Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

I change. The AMA wants more factor/ involvement, and I think that we all do, but it's just a shame that you can't have an overall championship for the riders who have stuck it out as long as they have." For Coolbeth, who is hoping that he can maintain momentum in 2006 thanks to has new Screamin' Eagle Harley- Davidson ride, the change certainly won't huft his proSram. ''lt will benefit me on the big bikes becaLrse I seem to do pretty well on the bi8 bikes," he said. "l don't know lfeel pretty comfortable coming into the sea- son no matter what the srtuation rs going to be." One rhrng that Coolbeth still will be is a privateer in the Singles class. "l'm switching to Hondas for my Singles equipment, and I think that is definitely going to benefit me, "Coolbeth said. "l think that once we get down to the business of racing, it will all be the same. I'll be going For Carr; who has spent some time testing his facto- ry-backed KTM Sin8les machines in South Carolina over the winter, the recent announcement that both Daytona Short Track dur- ing Bike Week will be Nationals instead of the usual one Hot Shoe, one National Program, comes a5 Sood news. "l think that's a positive move, and I thank Daytona lnternational Speedway and Progressive lnsurance [Progressive came up with the sponsor dollars to make the double header a realityl for making that h+pen," Carr said. "l think that this could be the start of many years of great double headers in Daytona." While Carr said that his team's prepa- ration will be no different than in past years, its strate$/ will be. "Historically, the guls who have run strong in the Singles races are different from the guys who run stronS in the Twins races, so iI that stays its course. depend- ing on what series you are in, the guys that you hrve to beat the championship ma), change," Carr said. "lf you look back from weekend to weekend, the guys to beat on the Singles were Henry Wiles and j,R Schnabel, and on the Twins it was Kenny Coolbeth and joe Kopp. Those were the guys that I had to beat every week. Some weeks ldid, and some weeks I didn't. l'll iust take it one race at a time, like I always have, but with the idea of the bigger picture - only it's two small- er pictures now. I feel like if there is any one guy with the chance to win two National Championships next year, I have the best shot." Even so, as always, there are certain riders that Carr will be paying close atten- tion to in 2006. "l think that the moves that some gq/s made were made out o, necessitl, and it will be interesting to see how those guys adapt to a new environment," Carr said. "With the programs they had, they ma/ have been iust a little off with what it took to beat us for a championship, and whether or not the changes they've made to their proSram will keep those mistakes from happening again, we'll see.'' Carr is most likely referrinS to Coolbeth, but there are other, younger riders to be wary of as well. ''l think that if you look at any of the younS riders. the potenrial for grow(h is there.'' Carr said. 'lared Mees is a strong .hoice for a rider who could make a mark in this thing for the next l5 years. I think the current crop of guys. who are veter- ans over the age of 25, are going to be about as good a5 they haYe been, and they're not too far off from winning championships right now. They are all capable of it. They just hrve to get it done on the right days." But while a newec younSer contingent is definitely making inroads into the sport, that doesnt mean that the wily vets are guite ready to be put out to pasture iust yet. Two of them - one a current tactory Harley rider and the other factory Harley legend - plan to be loaded for bear in 2005. lowa's Rich Kingwill be in his eighth season with the Screamin' Eagle Harley- Davidson team and he has long been a proponent of the split series. "l've been pushing for this idea for a couple years, but it is yet to be seen whether or not it is goinS to be handled properly," King said. "l'd like to see more Singles races rn coniunction with Twins r.ces at the Half Miles. I'm not sure why that isn't happening, and it's not my place to criticize anyone for not making that happen, but I would like to see that. The contingency is great. I think that Honda's is a liftle weak, but the other guys have stepped it up prett/ good. I think that right now you can make more at a little- bike race than you can at a big-bike race." But King isn't sure just how much of that monetary reward he'll be purcuing on the Singles side in 2005. "l don't know ifl'm going to run them all, but probobly I will," King said. Nothing's for sure. I think I might ride all different brands. Nobo{'s palng for me to ride their brand, so l'm not locked into anything." Of course, on the Twins side, Harley- Davidson will be paying KinS the big bucks to win on the big bikes, and that rneans focusing heavily on the GNC Twins Championship. There's no doubt that switching it to two championships is goinS to help King in his quest for a National tide. "Being with Harley-Davidson, they have no little bike that thq/ really want to run, so they haven't put much time into the liftle-bike program for the last couple years. fu far as last year goes, we had a good year. For me personally, it was a very tough year because I had a lot of things going on, but as far as our results go, we had a good year. We won one and photo-finished in three other ones, got on the box at some slippery Half l'4iles and so on. We weren't too far out of the cham- pionship chase, barring the outside prob- lems that had nothing to do with racing. As far as me and my mechanics, we really staned to gel last year, and we were hav- ing a Sood time going racing, and I think that showed on the racetrack." Now 42, King said that his age should have no bearing on whether or not he can Eet the iob done in 2006. I don't think the age thing has much to do with it if you keep in shape," King said. "lt could have something to do with recovering from an iniury, but as far as going out and winning races, I feel like l'm just as capable of that as I've ever been, fu long as l'm still having fun and on good rides, I'm going to go racinS. lf not, then I won't. fu far as the racing goes, what the younger guyr are going through right now is what I was Eoing through five, l0 years ago. I mean, Jay Springsteen was wicked-fast five years ago, and he's still wicked-fast yet today." And what about one of the sport's true livinS legends? Not to worry, race fans. Jay Springsteen will be back on the track in 2006, although only in limited enSaSements. "l'm not runninS any Singles," Springsteen, who will turn 49 in April, said, "and I don't want to tell you where I'm gonna run Twins, because if I do, tfiose f-kers won't give me any money! flaughs] No, we're going to run the Three Miles, and we still have to figure out which selected Half we're going to run." One thing Springsteen is particularly excited about is his new tuner, who is actually his old tuner. What started inter- mittently last season has grown into a more solid partnership: For 2006, Springsteen and former factory Harley- Davidson mechanic Bill Werner - the man with whom Springsteen won his three AMA titles lrom 1976-78 - are back together again. "l'm fired up about that, man," Springsteen. "\Me've been talking all winter. l've got SuperTrapp helpinS me out, and Bartels and Dale [Walksler] from Wheels Through Time Museum. I'm doing all that lcan, man. I'm getting old, so I've got to get a5 much ofthis shit in as I can." Cll (left) Hurroy for old guysl Joy Springrteen (9) will once ogoin run o limited s

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