike Stambaugh and Tayior White) paid lap money for the leader of laps 5. 10. 15. 20 and 25. Will Davis led all but lap 20. where Mike Hacker picked up Ihe money. Wheelingit,com posted $50 extra for each third-place rider in the semis. The extra cash went 10 Willie McCoy. Tim Eades and J.R. Schnabel. John Nickens III continued his rise up the chart. making his second 750 Grand National final. It was dow nhill afte r that. however. -We changed the suspension the wrong way: Nickens said. · 1got a decent start. but the setup was way off. · We haven't hgured out how to change things for the National. Everybody changes things. and we haven't got it right yet. Hopefully next week in Sedalia [we wilil. As long as I keep doing good we'lI keep going.W ith the road-race season winding down there were several knee draqgers in attendance. Defending race winner Nicky Hayden Finished second in his heat. then broke out with the leaders in the main before struggling home in 15th. La rry P egram fared better. as he hnished hfth in his heat. made the main by winning the first semi. Pegram Finished a very respectable 10th in the main. Jess Roeder finished seventh in both his heat and semi. Roger Lee Hayden had a night that was not nearly what he was hoping for. Roger was attempting to ride his first 750 Grand National event. but before he got there he was involved in a multi-bike pileup during 883 qualifying and sat out the rest of the night.

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