Smith Wins Springfield Mile

May 26, 2009 by admin
Filed under News

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (May 24, 2009) – Moroney’s Harley-Davidson/Screamin’ Eagle rider Bryan Smith made a last-lap pass to win the opening round of the 2009 AMA Grand National Twins Championship on the Springfield Mile at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. The defending Grand National Twins champion, Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle factory rider Kenny Coolbeth, finished second, trailing Smith at the finish line by just 0.046 seconds.

Smith was the top qualifier for the 26-lap main, and was in the mix during the first 20 laps, during which the race was red-flagged to a stop once for rain and twice for crashes. The final red flag for a crash set up a five-lap sprint for the win. Coolbeth had been stuck at the back of the pack on a motorcycle that was not running well, but after the break the performance of his factory Harley-Davidson XR750 cleared up. On the re-start Coolbeth joined a lead pack that included Smith, Blue Springs Harley-Davidson/Screamin’ Eagle rider Jared Mees, Latus Harley-Davidson/Screamin’ Eagle rider Joe Kopp, Chris Carr Racing/Lancaster Harley-Davidson rider Chris Carr and Nick Cummings. Smith gambled by taking a low line on the backstretch of the last lap to draft past the pack, and carried his lead out of the fourth turn with enough momentum to hold off Coolbeth. Carr finished third, followed by Mees, Cummings and Kopp.

“We just came up a little short at the end,” said Coolbeth, who trailed Smith by half a bike length at the finish. “But considering how things were going for us tonight, second place is a great finish this time. For most of the race the motorcycle was running poorly and I was just riding around at the back trying to stay out of everyone’s way, and then after that last red flag, the Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson felt great and I was back in it. Bryan made a great move and I didn’t quite have enough to get him back.”

Smith previously won at Springfield in 2006.

“My team gave me a great Harley-Davidson to ride tonight,” said Smith, “but it took a bit of a gamble there at the end to get the lead. I figured it would be close but it worked out.”

With his win and a victory in the Dash for Cash sprint, Smith leads the 9-event 2009 AMA Grand National Twins series with 28 points, followed by Coolbeth with 16 points and Carr with 15 points.

The 2009 AMA Grand National Twins Championship will next race on June 20 on the Volunteer Speedway half-mile, in Bulls Gap, Tenn.

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.