Rough night for Canucks

By John Hopkins

Canadian racers had a tough go of it in last night's AMA Ford Quality Checked Flat Track Championship at Daytona's Municipal Stadium.

Steve Beattie of Petrolia, ON was the only Canadian to qualify for the evening program, but he was unable to advance to the 16-rider main event, finishing ninth in his heat aboard the Lancaster H-D / Saddlemen ATK and ninth again in his semi.

Neither Chris Evans nor Doug Lawrence were able to move beyond preliminary qualifying earlier in the day. Evans just missed a spot in the night program when he finished fourth in his Qualifier (the top three advanced). The St. Catharines, ON racer then placed fourth in his Second Chance Qualifier on the American H-D Inc. / KK Motorcycle Supply Rotax.

Lawrence was gridded in the first Qualifier of the day and placed fifth aboard the CVC Communications / American H-D Honda. The native of Mississauga, ON then finished sixth in his Second Chance race and was done for the day.

Jake Johnson won the evening's main event aboard a Suzuki. Chris Carr was second riding a KTM and Henry Wiles completed the podium on a Honda.