Carr comes up big at Indy

From amaflattrack.com

Despite an all day rain on Friday and a very ominous weather forecast for race day the Lucas Oils Indianapolis Mile was greeted by a windy, warm and sunny day. A truly huge crowd was treated to a great race as round 12 of the AMA Grand National Twins Championship returned to the Indiana Sate Fairgrounds for the first time since 1999.

After three red flags interrupted the 25-lap race it was Chris Carr Racing / Drag Specialties' Chris Carr who took control of the last restart, a five-lap dash to the finish, and won his second National of the year on Saturday. It just happens that Carr also won the last race here in 1999.

"It was nice to have two pits stops there at the end to give this old man a chance to catch his breath. I knew for the last five laps I could just go flat out," said Carr. "Kenny (Tolbert) made some changes to the bike during that last stop. I didn't even have to ask, he just knew what needed to be done to the bike."

The last red flag came on lap 21, but as per AMA rules a National main has to finish with at least five laps, making this race 26 laps long. At the flash of green Carr shot off the line with Kenny Coolbeth and his factory-backed Harley-Davidson giving chase.

The biggest loser on the restart was Moroney's Harley-Davidson / Screamin' Eagle's Bryan Smith. Smith had been fighting for the lead, but after the restart he was mired in seventh place.

Carr and Coolbeth revisited their Springfield wars as both riders diced back and forth well ahead of third place Blue Springs Screamin' Eagle's Jared Mees and Bartels' Harley-Davidson / Rogers Lake Racing's Shaun Russell.

On the last lap Coolbeth took the lead going into turn three, but Carr drafted back down the front straight for the win. Smith was on a tear and passed both Russell and Mees on the last lap to take third.

American Suzuki / Parts Unlimited / Dave Burks Motorsports' JR Schnabel led the Aprilia USA / Lloyd Brothers Motorsports backed Henry Wiles came home in sixth.

With the threat of more bad weather moving in, AMA Pro Racing opted to run a "short program" (Four heats with the top five riders advancing to the National).

American Suzuki / Parts Unlimited's Jake Johnson was fast all night, setting fast qualifying time, turning the sandy oval at 38.565 seconds. Johnson then proceeded to win his heat with the fastest time to set on the pole for the National. His night came to an end early. His Suzuki started to fail as he was contending for the lead and his race was over after 12 laps.

In the AMA Grand National Twins Championship, Kenny Coolbeth has won his third consecutive title, but the battle over second is going down to the wire. Smith holds a one-point lead over Carr, with only the Topeka, KS round left on Oct. 4.