Carr had to qualify through a semi after losing a drafting battle to Jay Springsteen and Nicky Hayden in his heat race. Determination saw him ace the start from his third row spot in the main event, slotting into eighth and beginning the chess match that is an Illinois Mile dirt track. After dominating the Springfield oval just a couple hours north for two seasons, Carr's stranglehold on the checkered flag let loose its grip, giving the win to Virginian Hacker. Chris came home in fifth, only a few bike lengths behind the lead battle.
Chris is heading for the Formula USA event at Del Mar this weekend, hoping to have some fun in the California sun and looking ahead to 2003, as his Ford QCCPOV sponsorship deal has been extended, making Chris look like the man to beat again when Daytona rolls around in March.
Check back for a report from SoCal and plenty of off-season updates in the coming weeks.
"We weren't too sure the bike was working the way it needed to, and running as good as we needed it to, so we opted for our backup bike in the semi. I had a great battle with all the boys from Texas: Terry Poovey, and Willie McCoy and Jason Tyer. We ended up coming out on top of that one, ended up winning the semi.
"Getting to the main event, I got a great start form the third row, took the inside and had a free run to the corner. I think I was about eighth or so after the first lap. I dropped back a few positions because I was trying to pinch down on the low side of the race track, and the corners here at DuQuoin -unlike Springfield -we're running nowhere near the guardrail except coming in and going off. It was kind of a free-for-all through the middle, and it made for some great racing. Two, three wide through the comers on a mile is a lot of fun.
"We kind of got shuffled back and then marched right forward. I got by Springsteen and (Joe) Kopp and Nicky Hayden one at a time after about lap six or seven, and I set off after the leaders. It was a pack of five running up ahead of me, and it took me about five or six laps and I ran those guys down, but once I caught them, I really couldn't go any further. They were running a great pace up front, and they were running two or three abreast, and I never could find a hole to get by enough of them to move me toward the front.
"I ended up finishing fifth out of the whole deal. It was a great race, it was a good way to end the series this year. Seeing Hacker come back from injury and perform as well as he did was good, and overall it was a great night."
You won the Championship and now look to 2003. Do you have anything in the works for sponsorship and what you're going to do?
"Well, I just signed a contract with Ford for 2003, and everything's good to go next year."
...Of course, with Kenny (Tolbert.)
"Yes. Kenny's along for the ride as well. We'll see everybody hopefully in Del Mar this weekend."
Are you going to run both the short track and the mile?
"Yes. I'm going to go out and do some testing on the VOR - the 450 version - and play around with it a little bit, and I guess we'll throw a twin in there as well and go ride that thing as well on the mile."