Racing starts at Springfield

AMA Dirt Track Grand Championships crowns first
winners in short-track youth division

July 2 – Under a hot sun and clear, blue skies, the first champions of the AMA Dirt Track Grand Championships were crowned Monday after a half-day of competition on the new short-track facility of the Springfield Fairgrounds.

The champions included the event's first two-time champion, Bobby Fong, of Stockton, California, who was on a serious roll at Springfield. The Honda rider won two classes, taking home top honors in the 85 DTX 9-13 class, as well as the 85cc Mod 7-11 Premier class. In both races, Fong grabbed a tightly contested holeshot and eventually opened a gap on the field, which included hard-charger Brad Baker, of Chehalis, Washington, who finished in second-place in both races.

The first afternoon's races came before the amateur races, made up of older competitors, including those vying for the prestigious Horizon Award, conferred on the rider who shines the brightest in the week's competition, and who seems to have a promising career on the horizon. Though it's too early to tell--those racers haven't taken to the track as this is written--two names stand out: Nick Cummings and Logan Myers, two extremely talented Michigan racers who have faced off over the years at the Grand Championships. There are likely others who will give them a run for the event's top award as well, and they'll have to show what they have in their first races.

© 2002, American Motorcyclist Association

Monday's Complete Short Track Results

Highlights of the first group's racing:

50cc PW: The youngest competitors took to the beautifully prepared track first, in the 50cc PW class, where Jordan Schoen, of Marion, Wisconsin, took the checkers over Mason Krog of Pekin, Illinois and third-place rider Ethan Gillim, of Philpot, Kentucky.

50cc Junior: Bailey Spence, of Rising Sun, Maryland, ran it hard into the first corner with KTM-mounted Daniel Bromley, of Warrington, Pennsylvania, to emerge with the holeshot and hung onto the lead until the end. Second-place finisher was Cobra-mounted Kyle Schlimme, of Narvon, Pennsylvania, with Bromley taking third.

50cc Senior: Cobra Mounted Michael Martin rode his highly-tuned Cobra to victory over KTM-mounted Harley Dunn of Petrolia, Ontario, with Justin Pitman's KTM taking third.

65 Mod 7-11 premier: They may be riding smaller bikes than some of the other premier clases, but the 65 Mod 7-11 class didn't disappoint. In one of the most tighly-contested races of the afternoon, Chad Cose, of Fremont, California, held off a challenge by Michael Martin of Lockeford, California, to take top honors, with David Sharkey, of Tracy, California, finishing third.

65 DTX: New York rider Patrick Jacobsen took the checkers over David Sharkey of Tracy, California, while Derek Hersh of Paradise, Pennsylvania, took third-place honors.

85 Mod 12-15: Honda-mounted Shane Narbone proved that he could make it to the top spot in the hotly-contested 85cc Mod 12-15 class, besting Yamaha-riding Danny Stookesberry, of Ottowa, Iowa in second and Brad Hazel of Waterport, New York, on a Yamaha in third.

125 Mod Premier: Always one of the most hotly-contested class, the 125 Mod class saw a holeshot by Chase Sconyers, of Metter, Georgia, riding a Honda. Chasing him down was KTM-mounted Aaron King, son of Grand National Dirt-Track hero Rich King, who finished second. Third was Honda-mounted Shane Narbone, who would finish in a better spot in a later race.