Written by:
AMA Pro Racing
05/25/2009
Springfield, IL
The AMA Pro Grand National Twins Championship is officially under way with the running of the opening round, the Illinois Motorcycle Dealers Association's Springfield Mile. For the most part the heavy rains that were in the area steered clear of the Illinois State Fairgrounds and the entire weekend ran on schedule. That is until nine laps into the Grand National, when a light rain fell on part of the track. It didn't last long and after a little track ironing the race was back underway.
Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson / Moroney's Harley-Davidson's Bryan Smith came out of the gate fast as he posted the fastest heat race win before winning the $1000 & five points for the four lap dash. He also took quick control of the twenty five lap National. In typical Springfield action Smith had his mirrors full of a large gaggle of riders. Total Control Racing / Chris Carr Racing's Nick Cummings, Latus Harley-Davidson / Screamin' Eagles' Joe Kopp, Harley-Davidson of Wausau's Willie McCoy, Chris Carr Racing / Lancaster Harley-Davidson's Chris Carr, Blue Springs Screamin' Eagle's Jared Mees and defending Grand National Champion Kenny Coolbeth aboard his Factory backed Harley-Davidson all were on Smith‘s rear wheel.
Other than Carr drafting into the lead on lap five, Smith was in control. On lap seven a light rain began to fall and the race had to be stopped on lap nine. When the race resumed it looked like typical Springfield action, but a closer look showed two time Springfield winner, Kenny Coolbeth slipping drastically to the rear of the field.
With the laps running down Carr and Smith were running wheel to wheel with Mees, Kopp, Cummings, Memphis Shades' JR Schnabel, McCoy and Zanotti Racing's Jethro Halbert in tow.
After making a certain amount of history by putting a stock framed Ducati into the main, roadracer Larry Pegram had an oil fitting break on his Ducati Foremost / Lloyd Brothers Racing mount and he spun down exiting turn four on lap twenty one. This led to a five-lap shootout. This restart didn't last long as Schnabel fell in turn three of the first lap. Due to the number of restarts the teams were allowed to add fuel during what is now a no-work time frame.
