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Scherb locks up
Harley-Davidson Sportster Performance Series title
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Scott Scherb clinched the 2003 Harley-Davidson Sportster
Performance Series with a win Saturday in round nine of the
10-race series at Scioto Downs in Columbus, Ohio. Scherb, a
35-year-old racer from Decatur, Texas, won the championship this
year after a season-long battle with 1994 champion Scott Stump.
By winning four of the last five races, Scherb was able to open
up a 27-point lead on Stump with only the Springfield (Ill.)
Mile emaining on the schedule this weekend.
This year marked the 10th anniversary of the Harley-Davidson
Sportster Performance Series, a support class of the AMA
Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship that features
riders racing on equally-matched Harley-Davidson 883 Sportsters.
“It’s too sweet,” said a jubilant Scherb, who is in his
fourth year in the Sportster Performance Series. “I’ve got the
No. 1 plate with me right now and we’ll have it on display on
the bike at Springfield.”
Scherb, riding an 883 Sportster backed by Doc’s
Harley-Davidson in St. Louis, broke through to win his first
Sportster Performance race at Hagerstown, Md., in early August
and took over the series lead. Scherb and Stump stayed close all
season, but Scherb’s hot streak in the second half of the year
was enough to secure him his first AMA Championship.
“Every time I would win Scott (Stump) would finish second and
then he won in Vernon, New York,” Scherb said. “He kept me
honest, but I think the key for us was finishing every race. My
mechanic Al Simons did a great job keeping my bikes in top shape
this year. One race I felt something was starting to go off on
my main bike so I went to my back up. I probably could have done
better that night on my main bike, but I knew that with just 10
rounds you had to score points in every race so I didn’t want to
take a chance.”
Scherb cited his victory at Hales Corners in Milwaukee during
Harley-Davidson’s 100th anniversary as the highlight of his
season. Scherb’s championship marked the second Sportster
Performance title for team owner Jim Wagner. Bryan Smith won the
2001 championship riding Wagner-owned bikes.
Scherb heads up a family full of racers. He has two sons,
Corby and Merle, ranked in the top 10 in the Harley-Davidson
Sportster Series. Two younger twin sons, are rising up in the
amateur ranks and are leading supermoto riders.
Scherb said he plans on capping off the season by going for a
fifth win at the Springfield Mile this coming weekend. “Now I
can just go out there and race and not have to worry about the
championship,” Scherb said. He plans on returning next year to
defend his championship.
For immediate post-race results, points, in-depth series and
rider information, regular columnists and much more, log onto
www.1800FlatTrack.com,
the official website of the AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat
Track Championship.
About AMA Pro Racing
AMA Pro Racing is the leading sanctioning body for motorcycle
sport in the United States. Its properties include the AMA
Supercross Series, the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Motocross
Championship, the AMA Chevy Trucks U.S. Superbike Championship,
the AMA Progressive Insurance U.S. Flat Track Championship and
the AMA Red Bull Supermoto Championship. Nearly 2 million race
fans attended AMA Pro Racing events during the 2002 season. For
more information about AMA Pro Racing, visit
www.amaproracing.com.
Copyright AMA Pro Racing, 2003
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