Subject: COOLBETH IS THIRD ON FACTORY HARLEY AT SPRINGFIELD
From: "Gruber, Jennifer" <
Jennifer.Gruber@harley-davidson.com>
Date: Mon, May 31, 2010 3:50 pm
To:
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Contact: Jen Gruber (414) 343-7092,
jennifer.gruber@harley-davidson.comFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COOLBETH IS THIRD ON FACTORY HARLEY AT SPRINGFIELD
Last-Lap Passes Result in Podium Finish; Coolbeth Third in Season Points
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (May 30, 2010) – Harley-Davidson® Screamin' Eagle®
factory rider Kenny Coolbeth finished third after a furious finish at the
AMA Pro K&N Grand National Twins series race on the Springfield Mile at
the Illinois State Fairgrounds. The race was won by Zanotti Racing rider
Jake Johnson on a Harley-Davidson XR-750 motorcycle.
Johnson, who was also fastest qualifier for the event and won the five-lap
Dash for Cash bonus race, led the 25-lap main from the start. His only
challenge came from Monster Kawasaki rider Bryan Smith, who raced with
Johnson early but then faded as the dirt-track surface dried. A pack of
riders that included Coolbeth, Blue Springs Harley-Davidson rider Jared
Mees, American Agip/Lloyd Brothers Ducati Joe Kopp, and Moroney's
Harley-Davidson rider Patrick “PJ” Jacobsen, reeled in Smith by the
closing laps of the main.
On the final lap, Coolbeth had shuffled back to sixth place as the pack of
drafting riders jockeyed for position heading to the finish. Coolbeth used
the draft on the back straight to get back to third and was bearing down
on Smith but could not make the pass for second place. Smith finished just
0.052 seconds ahead of Coolbeth, who in turn beat Mees to the line by just
0.009 seconds to claim the final spot on the podium. Kopp was fourth,
followed by Jacobson.
“For a long time I was by myself in third place,” said Coolbeth. “So I was
thinking I’d set Smith up for a pass on the last lap, but then I found
myself surrounded when the pack caught me with about five laps to go and I
had to change my strategy at the end. I got a great run on the last lap
but just didn’t have enough to catch Bryan. It was a good night for the
Harley team, and we are good in points. Now we need a win or two to get a
little cushion.”
With the win, Johnson moves into a tie with Kopp for the season points
lead in the 2010 Grand National Championship. Each rider has 98 points.
Coolbeth is third with 82 points.
The AMA Grand National Twins will next race on June 26 at the Allen County
Fairgrounds half-mile in Lima, Ohio.
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
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www.harley-davidson.com for more information.
The Screamin' Eagle Flat Track team is sponsored by Matco Tools.
