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Racing starts at Springfield

Big bikes take to the short track

July 2 – The sun went down, the lights came on, and the big bikes took to the track Monday night at the AMA Dirt Track Grand Championships here in this capitol city, and Claton Riggle, of Chillicothe, Missouri rose to the top of the heap, taking two amateur championships, while a host of talented riders made the most of the beautifully prepared short track at the Illinois State Fairgrounds to take titles of their own.

Riggle, showing superb form in two of the most challenging classes suited to up-and-coming riders, took top honors in the 250 Mod Premier and 250 DTX classes, beating the best amateurs in the country in the process.

In 250 Mod Premier, Riggle proved he had what it took, riding his Honda to victory with a hard-working first lap, emerging from the pack ahead of a field that included holeshotter Kyle Meiers of Esconaba, Michigan, and Nick Cummings, of Mt. Morris, Michigan, who came from a second-row start to challenge for the lead in the first half. Keeping on the gas, Riggle was flawless o the finish, wth Cummings second and John Lewis, of Brandamore, Pennsylvania in third.

In 250 DTX, Riggle came around early leader Tom Link, of Twin Lake, Michigan, by mid-race to hold on the for the lead, while John Newis, of Brandamore, Pennsylvania, put on a hard charge from mid-pack to work up to third place. In second, Sam Halbard came from a fourth-place start to challenge the lead.

An interview with J.B. Norris

July 4 – There's a reason that Springfield is known as the cradle of dirt-track racing in America: This place has a flat-track history that goes way back.

And few people know that better than J.B. Norris, a race announcer and Speed Channel Grand National Dirt Track commentator. Not content to sit on the sidelines when the greatest amateur show in dirt-track comes to town, Norris got on his BMW GS and rode over to take in the action. more

Monday's Complete Short Track Results

Highlights:

400 Mod: It was a familiar last name, but not the first. Aaron King of Dysart, Iowa, the son of Grand National Dirt-Track star Rich King, smoked the field from start to finish on his KTM, grabbing the holeshot (in both the first-run red-flagged race and the restart) and running in front the whole race to win, with Honda-mounted Travis Sprong, of Somerset, Indiana, in second and Suzuki pilot William Stevens, of Bay City, Michigan, in third.

Open 40-plus: Long-time AMA Dirt Track Grand Championship vet Royal Adderson, of Calgary, Alberta, piloted is Rotax to the front of the field the hard way, working up from fourth place on the first lap, steadily picking off the riders in front of him to take the win. Honda pilot Mike Caves, of Galesbug, Illinois, was second and Yamaha-mounted Russ Briggs, of Manhattan, Kansas, took third.

Pro Sport 505: Jared Mees came home. In the 505 Pro Sport class, which includes pro riders, Mees, the 2001 Dirt Track Horizon Award winner, returned to the Dirt Track Grand Championships to show the field how it's done. Mees, dicing hard with Jethro Halbert, of Graham, Washington, came from a second-place first lap to take the lead by the halfway point for th win. Halbert finished second, with Danny Eslick, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma in third.

Open 45-plus: They may be old, but they're fast. Rotax-mounted Vince Holt of Issaquah, Washington, took top honors from flag to flag over second-place Russ Brigs, of Mahattan, Kansas, and Dale Buck of Apopica, Florida.

505 Mod: Nick Cummings, riding hard, showed that you have to be more than the son of top pro tuner Tom Cummings to win in this tough class. You also have to have talent. And that's what Cummings showed, working his way from a third-place start through the front two riders to take the win. Nick Moore, of Riverbank, California, took second, with Jesse Janisch of Hartford, Wisconsin in third.

30-plus Singles Premier: Thumpers rule, and so did Scott Shinn of Abingdon, Illinois, who worked his way from a second-place start into the lead, while Kevin Snyder of Taylorville, Illinois and Johnny Cooper of Grand Blanc, Michigan, rounded out the podium.

600 Mod Premier: Nick Moore of Riverbank, California, just didn't give up. Trying just about every part of the racetrack for the first nine laps to come around Nick Cummings, it looked as if he just couldn't get it done. Until the last turn of the last lap. Hooking up hard on the cushion, Moore came around Cummings to win the night's closest and most hard-fought race. Sam Halbert, of Graham, Washington, took third.

18-plus Open Twins: Big bikes on a small track. Gary Hite of Post Falls, Idaho, piloted his Harley-Davidson around early leaderRod Hartzel of Granite City, Illinois, to take the win on the last lap, with Bob Owens of Burton, Michigan rounding out the podium.

He was Monday night's top dog. Clayton Riggle took top honors in two classes.	Does the number look familiar? It even matches the name of Grand National star Rich King. Aaron showed the 400 Mod class how it's done.	It may have been dark, but the excellent lighting at the Illinois State Fairgrounds half-mile made the track seem almost like day.
Ok, whose handlebars are whose? Tight first-turn action marked the night.	Nice form, Nick. Cummings gets low.	This guy might be the energizer bunny of the Dirt Track Grand Championships. Royal Adderson takes another win.
Get on the gas and put it to the ground. Scott Shinn shows good form on the half-mile.