ROUND 6/AUGUST 3, 2013
CASTLE ROCK RACE PARK/CASTLE ROCK, WASHINGTON
FLAT TRACK
P40
AMA GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
FIRST AT THE ROCK
Jeffrey Carver gets debut National
victory at the Castle Rock TT
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVE
HOENIG/FLAT TRAK FOTOS
T
he stars of the AMA Pro
Flat Track presented by
J&P Cycles Grand National
Championship were greeted with
a new track configuration at the
historic Castle Rock Park and
it hade everyone scrambling to
find the right set-up as the series made its way to the Great
Northwest. Whoever would find
the set-up, nail the holeshot, stay
focused for 25 laps, and make
no mistakes would likely come
home the winner.
Tonight that someone was Jeffrey Carver, as the Illinois native
posted the first Grand National
win of his career. Carver, who is a
former AMA Horizon Award winner
and AMA Pro Racing Pro Singles
Champion, accomplished the
deed and led every lap on his way
to his first Grand National victory.
"Everything just fell into place
for me today. It was my time," said
the 22-year-old Carver. "It was
great. I'm feeling awesome right
about now. To come out here
and get my first National is just
an unbelievable achievement for
me, my team and my family. I've
really got to thank George [Mack]
for the bike. The thing is flawless.
It's bringing out the best in me. I
actually got my first dirt track bike
from him a long time ago, so it's
a pretty good coincidence that I
came out here and won my first
National on one of his Hondas."
Mack Daddy Racing/Kiesow
Racing-backed Carver had posted the fastest heat time and led
the 18-rider field out for the main
event. Using his experience from
last year, Carver chose to start
on the outside of the front row.
"Last year actually, I went from
third row on the outside and was
fifth going into the corner," he
said. "This year I was on the outside and everybody shut off and I
just ran it in there⦠you know, go
for gold. It ended up working out."
Defending AMA Grand Na-