Making history at the 
AMA Dirt Track Grand Championships

July 5 – It may have seemed like just another day at the busiest week in dirt-track, but day three of the AMA Dirt Track Grand Championships offered something special: a bit of history.

In fact, the half-mile competition on the new Illinois State Fairgrounds represented the first time that motorized vehicles had run on the track, ever. And as the bikes took the track under a brutal sun, it was clear the slightly banked half-mile was perfectly suited to racing. (The 390 entries for the day was also a Dirt Track Grand Championship record)

One rider, Patrick Jacobsen, of Montgomery, New York, used the perfectly prepared track to notch a double-win day, pulling down first-place points in 65cc DTX and 65cc Modified. In the DTX class, Jacobsen held off an early challenge from David Sharkey of Tracy, California, to cruise to a win by a wide margin, while in 65cc Modified 7-11, he came around to take over the lead on the second lap, and after dueling with Sharkey for a lap pulled away for an easy win.

Thursday, which marked the start of the third day of racing, also saw the points race for the overall class championships solidify. With points awarded in four distinct types of racing over the course of the week — short-track, TT, half-mile and mile — the riders with the most points at the end are named grand champions.

In the first-session premier classes, a few tight points battles emerged.

In 65 Modified, Chad Cose led with 55 points, while Jacobsen was 3 points back

In 85cc Mod 7-11 Premier, Bobby Fong led with 46 points, while Cory Hildebrand trailed in second, 3 points back.

In 125 Mod Premier, Chase Sconyers led with 59 points, while Gary Conklin was 4 points back, with Aaron King 1 point farther back in third.

With one day of racing left for the small bikes — another half-mile Friday (except in 125 Mod Premier, which will race the mile with the big bikes on Saturday — the final championships will be decided after the final race.

The complete points listing can be found in today's results.

© 2002, American Motorcyclist Association

Thursday's Results
Overall Points

Highlights:

50cc PW: Daniel Bromley of Warrington, Pennsylvania took the win over Nick Mcfadden of Owensboro, Kentucky, with Cody Wyman of Macedon, New York in third.

50cc Senior: These guys didn't give up. Hayden Gillim of Philpot, Kentucky, and Michael Martin, of Lockeford, California, ran handlebar-to-handlebar for much of the race, with Martin taking the win and Tyler Whitecotten of Indianapolis in third.

85cc DTX 9-13: Matthew Weidman of Westerlo, New York, may have grabbed the holeshot, but he couldn't hold off Travis Myers of Breckenridge, Michigan, who came around after the first lap to outpower the competition through the entire race. Weidman finished second, with Troy Estabrook of Manchester, New Hampshire, in third.

50cc Junior: The draft on a half-mile is probably as important for the littlest bikes as the draft on the mile is for the big bikes. After following Bailey Spence of Rising Sun, Maryland, for the entire race, Jake Lewis of Princeton, Kentucky, used the draft to slingshot around in the final yards to take the win. Kyle Schlimme of Narvon, Pennsylvania, was third.

125 Modified Premier: If you wanted to run at the front of this pack, you had to work at it. Aaron King of Dysart, Iowa, grabbed a textbook holeshot, but wouldn't hold the point. By the third lap, Justin Hittle of Peoria, Illinois, passed into the lead on the brakes, while two laps later, Chase Sconyers of Metter, Georgia, finished working his way through the pack and picked off Hittle. In the end, it was Sconyers, Hittle and Gary Conklin of Harpursville, New York.

85cc Modified 7-11 Premier: For the first two laps, it looked like the Travis Myers show. But the Breckenridge, Michigan rider couldn't shut out Matthew Weidman of Westerlo, New York, who came around on the third lap. And while he had his hands full with a hard-charging James Rispoli of Londonderry, New Hampshire, who came from a fourth-place start to challenge for the lead, Weidman was able to hold on for the win. In the end it was Weidman, Rispoli, and Troy Estabrook of Manchester, New Hampshire.

85cc Modified 12-15: He put on a charge through the field, but Shane Narbonne of Lowell, Massachusetts, didn't have enough time to get around Brad Hazel of Waterport, New York, who led from flag to flag. Christopher Miller of Bergin, New York, rounded out he podium after running has high as second.