Du Quoin was billed to be a battle of the young guns, but in the end it was a showdown between the two vets Kenny Coolbeth (No. 2 Chaplin Kawasaki) and Chris Carr (No. 4 American Motorcyclist Association/DFW Honda). They have 10 AMA Grand National Championships between them.

The 30-lap race came down to this shot on lap 24. That’s when Carr, after closing on the rear wheel of Coolbeth, tried an outside/in move through turn two and it didn’t work. Instead of making the pass Carr lost six or seven bike lengths and that was all the gap Coolbeth needed to hold on to the checkered flag to win his first national of the season.

Kenny Coolbeth (No. 2 Chaplin Kawasaki) and Chris Carr (No. 4 American Motorcyclist Association/DFW Honda) battle late in the Du Quoin Short Track National. Coolbeth took the victory. Carr finished second. This dark and smoky arena was very difficult to photograph. (Larry Lawrence photo)