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SCREAMIN' EAGLE RIDERS READY TO BATTLE FOR VICTORY AS AMA FLAT TRACKERS TACKLE VIRGINIA MILWAUKEE (July 6, 2006) – When Rich King gets ready for a race weekend, he mentally goes through the motions of competing on his Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson entry in AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Twins championship competition. Armed with his 26 years of racing experience, the Iowa native might have an advantage going into this weekend's event at the Virginia Motor Speedway in Saluda, Va. After all, no one has raced there before. That's something the veteran likes. "I look forward to going somewhere that no one has raced at yet," King said. "I think the teams that have more experience will be the better teams this weekend. I think we especially have an advantage because we have four riders in the Wrecking Crew and because of that we have a lot of knowledge at our finger tips. I think that will help us tremendously as we step onto a new facility." Racing kicks off at Virginia Motor Speedway at 5 p.m. with timed practice on Saturday. Heat races begin at 7:30 p.m. before the main event starts at 10 p.m. King is currently second in points, just seven points behind points leader Chris Carr and the Quality Pre-Owned Ford Harley-Davidson team. Carr captured the season opening event win at Springfield, Ill., as well as the win in Syracuse, N.Y. Three other riders, King's Screamin' Eagle teammate Kenny Coolbeth (Lake Odessa, Mich., winner) and Dominic Beaulac (Lima, Ohio winner) and the Lombardi Harley-Davidson team as well as Mike Hacker and the Doc's Harley-Davidson team (West Virginia) have posted wins this season. King said the number of winners is making for great racing for the fans, and some tight point standings in the championship chase. "I think right now the team that can go the rest of the season with the least amount of problems will win the championship," King said. "There just won't be any room for error. We've already had a good mix of winners and now it will come down to whoever makes the least amount of mistakes. "Kenny and I are lucky because if one of us is struggling, we can look at their data and immediately have something else to try. We don't have a lot of time in Flat Track racing. We just have a few qualifying laps, a few heat laps and that's it. We have to be ready for the main event in a short amount of time and being able to discuss a setup with a few extra people has been great this season." King said the team is getting better each weekend. Coolbeth has one victory and King has finished on the podium twice. This weekend, however, the veteran will use a blend of old school experience and new school technology in hopes of making a third trip to the podium. "I am going to the new track with an open mind and we'll see what happen," King said. "With the internet you can find so much information, so I will study whatever information I can find about the track and prepare myself that way. I'll go through the various scenarios and hopefully that will put me in the ballpark without having a single lap under my belt. Then we go from there and figure things out as we go along." AMA Top 10 Point standings: Flat Track 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 Screamin’ Eagle banner the support will total more than $140,000 throughout the 2006 season. This includes a contingency program for qualified Harley-Davidson XR750 riders on the AMA Flat Track series. Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts are inspired by and built in the spirit of the raw adrenaline and power of motorcycle racing. Screamin’ Eagle Pro parts are specifically designed for race-use applications, while Screamin’ Eagle parts offer street-use performance options for the Harley-Davidson motorcycle owner. Visit www.harley-davidson.com for more information. Tina Albinger |
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