AMA Pro Flat Track: Kiesow Racing & Jeffrey Carver, Jr. #23 Team Up Again for 2013 Season

A promising announcement out of the Kiesow Racing and Jeffrey Carver, Jr. camps was made earlier this week when it was announced that they would be teaming-up again for the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season.  Carver, the 2010 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Champion, will again be aboard the ultra-sano Kiesow Racing Harley-Davidson XR750s for the 10-confirmed Twins Series events and three others that are yet to be announced and/or confirmed.

After campaigning the 2011 season under the tutelage of long-time flat track tuner Eddie Adkins (riding the same mounts that Henry Wiles used to win the Lima Half-Mile in June '10), Carver had a decent year in his Rookie Expert season, finishing the year ranked as the 12th-place rider in the series with a best finish of 7th-place at the I-96 Speedway round in Lake Odessa, MI.  Carver ended the year ranked as the second-best rookie in The Rolling Thunder Show behind Saddlemen Rookie of the Year, Brad 'The Bullet' Baker.

Teaming with the Kiesow Racing team for the 2012 season, along with Eddie Adkins again helping out with the wrench turning ,Carver and the blue and orange XRs stepped it up and came out fighting for his sophomore campaign and finished the season ranked as the 8th-place rider in AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship competition.  Carver only missed two Nationals during his 2012 campaign (Daytona Short Track I, Tucson Half-Mile) in the 16-race season after missing 7 of 20 races in his rookie season of '11.

In the shot above from round 4 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Springfield Mile I, Carver rolls out ahead of the practice pack on the #23 Kiesow Racing/Hall's Cycles/Eddie Adkins/Sponseller-backed XR750.  In his first race on the team's XR, Carver brought it home in the 9th-place slot at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Memorial Day Weekend mile event.

Also seen in the shot are eventual event-winner Willie McCoy on his #59 Harley-Davidson of Wausau/Independence H-D/Tucker Rocky/Arai-sponsored XR, Nichole Cheza on the #15 Global Products/Harley-Davidson Co/Black Hill's H-D/Mr. Sign Yonkers, New York-backed XR, Luke Gough on the #62 Dick Ford/Skip Eaken Racing/Johnson Cams/KK Motorcycle Supply-sponsored Kawasaki, and Jethro Halbert on the #69 Goodwin Racing/Drew Massa Trans/SHR/Arai-sponsored XR.

Round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season saw Jeffrey Carver, Jr. on the podium after taking the #23 Kiesow Racing/Hall's Cycles/Eddie Adkins/Carver's BBQ-sponsored XR to his first-ever Twins Series heat race win (and his second-ever direct pass to the Dash for Cash) at the running of the Ohio National Championship round at the Lima Half-Mile.  Carver upped his best-ever finish in a Grand National main later that evening to bring the Kiesow Racing #23 XR home in the 7th-place spot after finishing in 5th-place in the Dash.

Carver and the team look to move things up a notch for the upcoming 2013 season after their 8th-place ranking from last season, and there's no reason to believe it won't happen with the team's immaculate preparation of their equipment and Carver's never-say-die resolve to run things up another rung on the ladder when he's on the track.

We wish them the very best of luck this year and are looking forward to seeing more out of this great pairing!  

Thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track for this press release from Kiesow Racing concerning their plans to team with Jeffrey Carver, Jr. again for the 2013 season.

You can check out Kiesow Racing's Facebook page here.

And here's Jeffrey Carver, Jr.'s Facebook page to peruse.

AMA Pro Flat Track Announces Confirmed Dates for 2013 Season

Riders and team members make final preparations as the machines are brought to life in order to do battle at round 4 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Springfield Mile I on May 27.

Jared Mees on the #9 Rogers Racing/Blue Springs H-D-sponsored XR750, Luke Gough on the #62 Skip Eaken/Roeder Racing-backed Kawasaki 650R, Bryan Smith on the #42 Crosley Radio/Howerton Motorsports-backed rocket Kawi, Willie McCoy on his #59 H-D of Wausau/Independence H-D-sponsored XR, Jake Johnson on the #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D-backed XR and Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. on the #2 Screamin' Eagle/H-D Motor Co-sponsored factory XR750 fill out the front row in what would be another exciting 25-lap National main at the Illinois State Fairgrounds mile oval.

In welcome news out of Daytona Beach today, AMA Pro Flat Track has announced the confirmed dates for the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season in what is surely the earliest announcement of a solid calendar by AMA Pro Flat Track in the last three seasons. 

Fourteen dates that have been confirmed include among others, the season-opening rounds at Daytona in March, a return to the Peoria TT in August followed by the Lucas Oil Indy Mile, the annual treks to the Springfield Mile over Memorial Day and Labor Day, and the season-ending round in Pomona in mid-October.

AMA Pro Flat Track is still working to secure two rounds in Arizona at the beginning and end of the season and is also working on bringing another event to Ohio, strongly rumored to be a return to the Greenville Half-Mile which was on the schedule several years ago. 

A rumored return to I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, MI. was no where to be mentioned on the schedule, although after the fall-out from the last-minute cancelation of this year's round most likely having some bearing as to whether AMA Pro Flat Track was willing to chance another go around with the track and/or promoters, although that is strictly speculation after the rumor was floated that there may have been a return to I-96.  Note--for the second year in a row, this leaves the schedule without any rounds in Michigan, home to many of the current and a large handful of former champions and competitors.

The west coast is getting an extra burst for the 2013 calendar, with the return of the classic Castle Rock TT, Santa Rosa and Sacto Miles, as well as two new half-mile venures in Elma, Washington and Stockton, California.

Thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track for the full press release below which details all of the announced dates for 2013 thus far.

AMA Pro Racing Announces Confirmed Dates on 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Schedule

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 10, 2012) - AMA Pro Racing is pleased to announce 14 confirmed events on the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track schedule. In addition to the events listed below, AMA Pro Racing plans to make announcements on three additional events in the near future.

All of the AMA Pro Flat Track events in 2013 will once again feature non-stop entertainment and thrilling motorcycle racing action from the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com and AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles classes. Of the confirmed events announced today, Harley-Davidson Insurance GNC Expert Singles will compete at four of the rounds, broken down into two Short Tracks and two Tourist Trophies, while the mighty Expert Twins will contest the remaining 10 rounds, consisting of five Half-Mile and five Mile tracks. Fans can also expect to watch as the sport's finest up-and-coming talent battle for fame and glory in Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles races.

 

On March 14-15, 2013, DAYTONA® Flat Track will once again play host to the AMA Pro Flat Track opener as the series kicks off the 2013 season with a doubleheader on the quarter-mile lime rock track located outside Daytona International Speedway's west banking. At the 2012 season opener, fans witnessed two riders taking their breakout Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship wins, with Johnny Lewis holding off the charging field for his first in the Thursday night final and Matt Weidman taking the checkered flag over eventual 2012 series champ Jared Mees in Friday's main event.

Next up, the series will make a stop in Arizona on May 4, 2013 at a TBA event before heading to Stockton, Calif.'s Half-Mile track at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds on May 11, 2013. The event will mark the first time AMA Pro Flat Track races on the all-new Half-Mile track located within the historic Stockton Mile and it's sure to bring northern California some of the most exciting motorcycle racing action in the world.

It wouldn't be a complete season if AMA Pro Flat Track didn't visit Springfield, Ill. The legendary Springfield Mile has served as one of the most historic venues and is considered to be one of the most coveted wins on the circuit. When the fire-breathing twins roll off the trucks at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on May 26, 2013, this go-around is sure to add even more excitement to the legacy of the storied event.

 

Another TBA event is scheduled in Ohio on June 8, 2013 before the series heads to another historically significant and action-packed circuit on June 29, 2013. Dating back to 1984, AMA Pro Flat Track has made the trek to Lima, Ohio to take on the "cushion" Half-Mile at the Allen County Fairgrounds, and this year will be no exception.

 

 

Bryan Smith #42 leads Sammy Halbert #7, Jake Johnson #1, Willie McCoy #59 and the rest of the field coming out of turn 4 at the running of the Springfield Mile II at round 13 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Champioship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season.  AMA Pro Racing announced the confirmed dates for the 2013 season today.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.

 

Just after the Fourth of July holiday, the Series will make a swing near the Nation's capital on July 6, 2013 as Hagerstown, Md.'s Hagerstown Speedway will host the only round on the east coast that features what is typically a very smooth, and very fast, half-mile track. Jared Mees grabbed his lone win in 2012 over local-favorite Jake Johnson at last year's event, and the defending champ will likely have his hands full when the star-studded line-up gets to the grid again next season.

The second west-coast tour begins on July 20, 2013 with a Half-Mile event at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash, followed by the always-incredible Sacramento Mile at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento, Calif. on July 27, 2013. That leg will conclude with a drive up the coast, where the AMA Pro Flat Track stars will hop back on their 450cc singles at the Castle Rock Race Park TT in Castle Rock, Wash. on August 3, 2013.

 

Next up is another TT, and the granddaddy of them all, scheduled for one week later at Peoria Race Park in Peoria, Ill. on August 11, 2013. The Peoria TT has been a staple on the Grand National circuit since 1947 and still packs the hillsides with spectators eager to watch the high-flying singles take to the track. Watch out for Henry Wiles, who collected his eighth consecutive victory at the legendary venue last year and seems to be unbeatable here.

The Indy Mile at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Ind., returns to the 2013 schedule on August 17, 2013 and the event will once again coincide with both the Indiana State Fair and MotoGP's state-side return for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Labor Day Weekend means a return to the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill. for the second Springfield Mile on the calendar; the September 1st event is the final 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track event scheduled east of the Mississippi river.

AMA Pro Flat Track will once again head west to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa to battle it out against the beautiful backdrop of the Santa Rosa Mile. In last year's contest, Sammy Halbert grabbed his fourth win of the season in front of a packed house, and the 2012 runner-up will definitely be looking to match his winning result on September 29, 2013.

The last to-be-announced event on the schedule is slotted for October 5, 2012 in Arizona before the 2013 AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com schedule comes to a close - and fan-favorite Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. looks to repeat his commanding victory - on the half-mile track at the LA County Fairplex in Pomona, Calif on October 12, 2013.

2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Schedule:

March 14th	DAYTONA Flat Track I	DAYTONA Flat Track Daytona Beach, Fla.	Short Track
March 15th	DAYTONA Flat Track II	DAYTONA Flat Track Daytona Beach, Fla.	Short Track
May 4th	TBA	Arizona
May 11th	Stockton Half-Mile	San Joaquin County Fairgrounds, Stockton, Calif.	Half-Mile
May 26th	Springfield Mile	Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.	Mile
June 8th	TBA	Ohio
June 29th	Lima Half-Mile	Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, Ohio	Half-Mile
July 6th	Hagerstown, Half-Mile	Hagerstown Speedway, Md.	Half-Mile
July 20th	Grays Harbor Raceway	Grays Harbor, Elma, Wash.	Half-Mile
July 27th	Sacramento Mile	Cal Expo, Sacramento, Calif.	Mile
August 3rd	Castle Rock TT	Castle Rock Race Park, Castle Rock Wash.	TT
August 11th	Peoria TT	PMC Race Park, Peoria, Ill.	TT
August 17th	Indy Mile	Indiana State Fairground, Indianapolis, Ind.	Mile
September 1st	Springfield Mile II	Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.	Mile
September 29th	Santa Rosa Mile	Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, Calif.	Mile
October 5th	TBA	Arizona
October 12th	Flat Track Season Finale	LA County Fairplex, Pomona, Calif.	Half-Mile

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.  For additional information contact: AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com

AMA Flat Track: Stevie Bonsey Takes the #80 Goodwin Racing XR750 to the Win at Tucson Half-Mile in Penultimate Round of the 2012 Season

Racing for his fourth team this season, Stevie Bonsey took the #80 Goodwin Racing XR750 to the win last night at the Tucson Half-Mile, round 15 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season.  The Salinas, California resident set the fast heat time win while winning heat one to establish himself as the man to beat at the Arizona venue, and proceeded to control the evening's events by winning the Dash for Cash and leading all 25 laps in the National main event.

Bonsey, who campaigns his own equipment in the Singles Series races with the help of George Mack of Mack Daddy Racing, also has run a couple of events this season on the Dodge Brothers XR team, a handful of events for the Werner-Springsteen Kawasaki/Monster Energy/Alpinestars/Arai-sponsored 650R-based mount (shown above after winning semi race #2 at the Springfield Mile II on September 16) and now with the Goodwin Racing effort.  This guy must have his bagged packed all year long with all the great teams and efforts he has campaigned this season, and other then Brad Baker must be the most-traveled of riders in The Rolling Thunder Show this year. 

This is a great win for the young man once promoted as Kenny Roberts' protege.  After winning the 2009 AMA Pro Flat Track Rookie of the Year Award, Bonsey won his first-ever Grand National at the Calistoga Half-Mile in late July '10, and now doubles his win total in the greatest racing series on wheels in the world.

Runner-up last night saw Bryan Smith campaigning his #42 Moroney's FastHog.com XR, and Sammy Halbert rounded out the podium on his #7 South East H-D-backed XR to gain a couple of points on series points leader Jared Mees, who finished in the 4th-place spot last night to still hold the lead in the standings 280-268 over Sammy.  2-Time and defending AMA Grand National Champion fell to 20 points behind series' leader Mees with a 6th-place finish on the #1 Zanotti Racing XR, with Brad Baker rounding out the top-5 on the #12 Dodge Brothers Racing XR.

A big congrats go out to Stevie Bonsey for his superb win last night, this fine young man has been forced to curtail his season's efforts this season due to lack of funds, but the one's he has been running he has been making some big statements, with last night's big win sealing the deal for the wayward team traveler.  Not yet on the pre-entry list for Saturday's final round in Pomona, here's hoping he can hook-up another great ride to close the season out with.  Great job man, we knew you could and would do it again.  Bravo!

The Goodwin Racing XR sits in the pits during round 4 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Springfield Mile I on May 27.  Jethro Halbert was running the #69 Goodwin Racing/Drew Massa Trans/SHR/Arai-sponsored XR this particular weekend, and brought the machine home to a 7th-place finish.

I believe this is Goodwin's first-ever win in The Rolling Thunder Show, as I am not that familiar with their effort, but a big congrats also goes out to this team for putting one of the best in the business in Stevie Bonsey on their mount and taking the big win last night in Tucson to beat the rest of the best.  Great job guys!

Here is the link to the complete results for round 15 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at Tucson International Raceway:

http://results.amaproracing.com/live/results/pdfresults/ft/2012/F1275/default.aspx

And a big thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track for not only the link to the results above, but for this gallery of shots from Tucson yesterday by AMA Pro Flat Track photographer Dave Hoenig:

http://www.amaproracing.com/ft/multimedia/gallery.cfm?gid=7669

Check out AMA Pro Flat Track's official press release on the penulitmate round of the 2012 season at the Tucson Half-Mile from yesterday!

Stevie Bonsey Captures AMA Pro Flat Track Win at Tucson Half-Mile

 

TUCSON, Ariz. (October 6, 2012) - The desert heat had no effect on Stevie Bonsey (Harley-Davidson/Goodwin Racing) as he shredded the competition during Saturday night's AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com and Lucas Oil main event at the Tucson International Raceway. Bonsey took the checkered flag by over a full second and recorded his best performance of the season. It's been five years since AMA Pro Flat Track has held an event in Tucson, Arizona but the high-octane racing action made it worth the wait.

 

 

Stevie Bonsey on the #80 Goodwin Racing XR750 took the lead towards the end of the first lap and went on to win the Tucson Half-Mile by over 1.1 seconds over runner-up Bryan Smith on the #42 Moroney's FastHog.com XR.  Sammy Halbert rounded out the podium on his #7 South East H-D XR750 at last night's round 15 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season.  The series heads to the final round in Pomona this Saturday, October 13.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.

"I came out and did it in front of the Arizona fans here tonight," said Bonsey. "My first victory was in California and luckily my second one came here in front of you guys. From start to finish, I felt good the whole race and I have to thank my guys for giving me this great opportunity."

Bonsey was the pole sitter and clearly had the fastest bike of the night. Sixth-place finisher and defending Grand National Champion Jake Johnson (Harley-Davidson/ Zanotti Racing) got the holeshot out of the gate but that lead lasted less than a full lap as Bonsey went a little lower on the groove off turn four and reclaimed the lead...and never looked back.

Bryan Smith (Harley-Davidson/Crosley Radio) was alone in second place for the majority of the race but saw his comfortable 1.56-second lead over Sammy Halbert (Harley-Davidson/South East Harley) diminish on the final lap. Fortunately for Smith, he was able to hold off Halbert on the final run up the front-stretch to claim an impressive second-place finish.

The bright side for Halbert is that he edged fourth place finisher and current GNC combined points leader Jared Mees to close the gap between them with one final race remaining.

 

AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles

All season long, the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles have excelled under the shadows cast by the twin-cylinder engines, and this week was no exception. Shayna Texter (DFW Honda) won her third race of the season and was sharp right from the get-go.

"I have a lot of fans here and I want to give a shout out to them," said Texter. "I also want to thank my team and sponsors; this was a big win for us."

Texter started from pole and when she surrendered the lead to Rodney Spencer Jr. (Honda/831 Pinnit) on lap 12, it looked as if she was going to fall short of the victory. However, on the last turn of the final lap, justice was served as the young phenom ripped the lead right back from Spencer Jr. just in time to capture the checkered flag by a slim .131 second margin. 

Spencer Jr. continued to stay hot as this race made for his second consecutive runner-up finish. Jason Isennock (Honda/Highs Dairy Stores) also impressed as he closed out the podium in what proved to be an intense battle for the third spot. AMA Pro Singles points leader Stephen Vanderkuur (Honda/Parkinson Brothers Racing) and Ryan Kearns (Honda/SM Racing) rounded out the top five riders, respectively.

Next Up

 

AMA Pro Flat Track heads to Pomona, Calif. for the The Law Tigers AMA Pro Flat Track Finals presented locally by Harley-Davidson of Pomona Valley and Glendale Harley-Davidson, scheduled for October 13, 2012 at the LA County Fairplex.

 

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.  For additional information contact: AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com

AMA Flat Track: This is For All the Lonely People That Think the Kawasakis Are Passing Them By in The Rolling Thunder Show

Round 10 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season sees 2-Time and defending AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson #1 on the Zanotti Racing XR and 2-Time AMA Grand National Twins Champion Jared Mees #9 on the Rogers Racing XR chatting up the newest member of the team-owners group in The Rolling Thunder Show, Ricky Howerton, who is responsible for building the #42 Crosley Radio/Howerton Motorsports powered by Eaken Racing Kawasaki-based mount that has taken the series by storm this season due to the mile riding capabilities of it's star rider, Bryan Smith.

Let's not get carried away too fast, as Rocket Ricky is a master at what he does and what he builds, no matter it be something he supplies one of his many IndyCar, NHRA or USAC teams that frequent his business, Howerton Products on Indy's west side, or whether he is building the latest missile to take the greatest racing series on wheels in the world by storm in just it's first outings and season on a mile oval.

But the real factor here when it comes to who does what and where in a 25-lap National mile main event on the AMA Pro Flat Track calendar belongs to the rider on the machine on the track with the other 17 or 18 riders who have fought it out throughout the day in order to put themselves in a position to race against the greatest in the world and in one of the most competitive racing series in the world.  Bottom line, no matter what you bring to the table in terms of innovation, newness and fan-fare, you still have to have that one rider who takes to the track and jumps in the seat.  And Howerton and Smith have combined for that one combination that has some in the series now crying foul and ready for the rules to be re-tweaked after just four of the team's five events in their maiden voyage together.

And no matter which way you spin what is happening to our great series now with the emergence of the Howerton/Smith rocket, and the re-emergence of the Werner-Springsteen Kawasaki Racing machines, the sport is finally celebrating and showcasing the parity that it has lacked since the early-mid '70s when factories like Triumph, BSA, Norton, and Yamaha went away, but also when Honda was forced to pack their bags and return to Japan in the late '80s.  And even with the leftover remnants of good machines in the early-mid '90s when Ricky Graham won his last title on a Johnny Goad-prepped Honda RS750 in '93 and Rich King won the last National Twins Series main event at the Joliet Half-Mile in August '98 on a Corbin Honda, the series went until May '10 before the Ohio-based Lloyd Brothers Motorsports broke out for their maiden win in the series with a Ducati 'L' twin at the hands of 2000 AMA Grand National Champion Joe Kopp at the Precott, AZ. mile event.

Of course, during the 2010 season, master tuner and former Harley-Davidson employee Bill Werner and his partner in crime, Jay Springsteen, had been working on and perfecting their new breed of Kawasaki 650R-based parallel twins, and it took all summer for their-then rider Bryan Smith to take the team's maiden wins in the long running series at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile and then eight days later at the Labor Day Weekend running of the Springfield Mile II.  But you didn't hear the wails from the other competitors then, as it seemed such a blip on the radar at the time, and the Werner Springsteen camp had a horrible season in 2011 that all but relegated them to 'also ran' status after their career season in that eight days time towards the end of the 2010 season.

But since that ground-breaking season, Howerton, USC Racing, the Scott Powersports team and several others have started campaigning the new breed of flat track speedsters and getting much closer to producing results that at least could at the time compare them to what the long-running and tired XR750 has done over the course of the last four decades.  And the LBM team is still trying to find that right combination with their big red Italian machine to get them back to the top of the box after several seasons of trying to perfect the power output of a new breed.  Just not yet in terms of long-running stat changers due to the fact that we are only in the third season of the new parallel twin being campaigned on the circuit, and by my count as of press time just four overall wins in the big bike class.

Of course, those wins have all come at big crowd and big racer turnout events, and have escalated the Grand National series to a new height of popularity with fans, sponsors and teams alike along the way.  Smith and Howerton's big wins this season in their second and fourth events together signaled the start of something new for the series, and also sent up a Coast Guard-sized flare to the legions of XR campaigners that has almost everyone doing the two-step and looking over their proverbial shoulders.  And of course, with one mile event left to run at the Santa Rosa event on September 30, their is a very strong possibility that their rocket could again blast to the win over the long and tired, but faithful XR camp.  And again, there is the possibility that it won't, ala the Springfield Mile I win that went to long-time XR campaigner Willie McCoy and the Lucas Oil Indy Mile win that saw Sammy Halbert finally claim that elusive first win on the big tracks to complete his grand slam of flat track.

There is a strong possibility that after this season that AMA Pro Flat Track will need to tweak the rules in the Twins Series for the 2013 season, starting with giving up another 1mm to the restrictors being required to run on the purpose-built XR, and maybe even mandating a minimum weight rule for the production bike-based Kawasakis, Ducati, Triumph, KTM and even the lone BMW/Rotax that has attempted several National mile events the last three seasons.  So be it, level the playing field and drop the green anew as the teams that are now knocking on the door of class dominance will just turn it up and bring their new game.  So it would and should be in any form of motor sports.  But is it time to start calling out 'dominance' or an overtaking of the series after just two wins?  I don't think so.

What we need to be celebrating is the new-look of vitality that these new machines have brought to the table, the new level of competition that takes the series away from the 'spec' look class that it has survived under in the last 15 or so years, and relish in the fact that there are innovators out there that are willing to bring something bright, new and competitive to The Rolling Thunder Show.

And the legions of long-time fans that can actually see real competition on and off the track after so long.  And as the Zanotti Racing, Rogers Racing, H-D Motor Co. and other top-level XR750 campaigners learn to tweak and for now, still dominate in the series on the other half-mile events and mile events that the so-far Ducati and Kawasaki haven't been able to get to the top of the box in, they have so far managed to make their long-running and 'tired' mounts still lead at the front in the long run and also will most probably still take the overall championship with at the end of this year.

Lap 1 of round 13 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season saw Jake Johnson on the #1 Zanotti Racing XR lead two other long-running XR teams in the series as the pack heads to the strip for the first of 25 go-arounds.  Following closely on his heels is Jared Mees on the #9 Rogers Racing XR and 3-Time AMA Grand National Twins Champion Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. on the #2 Screamin' Eagle H-D Motor Co. factory mount. 

JD Beach makes the first 'other' bike to get to the front on the #95 USC Racing Kawasaki, with Sammy Halbert on his #7 South East H-D XR holding off eventual-event winner Bryan Smith #42.  Behind them is Henry Wiles on the #17 Lloyd Brothers mount, Brandon Robinson on the #44 Werner Springsteen Kawasaki, Shaun Russell on the #28 XR, Stevie Bonsey on the #80 Werner Kawasaki, Jethro Halbert on the #69 USC Kawi and Matt Weidman on the #20 Scott Powersports Kawi bringing up the rear of the top-12 on the first go around.

Smith worked for the lead, which he finally took on lap 6 and continued to hold at the stripe when the checkers flew, but throughout the race was forced to also rider harder into the corners to make up for the lack of 'tractoring' that the XR riders have in terms of power output to the ground with the long-running and dominant make in the series.  While others admittedly had to ride harder and draft smarter on the straights, Smith has this mile thing figured out no matter whose or what make of machine he brings to the table, especially at Springfield where he now holds three wins, and easily could have been four if not for a disqualification at Springfield several years back due to a tainted fuel sample that saw his win taken away.  While riding an XR750.

In the end, with Smith taking the win, Halbert and Mees on XRs in the 2nd and 3rd-place spots, Beach in 4th, Johnson in 5th, Coolbeth and McCoy next in line, again on XRs, Jethro in 8th on the other USC Kawi, Robinson 9th on the Werner Springsteen Kawi, and Brad Baker filling out the top-10 on the #12 Dodge Brothers XR.  Four Kawis in the top-10.  Hardly something to yet get too worried about, but, in what could see some of the long-running XR teams bring something new and different to the table for the mile events for the 2013 season.  And great for them if they do!

The two men responsibile for starting it all in terms of bringing the new and innovative Kawasaki package to The Rolling Thunder Show look over the competition just before first practice gets ready to roll out at the Springfield Mile II on September 16.

13-Time AMA Grand National Championship-winning tuner and master wrench Bill Werner, and his long-time friend and associate, 3-Time AMA Grand National Champion Jay Springsteen paired together between the '09 and '10 seasons and signed Bryan Smith to campaign their then-new machines for the new season, and it took them just over 2/3's of the season to get their first win together at Indy in August, and then followed it up with another just eight short days later at the late summer running of the Springfield Mile II.

But as good as the 2010 season ended for the duo, the 2011 season also came apart at the seams for the team, never coming close to repeating or even finishing at the front for what must have seemed like the longest season ever for the legends of AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship racing.

But with the new year and some new vitality on the team in the form of former Expert Twins Champion Brandon Robinson on their #44 machine and the addition of '09 AMA Pro Flat Track Rookie of the Year Stevie Bonsey on their #80 machine at Indy and Springfield II, the pair are again seeing the fruits of their labor produce good, strong results.  Robinson has now scored two top-5s for the team, led a handful of laps at Indy and taken his best-ever Expert Twins result of 2nd at Indy, as well, behind Sammy Halbert.

And Bonsey won his semi races at Indy and at the Springfield Mile II round on September 16 to reward the team for his signing and to show that he, too, belongs on a top miler in the greatest racing show on wheels in the world.

But the question still remains, are any of them 'dominating' yet to the point of re-writing the overall history books down the road?  No, not yet, so it's still a little early to get your panties in a bunch over what is still just two wins in the 2012 season, again, by the Howerton/Smith rocketship group and rider.  If that were to happen, there would be many more 'crying foul' and then it may take a re-working of the overall picture in order to level the playing field.  But just not yet after two wins in the four mile events run so far this year.

Paul Carruthers, the editor-in-chief of Cycle News, wrote this great article in the most recent edition of CN about the cries being heard from a few of the XR750 competitors in the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Twins Series class after Bryan Smith took his 2nd win of the 2012 season on September 16 at the Springfield Mile II aboard the Crosley/Howerton/Eaken Kawasaki.

PC does a super job of comparing the parallels of the H-D vs. Honda battles in the '80s which eventually saw Honda force their hand and pull out of the AMA Grand National Championship after winning a slew of titles between the '84-'88 seasons.

Read on and thanks for looking this one straight in the eye and showing how good the competition, diversity and parity is in The Rolling Thunder Show now, thanks to what was started by Bill Werner several seasons ago in bringing a new player to the playground and what is being seen as the party crasher by some of the long-time competitors of the decades old H-D XR750:

http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20120918?#pg126

AMA Flat Track: Round 7 of the 2012 Season Happens Today as The Rolling Thunder Show Hits the Sacramento Mile

After a three week break since the last round of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season, The Rolling Thunder Show is ready to kick it into gear again today with round 7 of the season ready to commence at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds with the running of the Sacramento Mile.

With the run-up to this great event this week, we have shown you a brief glimpse of two of the sport's stars and their machines who will be on-hand today to battle it out for the glory in the 25-lap National main event.  Clermont, Indiana's Dan Ingram will be there to take the #31J Dodge Brothers XR750 into the main event alongside unofficial team mate and regular Dodge Brothers competitor, Stevie Bonsey.  And the great guys from the Bryan Smith #42 Howerton Motorsports Kawasaki team will be there to roll out their newest adaptation of the potent 650R-based parallel twin rocket.

Unfortunately, two of the sport's biggest stars and fiercest competitors won't be on-hand today.  Scott Powersports' Kawasaki pilot Johnny Lewis #10 will be sitting out this round and the Castle Rock TT event next weekend, and Harley-Davidson Motor Company rider Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. #2 is still recovering from his tib/fib leg break at Lima so also won't be making the trip (but at least the last factory-supported machine in the series will have '11 AMA Rookie of the Year Brad Baker #12 manning the point on it's potent XR750 today.)

And as of the other day, Matt Weidman #20, the '08 AMA Flat Track Rookie of the Year, will be on-hand if he has found a Twins Series ride for today.  The normal campaigner of the Greg Crow Racing XR750-based team, who was injured at Lima four weeks ago, has healed up well enough to make the event, should he be able to find a ride since GCR wasn't going to be able to make the west coast trip.  Also expected to return to the track after recuperating from her SF Mile I injuries is Nichole Cheza #15 on her Global Products XR750 (also seen in the shot above partially obscured on the second row.)

Two of the sport's biggest stars will also be a part of the action today and I would be amiss in notting bringing their names to the top of the list of today's favorites.  Sammy Halbert and his #7 South East H-D and Henry Wiles on the #17 Lloyd Brothers Motorsports/Foremost Insurance Group-sponsored Italian 'L' twin will should both play into the mix today once the racing gets underway, as should many of the following riders shown in the shot above

Round 4 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Springfield Mile I gets ready to go on May 27, and the front row gets set to dig in as the National main is ready to hit Illinois State Fairgrounds mile oval for the 25-lap event.

Jared Mees on the #9 Rogers Racing/Blue Springs H-D/Saddlemen/National Cycle-sponsored XR750 gets some help from crew chief Brent Armbruster with the starter as Luke Gough on the #62 Dick Ford/Skip Eaken Racing Kawasaki/Johnson Cams/KK Motorcycle Supply-backed parallel twin pulls up to the line (partially hidden.)

Bryan Smith looks down as Jeff Gordon gets a hand from team owner Ricky Howerton in getting the #42 Crosley Radio/Howerton Motorsports/Powered by Eaken Racing Kawasaki/Midwest Performance Hardware-sponsored rocketship fired up for the main.  Eventual SF Mile I winner Willie McCoy makes some final adjustments to his gear with the #59 Harley-Davidson of Wausau/Independence H-D/Tucker Rocky/Arai-backed and self-built XR750.  McCoy will be sitting out today's action at the Sacto Mile, but will return to the series at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile on August 18 and the Springfield Mile II round on September 2.

2-Time and defending AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson edges the #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D/Boughner Racing/Arai-backed XR750 to the line as crew chief Ted McDermitt and team owner Dave Zanotti can be seen walking away from the grid just behind him.  And finally, Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. eyes his spot on the line with the #2 Screamin Eagle/Harley-Davidson Motor Co/Fox/Arai Helmets-sponsored factory mount.

Also partially seen on the second row are Brandon Robinson on the #44 Werner-Springsteen Monster Energy Kawasaki, Jethro Halbert on the #69 Goodwin Racing XR, and last year's runner-up in the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship and 2012 Rookie of the Year contender Mikey Avila on the #33E SDI/Bisha Racing XR750.

So get ready for some seriously great action as AMA Pro Flat Track brings you another big event this afternoon at the Sacramento Mile as round 7 of the 2012 season gets ready to hit a home run on the left coast!

Here's everything you'll need today to keep up on what's happening at round 7 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season as the heroes and stars of The Rolling Thunder Show take their battle to the Cal Expo Fairgrounds for the Sacramento Mile.

You better strap in and hold on, this train's on a roll and it's not going to stop until way past the checkered flag tonight on the West Coast!

(note--all links can be viewed in each of their own windows so you can toggle back and forth between what you want to check out.  Right click, open in new window to view.)

AMA Pro Flat Track Live Timing & Scoring:

http://live.amaproracing.com/ft/

THE best on-the-ground and at-the-event-coverage of any and all of the AMA Pro Flat Track events, Miriam Deitcher has been bringing us her Flat Track Live @ Facebook for going on two seasons now.  After working with AMA Pro Flat Track and Progressive Insurance back in the early '00s with the excellent 'Live Timing,' Miriam has since been bringing us unparalled coverage of the greatest racing series on wheels in the world with her up-to-date and widespread coverage of what is going on at the races.  For those of us that can't be there today, Miriam will keep us ALL informed.  Thanks again Mir for all your tireless work, and we'll be dialed into your updates as we always are when we're not there enjoying them with you!

https://www.facebook.com/FlatTrackLive

AMA Pro Flat Track event info, schedule and results (standard, drop-down version):

http://www.amaproracing.com/ft/events/event.cfm?year=2012&eid=2012021235

AMA Pro Flat Track complete event and complete results info.  These are the same results AMA Pro Flat Track posts in the pit area during each and every event and due to the tireless work from the great folks manning the event's happenings at the track, you can get them, too, within minutes of each session of both classes today (PDF version):

(note-as of press time on this story, Sacramento's event was not in the list as of yet, but will be updated later in the day!)

http://results.amaproracing.com/

Sacramento Mile official event website:

http://www.calexpo.com/events/event/sacramento-mile/

For those of you commuting locally to the race, here is the link to the Sacramento traffic cams courtesy of the California Department of Transportation, District 3:

http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist3/departments/traffic/cameras/

Where IS the Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento, you say?

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=1600+Exposition+Blvd.,+Sacramento,+CA+95815&hl=en&ll=38.592674,-121.434116&spn=0.00857,0.01929&t=h&hnear=1600+Exposition+Blvd,+Sacramento,+California+95815&z=16&layer=t&lci=com.google.webcams

And finally, what is the weather going to be like today in Sacramento?  Thanks to the Weather Underground for the weather goods!

http://www.wunderground.com/q/zmw:94203.1.99999


Now, let's get ready to rock 'n roll and boogie down as the first practice session is set to hit the track today at 5:15 EDT/2:15 PDT.

AMA Pro Flat Track Hagerstown Speedway Half-Mile Round 6 Review

Round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com saw the teams, riders and fans return to the Allen County Fairgrounds on June 30 for the 29th Annual Lima Half-Mile cushion, as heat #3 roars off the line.

Brad Baker on the #12 Columbia Avionics/Mark Cheza/K&K Motorcycle Supply/D&D Exhaust-sponsored XR750 (partially hidden behind Jared Mees #9) had a rough ending for his first time out on a new machine, after his previously announced split from Kenny Tolbert Racing, ending the night in the 17th spot after suffering from a broken swing arm pivot bolt.  After qualifying 3rd-fastest on the night, The Bullet brought his new ride home in 3rd-place in heat 3 to make the main. 

After Kenny Coolbeth's injury at Lima that will put him out until at least the Lucas Oil Indy Mile on August 18, it was announced that Baker would fill-in for the former 3-Time AMA Grand National Twins Champion on the Harley-Davidson Motor Co. factory XR750.  Baker had a strong outing the next week at the Hub City Classic in Hagerstown, MD. and brought the last-remaining factory effort in the series home to a solid 7th-place finish.  Baker is also scheduled to ride the Milwaukee-based machine at round 7 at the Sacramento Mile on July 28.

Jared Mees followed up his 4th-place finish at Lima by taking the #9 Rogers Racing/Blue-Springs H-D/Saddlemen Seats/National Cycle-backed XR750 to his first win of the season at the Hagerstown Half-Mile, and adding to his points lead over Jake Johnson (121-106.)  Last year's runner-up in the overall standings is ready to move up a spot in the 2012 season, and his strong finishes in the last two events have made the Michigan-resident the lead contender to add to his '09 and '11 Twins Series Championships.

Former Australian Flat Track Champion Luke Gough had two rough outings in round 5 & 6 of the series' stops.  Gough missed the National main in both rounds on the #62 Dick Ford/Skip Eaken Racing/Johnson Cams/KK Motorcycle Supply-sponsored XR, but not for want of trying and hard work.  Look for the likeable Aussie to rebound nicely in round 7 on July 28 when he should return to riding the Eaken Racing Kawasaki, which he had a good showing on at the Springfield Mile I event before suffering a mechanical with 3 laps to go in the main.

Johnny Lewis on the #10 Scott Powersports/Saddlemen Seats/Wallace Trucking/AXO-backed Kawasaki 650R-based parallel twin put in two great efforts at Lima (5th-place) and again at Hagerstown (4th-place) to show he is really coming to grips with the machine in his 3rd-full season in the series.  However, it looks like JL10 will be skipping both the Sacramento Mile and Castle Rock TT (August 4) rounds due to lack of funding, which will drop him out of his currently 3rd-place spot in the overall championship standings.

Defending and 2-Time AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson continues his early-season surge in his quest for a 3rd championship on the #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D/Boughner Racing/Arai-backed XR750.  Johnson backed up his 3rd-place finish at Lima with a move up on the box with a 2nd-place finish at Hagerstown, and winning the Dash for Cash along the way.  Sitting only 15 points in arrears of title-leader Mees, Jersey Jake is showing once again why he is a constant threat for the title and it shouldn't be long before he bags his first win of the 2012 season the way he is riding.

Jethro Halbert on the #69 Goodwin Racing/Drew Massa Trans/SHR/Arai-sponsored XR750 had to win semi #1 at Lima in order to make his way into the main event, where he brought it home to an 11th-place finish.  At Hagerstown, Jethro dropped a few spots to end the evening in 15th-place. 

Sorry for the delay in getting this out, as I was away on a short vacaction with the family and just now getting caught back up!

The series is now off until Sacramento on July 28 and then returns to the Castle Rock TT on August 4, and you can read the Hagerstown Half-Mile review below thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track.

AMA Pro Flat Track Event Recap: Hagerstown Speedway

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 10, 2012) - The July heat wave that has gripped the entire country was in full force for the 31st running of the Hagerstown Half-Mile, but the temperatures were outdone by hot action on the banked red-clay half mile of the Hagerstown Speedway.  Round six of the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com and Lucas Oil was held with triple digit temperatures, high humidity and the threat of thunderstorms. In other words, typical Hagerstown weather.  The wide, slick groove oval was technical, but fast. When all was said and done it was current series points leader Jared Mees dominating the 25-lap Grand National. "Finally, finally, finally, finally! I won Hagerstown," said Mees after his first win of 2012 and his first ever win at the venerable facility. "This has been a race that I have been dreaming of winning since I came here when I was a kid on 60's and 80's and watched the pros go around here. I won an 883 race here and always wanted to win a Grand National here in front of my family and finally did it."  Mees led all but the first lap on his Rogers Racing / Blue Springs Harley-Davidson-backed XR750. "I just had a great motorcycle from the word go. I didn't look back," said Mees. "I couldn't tell you what kind of lead I had. When I came across the start finish line it felt amazing. These wins just feel like the first one every time."                           Jake Johnson, Jared Mees and Jeffrey Carver, Jr. made it the 'triple J' attack on the podium at Hagerstown Speedway after their 2-1-3 finish at the Hub City Classic in round 6 of the 2012 season.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.   Defending race winner and three time Hagerstown champion, Kenny Coolbeth (Harley-Davidson Motor Company) is on the shelf after breaking his leg last week in Lima. "I don't know about Coolbeth being out, if that helped with our chances a little bit, because he has always been the man here," said Mees. "This red clay is just my kind of race track. I grew up on this and I had a lot of confidence coming in here. This is a mark on the calendar that my whole family tries to make. It is very special to do it in front of them. This is the first win of the year. I was just telling somebody, we have the points lead but we are just doing it by consistency. I at least want to win a couple races this year. I finally got that off my back." 2011 AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Champion Jake Johnson led the 25-lap national into turn one on his Zanotti Racing / Schaeffer's Harley-Davidson mount, but he could not hold back the charging Mees. "Jared was just a few ticks faster all day, through qualifying and looking at lap times in the heat race," said Johnson. "I thought that maybe in the main event I had something for him.  I got out front and I made a couple mistakes and Mees ended up getting by. For a lap or two I thought I was going to be able to maybe hang and it was going to be a race," added Johnson. "I made a big mistake down in two and just about spun around backwards and he got a big gap on me. I finally got it gathered up. Even in the middle of the race when I thought I was putting my best laps in, he was still just kind of slowly inching away." Lap after lap, Mees' consistency was paying off as he pulled to a four second lead over perhaps the best race of the night that was going on about two seconds behind Johnson. Sammy Halbert (South East Harley-Davidson), Jeffrey Carver (Kiesow Racing) and Johnny Lewis (Scott Powersports) were using the whole track in their dispute over the last podium spot.  Each took their turn with Lewis' screaming Kawasaki breaking up the Harley-Davidson parade. "My line was beating the crap out of me," said Lewis. "I saw Carver and Sammy going at it side by side and not making anything up and I thought that I've got to try something. I went back to riding the bottom and tried to make up time."  That worked until lap 22 when Carver reclaimed third. "I needed to get the run coming off the turns on them. I just kept trying to finesse it in," said Carver. "Johnny and I kept going at it and he kept going up. He kind of pushed me up into a little bit better line." "I tried running it a little higher, but my bike just wasn't working that way, so I went back to being a bottom feeder and just rode that way," said Lewis. "It was fun with me and Jeffrey because I could trust him. I haven't been able to race him much, but Jeffrey and I had a nice smooth race. I was happy for him to get his first twins podium, I got mine here last year too."  After running in the third spot early, Halbert faded to fifth. "I was shooting for a podium. Maybe I didn't make the right adjustments to the motorcycle," said Halbert. "Congrats to Carver on his podium. He was riding really well. I was trying to pace with him and trying to make something happen. Towards the end there it just didn't work out for me. Everything I tried just didn't really work on the track." Canadian Doug Lawrence nailed down his best GNC finish ever (sixth) with a solid ride on his R&J Racing / CVC Communications-backed Harley-Davidson. "I rode around in sixth the whole race," said Lawrence. "I was sort of catching fifth and fourth a little past halfway. Those guys were searching for lines and I had committed to my line. I was just watching those guys, but I just couldn't get to them." The temporary replacement of the injured Coolbeth on the Harley-Davidson Motor Company / Screamin' Eagle Harley-Davidson, Brad Baker, worked his way up to seventh after a slow start. Baker just nipped Moroney's Harley-Davidson's Bryan Smith after exchanging the position several times.  "It was a pretty good night considering it was my first time on the motorcycle. I got off to a pretty shaky start in the main event," said Baker. "I got shuffled back, I was kind of cut off. I think I was 13th or 14th to start with. I just started moving my way forward. The bike was working quite a bit better in the main event. We just kind of made baby steps all night long, trying to get it more to the way I like it. In the main event it was really good. I worked well with the team. I just wish I could have started a little bit closer to the front. This track is hard to make up ground on. I feel that where we started and where we ended, and since it is the first time with the team, we had a pretty solid finish." Baer Racing Products' Shawn Baer continued his recent string of good GNC finishes, besting Memphis Shades / Bumpus Harley-Davidson's Rob Pearson for ninth by just two tenths of a second. Pearson did end the night with a plus by earning the MotoBatt "Hard Charger" Award. The cash award goes to the rider who advances the most positions during each expert main event. The brand wars are heating up. For many years the Grand National Half-Miles and Miles have been dominated by the venerable Harley-Davidson XR750, many times being the only brand represented. In the Expert class, the 18 rider main event featured nine Harley-Davidsons, seven Kawasakis, one Suzuki and one KTM. On the other hand, the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles main was dominated by Honda in numbers, but it was KTM pulling off the win over 15 Hondas, one Yamaha and one Suzuki. AMA Pro Racing is allowing Pro Single riders who finished in the top 20 in points last year to ride in the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance GNC Expert Twins class with a provisional license. Pro Singles rider Jake Shoemaker took full advantage as he put his Montgomeryville Cycle Center-backed Kawasaki into the Harley-Davidson Insurance GNC main and his Honda into the Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles main event. Shoemaker finished 16th in the GNC Twins and sixth with his single.  Evan Baer (Baer Racing Products / KB5) made his first Grand National main event aboard his Kawasaki and finished a creditable 12th, just ahead of Saddlemen Rookie of the Year leader Briar Bauman (Rod Lake Racing / USC Kawasaki). The all important four-lap Dash for Cash provided a quick preview to the national as Mees and Johnson dominated the action. Only in the Dash, it was Johnson that prevailed. "In the Dash, I got out in front of him (Mees)," said Johnson. "I was just able to kind of hold him off. He was breathing down my neck the whole time." The win netted Johnson five points and $1000. Mees gained four points and Halbert three points.  With Mees taking the win, there is yet to be a repeat winner in the first six rounds of the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com and Lucas Oil.  Mees picked up four points on defending Grand National Champion Johnson as the margin now stands at 15, 121 - 106. Lewis and Halbert sit at 97 and 94 and need to make a major move when the Series moves west at the end of July for the mile in Sacramento, CA and a TT in Castle Rock, WA.  "We will take this. We haven't been off the podium since Daytona," said Johnson. "We are still not winning, but consistency is what has won us championships before. I am just going to keep plugging along."   GNC Race Results Jared Mees, 25 Laps Jake Johnson, +4.199 Jeffrey Carver Jr., +6.463 Johnny Lewis, +6.799 Sammy Halbert, +7.810 Doug Lawrence, +8.657 Brad Baker, +10.135 Bryan Smith, +10.472 Shawn Baer, +12.422 Robert Pearson, +12.649 JD Beach, +13.024 Evan Baer, +14.145 Briar Bauman, +16.719 Brandon Robinson, +17.729 Jethro Halbert, +17.902 Jake Shoemaker, +19.164 Aaron King, +19.370 Steve Murray, +20.922 AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.  For additional information contact: AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com GNC Expert Point Standings Jared Mees, 121 Jake Johnson, 106 Johnny Lewis, 97 Sammy Halbert, 94 Bryan Smith, 73 Matt Weidman, 64 Henry Wiles, 64 Brad Baker, 59 Jeffrey Carver Jr., 58 Kenny Coolbeth, Jr., 57 Sunoco "Go the Distance" Award Jeffrey Carver Jr. - 102.88 mi. Shawn Baer - 98.96 mi. Jake Johnson - 98.88 mi.

Photos from Hagerstown Speedway Johnny Lewis - Hagerstown Track Walk - AMA Pro Flat Track     Sacramento Mile July 28, 2012 Event Info | Tickets