|
The ‘King of Cool’ Kenny Coolbeth Tops in 2nd Annual Joe Weatherly Memorial at Virginia Motor Speedway
Jamaica, VA – Round six of the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Twins Championship returned to Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway in Saluda, Va., on Saturday, July 14, for the second annual Joe Weatherly Memorial presented by Thurston Spring Service. The twenty five lap National quickly boiled down to a two rider war as the series points leaders, Blue Springs Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson’s Jared Mees and Harley-Davidson Motor Company / Screamin’ Eagle’s Kenny Coolbeth locked horns.
Series points leader Jared Mees entered the night on a three race win streak and a thirteen point advantage over defending Grand National Champion Kenny Coolbeth.
After several exchanges of the lead Coolbeth took over on lap fifteen, but last years’ winner, Mees, was determined to take one more shot and on lap twenty three tried one last time to pass high in turn three. It was not to be, Mees slid high off the tight groove and Coolbeth was home free. “With a couple laps to go, I looked back and saw that I had a good lead over third,” said Mees. “I figured, heck I’m going to try something. I passed him there once and thought I could pass him there again. I didn’t make it work. The tire went away a lot more than it did earlier in the race. It didn’t help getting up there in those marbles.”
“I looked back and I thought he (Mees) was on the outside of me going into the corner,” said Coolbeth. “I didn’t even know that he had gone high off the groove.”
Now well off the lead, Mees recovered to finish second over pole sitter Screamin’ Eagle / Latus Harley-Davidson’s Joe Kopp.
Corbin Seats / F&S Harley-Davidson / King Racing’s Rich King had got the hole shot and led the first lap, but was set back quickly by Coolbeth then Mees. Proving to still be a groove master the veteran, King settled into third with Kopp, American Suzuki / Parts Unlimited’s Jake Johnson and Zanotti Racing / Harley-Davidson of Fresno’s Jethro Halbert tightly bunched behind.
Halbert began to fade as first Rogers Lake racing / Bartels’ Harley-Davidson’s Shaun Russell the Moroney’s Harley-Davidson / Screamin’ Eagle’s Bryan Smith forged their way around.
Up front Coolbeth officially held the lead until lap six when Mees roared by in turn three. Now it was Coolbeth’s turn to stalk and he reclaimed to point on lap fifteen, but still could not shake his young challenger until Mees his one last unsuccessful blitz.
In the waning laps, King gave up his podium spot to Kopp as he slipped just high enough to let the former Grand National champion by. Johnson was also able to fill the void, dropping King to his fifth place finish.
Shaun Russell, Bryan Smith, National Cycle / Coziahr Harley-Davidson’s Johnny Murphree, Jethro Halbert and Reiman’s Harley-Davidson / Gutterridge Harley-Davidson’s Bryan Bigelow rounded out the top ten.
Coolbeth was able to clip a little off Mees lead in the AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Twins Championship, cutting the lead to nine. Jake Johnson and Bryan Smith are well back 33 and 34 points behind Mees.
The race is much tighter in the combined (Twins and Singles) points standings. Coolbeth is defending his 2006 win and holding a mere three point lead over Mees. Johnson is just ten off the lead. Fourth, fifth and sixth is a tight battle between JR Schnabel, Chris Carr and Johnny Murphree, fifty points behind the leaders.
Earlier in the night the fledgling Basic Expert Twins class held its second race of the season. Home town favorite, Joe Eades pushed his Parents / Reggie Amos Custom Homes backed Harley-Davidson to a hard fought win over last weeks winner Greg Crow Racing’s Justin Hittle. A short distance back Matt’s Honda / Mom & Dad / Arai’s Matthew Weidman held off a fast closing Lancaster Harley-Davidson / Kenny Tolbert’s Cory Texter.
Eades and Hittle have exchanged first and second in the first two races and are tied atop the points standings. Weidman is now third twelve points off the pace.
Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway will return to action this Friday, July 20th as it hosts the second visit of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series for 2007.
A $10,000 top prize will be up for grabs in the ‘Summer Sizzler 50’ presented by Thurston Spring Service, Inc., with a star-studded field of WoO LMS standouts and regional talents expected to chase the check.
Competitor gates for Friday July 20th will open at 3pm with spectator gates opening at 5pm. On track activities will begin at 7:15pm with hot laps. Divisions scheduled to race on Friday July 20th: World of Outlaws Late Models (50 Laps); Victory Lap Late Models (35 Laps); Truckin Thunder Sportsman (30 Laps) and the Budweiser Modifieds (25 Laps). Late Model, Sportsman and Modified divisions will run Hot Lap Time Trials and Features only. World of Outlaws Late Models will run Hot Laps, Time Trials, Heats, B Mains and Feature.
Adult tickets are just $22, Senior and Military $20, Students 13 –17 yrs old $10, Children 7 – 12 yrs old $5 and Children 6 and under free. The Speedway will also offer a Family Pack that consists of two adults and two children 12 and under for only $44. Also check the tracks website (www.vamotorspeedway.com) for $2 off discount coupons good on adult, senior and military tickets. Pit Passes will be $25.
Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway, an ASA Member Track affiliate, is a ½ mile dirt oval track is located on U.S. Route 17, eight miles north of Saluda, VA and 25 miles south of Tappahannock, VA in Jamaica, VA. The speedway is just a short drive from Richmond, Fredericksburg, Southern Maryland and the Hampton Roads area.
To learn more about Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway and its 2007 schedule of events, fans may call the Speedway office at (804) 758-1VMS or visit the track’s web site at www.vamotorspeedway.com.
MEDIA CONTACT: DAVE SEAY (804) 758-1867 OR (804) 357-7223
RACE RESULTS FOR THE 2nd ANNUAL JOE WEATHERLY MEMORIAL presented by THURSTON SPRING SERVICE, INC. JULY 13 – 14, 2007:
GRAND NATIONAL (25 laps, 18 riders): 1. Kenny Coolbeth (H-D); 2. Jared Mees (H-D); 3. Joe Kopp (H-D); 4. Jake Johnson (Suz); 5. Rich King (H-D); 6. Shaun Russell (H-D); 7. Bryan Smith (H-D); 8. Johnny Murphree (H-D); 9. Jethro Halbert (H-D); 10. Bryan Bigelow (H-D); 11. Chris Carr (H-D); 12. Mike Hacker (H-D); 13. AJ Eslick (H-D); 14. Tim Eades (H-D); 15. JR Schnabel (Suz); 16. Raun Wood (H-D); 17. Kevin Varnes (H-D); 18. Dan Gedeon (Tri).
Time: 8 min., 58.909 sec.
AMA FORD QUALITY CHECKED FLAT TRACK TWINS CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS (after 5 of 13 rounds): 1. Jared Mees (104 pts / 3 wins); 2. Kenny Coolbeth (95 / 2 pts); 3. Jake Johnson (71); 4. Bryan Smith (70); 5. Chris Carr (57); 6. Shaun Russell (56); 7. Johnny Murphree (50); 8. JR Schnabel (49); 9. Joe Kopp (47); 10. Jethro Halbert (32); 11. Paul Lynch (26); 12. AJ Eslick (24); 13. Rich King (22); 14. Kevin Varnes (19); 15. Henry Wiles (18); 16. Tim Eades (17); 17. (TIE) Geo Roeder / Ricky Marshall (15); 19. Rob Pearson (14); 20. Mike Hacker (13).
AMA FORD QUALITY CHECKED FLAT TRACK OVERALL CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS (after 8 of 21 rounds): 1. Kenny Coolbeth (143 pts / 2 wins); 2. Jared Mees (140 / 3 wins); 3. Jake Johnson (133 / 2 wins); 4. JR Schnabel (92); 5. Chris Carr (91); 6. Johnny Murphree (87); 7. Joe Kopp (73); 8. Bryan Smith (70); 9. Shaun Russell (61); 10. Henry Wiles (55); 11. Jethro Halbert (48); 12. Mike Rush (44 / 1 win); 13. Rich King (34); 14. Paul Lynch (29); 15. Nick Cummings (25); 16. (TIE) AJ Eslick / Kevin Varnes / Rob Pearson (24); 19. (TIE) Bryan Bigelow / Raun Wood (23).
BASIC EXPERT TWINS (12 laps, 6 riders): 1. Joe Eades (H-D); 2. Justin Hittle (H-D); 3. Matthew Weidman (H-D); 4. Cory Texter (H-D); 5. Sammy Sabedra (H-D); 6. Bret Sowders (Suz).
Time: 4 min., 33.746 sec.
BASIC EXPERT TWINS POINT STANDINGS (after 2 of 8 rounds): 1. (TIE) Joe Eades / Justin Hittle (42 pts / 1 win); 3. Matthew Weidman (30); 4. Cory Texter (27); 5. Sammy Sabedra (24); 6. Jon Goodwin (16); 7. Jake Mataya (15); 8. (TIE) Bret Sowders / Jesse Janisch (13); 10. James D. Faulkner (11).
|
|
