|
SCREAMIN' EAGLE WRECKING CREW SWEEPS THE PODIUM IN
FARLEY WITH COOLBETH LEADING THE WAY WITH A WIN FARLEY, Iowa (Aug. 6, 2006) - Perhaps one of the biggest reasons why Screamin' Eagle AMA Flat Track racers Rich King and Kenny Coolbeth work and race so well together is the respect the younger Coolbeth has for the veteran King. After all, King said Saturday's event was a must-win situation for Coolbeth. So Coolbeth went out and won the race. Now that's respect. If that weren't enough, the Screamin' Eagle Wrecking Crew swept the podium for the first time this season. Coolbeth earned his second victory of the season while Wrecking Crew member Jared Mees and the Texter Harley-Davidson team finished second and King took third. The Wrecking Crew's Bryan Smith and the Pat Moroney's Harley-Davidson entry wasn't too far behind, finishing sixth for the night. It's the second time Coolbeth successfully defended a 2005 victory this season. Coolbeth led all 25 laps in the main event. "We went out and won Lake Odessa (Mich.,) for the second time and now we have a two-year winning streak in Farley too," Coolbeth said. "That's great, especially right now because every point is so important. This Screamin' Eagle team has worked so hard and we're inching up to the top of the standings. I got a good start in the main event and did whatever I could to hold the lead. I wasn't going to give up the lead for anything." This was the third season the AMA Flat Trackers have raced in Farley. It's the third time King has finished third in front of his hometown crowd. "I really didn't have to tell Kenny anything," the Dysart, Iowa resident said. "He knew this was an important event for him. The race worked out really well for both of us because we put some positions between us and (points leader) Chris Carr. It was an especially big points gain for Kenny. As for me, I don't know what it is with me, Farley and third place. At least I'm consistent." Coolbeth joins Carr and the Quality Pre-Owned Ford Harley-Davidson team as the only repeat winners this season. Carr has posted two wins and leads the series with 123 points. Coolbeth and the Screamin' Eagle squad are in second place with 119 points. Out of eight races this season, Coolbeth has finished on the podium four times. "I said that I really wanted to repeat the win in Farley and this team did everything we could to make it happen," Coolbeth said. "This track suits my riding style and I knew that if I wanted to win, I had to get in front first. There are just too many great riders competing for the win and points, so you can't make mistakes, otherwise you'll find yourself in the back of the pack real quick." Mees has one victory and two other podium finishes and is third place of the standings with 111 points. Smith is in fourth place with two podium finishes this season. Third place in Farley moved King up in the standings to fifth place, 32 points out of first place. It was King's second podium finish of the season. "Having the podium full of Wrecking Crew guys is pretty neat," King said. "It would have been even better if Bryan (Smith) could have finished fourth. He rode a great race and he was especially fast in the heat races, so we came close to taking the top four positions. "Kenny set a pretty good pace from the start of the race. Mees and I were running with him and we all pulled away form the pack and then I started struggling with turns one and two. For some reason, I just couldn't handle those turns. I was great in turns three and four, but not great on the others and Kenny just pulled away in the last five laps." There are just two of the 10 AMA Ford Quality Checked GNC Twins events remaining in the season. The second race of the season, held at Syracuse, N.Y., was canceled due to lack of time and lighting. A race scheduled for Aug. 28 in Bridgeport, N.J., was canceled for unspecified reasons. Carr earned the wins in Springfield, Ill., and Hagerstown, Md., while Joe Kopp and the Latus Harley-Davidson team earned the victory in Greenville, Ohio. Dominic Beaulac and the Lombardi Harley-Davidson team took the win in Lima, Ohio while Coolbeth and the Screamin' Eagle team have two wins (Lake Odessa, Mich., and Farley, Iowa). Mike Hacker and the Doc's Harley-Davidson team took first place in Mineral Wells, W.V., while Mees won Saluda, Va. FARLEY, IOWA SCREAMIN' EAGLE WRECKING CREW
RACE SUMMARY
AMA TOP 10 POINT STANDINGS: FLAT TRACK
There are just two events left this season for the AMA Flat Track GNC Twins series. The next stop is the Sept. 3 race at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill., followed by the season finale at Scioto Downs in Columbus, Ohio on Sept. 23. 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. The Screamin' Eagle Flat Track team is sponsored by Matco Tools.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||