A heavy thunderstorm hit Rapid City Tuesday evening just after qualifying heat races were completed for the AMA Grand National at the Black Hills Speedway Half Mile. According to veteran racer Chris Carr the race has been canceled with a single point going to all the riders who qualified for the national and an additional point going to the six riders who qualified for the Dash.
The cancelation was especially unfortunate for Carr who was fastest in timed qualifying and earned the pole after winning the fastest heat race.
“That was the best I felt on a Half-Mile in a long time,” said Carr, who at the halfway point in the Grand National Twins season is still very much in the championship hunt, a close fourth in the standings. “It’s a shame for the fans, the promoter and especially for the riders. They ended up paying only half purse so the riders took the biggest hit.”
Promoter Corey Brink, a former Grand National racer, appeared to have done a good job. A solid crowd showed up for the first AMA Grand National at Black Hills Speedway in five years. They were still pouring in as the Heat races were taking place.
The rain turned the Black Hills Speedway into a giant mud bog. It’s not known how the team haulers are going to get out of the track, since they have to climb a steep dirt(now mud) road to get out of the facility.
