RIDE Academy's Ocala, FL. Stop on January 26-27 to Have AMA Pro Flat Track Director Dan Johnsen in Attendance

RIDE Academy founder and former AMA Grand National competitor and National #67 Mike Hacker (back to camera) can be seen talking with current AMA Grand National #10, Johnny Lewis at round 3 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Springfield TT on May 26.

Hacker and Lewis (seated on the #10 Scott Powersports/Saddlemen Seats/Silkolene/Wallace Trucking-sponsored Honda CRF450R) will be opening the 2013 season of RIDE Academy's riding schools next weekend as they take their many years of on and off track experience to the Sunshine State to spend another weekend teaching their skills to a sold-out class at the Marion County Speedway in Ocala, FL.  Also expected to lend a hand in the teaching department is former 3-Time AMA Grand National Twins Champion, Kenny Coolbeth, Jr., who is also a frequent instructor for the riding school.

Also seen in this picture are Willy Halbert (getting Sammy's #7 Frederickstown Yamaha set to go for the first round of practice at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Multipurpose Arena) and 2012 Daytona Short Track II winner, Matt Weidman on his #20 DFW Honda.

Check out the full press release below the next shot, and even though the school is sold out in Ocala, if you're in the area be sure to drop by to take in some of the great action sure to be present with these greats of AMA Pro Flat Track as they teach their tricks to the lucky few who will be in class next weekend!

AMA Pro Flat Track Director Dan Johnsen (center) can be seen talking with Australia native Mick Kirkness/AMA Grand National #87 and Sammy Halbert/AMA Grand National #7 at round 14 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.coms season at the Peoria TT on August 21.  Johnsen, who will be entering his third year as the manager of flat track operations for AMA Pro Racing after taking over the reigns from former '81 AMA Grand National Champion Mike Kidd in early 2011, will make the trip from the DMG offices in Daytona Beach next weekend to sit-in as a student at RIDE Academy's stop at the Ocala, FL. season-opening class.


Press release courtesy of Mike Hacker/RIDE Academy founder & Johnny Lewis AMA Grand National #10/RIDE Academy instructor

RIDE Academy Draws in AMA Pro Racing

 Director of AMA Pro Flat Track to Attend RIDE Academy

Ocala, FL. (January 18, 2013) – Since first appointed the Director of Flat Track for the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Series, Dan Johnsen has been looking to learn more about the sport even if it means throwing a leg over a bike and strapping on a steel shoe.  At the first RIDE Academy of the season in Ocala Florida, Dan will be doing just that!  He will be joining a sold out class where RIDE Academy will provide two days of training and instructing, both on and off the track.  Dan Johnsen will make the trip from the Daytona Beach, FL headquarters for the January 26/27 "RIDE Academy Ocala", presented by Metro Racing.

Dan will get the chance to ride and learn from AMA Pro Flat Track professionals: Johnny Lewis (National #10), Kenny Coolbeth (National #2) and former National #67 Mike Hacker.  The RIDE crew with also be bringing in two guest instructors, 2012 AMA Pro Singles race winners: Ryan Wells (94B) & Cody Johncox (96B).  Johnny Lewis stated in a conversation earlier this week, that he feels RIDE Academy is going to be able to show him (Dan Johnsen) the little things you can’t see by sitting in the stands or track side.  “The game is changing. From the bikes to the techniques of the riders, it’s not in a text book. 2013 is going to be a new chapter for AMA Pro Flat Track racing on many levels, and I feel Dan is taking the appropriate next steps to further his knowledge in the sport,” says Johnny Lewis.

It's not all business for Dan though.  He will be strapping on his helmet along with a steel shoe and is prepared to have some fun with the RIDE crew over the two days while seating up on one of the RIDE Academy CRF Honda training bikes.  RIDE starts the students off on their professionally prepared CRF Honda bikes, ranging from 50cc’s to 230cc’s.  They begin on a smaller course designed to allow the rider to progress faster than they would be able to riding at 100% performance on a full-size race bike.  Just like every other RIDE Academy Ocala student, Dan will then advance to the race bike on day 2 on a larger short track.  This will then lead into a full-size TT track for the last portion.

RIDE Academy Ocala, Florida is sold out but for more information on this school and other RIDE dates coming to a track near you, follow us on Facebook @ fb.me/rideacademytraining or at www.rideacademy.com.


About RIDE Academy

Riding. Instruction. Determination. Excellence.
RIDE Academy is determined to change the world of flat track racing.  We believe we have a formula that will lead many riders to success.  We are here to extend our combined knowledge to fellow riders so that they can become the best they can be in a far less amount of time that it has taken each of us.

About Metro Racing

Taking a page from motorcycle history and providing it to the enthusiasts of the world.  Check out our website at www.metroracing.com where you can get all kinds of cool vintage motorcycle gear.  Buy our stuff and support our racing habit!

AMA Flat Track: Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. Takes His Off-Season Training to the Ice at Home in Connecticut

With qualifying getting ready to get underway at round 3 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson  Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season, former 3-Time AMA Grand National Twins Champion and '07 Singles Champ Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. gets ready to head out for action on May 26 on his #2 Chaplin Kawasaki/Fox/Arai Helmets/Vortex-sponsored KX450F.  Also lending a hand is RIDE Academy founder and former AMA Grand National #67, Mike Hacker, who took his services to the Coolbeth camp for the 2012 season after working his suspension, handling and riding magic alongside 2-Time AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson for the previous couple of seasons.

The King of Cool had a Rough Night in Jericho in what would be the final Springfield TT for the foreseeable future held at the Multipurpose Arena on the Illinois State Fairgrounds.  Failing to race his way into the National main with a direct transfer out of his heat, Coolbeth was forced to work overtime while racing one of the semis to make the show.  But in the end, even this long-time veteran was backed up against the wall against the competition at hand, and took a provisional entry to gain entry into the 25-lap final, where he rode a tough race to bring it home in the 11th-place spot to nail down 8 hard-earned points after coming off the fourth row.

With what seems like the majority of riders campaigning The Rolling Thunder Show in the past several years being based east of the Mississippi River, one of the best and most often seen off-season training regimens for the riders is ice racing or riding.  Jared Mees, Henry Wiles, Bryan Smith, Coolbeth and a big handful of other top riders spend the season break tearing it up on the ice just like they do the dirt during the regular race season.

Coolbeth, who calls Morris, Connecticut home, may not contend the regular ice racing series during the break, but he definitely gets his share of ice riding done to keep him on his toes during the five month break in the series schedule.  Bud Wilkinson of Ride-CT.com caught up with Kenny recently to talk with him about his training schedule and his many years in the greatest sport on wheels in the world.  Nice reading and thanks to Bud for keeping us filled in on one of the biggest and most popular stars of the sport.  And thanks to Kenny for slowing down just a little to talk with him and keep us up to date on his off-season activities!


Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. gets in some ice riding at home in CT. during the off-season.

Keep up with The King of Cool here at his official website.

A BIG Thanks to the Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour & NBC Sports Group for the Airing of the AMA Pro Flat Track Pomona Season-Finale

With the year winding down and the racing season having long ago ended, we were treated to a season-ending treat today with NBC Sports' airing of the Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour coverage of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track season-finale at Pomona from back in mid-October.  In what was excellent coverage of round 16 of the AMA Grand National Championship, the Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour group hit it out of the park in bringing us up-front coverage of The Rolling Thunder Show's final race of the year.

And what a race it was, with Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. putting on a runaway clinic to take the win, and battles all around the track with riders Brad Baker, Bryan Smith and the rest putting on a show for the fans of the greatest sport on wheels in the world.  The camera crew on-hand did a thumbs up job of capturing the action all around the 5/8ths mile oval from back on October 13.

If you were fortunate enough to check out today's coverage on NBC Sports, please take the time to contact them and the Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour people and let them know how much we appreciate their airing of this great sport.  If you didn't see today's race coverage, you'll have another chance to catch it on Monday, December 31 at 3:00 PM EST.  Details on that airing can be found at the link at the bottom of this write-up.

The links to contact both NBC Sports and the LOMH people can be found below--please take the time to thank them!


In the shot above from round 13 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Springfield Mile II, the bikes are ready for their riders to show up as the 25-lap National main event gets ready to roll out onto the legendary Illinois State Fairgrounds mile oval on September 16. 

RIDE Academy owner and rider coach Mike Hacker (back to camera) watches over Kenny Coolbeth, Jr.'s #2 Screamin' Eagle/Harley-Davidson Motor Co-sponsored factory XR750 while talking with Jake Johnson and Zanotti Racing's crew chief, Ted McDermitt just behind Johnson's #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D-backed XR.

In the background, left of center, Werner-Springsteen Kawasaki Racing's Bill Werner talks with Howerton Motorsports' Jeff Gordon, while team member Donnie Jones gets an earful listening in to two of the most colorful and knowledgeable people in the world of motor sports, with either two or four wheels. 

Brandon Robinson's #44 Werner-Springsteen/Wosner Pistons-backed Kawasaki 650R can be seen partially obscuring Bryan Smith's #42 Crosley Radio/Howerton Motorsports powered by Eaken Racing Kawasaki.  JB Beach's #95 USC Racing/Red Bull-sponsored Kawasaki can be seen in the back of the shot.


You can contact the Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour folks here.  If you took the time to watch the excellent coverage of round 16 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Pomona Half-Mile, then you already know what a super job these folks did in covering the races.

Please take the time to let them know so that they can bring us more coverage of The Rolling Thunder Show put on by the Blue Crew of AMA Pro Flat Track.  Look for the 'contact us' tab at the top right of the homepage from the Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour:

http://motorsportshour.com/

And you can also send an e-mail to the NBC Sports Network to thank them for airing the final round of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track season at Pomona.  Here is their e-mail:

nbcsportshelp@nbcuni.com

And in case you missed today's original airing of round 16 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the L.A. Fairplex in Pomona, you can find out when and where this will air again on Monday, December 31 here:

http://stusshots.blogspot.com/2012/12/ama-flat-track-nbc-sports-to-air-pomona.html