Team Harley-Davidson’s Rich King snapped his winless streak in the AMA/Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships by taking a somewhat controversial win at the IMDA’s Fed Ex Du Quoin Mile on the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds, on July 7. The event marked the first time that a motorcycle race has been run under the lights at Du Quoin, which has benefited from a radical makeover, complete with a high-buck Musco lighting system which practically turns night into day.
Running about 10th off the start, King didn’t really show his hand until late in the race – which was shortened from 25 laps to 20 after AMA officials expressed concern over high tire wear. Just before the five-lap sign was shown to the field, the Iowan made sure that he was near the front of the breakaway pack which would include title rivals Chris Carr and Joe Kopp as well as Kopp’s Corbin teammate, Kenny Coolbeth. In typical Magic Mile fashion, it all came down to a last-lap dash at the checkered flag, with King and Coolbeth crossing the line in a practical dead heat. After observing the film footage from the starting line camera, which turned out to be rather inconclusive, AMA officials reverted to the score sheets and gave the nod to King over Coolbeth. Kopp beat Carr back to the stripe for third, picking up one point in the series chase. Carr now leads Kopp, 166-164. Will Davis rode his Fasthog.com/Moroney’s Harley-Davidson to a fifth-place finish after leading many of the early laps. King was happy to finally get the monkey off his back.
“We’ve been fast everywhere we have gone,” King said. “Tonight it went our way. I’ve lost mile races just the same way that I won this one – that’s mile racing. Anytime you win, it’s great, but when it’s a mile, that makes it even more special.”
In other racing, Coolbeth blew away the 17-rider field in the SuperTrapp SuperTracker main event, finishing nearly half a straightaway ahead of Kopp, with Saddlemen Racing/Lancaster Harley-Davidson’s Mike Hacker finishing third aboard his potent Buell. Michigan rider Bryan Smith earned his first career professional AMA National win by barely edging series points leader Paul Morgan III and James Hart at the line for the victory in the Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Series main event.
The Du Quoin results and series points standings from all three classes through their respective completed rounds are as follows:
GRAND NATIONAL (20 laps; 18 riders): 1. Rich King (H-D); 2. Kenny Coolbeth (H-D); 3. Joe Kopp (H-D); 4. Chris Carr (H-D); 5. Will Davis (H-D); 6. Kevin Atherton (H-D); 7. Jay Springsteen (H-D); 8. Terry Poovey (Hon); 9. Shaun Russell (H-D); 10. J.R. Schnabel (H-D); 11. Johnny Murphree (H-D); 12. Mike Hacker (H-D); 13. Willie McCoy (H-D); 14. Steve Beattie (H-D); 15. Geo Roeder II (H-D); 16. Bryan Bigelow (H-D); 17. Jason Tyer (H-D); 18. Gary Rogers (H-D).
Time: 10 min., 03.303 sec.
AMA/PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE U.S. FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIPS SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 10 of 20 rounds): 1. Chris Carr (166/4 wins); 2. Joe Kopp (164/1 win); 3. Rich King (118/1 win); 4. Will Davis (107/1 win); 5. Kenny Coolbeth (98); 6. Mike Hacker (84); 7. J.R. Schnabel (73/1 win); 8. Johnny Murphree (71); 9. Jay Springsteen (70); 10. Bryan Bigelow (68); 11. Geo Roeder II (61); 12. Terry Poovey (55); 13. Willie McCoy (50); 14. Kevin Varnes (49); 15. Steve Beattie (42); 16. Nicky Hayden (38); 17. Shawn Clark (35); 18. Shaun Russell (33); 19. Brett Landes (25); 20. Tommy Hayden (23/1 win).
SUPERTRAPP SUPERTRACKER NATIONAL (12 laps; 17 riders): 1. Kenny Coolbeth (Suz); 2. Joe Kopp (Suz); 3. Mike Hacker (Bue); 4. Samuel Lowe (Suz); 5. J.R. Schnabel (Suz); 6. Willie McCoy (Suz); 7. Gary Rogers (Suz); 8. Jason Tyer (Suz); 9. Bryan Bigelow (Bue); 10. Joe Duvall (Suz); 11. Brian Kromroy (H-D); 12. Roy Miller (Suz); 13. Jerry Vanderkooi (Suz); 14. George Richtmeyer Jr. (Suz); 15. Scott Deubler (H-D); 16. Scott Scherb (H-D); 17. Michael Meyer (H-D).
Time: 7 min., 13.554 sec.
AMA/SUPERTRAPP SUPERTRACKER SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 5 of 8 rounds): 1. Bryan Bigelow (72/2 wins); 2. J.R. Schnabel (68); 3. Samuel Lowe (65); 4. Kenny Coolbeth (62/2 wins); 5. Greg Teague (57/1 win); 6. Mike Hacker (54); 7. Joe Kopp (53); 8. Scott Scherb (50); 9. Brian Thomas (44); 10. Willie McCoy (43); 11. Jason Tyer (41); 12. Gary Rogers (39); 13. Bryan Smith (36); 14. Joe Duvall (34); 15. Roy Miller (32); 16. George Richtmeyer Jr. (29); 17. Steve Liberty (26); 18. Brian Kromroy (25); 19. John Faulkner III (8); 20. Robert Buffington (7).
HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER PERFORMANCE NATIONAL (12 laps; 17 riders): 1. Bryan Smith; 2. Paul Morgan III; 3. James Hart; 4. Willie McCoy; 5. Scott Scherb; 6. Jason Tyer; 7. John Faulkner III; 8. Brian Kromroy; 9. Victor MacAnally; 10. Wiley Duane Duvall; 11. Jeff Landrum; 12. Michelle Disalvo; 13. Kyle Long; 14; Stephanie Welch; 15. Timmy Mitchell; 16. Brian Thomas; 17. Shane Fox.
Time: 7 min., 32.987 sec.
AMA/HARLEY-DAVIDSON SPORTSTER PERFORMANCE SERIES POINTS STANDINGS (After 3 of 8 rounds): 1. Paul Morgan III (43/1 win); 2. Bryan Smith (39/1 win); 3. Willie McCoy (35); 4. James Hart (32); 5. Scott Scherb (29); 6. (TIE) Victor MacAnally (23)/John Faulkner III (23); 8. Wiley Duane Duvall (21); 9. Brian Thomas (16); 10. Michelle Disalvo (15); 11. (TIE) Kyle Long (14)/Jason Tyer (14); 13. (TIE) Jeff Landrum (12)/Brian Kromroy (12); 15. Mark Witham (9); 16. Timmy Mitchell (8); 17. John Grant (7); 18. (TIE) Stephanie Welch (5)/Jason Lorge (5); 20. Yuhiko Hirao (3).
