Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson’s Rich King returned to the site of his last AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship Series victory to record another, the Iowan winning round four of the 2005 series, the Springfield Mile, at the Illinois State Fairgrounds today. The race was delayed for some three hours by rain.
Reigning AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Series Champion Chris Carr got the holeshot to lead the race onto the back straightaway during the opening lap of the 25-lap final. From there, Carr and King battled it out with several other riders, including Kevin Atherton, Shaun Russell, Kenny Coolbeth and Kenny Coolbeth, all of whom led laps during the main event.
But King led most of them, racing across the stripe first on 16 of the 25 laps, including the last one, to record his first victory in exactly one year. Carr, who led lap 23, finished second, while Coolbeth, who surfaced on the white flag lap, finished third.
Carr’s runner-up finish put him back in front of the series standings, as leader Jake Johnson finished last in the 20-rider field, bowing out on the 20th lap of the race. Carr now leads the standings, with 63 points. Coolbeth and Joe Kopp, the latter fifth today, are tied for second, with 53 points each. Johnson is next, with 50.
Illinois State Fairgrounds
Springfield, Illinois
Results: May 29, 2005 (Round 4 of 17)
GRAND NATIONAL (25 laps; 20 riders): 1. Rich King (H-D); 2. Chris Carr (H-D); 3. Kenny Coolbeth (H-D); 4. Shaun Russell (H-D); 5. Joe Kopp (H-D); 6. Bryan Smith (H-D); 7. Jay Springsteen (H-D); 8. Kevin Varnes (Suz); 9. Jared Mees (H-D); 10. Johnny Murphree (H-D); 11. Willie McCoy (H-D); 12. J.R. Schnabel (H-D); 13. Bryan Bigelow (H-D); 14. Larry Pegram (Apr); 15. Tim Eades (25); 16. John Raun Wood (H-D); 17. Charlie Italia (H-D); 18. Gary Rogers (H-D); 19. Kevin Atherton (H-D); 20. Jake Johnson (Suz).
AMA FORD QUALITY CHECKED FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 4 of 17 rounds): 1. Chris Carr (67/1 win); 2. (TIE) Kenny Coolbeth (53)/Joe Kopp (53); 4. Jake Johnson (50/1 win); .5. Kevin Varnes (46) 6. Shaun Russell (42); 7. J.R. Schnabel (40/1 win); 8. Bryan Smith (37); 9. Nick Cummings (36); 10. Henry Wiles (35); 11. Jared Mees (3); 12. Johnny Murphree (32); 13. Bryan Bigelow (30); 14. Rich King (29/1 win); 15. John Raun Wood (22); 16. Willie McCoy (21); 17. (TIE) Jay Springsteen (12)/Chris Hart (12); 19. (TIE) Matt Burton (7)/Geo Roeder II (7)/Charlie Italia (7).
