Moroney’s Harley-Davidson/Fasthog.com/Gould Erectors’ Will Davis is back. After missing several races due to a softball injury, Davis jumped right back into the thick of the AMA/Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships points race with a thrilling last-lap pass for the win at the Hagerstown Half Mile in Hagerstown, Maryland, on August 19.
Davis got the holeshot and led young lions Mike Hacker and Johnny Murphree into turn one. Hacker and Murphree were looking to repeat their Charlotte performances, but the veteran Davis had other plans. Murphree’s fine ride would come to a grinding halt when his Coziahr Harley-Davidson/ Memphis Shades-backed Harley self-destructed on lap 10.
Davis and Hacker battled clear of the field, and the Saddlemen Racing/Lancaster Harley-Davidson/Dodge Brothers backed Hacker took the lead on lap 16 of the 25-lap race. Hacker was poised to win his second career Grand National, but with five laps to go he lost his brakes.
Davis looked for any opening, and on the last lap he dove under Hacker going into the first corner. Coming off two Davis had the lead and his third win of the 2000 season. Corbin Racing/Dave Burks Motorsports/Harley-Davidson of Missouri’s Joe Kopp finished a solid third over a closing Rich King, who had methodically worked his Harley-Davidson Motor Co. mount to the front. King took fourth from defending Grand National Champion Chris Carr on lap 20. The fifth place finish keeps the Harley-Davidson of Sacramento/Wrenchhead.com/Phoenix Racing-backed Carr in first place in the points race.
DPC Racing/Tilley Harley-Davidson’s Willie McCoy ran away with the Sportster Performance National and moved into a points race tie with second-place finisher Scott Stump and his Frieze’s Harley-Davidson/Roger Gutterridge-backed Sportster. Filling out the podium was Rogers Lake Racing/Mitchell’s Modesto Harley-Davidson’s Gary Rogers.
GRAND NATIONAL (25 laps; 18 riders): 1. Will Davis (H-D); 2. Mike Hacker (H-D); 3. Joe Kopp (H-D); 4. Rich King (H-D); 5. Chris Carr (H-D); 6. Bryan Bigelow (H-D); 7. Kevin Varnes (H-D); 8. Geo Roeder II (H-D); 9. Jay Springsteen (H-D); 10. Larry Pegram (H-D); 11. Terry Poovey (Hon); 12. Ken Coolbeth Jr. (H-D); 13. Mike Varnes (H-D); 14. Dan Stanley (H-D); 15. Nicky Hayden (H-D); 16. Paul Lynch (H-D); 17. John Nickens III (H-D); 18. Johnny Murphree (H-D).
Time: 9 min., 52.735 sec.
AMA/PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE U.S. FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES POINT STANDINGS (after 9 of 15 rounds) 1. Chris Carr (147 pts / 3 wins); 2. Will Davis (125 / 3); 3. Joe Kopp (118); 4. Mike Hacker (117 / 1); 5. Bryan Bigelow (107); 6. Rich King (101); 7. Jay Springsteen (94); 8. Ken Coolbeth Jr. (88); 9. Terry Poovey (83); 10. Dan Stanley (75); 11. Geo Roeder II (62); 12. J.R. Schnabel (60); 13. Kevin Varnes (52); 14. (TIE) Johnny Murphree / Paul Lynch (44); 16. Willie McCoy (42); 17. Nicky Hayden (31); 18. Mike Varnes (25); 19. Chris Evans (23); 20. Brett Landes (21).
HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER PERFORMANCE SERIES NATIONAL (12 laps; 17 riders): 1. Willie McCoy; 2. Scott Stump; 3. Gary Rogers; 4. Jason Tyer; 5. Nate Wait; 6. Brian Thomas; 7. Michelle Disalvo; 8. John Faulkner III; 9. James Hart; 10. Henry Wiles; 11. Chris Hart; 12. Brent Armbruster; 13. Mark Witham; 14. Al Eadie; 15. Timmy Mitchell; 16. Kyle Long; 17. John Clark.
Time: 5 min., 01.203 sec.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER PERFORMANCE SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (after 4 of 7 rounds) 1. (TIE) Willie McCoy (2 wins) / Scott Stump (65 pts); 3. Brian Thomas (63 / 1); 4. Jason Tyer (50); 5. James Hart (47); 6. Gary Rogers (45); 7. Michelle Disalvo (42); 8. John Faulkner III (39); 9. Roger Lee Hayden (35); 10. Brian Kromroy (30); 11. Al Eadie (29); 12. Chris Hart (26); 13. Paul Morgan III (23); 14. Brent Armbruster (21); 15. Tom McGrane Jr. (18); 16. A.J. Eslick (17); 17. Nate Wait (14); 18. John Grant (10); 19. Henry Wiles (9); 20. Jeff Hiers (8).
