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but I haven't for quite a while. The last time I ran 25 laps was probably 2003. I got pretty tired, but I was running with the best of the best there for a while." Ragsdale had Mees, Schnabel, Wiles, White's Harley- Davidson/Bromley's Suzuki's Sam Halbert, Bettencourt Honda's Kenny Coolbeth and Latus Harley-Davidson/ Renton Honda/Beaverton Honda's Joe Kopp all over him. Ragsdale was up to the task for six laps and then Mees got by and set out after the two leaders. Schnabel, Coolbeth, Wiles, Sam Halbert and Kopp, meanwhile, were still glued to Ragsdale's rear wheel. "I got a little bit hung up behind Ragsdale early," said Mees. "I was getting an awesome drive out of four. The Honda was working great out of four. I kind of rode my own race after I got by Ragsdale. I kind of looked back one time and saw that Henry [Wiles] was gaining on me pretty quick. I think I might have slowed down at the end a little bit." It appeared the long race was starting to affect Ragsdale as Wiles worked his way into fourth on lap 20. He then quickly closed the gap on Mees, but with only five laps left, he had to settle for fourth. This seemed to open the flood gates as Schnabel, Coolbeth and Sam Halbert kept pushing Ragsdale down and he ended up eighth in front of Kopp. Dave Burks C Y C L E N E W S • AUGUST 23, 2006 35 Flat-track racing in Washington is truly a family affair. Proof of this came when two sets of brothers made it to the National, with another set in the Pro Sport class. Scooter and Christian Vernon finished 12th and 13th after both jumped the start and started on the fourth row of the National. Series regulars Sam and Jethro Halbert finished seventh and 14th, respectively, and Elliot and Derick Oquist finished fifth and sixth in the Pro Sport main. "The win feels really good. This is my fifth year and I've won at least one race every year up until now," said Jake Johnson. "It was kind of getting a little late in the season. I was kind of getting a little worried. I pulled it off and it takes a little bit of pressure off my shoulders. I have a lead now in the points standings. I've just got to keep going with it. I went out on my framer in the first practice. We were pretty much set on riding that thing today, just because it was going to be so slick. I went out there for the first practice and it felt like the first time I have ever rode a motorcycle in my life - I couldn't do nothing. I was missing the brake and missing the shifter. I jumped on my stock frame for the second practice and clicked off third-fast time. It felt good. Everything was work- ing great. I'm real happy." "I did pretty good in practice. I actually didn't feel that comfort- able, but my times were always good. We just went with it," said Jared Mees. "I had a lot of fun. I've been struggling on the little bikes all year. To come out here and get third, it was just really good. We've got a lot of momentum built up over these last couple weeks with the twins and the singles now. We're doing good to get up in there and look forward to tomorrow. Hey, you know, it's better than getting fourth. It was my first third place out of my whole career. I've gotten first, second, fourth and fifth and all the way down. I've never gotten a third. I was on my framer - I stuck with my framer all day." "On the old track, we could pass more. The right-hander was a lot more technical," said Chris Carr, who had won at Cas- tle Rock in 1993 and '94. "Here, the right-hander was follow the leader. The track was rounder than I remember it. Hav- ing that little dip going into turn one was like a berm and it was kind of a follow-the-leader racetrack. A guy had to make a really big mistake or you have to be really aggressive to get by them. It's unfortunate that we can't race it better than that. That's what we had tonight. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a good show too. Starting on the second row anytime is never good. If I could have got that start in the main event from the front row, maybe I would have been leading into turn one. I got a great start from the second row and there were only a couple guys ahead of me when it was all said and done. It happens. I chose the wrong spot for the start in the heat and I paid the price. I played catch up all night." "There used to be a time, when back in the pits I would be all happy about fifth. Not anymore. Not when the championship is this close," said J.R. Schnabel. "Jake [Johnson] just put it on us big tonight. We've got to go home and regroup and get out here tomorrow and take some points back. I want to go into Spring- field and Peoria with only worrying about winning some races and the championship will follow. We'll have to focus and get things dialed in for tomorrow. We got out of here with some points. We made up some points on Joe [Kopp]. There are a few things I want to think about for next year. It sounds like we're coming back here. We've already been planning for that." Andrews Brothers Racing/Mayberry Builders' Joe Hernandez ran away with the Pro Sport race after the Californian took the lead from Lancaster Harley-Davidson/Arai/Saddlemen's Cory Texter. Texter was the nipped at the finish line by Rod Lake Racing/Hlebo Brothers Suspension's Rod Spencer. Wash- ington riders then filled the next five positions with Celorie Brothers/Brothers Powersports' Scott Baker leading another brother team, the Everett Powersports/Silkolenes' Elliot and Derek Oquist, Peak Industries/Moranco & Assoc.'s Keith Anderson and Lynwood Motoplex/BBRP's Dustin Pruczinski. Briefly... Local rider Kyle Ragsdale (35) was tough early on, but he got tired and faded to an eventual eighth. Jared Mees (21) did the opposite, moving forward until eventually finishing third. Henry Wiles (17) also disposed of Ragsdale (35) to finish fourth.