Springer takes Springfield
Jay Springsteen scores first-ever win at the Springfield Mile

Per tradition, the Memorial Day Weekend running of the Springfield Mile was rained out and postponed to Monday. But that didn't dampen the spirits of crowd favorite Jay Springsteen who won his first-ever Springfield Mile in classic fashion, edging out defending AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships champ Chris Carr at the line by only 0.723 seconds. The win also happened to be Springer's 43rd -- on his 43rd birthday. Seems like the rain delay played right into the ace's hands. Factory Harley rider Rich King took third, followed by Mike Hacker and road-racer Nicky Hayden in fifth.

Complete Springfield Grand National results | Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance results | Photos & video

MPEG Video:
Springer takes his wife for a victory lap ride (240K)
Jay enjoys the champagne and cheers from the crowd on the victory podium (552K)
Chris Carr recording a commercial for Progressive Insurance. . .see it here first! (224K)
The start of the Grand National main event (152K)
Grand National riders roar into a turn -- at about 100 mph (128K)

Thanks go to AMA Pro Racing's Connie Fleming for snagging these pics of the flat-track classic.

Springer is congratulated by Morehead. As you might suspect, these two go way back.

The Man, the Legend.

AMA member and dirt-track nut Don Potter caught this shot on his video camera. That's Jay's wife carrying the flag. Kinda says it all doesn't it? See the video of these two coming near the finish line! Thanks Don.

The top three in Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance. From left, Willie McCoy (2nd), Paul Morgan III (1st), Roger Lee Hayden (3rd).		"Stay Puff, the Progressive Man"	New AMA Pro Racing Dirt Track Operations Manager interviews the champ.
"Peace brother." Carr sits third in points, five behind leader Jay Springsteen.	Kenny Coolbeth Jr. finished a very respectable 7th.	Will Davis finished sixth behind road-racing (and dirt-track for that matter ) phenom Nicky Hayden.	New Harley-Davidson factory rider Rich King looked to be back on form with a third.
Joe Kopp got 10 laps into the main before breaking.	Defending Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance champ Willie McCoy finished second in the H-D Sportster Performance main and took 13th in the Grand National.	Your H-D Sportster Performance winner Paul Morgan III, being interviewed by American Motorcyclist sales guy and part-time dirt-track announcer J.B. Norris.
Long-time fan favorite Terry Poovey made it out to the show. His Daytona short-track win may have been a boost to his strong seventh-place finish.	Here's the deal. Call (800) FLAT-TRACK, or click here, and get an online quote from Progressive and they will throw another dollar into the year-end point fund. Cool huh? Now DO IT!	Joe Kopp and Rich King signing autographs in the Progressive tent for the fans. There isn't a type of major motorcycle racing where the riders are as accessible as in dirt track. Missed this autograph session? Just go by their race rig, they're more than happy to chat with you.	Here's the Support The Sport Progressive tent.
You can get an online quote right at the race track from Progressive and do your part to Support the Sport.	As usual, the racing at Springfield is always close. Here Will Davis leads Mike Hacker and Rich King.	Davis, Nicky Hayden, Springer, Carr and Hacker.	Springer shows the Hacker kid a few tricks.
Nicky out front of Davis and King. Nicky adding to his growing status of soon-to-be legend. If you were lucky enough to be at Springfield, you may have seen Nicky's last dirt-track ride.	The pack spreads a bit. King, Springer, Davis and Hacker battle.	Nicky's youngest brother, Roger Lee, is also a road-racer, riding for Team Chaparral Suzuki. Roger Lee scored a very respectable third in H-D Sportster Performance. In case you couldn't tell, all the Haydens cut their teeth in dirt track.	A couple of views of the fairground's new short-track. It's being built for the state's high school rodeo tournament. Hey, we'll take a brand new short-track anyway we can get it!
This looks to be a first-rate facility. The AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships will visit this fine facility on Friday night, Sept. 1!

Go to the 2000 AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championships schedule

Copyright American Motorcyclist Association, 2000.