AMA: Big money and points up for grabs at famed Springfield Mile

Name: North American International Auto Show Returns to Detroit
Uploaded: 2023-03-02T00:39:09+00:00
Duration: T0H3M37S
Description: 2022 Overview report by Mark Ducker and Wild Road Pictures.
31 August 2000
     PICKERINGTON, Ohio --  The richest weekend in flat-track racing takes place

Sept. 1-3 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, when the AMA Progressive Insurance

U.S. Flat Track Championships thunder into Springfield.

     Labor Day weekend should be one to remember for fans, with an action-packed

schedule which will include six main events. Kicking off the action Friday,

Sept. 1, will be the Springfield Short Track in the recently completed

state-of-the-art facility adjacent to the famed Mile.

     Saturday, Sept., 2 gives fans a full day of racing, with the Hall of fame

Grand National Mile, along with a main event in the SuperTrapp SuperTracker and

Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance classes. There's even the Progressive

Insurance lap of the track immediately following the Hall of Fame main event

open to current Progressive customers only. Stop by the Progressive tent to sign

up!

     Sunday, Sept. 3, will include more of the same with a 600 Support class

final and one more Grand National event on the world's fastest mile.

     As if the riches aren't enough there is also a total of 890 points up for

grabs in all the races, including 534 in the premier Grand National class this

weekend.

     So many points are available, in fact, that if series leader Chris Carr can

pull a trifecta over the weekend, he could lock up the series championship. The

Sacramento Harley-Davidson rider, with 147 points, holds a scant 6-point lead

over second place rider Joe Kopp.

     Kopp, of Mica, Wash., piloted his Corbin backed Harley-Davidson XR750 to

the checkers in Sedalia, Mo., to keep the pressure on Carr. In Kopp's favor are

his renowned short-track skills and his ability to consistently run with the

leaders. Of course, Kopp will have his hands full trying to catch and pass Carr,

while keeping ahead of the rest of the pack, including third-place rider Will

Davis.

     Davis, of Goldsboro, N. C., had a shot to pass Carr for the lead in

Sedalia, but his clutch gave out on the final lap and relegated the Moroney's

Harley-Davidson rider to tenth-place. That finish leaves Davis just 7-points

behind Kopp.

     Right on Davis' tail, just 7 points back, is the hard-charging Mike Hacker.

Hacker, of Prince George, Va., has piloted his Saddleman/Lancaster

Harley-Davidson to the podium three times this season and has finished

consistently in the top-ten.

     In fifth place, just 4-points behind Hacker is USC/Lancaster

Harley-Davidson rider Bryan Bigelow. Bigelow, of Au Gres, Mich., has landed on

the podium twice this season, most recently at Sedalia, and has missed placing

in the top ten only once this season.

     Adding some excitement to the weekend will be the addition of

road-racer/dirt-tracker Nicky Hayden.  Hayden, of Owensboro, Ky., has made a few

appearances on the flat-track circuit this year, and the back-to-back-to-back

weekends of racing might give him the form he needs for a solid finish. If

Hayden puts his TCR backed Harley-Davidson on the podium he could throw a wrench

into everyone elses points battle.

     Also on tap will be round six of the Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance

Series. Defending champion and current points leader Willie McCoy has been on

fire, winning the last three events aboard his DPC Racing 883.  Hot on his heels

is second-place rider Scott Stump, just 9 points back.

     The SuperTrapp SuperTrackers also return to action at Springfield with Mike

Hacker leading the way. Hacker, with 65 points, is hanging on to a 4 point lead

over current champion Joe Kopp. Kopp and Hacker have been battling each other

throughout the season, and the big-bore SuperTrackers should be an awesome sight

on the world's fastest mile.

     While at the Richest race in Flat Track racing be sure to stop by the

Progressive Insurance tent, for rider autograph sessions, video games, free

magnetic schedules, posters and other giveaway items. Once there you can Support

the Sport by calling 1-800-FLAT-TRACK on the hotline or by receiving an on-line

quote on the Progressive computer.  Don't forget, for every quote made through

1-800-FLAT-TRACK, Progressive pays $1 into the rider point fund.

     Three races from this weekend will broadcast on ESPN2. The Sept. 2, Hall of

Fame race will air at 6pm on Sept. 29, and again on Sept. 30, at 4:30am. The

Sept. 3, Progressive Insurance Grand National Championship will air on Oct. 6,

at 6pm and Oct. 13, at 4:30am. And finally the Harley-Davidson Sportster

Performance final will air on Oct. 11, at 6pm and Oct. 13, at 4:30am. All times

are Eastern, check local listings, as broadcast times may vary.



  2000 AMA PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE U.S. FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS

POS PTS NUM                                   RIDER, HOMETOWN     WINS
1   147 1  CHRIS CARR, FLEETWOOD, PA          3
2   141 43 JOE J KOPP, MICA, WA               1
3   134 21 WILLIAM DAVIS, GOLDSBORO, NC       3
4   127 67 MIKE HACKER, PRINCE GEORGE, VA     1
5   123 11 BRYAN BIGELOW, AU GRES, MI
6   116 80 RICH KING, DYSART, IA
7   102 31 KEN COOLBETH JR, WARREN, CT
8   94  9  JAY SPRINGSTEEN, LAPEER, MI        1
9   86  10 DAN STANLEY, BELLINGHAM, WA
10  83  18 TERRY POOVEY, EULESS, TX           1
11  65  89 KEVIN VARNES, NEW HOLLAND, PA
12  64  66 GEORGE A ROEDER II, MONROEVILLE, OH
13  63  20 JOHNNY MURPHREE, FORSYTH, IL
14  60  33 GLEN JR SCHNABEL, WEST BEND, WI
15  50  19 PAUL LYNCH, BEL AIR, MD
16  43  69 NICKY HAYDEN, OWENSBORO, KY
17  42  59 WILLIE MCCOY, RICHARDSON, TX
18  25  24 MICHAEL VARNES, READING, PA
19  23  15 CHRIS EVANS, CANADA, ON
20  21  41 BRETT LANDES, LOS GATOS, CA
21  21  83 PAUL R MORGAN III, CENTRALIA, IL