Quality Checked Certified Pre-owned Ford Racing’s Chris Carr celebrated a pair of historic firsts at the Cow Palace south of San Francisco, California, tonight.
The reigning AMA Progressive Insurance Flat Track Champion, Carr became the first man ever to win a Grand National points-paying main event indoors on concrete, at the inaugural running of the Ricky Graham Memorial Indoor Short Track. Carr survived red flags and restarts to grab the holeshot on his Kenny Tolbert-wrenched KTM and take the lead. Before the blur of a race was over – lap times ran in the low eight-second range for the entire night of racing – Carr would lap up through sixth place en route to his 63rd career AMA Grand National victory. The other bit of history lies in the fact that Carr gave the Austrian KTM brand its first ever AMA Grand National win.
Part-timer Brett Landes finished second aboard his Audiovox/Quaker State/Z Gallery Honda. The former Daytona Short Track winner came from down in fourth place to pass SuperTrapp/Moroney’s rider Mike Hacker and Saddlemen Racing/Montgomeryville Cycles’ Jared Mees for the second spot. Landes reeled in Carr and was knocking on the door for the lead when the white flag came out. He would trail Carr across the line with less than a wheel length separating them. A rejuvenated Hacker finished a strong third.
Carr’s win places him back in a familiar spot, in the series point lead. He now has 10 points over Landes and Shaun Russell, the latter finishing fifth in the main event after taking the pole position for the race.
Cow Palace
Daly City, California
Results: May 1, 2004 (Round 2 of 10)
GRAND NATIONAL (30 laps; 16 riders): 1. Chris Carr (KTM); 2. Brett Landes (Hon); 3. Mike Hacker (Hon); 4. Jared Mees (Hon); 5. Shaun Russell (Rot); 6. Jethro Halbert (Hon); 7. John Raun Wood (Hon); 8. Willie McCoy (KTM); 9. Joe Kopp (KTM); 10. Jake Johnson (Hon); 11. Michael Varnes (Yam); 12. Rod Spencer (Hon); 13. Donnie Mullen (Hon); 14. Rick Winsett (Hon); 15. Chris Hart (Hon); 16. Bryan Smith (Rot).
Time: No time, due to red flag.
Margin of victory: 0.287 sec.
AMA PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES POINT STANDINGS (After 2 of 20 rounds): 1. Chris Carr (37/1 win); 2. (TIE) Brett Landes (27)/Shaun Russell (27); 4. Willie McCoy (26); 5. J.R. Schnabel (23); 6. (TIE) Bryan Smith (22)/Joe Kopp (22); 8. Mike Hacker (20); 9. Jake Johnson (18); 10. Johnny Murphree (16); 11. Jared Mees (15); 12. Jethro Halbert (13); 14. Jay Springsteen (11); 15. Terry Poovey (10); 16. Michael Varnes (8); 17. (TIE) Rod Spencer (7)/ Kenny Coolbeth (7); 19. (TIE) Donnie Mullen (6)/Ronnie Jones (6).
