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: Jon Goodwin & Kevin Anderson Announce New National Numbers for 2013 Season

Jon Goodwin on the #26P JH2 Performance/Hart Racing/Goodwin Racing/Shoei-sponsored Honda CRF450R takes the high line around Luke Gough on the #62 Nicely Motorsport/Skip Eaken Racing/Johnson Cams/G2-backed Yamaha YZ450F during one of the qualifying rounds at the Peoria TT on August 12, 2012.

Round 9 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season saw Goodwin qualify for his first-ever National main at the Peoria Motorcycle Club-hosted event after finishing 3rd in his semi behind riders Justin Hittle and Dustin Crow.  The Illinois resident went on to finish 17th in the 25-lap final out of the 18 riders who made the main at Peoria and as a result earned his first two points in the combined standings in the 2012 AMA Grand National Championship.

As a result, Goodwin will be wearing National #38 for the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track season, a number probably made most famous by former AMA Grand National Championship competitor Chuck Palmgren in the early-mid '70s when he was riding for Dan Gurney's All American Racers.

Congrats to Jon Goodwin for this big move up for next season in earning your National number.  Bravo!

Round 12 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season saw the series roll back into the Illinois State Fairgrounds after a two-week delay due to being washed out over the traditional Labor Day Weekend event due to the remnants of Hurricane Isaac.

One of the riders on-hand after the series resumed it's assault on the Multipurpose Arena at the Springfield Short Track was Minnesota resident Kevin Anderson, shown during one of the practice sessions of the afternoon on his #11K Anderson Brothers Motorsports/Diesel MN/Goodwin Racing/Moose Racing-sponsored Honda CRF450R.  Anderson missed the cut at Springfield after qualifying a very respectable 21st out of the 48 riders on-hand who took a qualifying lap on the day, going on to post finishes of 12th in each of his heat and semi races. 

Anderson did, however make the cut in the season's penultimate round at the Tucson International Raceway event after finishing 16th in the 18-rider National main, which wass good enought for him to also earn his National number for the 2013 season.  Anderson will wear National #25 proudly in the upcoming season, a number also worn in the past by former 3-Time AMA Grand National Champion Jay Springsteen in his sophomore season in the series.  Springsteen only carried the #25 for that single year as he went on to win the championship during the '76-'78 seasons.

Another congrats goes out to Kevin Anderson, 2013's National #25.  Great job man! 


Kevin Anderson announced over Twitter last week that he would be carrying National #25 during the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season.  Check out this pic he posted of his new National #:

http://instagram.com/p/SNr-f8vvjj/

And also a big thanks goes out to Tyler Porter and his bitchin' Fight For Dirt Track.com for mentioning the aforementioned new signees to the National number department in his Inslide Line column this week.  You can catch up with some of the other goings-on about the sport by following TP and his weekly reports here:

http://www.fightfordt.com/new_site/index.php

Flat Track & Road Racing Loses Another Icon of the Sport: RIP Skip Eaken, the Brains & Brawn Behind Eaken Racing & The Man Behind the Motors for the Bryan Smith/Crosley Radio/Howerton Motorsports Rocket Kawasaki

The sport of AMA Pro Flat Track (and motorcycle road racing, too) was dealt another blow within the last 24 hours when it was learned that long-time tuner/wrench to the stars and master motor builder, Skip Eaken, had passed away late yesterday due to complications due with a congestive heart failure illness that had just most recently flaredup at the Knoxville Half-Mile a few weeks ago.

Eaken, who was the man behind the Honda flat track effort in AMA Pro Flat Track in the early-late '80s that saw Honda come into the sport long-dominated even in those days by the Harley-Davidson factory and it's omni-potent XR750 purpose-built mount, had most recently been campaigning his own version of a hot rod Kawasaki with help from his nephew Dave and several other close friends and family, as well as being the motor magician behind the new-for-2012 Crosley Radio/Howerton Motorsports powered by Eaken Racing Kawasaki rocket that has taken Bryan Smith #42 to two wins in four events this year at the Sacto Mile and most recently at the Springfield Mile II.

Having just gotten off the phone with Rick Howerton, the man behind the building of the machine that has taken AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Twins Series racing to new heights of competition and excitement, posed some insightfull comments about the big man's passing yesterday. 

"Having grown up around Skip, he was a little intimidating back in those days with Honda when I started hanging around at their shop down the road here.  But if he liked you, he'd talk to you and let you know what was going on.  And he always treated me great and was somewhat of not only an authorative figure to me but also almost like a father," stated Howerton.  "I left him a message a couple of days ago (Howerton mentioned that after Skip's collapse at Knoxville on September 8 that they had just flown him back to the Cleveland area early last week after he had been bed-ridden and held at a Des Moines hospital just 40 or so miles out of Knoxville.)  I had wanted to try and get him fired up about not only our thing, but his with Rob Pearson and even before with Luke Gough in the seat, and kind of press him for some info on the engine work." 

Eaken had done all of the motor work in both of Howerton's rockets, and had most recently just before the Sacto Mile taken down the motor in the #1 bike while he was rebuilding one of the #62 motors just to check it out.  According to Howerton and team stooge/best friend and team member, Jeff Gordon (Speedway Engine Developments), Gordon had just flown over to pick the motor back up just before leaving for Sacramento, and after the Springfield Mile I in late May where the new wonder made it's debut to a fine 3rd-place finish and the win in the Dash for Cash event with rider Smith in the seat, the motor didn't have a mark on it after running the weekend's events.  That is a testament to the durability of the Kawi 650R-based parallel twin as much as it is to Eaken's ability to build a solid mount.

"He really made me feel good after that first race," continued Rocket Ricky.  "A couple of days after I was kind of down on myself (like Howerton too-often gets after not ending an event at the top of the box, taking the load of responsibility onto his shoulders like any team owner and builder would), and Skip called me and told me we really did a great job, and that he was really proud of me.  That really made me feel good hearing it from him after having looked up to him for so long.  Now we're just going to have to go out to Santa Rosa and win this one for Skip and Linda (Eaken's wife)."

In the shot above, Eaken can be seen conversing with team owner Howerton and Jeff Gordon in the Howerton Motorsports pit area at round 10 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile.  This was the event just prior to Knoxville, that was held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on August 18. 

The first-year variation of the rocket Kawasaki that Rick Howerton started as his dream racer project in late 2010 poses along with it's rider, motor man and builder at the Springfield Mile I round on May 29, 2011.

Australian Luke Gough #62 was tasked with breaking in the new machine during the 2011 season, and was starting to get some solid top-10 results and even scored a 4th-place finish on the bike last year as well.  Motor master to the stars Skip Eaken (center) can be seen smiling over another one of his fine-tuned pieces, and master builder Rick Howerton also glows over the scene the machine started to create last season, and the scene stealing it would lead to in the 2012 season.

Of note, Eaken could and would come off at times as a little gruff, but bottom line the man was focused on his art, that of building the best, most solid and fastest machines around.  So to get a picture of him smiling, in itself, is golden.  I hope Rick, Luke and Skip upstairs will appreciate this one.

And to that I say, RIP Skip Eaken, one of the best in the business, those upstairs with you like the late Ricky Graham will surely have some fun and fast times with you again and now, and are surely blessed to have you up there with them.

God Bless big man, and thanks for all the memories that I will cherish always, and forever!

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