VOL. 51 ISSUE 31 AUGUST 5, 2014 P69
don't lose anything. I just feel so
good to be back riding again. It
was fun to race with Chris [Carr]
like that - back and forth, back
and forth. We never had anything
set up – it was just whoever on
the last lap, turn four, whatever
happens, happens. It was go-
ing to be a surprise to both of us
whoever won."
In what really was a first-or-last
situation, did Springer take in the
crowd's roar of appreciation?
"No, I was just so focused
on trying to win," Springer said.
"Chris is a racer. I'm a racer. We
all want to win."
The last time Springsteen won
at Sacramento was in 1982 and
the mile in California was a place
that was normally Scotty Parker
and Carr's house. And for Carr,
who was raised in nearby Stock-
ton, it's his home turf - even
though he calls Pennsylvania
home now.
CARR KEEPS IT REAL
The Grand National
Championship battle has
been closely fought and
there's been some great
racing, but where does
today's competition stack
up?
Who better to ask than
Chris Carr, the man who
leads the record books in
TT and short track wins,
is second behind Scott
Parker in Mile wins and
third in half-mile wins. It all
adds up to being second
on the all-time win list.
"I think there's five
really solid strong guys
who have a chance to win
nearly every week," Carr
said. "And there's three or
four more that are close to
being up with those guys.
Beyond that, beyond the
top eight, it thins out pretty
quick in my opinion.
"There are a lot better
riders out there that are
not here today because of
economics and I get that.
I think the kind of lap times
that Jay [Springsteen] and
I were running, we're in
the hunt to run in the main
event and he's 57 and I'm
47. And we're both out of
shape. So what's that tell
you. I'm just being honest."
Carr had some advice
to give the young racer
who was hoping to climb
the ladder.
"I think the talent could
improve," Carr said. "I think
a lot of these kids are only
trying to get their experi-
ence at Nationals and that's
holding back their devel-
opment. The guys who
are running up front are
great racers and you don't
become a great racer run-
ning Grand Nationals only.
[Jared] Mees, [Sammy]
Halbert, [Brad] Baker…
[Kenny] Coolbeth's got a lot
of experience so he's kind
of different, but these guys
are racing every week. And
you can't just survive rac-
ing Grand Nationals only.
And you can't become a
better racer running Grand
Nationals only."
"WELL, LIKE I SAY, I TOLD EVERYBODY
MY MIND SAYS I CAN STILL RACE,
BUT MY BODY DON'T. YOU KNOW
ARTHRITIS… AND I GOT METAL ALL
DOWN MY BACK AND I'VE PINS IN MY
HANDS AND COLLARBONES. I SAID
ARTHUR AIN'T BAD, BUT THAT RITUS…
HE'S A SON OF A GUN."
- Jay Springsteen
