AMA Pro Flat Track Announces Test & Tune Session at Stockton Half-Mile on April 28

Round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season saw contenders in heat race #2 lead the field off at the Allen County Fairgrounds-hosting of the Lima Half-Mile on June 30.  Henry Wiles on the #17 Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Ducati, Dan Ingram on the #31J TCR/Zanna Racing H-D XR750, Bryan Smith on the #42 Moroney's H-D XR, and Rob Pearson on the #27 Memphis Shades XR head towards turn one during the running of one of the longest-standing Nationals on the AMA Pro Flat Track calendar.

AMA Pro Flat Track announced today that the Stockton Half-Mile, round 3 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season, will be hosting a test & tune session on Sunday, April 28 in preparation for the upcoming first Twins Series event on the series' calendar on May 11.

In what for some may be considered short notice to schedule travel to this special hosting, in fairness to all, last year's test & tune at the Lima Half-Mile was officially announced just two weeks before it was held at the Allen County Fairgrounds.  Last year's Lima test was attended by a majority of east coast-based teams, as travel was also a factor in some of the west coast teams being able to attend.  This will in all likelihood be the same case, but reversed, for the Stockton test, with more of a balance of west coast teams contesting the special session.  Overall, this is still a good chance for the series' regulars to be able to get in some extra seat time in preparation for the meat of the schedule ready to kick-off in just over 20 days time.

Thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track for the official press release below which has all of the details for the upcoming test in the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season!

AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Riders Gear Up for Test & Tune at Stockton Half-Mile

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 19, 2013) - AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles is gearing up for its first trip out west as the Grand National riders make the switch from their 450cc single-cylinder mounts to the twin-cylinder monsters used on mile and half-mile ovals. 

 

Approximately two weeks before the Stockton Half-Mile, the promoter of the event, Tony Nocetti, is offering licensed AMA Pro Expert Class and J&P Cycles Pro Singles riders the opportunity to test and tune their motorcycles at the Stockton Half-Mile from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 28, 2013.

 

There are many new teams and a wide variety of equipment expected to compete during the 2013 season, with Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, Ducati, Triumph, KTM and Suzuki all expected to be represented in the Expert Twins class this year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mikey Avila #33E, Brandon Robinson #44, Henry Wiles #17, Bryan Smith #42 and Sammy Halbert #7 blast off from the line at the Santa Rosa Mile during round 14 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season on September 30.  AMA Pro Flat Track today announced the scheduling of a test & tune session to be held at the Stockton Half-Mile on Sunday, April 28 in order to help riders and teams become better acclimated with the new facility on the series' calendar.  Round 3 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season is set to roll-off for the first Twins Series event of the year on Saturday, May 11 at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.

 

 

The test and tune will open to the press and public, where they can get an up-close preview of the Stockton Half-Mile oval and the riders that will compete on it when the Series returns for the main event on May 11, 2013.

 

For more tickets and more information please visit www.stockton99.com.

 

Direct link for tickets - http://www.showclix.com/events/17007 

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 Pro Flat Track: Stockton Half-Mile Now Scheduled for Round 3 on May 11

Two of the top stars in the AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship Series go at it during one of the practice sessions at round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the Allen County Fairgrounds on June 30. 

Eventual 2012 AMA Grand National Champion Jared Mees on the #9 Rogers Racing/Blue Springs H-D/Saddlemen/National Cycle-sponsored Harley-Davison XR750 runs ahead of Johnny Lewis on the #10 Scott Powersports/Saddlemen/Wallace Trucking/AXO-backed Kawasaki 650R-based parallel twin as they come out of turn two onto the back straight at the annual event known as the Lima Half-Mile. 

Mees of course went on to grab the championship at the end of the season, to add to his Singles Series Championship which he captured after the Springfield Short Track in early September.  Lewis had left the series after round 6 of the season at the Hagerstown Half-Mile (while sitting in the 3rd-place spot in the championship mind you), due to creative differences as a result of Mees and Lewis coming together at round 2 earlier in the season at the Daytona Short Track II.  Lewis still ended the season as the 13th-ranked rider in the overall championship standings to go along with his season-opening cherry-breaking series victory at round 1 of the season at Daytona I.

Mees again will be on the Rogers Racing team, after switching things up with his crew chief during the off-season.  Gone is long-time wrench Brent Armbruster (now residing with the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports/Henry Wiles effort for 2013) and in is Kenny Tolbert, the multi-time championship-winning tuner most notably recognized for his many years spent with 7-time AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr.

Lewis returned to the series at Daytona, and for the upcoming Twins Series events of the 2013 season will now be a part of the new Latus Motors Racing Triumph squad that was announced earlier this month.   Needless to say, the greatest racing series on two wheels in the world is gearing up for another incredible year of racing. 

AMA Pro Flat Track announced officially yesterday that what was one of the 'TBA' events on the original schedule for early May has now been dropped, and the Stockton Half-Mile on May 11 will now be the next event on the calendar.  That leaves 43 days for fans to get their schedules set to see the next round of the season and to get the adrenaline flowing after the season-openers at Daytona on March 14-15.

Check out the official press release below from AMA Pro Flat Track, get your calendars set and your tickets bought so you can catch The Rolling Thunder Show as it flies into the Stockton Half-Mile to get the rest of the season kick-started for another great year of racing!

Stockton Half-Mile to Host Third Round of AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Action on May 11, 2013

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 28, 2013) - Next stop, Stockton, California. The stars of AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles intend to pack up their machines and head out west for the first time this season and go handlebar-to-handlebar at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds in Stockton, Calif.  Despite the best efforts of all involved, the TBA event previously scheduled for May 4, 2013 will not be conducted.  Nevertheless, fans can write this upcoming Stockton event in permanent ink on their calendars, as the race is expected to bring nonstop action-packed racing from the very first heat all the way to the drop of the checkered flag in the final main event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brad Baker #12, Jared Mees #9, Jethro Halbert #69 and Luke Gough #62 battle at the front of the pack during heat race three at round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season, at the Lima Half-Mile on June 30.  The 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season will head to the Stockton Half-Mile on May 11 in what will now be round three for The Rolling Thunder Show.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.

 

 

"I'm thrilled to bring our series out to California for the first time this season," said Michael Gentry, COO of AMA Pro Racing.  "It seems like every time our riders compete in the Golden State it's always a world-class experience.  The fans embrace the sport and the atmosphere is just unbelievable.  The field is very competitive this year as we all witnessed in Daytona and we can't wait to get everything started back up again in May."

 

The AMA Pro Grand National Championship Expert riders will be mounted on their thundering twin-engines for the first time this season on San Joaquin County Fairgrounds' half-mile course.  Mikey Rush and Brandon Robinson were able to come out on top and stake their claim on Daytona's short track in the 2013 season's opening rounds.  The rest of the field will be ready to turn up the pressure to on the half-mile course when the Series heads West.

 

As for the AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles, they will be piloting their single-engine machines for the third time this season.  Michigan's Kyle Johnson and New Yorker Jake Constantine both took checkered flags at Daytona and will look to have similar success when the lights go on in Stockton.

 

Both divisions in AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles look to be of extreme potency in 2013.  The AMA Pro Grand National Championship Experts bring back a deep field of proven veterans as well as talented young and win-hungry stars that are looking to make a name for themselves among the elite on the biggest stage in the sport.  The AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles also make up a field of young and fierce competitors looking to make an immediate impact in hopes of obtaining a championship.

 

For more information, please visit http://www.stockton99.com/. 

 

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 Pro Flat Track News & Updates Heading Into the Season-Opening Rounds at Daytona on March 14-15

Former 2008 AMA Pro Flat Track Rookie of the Year Matt Weidman spilled the beans on Facebook earlier this week that he would be campaigning the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track J&P Cycles Grand National Championship Twins Series events on the Scott Powersports Kawasaki again, after having campaigned the 650R-based mounts throughout the second half of the 2012 season.

Weidman, who took over the seat on the Scott Powersports team midway through the 2012 year after initial rider Johnny Lewis left the team after round 6 of the season at the Hagerstown Speedway, is listed as an early entry for rounds 1-2 at the Daytona Short Track next week on his DFW Honda/SNIP-sponsored Honda, and is expected to resume his spot in the Scott Powersports saddle at round 3 that is still a TBA on the schedule on May 4 (although I have heard this round may not happen.  Should that be the case, Mighty Matt's first time riding the Scott Kawi this year should happen on May 11 at the Stockton Mile.)

In the shot above from round 13 of the 2012 season at the Springfield Mile II, Matt stands in line during rider intros, along with the help of his Mom, Rachel and Dad, Guy, who were on-hand to help him out at the Illiniois State Fairgrounds rain-delayed event.  Team owner and stalwart, Mike Scott, was not able to be at the track due to scheduling problems, so Matt's parents gladly came out of 'retirement' to help the New York resident out on the day with set-up on the #20 Scott Powersports/Saddlemen/Fiorio Investments/SNIP-sponsored Kawi.  It was great seeing them back at the track helping him out as they always bring a big lending hand and another pair of big smiles to Matt's efforts.  Matt also did a nice job of rocking former National #20's leathers, Johnny 'Show Time' Murphree, but is slated to wear a nice new set for the upcoming year.  Check it out below.

You can check out a picture of Matt in his new Scott Powersports leathers here from Matt's Facebook page, and we wish the hard charger and Daytona 2012 round 2-winner the best of luck, again, for the upcoming season!

Briar Bauman, the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year, will be making a big change to his 2013 campaign in the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season as he will be riding for one of the long-time tuners and supporters of the series this year.

After riding for the USC Racing/Hart Racing and Rod Lake Racing teams in his rookie campaign in the 2012 season, Bauman has been slated to ride for the Memphis Shades Yamaha team, helmed by none other then former factory Yamaha and Harley-Davidson tuner and wrench to the stars, Babe DeMay, with factory backing from the Yamaha Motor Company.  Bauman will be tasked with riding the new Yamaha Tenere, which will make it's debut this season in the Twins Series events.

The California resident will also be switching numbers for his 2013 season, and bolting on the #14 plate to his machines, following in the footsteps of Jake Johnson (who wore the #14 up until the 2010 season when he switched to the #5) and Hank Scott, who in this old timer's eyes made that number pretty darn famous from the '74 season until his retirement at the end of the '88 season.

In this shot from round 12 of the 2012 season, Bauman puts the #10Z Rod Lake Racing/Browns Cycle/Arai/Gene & Gail Cummings-backed Honda CRF450R through it's paces during the final practice session of the final Springfield Short Track on September 15.

Thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track for this link to the official press release about Double-B #14 hooking up with one of the long-time supporters and campaigners of the series, the legendary Babe DeMay.

A pair of Bonneville Peformance Triumph/Wiseco/Safety Kleen/Eddie Atkins-sponsored Triumphs sit at the ready for 2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Champion Mikey Martin #91 at round 4 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track season on May 27. 

Martin and the team, in their first year together, finished in the 20th-place spot in the overall standings of the 2012 season, and showed some real promise throughout the second-half of the year after making their first National main event together at the Sacramento Mile in late July, and making four more mains (Indy, Knoxville, Santa Rosa, Tucson) to round out the year.

The California Kid with the big afro haircut and the Bonneville Performance Triumph team announced the other day that they would be pairing-up with the just-announced team of Latus Motors Triumph (with rider Johnny Lewis and former Grand National Champion Joe Kopp heading up the team) for the upcoming Twins Series events for the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season.  And they will be bringing new sponsorship on-board in the form of the U.S. Marines.

You can read more about this great news for the Bonneville Performance team and rider Mikey Martin here, again thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track.

After riding for the the Werner-Springsteen Racing/Monster Energy/Cometic/Barnett-sponsored Kawasaki team in the 2012 season, Brandon Robinson #44 has hooked up with the T.J. Burnett Farms/USC Racing/James Hart Racing/Arai-sponsored Kawasaki team for the upcoming season, as was announced in November.

The team got off to a fantastic start to the season yesterday at round 1 of the 2013 Steve Nace Racing AMA All-Star event at Oglethorpe Speedway outside Savannah, GA. with BRob44 taking home the wins in both the Expert Singles and Expert Twins events over other AMA Pro Flat Track headliners Jake Johnson, Rob Pearson, JD Beach, Henry Wiles, Kenny Coolbeth and a big handful of others.

The former Expert Twins Champion tears it up in the shot above aboard the #44 Werner-Springsteen Kawasaki at round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track season at the Allen County Fairgrounds-hosted Lima Half-Mile on June 30, during one of the final practice and qualifying sessions of the day.

Great job guys, what a way to start the first big race of the season, congrats!

You can see the full event results here thanks to Chew & Mia, The Fans in the Stands from FlatTrack.com.


The Steve Nace Racing 2013 AMA All Star National Flat Track Series by Golden Tyre heads to Volusia Speedway Park tomorrow in Barberville, FL. before rounds 1-2 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season kick-off on Thursday, March 14-15 at the Daytona International Speedway-hosted short track.

AMA Pro Flat Track: Johnny Lewis Announces Return to Grand National Racing with Latus Triumph for 2013 Twins Series

Great news for AMA Pro Flat Track fans hit the airwaves last night when it was announced on Pit Pass Radio that Johnny Lewis, the former AMA Supermoto Champion and winner of the season-opening round of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track season at Daytona, would be returning to the track for the 2013 season alongside the returning AMA Grand National Championship-competing Latus Motors flat track team. 

2000 AMA Grand National Champion Joe Kopp was also announced as one of the heads of the new project (no doubt in part because of his long-time ties with the Latus organization located in the Northwest Territory of Oregon, not far from Kopp's home state of Washington), which will see Smokin' Joe return to the series where he almost won his second AMA Grand National Championship while riding for Latus and the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports team before retiring from full-time competition at the end of the 2010 season. 

The team will be fielding Triumphs run out of the Latus shop, with sponsorship from Latus Triumph, Castrol Oil and GE Capital, among others, in the Twins Series rounds of the now-rebranded 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles season, with Lewis slated to do the riding and Kopp looking to head up the team throughout the season.

Lewis, who ran the first six races of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season before walking away from the series after disagreements were raised with how the on-track incident with eventual '12 AMA Grand National Champion Jared Mees at round 2 in Daytona ended up playing out last season.  For those not familiar with the incident, the night after Lewis took his cherry-breaking win in the series at the start of his third season in The Rolling Thunder Show, he and Mees were involved in a 'questionable' incident on the last lap of the 25-lap National main at the short track inside Daytona International Speedway.  Mees went on to finish in the runner-up spot behind the night's second new winner-in-a-row, Matt Weidman, while Lewis collected himself and eventually finished in the 8th-place spot. 

Lewis announced last night on Pit Pass Radio and his new video on You Tube (see both below) that he had been testing the new Triumph at Oglethorpe Speedway outside Savannah, GA. yesterday and that he and the team were excited about their prospects for the season ahead.  The new Latus Triumph flat track team is expected to debut their new efforts together in competition this Friday, March 8 at the official kick-off to Bike Week in the Steve Nace Racing All-Star Series event at Oglethorpe.

Check out the link below to hear JL10 make his big announcement and then see his video as he blasts the new Latus Triumph around the track in testing from the Peach Tree State yesterday.  This is great news for AMA Pro Flat Track all around, for the fans, the team and the sponsors.  Latus Motors in the past has brought a great deal to the greatest sport on two wheels in the world and with the addition of former AMA Grand National Champion Kopp to the team's mix, add in Johnny Lewis 'wild and crazy guy' attitude and killer riding skills and you have a match made in heaven for the coming year.  Way to go guys and congrats!

In the shot above, Lewis is interviewed for the fans by AMA Pro Flat Track official announcer Barry Boone after taking the #10 Scott Powersports/Triple J Racing/Wallace Trucking/Arai-backed Kawasaki 650R-based mount to the heat race win in round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track season at the Lima Half-Mile on June 30.  After coming home in the 5th-place spot in the National main that night, Lewis competed in one other National at the Hagerstown Speedway the next week (with another strong 4th-place finish on the Scott Kawi) before taking his hiatus from the series for the rest of the season, while sitting in the 3rd-place spot in the championship.  It's going to be great to have you back JL!

2000 AMA Grand National Champion Joe Kopp talks with the fans during the fan walk at the Lima Half-Mile in June 2010 (with the #3 Latus Motors/LBM XR750 on display.)  The return of Kopp to the track full-time (albeit in an advisory role) will bring big points with the fans as the Washington State resident is a fan favorite throughout the series and should bring a great mix of leadership, quality and class to the on- and off-track progression of the Latus Motors Triumph team.  Welcome back Joe!


 Check out Johnny Lewis' interview from last night with the great guys from Pit Pass Radio.

And here's the video of JL10 testing in Savannah yesterday that he uploaded last night on You Tube.

These are the sweet graphics JL10 will be rockin' in Daytona next week for the season-opening Singles Series rounds at Daytona, which include his sponsors Triple J Racing, Wallace Trucking and RIDE Academy.   The action kicks off on Thursday, March 14 at Daytona with round 1 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles season and continues on March 15 with round 2.  JL10 sponsor graphics photo courtesy of Johnny Lewis.

AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series Teams to Host Wounded Warrior Project Veterans at Season-Opener in Daytona

The #26 Team Ohio Racing/Oxford Consulting Group/RevZilla.com/RIDER Insurance-sponsored XR1200 sits on display at the Lima Half-Mile round of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship on June 30.  Team owner and rider, Pete Cline, was on-hand to talk with the spectators about the program that the team has put together that allows members of the Wounded Warrior Project to work with the team during race events as part of the series and team's calendar.  The team hosted wounded veterans at several rounds of the 2012 AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series throughout season in the Geico Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Series.

With rider Cline still recuperating from off-season surgery, the team won't be participating in the season-opener of the now-rebranded 2013 AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Series, but has worked out an agreement with a couple of prominent teams in the popular series to host members of the WWP at the Daytona round, which will be held on March 14-15 at Daytona International Speedway.  The Motolist.com and James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing teams will each host two members of this great organization to help out their respective teams in the pits during the annual gathering at the 'Beach.'

Thanks to Pete Cline (who put this deal together at the Indy Dealer Expo last month) for the great news (and heal-up quick man!) and you can read all about it in Team Ohio Racing's press release below.  What a great effort for our wounded veterans!

Press release courtesy of Team Ohio Racing

Wounded Warrior Project Alumni Crews to Work in Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson Teams at Daytona

3/4/2013 Upper Arlington, Ohio -- Team Ohio Racing’s / Veterans Empowered Through Motorsports will partner with two AMA Pro Racing Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson teams by working with combat veteran crews at Daytona International Speedway, March 14-15.  The number #3 Motolist.com XR1200 of Richard Barnett and the #70 James Gang/Hoban Brothers Racing XR1200 of Paul James will each have two combat veterans included in their crew.  These veterans are local to the area and part of the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) Alumni.  They will assist as needed throughout the event.

"I feel very honored to have alumni from the Wounded Warriors Project on my pit crew at Daytona," said James. "And I can't think of anyone I'd rather have on my side than someone who has served our country in a time of need.  It's going to be an awesome experience for all of us to work together."

Barnett added, "I can't wait to work with the Wounded Warriors at Daytona in March. They will be an indispensable part of our crew.  I know that I speak for everyone when I say that we are all grateful for the sacrifices these Veterans have given to our country.  They always amaze me with their dedication, knowledge and attention to detail.”

United States Marine Corps combat veteran A.J. White crewed on previous XR1200 teams, and had this to say, “This will be an experience that the WWP crew will not forget for a long time, if ever.  The chance to get work intricately within a team environment, with so much on the line and with other veterans, is something they probably haven’t done since they were injured.  This is a great experience for any veteran; to immerse him or herself again into reliving those feelings of true teamwork, responsibility, and accomplishment as we experienced serving our nation together.”

 

Asked how this came together, Team Ohio Racing’s Pete Cline stated, “Richard posted up in the WERA forum that he was coming out from California.  He had mentioned after Indy last year that Motolist.com would love to put together a warrior crew.  I reached out to him and he thought Daytona would be great.  I then saw Paul at the Indy bike show and he asked if I was racing. I told him I’m still healing up from surgery and he asked about a crew as well.  So when the WWP connected with me Team Ohio Racing was able to put this together.  This is a tremendous opportunity and continues the outreach we had last year.  I appreciate both teams for making this experience possible.”

 

About Team Ohio Racing’s / Veterans Empowered Through Motorsports: Team Ohio Racing is the first motorsports team to fully integrate disabled veterans into an active race team environment.  By working with the Wounded Warrior Project, local alumni-warriors are incorporated into their AMA Pro Racing Vance & Hines XR1200 team.  Team Ohio Racing delivers respect to the WWP mission by working with WWP-Alumni members, allowing them to focus on their abilities instead of disabilities, and to heal and empower through motorsports.

Team Ohio Racing supporters are: Drippin’Wet, Ellanet, Maverick Moto Media, NEXX Helmets, Midwest Motorcyclist, Motion Pro, Motogearu.com, Optimum Print Solutions, Portfolio Creative, REV'IT! Sport USA, Sidi, Silkolene, Wounded Warrior Project Alumni crew, XR1200 Owners Group.

 

To learn more about Team Ohio Racing, follow them on Facebook at http://facebook.com/TeamOhioRacing on twitter @TeamOhioRacing or visit them on the web at www.tor-vetm.org

Peter Cline, Founder
Team Ohio Racing Ltd
VETM, Inc. (Veteran Empowerment Through Motorsports, a 501c3)www.tor-vetm.org
AMA #26

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team Ohio Racing 2012 autograph card courtesy of Pete Cline and Team Ohio Racing.

 

AMA Pro Flat Track Announces J&P Cycles as New Title Sponsor for Pro Singles Championship Series for the Upcoming 2013 Season

Round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season saw the series head to the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, OH. for the annual running of the Ohio National Championship held at the Lima Half-Mile. 

Lining up for heat race #2 in the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship Series on the front row are (L-R) Zakk Palmer on the #81C Double Dick Bandits Honda CRF450R (who went on to finish second in this heat and claim the overall win later in the evening), eventual 2012 AMA Pro Singles Champion Stephen Vanderkuur on the #10J Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda (who would win this heat), Robbie Treinen on the #71L FM Ceiling and Remodeling Honda, Michael Bickerton on the #28P Hogwrench Racing Honda, Matt Zacher on the #15B Zacher Construction Honda, and Brandon Laursen on the #82J Laursen Racing Honda.

Also seen on row two are Chaz Springsteen on the #29J TCR Honda, Coy Matthews on the #30F Kings Kustoms Honda, and Jordan McCready on the #11J Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda (who would take home the 3rd-place spot in heat 2.)  Shayna Texter can be seen lining up on the back row on the #25A DFW Honda CRF450R.

AMA Pro Flat Track announced today that J&P Cycles will be the new title sponsor for what will now be called the AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles Championship Series, taking over where Motorcycle-Superstore.com had been in charge for the last couple of seasons.  J&P will also be ponying up a $25K point fund total (of which $10K will be payable to the 2013 AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles Championship Series winner) for the new season ahead.

You can check out more on this great news below thanks to the press release from AMA Pro Flat Track, as we get ready to gear up for the new season, which will kick-off in fine fashion at the Daytona Short Track doubleheader on March 14 and 15 in just over two weeks' time.

J&P Cycles Named Presenting Sponsor of AMA Pro Flat Track and Title Sponsor of J&P Cycles Pro Singles Division

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 26, 2013) - AMA Pro Racing is pleased to announce a newly formed partnership with J&P Cycles, naming J&P Cycles as the Presenting Sponsor of AMA Pro Flat Track and Title Sponsor of the AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles class. As part of the agreement, J&P Cycles will contribute a $25,000 Year-End Points Fund for the rising stars of the AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles Class after the motorcycle parts and accessories giant.   "We are very excited to begin this partnership with J&P Cycles," said Michael Gentry, Chief Operating Officer of AMA Pro Racing. "I see great things in store for the future in the ranks of the J&P Pro Singles class and look forward to the success our up and coming riders will attain thanks to this new relationship. The support that J&P Cycles has pledged through the year-end points fund is vital to the growth of the sport and is deeply appreciated by the entire paddock."   J&P Cycles will have access to a number of marketing and promotional activations in 2013. At each event on the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles schedule, the company will have access to on-site activation. The two companies will also be working together to develop unique and engaging website content and social media initiatives in order to further the sport by engaging the younger demographic.                               Zakk Palmer #81C leads the rest of the field during round 16 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Springfield Mile II during the running of the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship Series.  AMA Pro Flat Track announced today that J&P Cycles out of Anamosa, Iowa will be the new title sponsor for the Pro Singles Championship Series for the 2013 season.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.     "J&P Cycles is proud to be a part of the AMA Pro Flat Track series this year," said J&P Cycles Vice President/General Manager Zach Parham. "AMA Pro Flat Track represents the grass roots of racing at its best, and we are pleased to be a part of this sport with so much history. The racing this year is going to be exciting and we look forward to sharing the excitement and action with our customers."   The J&P Cycles Pro Singles division is the deepest it's been in recent years. The talent pool is impressive and growing, and the Championship is almost guaranteed to come down to the wire when the season concludes in Pomona. Defending champion Stephen Vanderkuur will be gunning for a repeat season, but the Michigan product will undoubtedly have his hands full as aggressive competitors such as Jake Cunningham, Dominic Colindres, Shayna Texter, Gerit Callies and many others all share the same aspiring title hopes. As if pride wasn't enough for these young stars, a $10,000 bonus will now be awarded to the 2013 J&P Cycles Pro Singles Champion. The complete pay structure for the J&P Cycles Year-End Points Fund is as follows: Champion, $10,000; 2nd place, $5,000; 3rd place, $4,000; 4th place, $3,000; 5th place, $2,000; 6th place, $1,000.   The 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles season will kick off as part of the historic DAYTONA 200 Week. The AMA Pro Grand National Championship and J&P Cycles Pro Singles divisions take to the track in a set of one-day events on March 14 and 15, 2013 at the DAYTONA Flat Track, located just outside of the Daytona International Speedway's west banking. For tickets, please visit www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.   About J&P Cycles:   J&P Cycles is the world's largest retailer of aftermarket parts and accessories for Harley-Davidson and V-Twin Cruiser motorcycles. In business for 34 years, we carry a full line of products from the brands you trust: Kuryakyn, Vance & Hines, Performance Machine, Mustang Seats and many more. J&P Cycles carries tens of thousands of items in stock, in print and online, delivers the best customer service and return policy in the industry. For more information, visit www.jpcycles.com and start building your dream today!

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 Pro Flat Track: Gerit Callies Looks Set to Return to the Track in the AMA Pro Singles Championship at Daytona

Gerit Callies is seen signing autographs for the fans at round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Lima Half-Mile on June 30, during the fan walk festivities at the Allen County Fairgrounds in between the on-track action.

Callies and his #76L Fun Mart Cycles/Rod Lake/Power Brokers/Gillespie-sponsored KTM 450SX-F team had a solid 12-point lead in the 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Series Championship heading into round 9 of the season at the Peoria TT (having won three events on the season), before being involved in one of the nastiest-looking crashes of the season during the Pro Singles main event.  Due to injuries suffered in that devasting bang-up, the South Dakota resident missed the remaining 11 rounds of the season and slipped to 8th-place in the final year-end tally.

However, great news came out of the Callies' and AMA Pro Flat Track camps yesterday in that he looks to be ready to return to action in next month's season-openers at the Daytona Short Track.

You can check out the press release from Gerit Callies and AMA Pro Flat Track here that talks about Callies' return this season at Daytona in just under three weeks' time.

AMA Pro Flat Track: Waters Auto Body KTM Team to Field Steve Murray in Twins Series, Adds Ryan Wells for Pro Singles Class

Dave Waters, owner and team manager of the Waters Auto Body 'Project K' KTM AMA Pro Flat Track team, checks out the action on the track as riders Jeremy Higgins #82 and Steve Murray #51 get ready for their first practice session 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.

The team has retained Murray to campaign the #51 KTM North America/Waters Auto Body Racing/Bell Helmets/Arlen Ness-sponsored KTM LC8-based Twins Series mount for the upcoming 2013 season in what will be his second year with the team, while Higgins will be stepping aside for the year after riding for the team the last three seasons.

Rider Ryan Wells tries to cool off while the Iowa-based Weirbach Racing team goes about getting the #94B Weirbach Racing/General Engineering/Barnett/Spectro-backed Honda CRF450R ready to go for round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship season at the Lima Half-Mile on June 30.  In spite of missing out on five rounds in the 2012 season (Daytona Short Track I and the last four rounds of the season), Wells, a former AMA Horizon Award winner, still finished the year ranked as the 7th-place rider in the 'feeder' Pro Singles Championship class.

As was announced this week, Wells will be hooking up for the 2013 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship season with fellow New York residents, Dave & Rhonda Waters, to campaign the Pro Singles class aboard their Waters Auto Body machines.

You can check out the full press release below as we wish the Waters Auto Body team and riders Steve Murray and Ryan Wells good luck for the upcoming 2013 season as we look forward to seeing them hit the track this year!


Press release courtesy of Dave & Rhonda Waters, Waters Auto Body 'Project K' KTM AMA Pro Flat Track team

WELLS TO “FLY” UNDER WATERS AUTOBODY/PROJECT K RACING BANNER

February 11, 2013 -- Albion, NY


Dave & Rhonda Waters are proud to announce their support of Flyin’ Ryan Wells to the Waters Autobody/Project K Racing Team for the 2013 Pro Singles Series.  Ryan has always shown the drive and determination required that it takes to become a championship rider and it is our pleasure to be able to help this young man and his family strive for the Pro Singles Championship in 2013.

Ryan Wells, the 2012 Daytona short track winner, has shown us that after being injured mid-year when he was not able to achieve the success he had aimed for that he has learned, grown and worked hard to overcome some of the obstacles that stopped him from attaining that goal.  He has been training all winter and we have seen that first hand.

Ryan Wells is shown taking the checkered flag on the #94B Weirbach Racing Honda at round 2 of the 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Series season at the Daytona Short Track II.  Wells will be riding for the Waters Auto Body team in the 2013 season.  Photo courtesy of the Waters Auto Body AMA Pro Flat Track team.


“Dave & I have always tried to help the riders in our area excel in the sport.  In keeping with that tradition, Wells is a natural fit and we are excited about the future of the team and all the possibilities.  Our thought is Ryan & Steve will compliment one another with each other’s experiences and bring a friendly yet competitive atmosphere.”

Ryan had this to say regarding the team, “I am very excited to be working with the Waters Autobody/Project K Racing team as I feel we will communicate and work together well as a team.  I also feel having Steve Murray as a teammate will be a great learning step for me on and off the track.”

Piloting the KTM’s for the AMA Expert Twins season will be the sole pilot Steve Murray for a second year.  Jeremy Higgins has decided to curtail his race schedule for the upcoming season and dedicate more time to other aspects of his personal life.

 “Dave and I would like to express our gratitude and thanks to Jeremy and the Higgins family for the past three years.  Jeremy & Jack have given so much input over the years that have helped our team to continually make changes to bring the KTM’s closer to the goal of making mains week in and week out.  We can never thank them enough for all the hard work, long hours and lasting memories that were made and we wish them the best for 2013.”

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 Flat Track: Kerr Graphix Releases 2012 AMA Pro Singles Championship Season Video Review

Tight company you say?  For the riders in the AMA Pro Flat Track Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship Series this is a normal walk in the park for the 'junior' or 'feeder' division of The Rolling Thunder Show that is AMA Pro Flat Track racing.  Tight racing and even tighter quarters are the norm in the 450cc-based championship that acts as the proving ground for the future stars of the greatest racing series on wheels in the world.

At round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship season never was there more of a display of the superb racing in this series then from heat race 2 as shown above on the first lap at the Allen County Fairgrounds hosting of the Ohio National Championship as the riders bore into turn one with the fans, team owners and racers lining the outside fence ready to get pelted with pea gravel as they grit their teeth in anticipation of what's to come.

With barely a portion of a wheel out front, eventual 2012 Pro Singles Champion Stephen Vanderkuur puts his #10J Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda CRF450R into the early lead in what would translate into the heat win over Zach Palmer on his #81C Honda (mostly hidden to the right of Vanderkuur.)  Michael Bickerton on the #28P Hogwrench Racing Honda tries to get inside, while Brandon Laursen on his #82J Laursen Racing Honda holds the low line.

Also battling for position are Chaz Springsteen on the #29J TCR Honda, Matt Zacher on his #15B Zacher Construction Honda, Robbie Treinen on his #71L FM Ceiling & Remodeling Honda, and Jordan McCready on the #11J Parkinson Brothers Honda.  Jacob Constantine on his #59B self-sponsored Honda, Coy Matthews on the #30F Kings Kustoms Honda, and Eric Stump on the #77A Markbilt Race Bikes Honda get a good drive off of the back row.

Ken Kerr/Kerr Graphix.com has released another season wrap-up video of his superb photo work while covering the majority of the midwest National stops throughout the 2012 season.  Earlier this week we were treated to Ken's season wrap-up of the Grand National Championship season, and today we get to enjoy his equivalent from the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship Series.  

Buckle up and hold on tight!

A big thanks to Ken Kerr/Kerr Graphix for his 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship season wrap-up video from his photo collection shot this year.  We appreciate the great work, time and effort that Ken puts into the sport and he always comes through with some excellent stuff.  Thanks man!


You can view Ken's catalog here at his official site, Kerr Graphix.com:

http://www.kerrgraphix.com/#/page/home/

And here is the link to Ken's wrap-up video for the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Twins Series Championship season from earlier this week:

http://stusshots.blogspot.com/2013/01/kerr-graphix-releases-2012-ama-pro-flat.html

Kerr Graphix Releases 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Twins Series Review Video

Round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season roars into action as heat one blasts off the line at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, OH. 

Leading the pack off the line is Sammy Halbert on his #7 South East H-D/The South Ass/Mo Vaughn Transport/LZ Racing-sponsored XR750.  Slammin' Sammy would go on to finish 2nd in the 8-lap race to qualify for the National behind heat-winner Jeffrey Carver, Jr. on the #23 Kiesow Racing/Hall's Cycles/Eddie Adkins/Sponseller-backed XR, with charging Briar Bauman (and eventual 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year) on the #10Z Rod Lake Racing/USC Racing/Burnett Farms/Hart Racing-sponsored Kawasaki 650R rounding out the top-3.  Don Taylor on the #53 Deeley H-D/Parts Canada/Clares H-D/Taylor Mechanical-backed XR (partially obscured behind Halbert #7) rounding out the top-4 with a direct transfer to the 25-lap National main.

Kayl Kolkman on the #98 Wieblers H-D/Roy's Taco House/Don Camlin/Glens Autobody-sponsored XR would end up 6th in the heat, but would qualify for the National main later via one of the semi races.

Also pictured is Dustin Crow on the #61 Greg Crow Racing/Salina H-D/Peoria Motorcycle Club/Arai-sponsored XR, Adam Carpinello on the #58 Pilot Racing/BYB Racing/Weiss Racing/Moroney's H-D-backed XR and Bradley Hazel on the #41 Pete Allen/RJ1 Engines/Pure Attitude Active Wear/Silkolene-sponsored XR.

One of the regular photographers that follows the midwest Nationals, Ken Kerr from Kerr Graphix has released his year-end review video of his work from the Twins Series events this past season.  While we are now just over 70 days away from the season-opening rounds in Daytona, this is a great time to keep and stay geared up for the season ahead with Ken's year-end wrap-up.  Check it out below!

A big thanks to Ken Kerr/Kerr Graphix for this great compilation video from the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Twins Series.  Ken does a heckuva job covering the majority of the midwest Nationals, and offers photos, rider cards and posters through his website.

Please take the time to check out his vast catalog here:

http://www.kerrgraphix.com/#/page/home/

In this shot taken at Lima, I give Ken a hand with the quilt his wife put together out of some his event t-shirts from over the years.  Later in the evening one of Ken's photos that he had mounted on canvas was raffled off for the Aid to Injured Riders fund.  Photo courtesy of Larry Lawrence/The Rider Files.com.