FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Matt King (414) 343-7634
matt.king@harley-davidson.com
WRECKING CREW RIDERS DON'T WANT TEAM'S WINNING STREAK
IN SPRINGFIELD TO STOP NOW
Screamin' Eagle Riders Set for Springfield Mile
MILWAUKEE (Aug. 30, 2007) - Screamin' Eagle
Harley-Davidson factory rider Kenny Coolbeth won the first AMA Flat Track
race of the year held at the historic Springfield Mile at the Illinois
State Fairgrounds.
One of his Wrecking Crew teammates, Bryan Smith,
won the Springfield Mile event exactly one year ago and is the defending
champion of the fall race there.
That means a Wrecking Crew rider has earned the win
on the Mile in the last two events. If you ask any of the four riders if
they want that streak to continue, you'll get a resounding nod of
approval.
Of course, each of them wants to be the one
standing on the top of the podium to make it happen. Round nine of the AMA
Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship season is Sunday.
Coolbeth has earned five wins in eight races this
season and has finished outside the top three just two times. He's also
the AMA Flat Track Twins category points leader. This year's Springfield
victory was his first on the Mile and he certainly would like to sweep the
Mile events this season and add to his 14 career AMA wins.
Wrecking Crew rider Jared Mees and the Blue Springs
Harley-Davidson team have collected three wins this season along with five
other podium finishes. Mees is in second place in the standings, just six
points back from Coolbeth. Mees has never won the Mile and would like to
add that to his six career AMA victories.
Smith and the Pat Moroney's Harley-Davidson team
have earned three podium finishes and are currently third in the point
standings. Smith's first and only career win to date is the fall Mile win
from 2006 and he's aiming to make winning that race a habit.
Joe Kopp Š the 2000 AMA Grand National champion Š
has 11 career AMA victories but has yet to snag the title at the
Springfield Mile. The veteran Team Latus Harley-Davidson rider knows a win
on Labor Day Weekend would help him move up from sixth place in the
standings.
Of course, there are going to be 14 other riders
anxious to get the win too.
"I want to win that race again," Coolbeth
said. "We proved to ourselves earlier this year that we can do just
that and we have great notes from that race. We are going back with good
notes and a great attitude. But even with that, you still have to be in
the right spot at the right time to take advantage of that track.
"The Springfield Mile is the Indy 500 for dirt
track racing and I think it's pretty special winning that race. My plan is
to win but I know everyone else has the same exact plan in mind so it
won't be an easy race."
Mees has steadily made improvements in his
performances at the Mile. In the first Springfield event in 2006, he
finished in eighth place. He finished fourth in the 2006 fall race and
earned third place earlier this season.
"I am getting better and more comfortable
every time I go to Springfield," Mees said. "It's such a fun
event but it can be a chess match more than any other track. Kenny ran
away with it earlier this year, but it's not normally like that.
"It's a draft race and usually you are with
six other guys and that can help you finish at the top. But if you make
one mistake or donÕt position yourself well, you can find yourself in
sixth place in a matter of seconds. I would love to win this race but
there are a lot of guys itching to get some wins for their teams that want
the same thing."
Smith finished in fourth place earlier this season
but is anxious to earn a place on the podium at his favorite track.
"I love the Springfield Mile," Smith
said. "The crowd makes it even more fun and it's a fast track. You
can actually make up time at this track which is usually impossible
anywhere else. You have to tip-toe around a lot of other tracks, but the
Springfield track is one of the few places where the harder you ride, the
faster you go."
Kopp has been on the Springfield Mile more than any
of the other Wrecking Crew riders and he knows teamwork plays a big role
in the way riders finish this event.
"Kenny flat out whooped the field at the first
race of the year but that was pretty unusual," Kopp said. "You
really have to draft for position at this track and if you don't have a
drafting partner, it could mean the difference between a top 10 finish and
last place.
"The Springfield Mile is such a historic event
and everyone wants to win this race. It's eluded me so far in my career
but hopefully that will change in just a few days. It's going to be a
battle though. Everyone wants the trophy from Springfield."
AMA Twins Top 10 Point Standings
(Following 8 of 13 events. Number of wins in parenthesis)
1. Kenny Coolbeth, Screamin' Eagle
Harley-Davidson (5) 164
2. Jared Mees, Blue Springs H-D/ Screamin' Eagle H-D (3) 158
3. Bryan Smith, Pat Moroney's/Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson 116
4. Jake Johnson, Suzuki 110
5. Chris Carr, Quality Pre-Owned Ford Harley-Davidson 90
6. Joe Kopp, Team Latus/Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson 89
7. Shaun Russell, Bartels' Harley-Davidson 86
8. Glen Schnabel, American Suzuki 82
9. Johnny Murphree, Coziahr Harley-Davidson 50
10. Jethro Halbert, Harley-Davidson of Fresno 43
All the action of this weekend's race and all AMA
GNC Twins events can be seen via web cast provided by Live I Sports (www.liveisports.com).
In addition to the direct team sponsorship,
Harley-Davidson will also provide support through professional flat track
contingency and the Rider Support Verification Program (RSVP). Under the
ScreaminÕ Eagle banner the support will total more than $140,000
throughout the 2007 season. This includes a contingency program for
qualified Harley-Davidson XR750 riders on the AMA Flat Track series.
ScreaminÕ Eagle Performance Parts are inspired by
and built in the spirit of the raw adrenaline and power of motorcycle
racing. ScreaminÕ Eagle Pro parts are specifically designed for race-use
applications, while ScreaminÕ Eagle parts offer street-use performance
options for the Harley-Davidson motorcycle owner. Visit
www.harley-davidson.com for more information.
The Screamin' Eagle Flat Track team is sponsored by
Matco Tools.