at Peoria Race Park.
The day's racing activities were
littered with red flags and ambu-
lance-related delays, reminding
competitors and spectators alike
just how unforgiving the fabled
venue can be. There is zero mar-
gin for error and precious few op-
portunities to make up ground fol-
lowing even the smaller mistakes
VOL. 51 ISSUE 33 AUGUST 19, 2014 P111
Briefly...
While Henry Wiles' ten-race win
streak is the longest in the history
of a National that dates back to the
'40s, he still has a few wins to go
before he matches the overall mark
of 13 held by the 'Prince of Peoria,'
Chris Carr. Wiles' victory did up his
career GNC TT victory tally to 15,
putting him equal with Carr for the
most all-time. The two are also all
even for most Short Track victories
at nine.
When asked exactly what gives
Wiles his Peoria edge -- and gave
Carr his back in the day -- the dirt
track legend explained, "I don't think
it's so much about skills -- although
he is very skillful around here; he's a
great rider," Carr said. "The biggest
thing is he wants it more. He wants
to win and you see it in how he rides
around here. And that's how I was
when I had my streaks going. You
come here with an attitude that there
isn't a better, faster guy in the valley
here today. And that's what he has
right now and that's his advantage. I
walked in those same shoes."
If the two Peoria geniuses had tan-
gled in their primes, who would have
walked away the victor? It depends.
Carr said, "On motocross bikes he
wins, on flat track bikes I win. I grew
up on flat track bikes. I feel confident
that on a flat track motorcycle around
here, in my prime, no one from any
era was going to beat me. But if we
were on 750s -- it probably would
have been someone else. I grew up
on the Rotax, he grew up on the mo-
tocross bike, and it is what it is. I think
the records during both the Chris Carr
era and the Henry Wiles era speak for
themselves in that respect. Henry is
very, very fast here, period."
continued on next page
Henry Wiles (17) went on
to take his 10th win at the
Peoria TT. Jared Mees (9)
won the battle for second
and Jake Johnson (5) third,
while reigning champ Brad
Baker (1) dropped back to
ultimately finish sixth.
DOMINANCE
