In an effort to lend a hand to the Americans left homeless by Hurricane Katrina, Ford Quality Checked Certified Pre-owned racer Chris Carr is auctioning off a set of his genuine championship race leathers. The Powertrip brand leathers, emblazoned with the Ford Quality Checked logo and colors, were worn by Chris in successful AMA/Ford QC Flat Track Championship title run last year.
Bidding on the leathers begins at $1,500. All bids – in confidence – can be emailed to: CarrHelpsOut@aol.com The entire amount of the winning bid will be donated to the American Red Cross and earmarked for “Hurricane Katrina relief.”
“My heart truly goes out to the people affected by this recent natural disaster,” said Carr. “I’ve been in shock sitting her and reading the paper, watching the images on TV – feeling all along I had to do something. So I’ve decided to donate my ’04 championship Ford Quality Checked team race leathers – the same ones I wore when I clinched the title – to the American Red Cross relief efforts going on in the areas that were most affected by Hurricane Katrina. Again, from my heart, I have got to know a lot of motorcycle people that live in the south, many of whom are big fans of flat track, and this is a way that I can give back to them in a time of need.”
As for his racing, Carr enters this weekend’s Springfield Short Track and Mile doubleheader with a 15-point lead (192-177) over rival Kenny Coolbeth, despite crashing this past race at Sedalia, Mo. Carr’s done the math and says that if he can come out of Springfield nine points ahead of Coolbeth, it’s all over.
“If I gain nine points on Kenny this weekend, in any combination of finishes, I’ll have a 23-point lead going into Du Quoin, and I would win the tie-breaker,” said Carr.
But the AMA’s tightest premier division series points chase of the summer will be tricky for Carr this weekend as he has to jump from a short track to the mile this weekend at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Nonplussed, Carr feels he’s at his best when the pressure’s on – like it will certainly be this weekend.
“Everybody wants to see a close points chase, and I feel dirt track has given that to its fans better than any other AMA property this summer,” said Carr. “I hope to break it open this weekend and clinch it.”
Carr will have to open with, admittedly, his weakest flat track event – short track. Though he says that his longtime mechanic, Kenny Tolbert, has a more difficult task ahead of him than Carr feels he does.
“If anything, this weekend’s races are harder on the crews, the crew chiefs and mechanics,” said Carr. “We riders get to do the fun part.”
The contrast of this weekend’s races is like no other in AMA racing. In a four wheel perspective it’s almost like going from a go-kart race to running a NASCAR Cup race the next evening. But for the veteran Carr it’s just a matter of, as he says, “Flipping the switch.”
“When it’s time to go, it’s time to go,” said Carr. “It’s not difficult for me or the other riders in the series. Our systems are trained to race and that’s what we do.”
