AMA Grand National Dirt Track Series to Debut at Canterbury Downs
8 September 1997
R97106 September 8, 1997 For Immediate Release AMA GRAND NATIONAL SERIES TO DEBUT AT CANTERBURY DOWNS WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) Grand National Dirt Track Series makes it first visit to the mile track at Canterbury Downs in Shakopee, Minnesota, this Saturday. The Shakopee race marks the first AMA Grand National race in Minnesota, since 1959, when a race was held on a half-mile oval in nearby St. Paul. With a new venue, the key this weekend will be for riders and teams to quickly find the proper set-up for the first-time track. And that means tuners will play an even larger part than they do normally.The top Grand National mechanic of them all is Harley-Davidson's Bill Werner, who tunes for seven-time series champ and current points leader, Scott Parker. Werner's set-up skills and Parker's proven riding ability could spell trouble for the rest of the Grand National riders this weekend. Three riders, Will Davis, Kevin Atherton and Rich King, desperately need to do well at Shakopee to have any hope of dethroning Parker. With just four races remaining on the schedule, those three riders are the only ones in a position to catch Parker the defending champ. Last Sunday, the trio missed a valuable chance to close in on the leader when the race in Syracuse, N.Y., was canceled due to rain. Second-place rider Davis is especially anxious to get back on the track. The North Carolinian, who trails Parker by only 12 points, led the series until the Labor Day weekend. That's when Parker came through with a a win and second-place finish in the back-to-back AMA Nationals at Springfield, Ill. Davis now needs to put together a string of great finishes to gain ground on the consistent-riding Parker. Canterbury Downs will also host round nine of the Harley-Davidson 883 Dirt Track Series in conjunction with the Grand National round. Dave Camlin of Rock Island, Ill., leads the series with 169 points, just 6 points ahead of Jess Roeder, from Monroeville, Oh. -30- Connie Fleming American Motorcyclist Association Public Relations Administrator http://www.ama-cycle.org 614-891-2425