AMA Pro Flat Track Reviews the Season-Opening Rounds of the J&P Cycles Pro Singles Championship

The rising stars of the AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles Championship Series head into turn one at the start of their National main in round 9 of the 2012 AMA Pro Singles Championship at the Peoria TT on August 12, in the first of 12 laps around the confines of the Peoria Motorcycle Club facility.

Justin Reed on the #53L Rich King Racing KTM 450 SX-F appears to have a slight lead from the start, going on to finish in 3rd-place to round out the podium.  First-time series winner Dominic Colindres on the #66Y Weirbach Racing Honda CRF450R hugs the inside line in route to taking over the lead to take his first-ever win in the series while in his first ride for the team.

Jason Isennock on the #30S Highs Dairy Stores Honda (7th-place finish) holds it tight on the outside of Colindres, while Rodney Spencer, Jr. on the #74Z 831 Pinnit Honda (4th-place) looks to have the advantage on Nick Mataya on the #12L Shoe Racing Honda (5th-place), with Kurtis Lee on the #78J TCR Honda (14th-place) appearing to have lost his edge on the outside as the pack bunches up.

Coming on strong in the back are Jake Shoemaker on the #55A Montgomeryville Cycle Center Honda (6th-place), Dan Bromley on the #54A Bob Weirbach Race Team Honda (17th-place), and eventual 2012 AMA Pro Singles Champion Steven Vanderkuur just coming into the shot on the #10J Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda (2nd-place) as they lead the rest of the 18-rider main on a 12-lap romp in the hallowed halls of Peoria.

In it's fourth season of competition, the AMA Pro Singles Championship has turned out some spectacular talent from what is the 'feeder' series of the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship.  All of the series' first three champions (Brad Baker '09, Jeffrey Carver, Jr. '10, Mikey Martin '11) are now racing in the big show of The Rolling Thunder Show, and providing some serious competition for their fellow Expert-ranked riders in what is arguably the best racing series on two wheels in the world.

The 2013 AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles Championship season got off to another roaring start at Daytona last week, and saw two new winners in each of the two opening rounds held at the Daytona International Speedway.  And the field of talent is just as deep, if not deeper, for what is the series' fifth-full season of competition.  And the big question now is, who will try to take the crown away from Vanderkuur, or will the series see it's first two-time champion when the season wraps up in Pomona many months from now?

Read on below to see AMA Pro Flat Track's review of the season-openers and see if any of the possible future Grand National Champions finished up at the top where you may have expected them to....or not!

Johnson, Constantine Each Claim Victories in Opening Rounds of AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles Action at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla (March 22, 2013) - Michigan's Kyle Johnson (Boughner Racing / Muskegon Motorcycle Gang) got off the line first in the 16 lap AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles first round main event at the DAYTONA Flat Track on March 14, 2013. However, Johnson was quickly passed by a charging Maryland product in Mike Poe (Jason Isennock / CCBC / Blevins).

 

Johnson stayed glued to Poe as he became the meat in a Maryland sandwich, with Jason Isennock, also a native of the "Old Line State," (Highs Dairy Stores / Foard Racing) right on their heels.  On lap eleven, Johnson was able to capitalize on a mistake by Poe to recapture the lead. Once obtaining the top spot, Johnson built his lead and clinched his first ever professional victory.

 

"I was just being patient and waiting for him to make a mistake," Johnson said. "Once I got up on the inside of the leader I got a good drive and took him on the straight away. I couldn't be more satisfied with the way I performed tonight. My bike was unbelievable and everything really came together when it mattered most. I reclaimed the lead late in the race and that was all I needed to close it out."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ryan Wells on the #94B Waters Auto Body Honda appears to have the inside line ahead of Shayna Texter on the #25A Crosley Radio Honda during racing action at rounds 1 & 2 of the 2013 AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles Championship season at the Daytona Short Track last week.  The close, fast racing in the 'feeder' series for the AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship saw two first-time winners at Daytona in Kyle Johnson and Jake Constantine and lays the groundwork for what will surely be another great season of racing for the future stars of the sport.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.

 

 

Final results 1-10: 1st - Kyle Johnson, 2nd - Jason Isennock, 3rd - Mike Poe, 4th - Brandon Wilhelm, 5th - Rodney Spencer Jr., 6th - Ryan Wells, 7th - Hunter Taylor, 8th - Dan Bromley, 9th - Jake Constantine, 10th - Wyatt Maguire

 

AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles - Round 2

 

Jake Constantine stormed around the outside of fellow New Yorker Ryan Wells at the start of the 16 lap AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles main event and rode to a convincing second round win on his Allphase Masonry & Chimney / Matt's Cycle Center backed Honda. Wells tried to stay close, but the lead grew to over one second by the halfway point and over two seconds by the end of the race.

 

"I can't even explain how I feel right now," said an ecstatic Constantine. "To come down here and win it all is the best feeling in the world. It feels great to be on this podium, let alone be at the top of it! This win was huge for me and my team because of how bad we struggled last night in the opener. I can't thank everyone enough for helping me out; this feeling is so surreal right now."

 

Wells maintained a solid second place position throughout the race, while Thursday night's third place finisher, Mike Poe, worked his way forward taking third place yet again after passing Wyatt Maguire (Kirkland Racing / Pro1racingheads.com) on lap 12.

 

There is a log jam at the top of the AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles point standings. Jake Constantine holds a single point lead over Mike Poe with Kyle Johnson and Ryan Wells another point back. Jason Isennock remains in fifth, seven points off the lead.

Final results 1-10: 1st - Jake Constantine, 2nd - Ryan Wells, 3rd - Mike Poe, 4th - Wyatt Maguire, 5th - Stephen Vanderkuur, 6th - Dominic Collindres, 7th - Gerit Callies, 8th - Rodney Spencer Jr., 9th - Brandon Wilhelm, 10th - Kyle Johnson
 

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: Weirbach Racing's Rob Pearson #27 Talks about Savannah, Volusia & Daytona

Rob Pearson works it on the #27 Memphis Shades/Yamaha/Wiseco/K&N-sponsored YZ450F during heat race 3 action at round 9 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the Peoria TT on August 12.  After qualifying in the 9th-place spot for the day, the Morton, IL. resident set sail during the heat race to earn a 3rd-place finish to mark his spot in the 18-rider National main event later in the day.  Pearson went on to one of his best finishes of the season to card a 7th-place spot, which helped him to finish out the season as the 11th-ranked rider in the overall standings in The Rolling Thunder Show.

Having been associated with his Yamaha program for the last several seasons in the Singles Series events, 'Bugs' announced over the off-season that he was switching teams and would be riding for the Iowa-based Weirbach Racing team for the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season.  And as most know, Weirbach's program has been headlined by their superior Hondas with which they were able to win the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles Championship with, along with then-rider Mikey Martin. 

After running a big handful of the Steve Nace Indoor Dirt Track Series events during the off-season in DuQuoin, IL., Pearson and the Weirbach Racing team were able to get acclimated to one another and get some seat time in for Rob on the team's Honda CRF450R rockets.

The team made their 'official' 2013 flat track season debut during Bike Week activities, and got a chance to see how they would match-up to the rest of the competition.  Competing at the Savannah and Volusia events of the Steve Nace Racing AMA All Star Series presented by Golden Tyre before the season-opening rounds at Daytona, the team got a chance to roll out various pieces of their arsenal in preparation for the upcoming Grand National tour. 

Rob not only spent more time on the team's fast Hondas, but got a chance to sample their XR750 and Suzuki SV650-based Twins rides, and came away with some great news in anticipation of getting their new Kawasaki 650R-based Twin effort rolling before the first Twins Series event in Stockton come May.  And he came away with some great info and confidence that should help both he and the boys in Iowa happy as they get ready for the summer long stretch in the greatest racing series on two wheels in the world.

Check out Rob's insight into their season kick-off in his and Weirbach Racing's press release below, and we'll be keeping a close eye on this great new partnership as we get ready for the full onslaught of racing in the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season.  And a big congrats and good luck to Rob and the team this year, we're looking forward to seeing you guys in action together!


Press release courtesy of Rob 'Bugs' Pearson/National #27 and Weirbach Racing, the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles Championship-winning team.

Ottumwa, Iowa -- March 22, 2013

Bike Week 2013 is all finished up and it went over pretty well this year.  I got my first chance to race a twin this season at Savannah.  Dick met me for the practice day and we got the Weirbach Racing XR 750 on the track.

The next day was the ALL Star race, the bike was working well and I finished 2nd place in the heat, we didn’t nail the set up for the main and ended up 7th.  Weirbach’s 450 Honda was strong out of the truck and we ended up with a 3rd place finish in the main on the fast red clay half mile. 

The speed of the Honda makes me think we should have something good for the Peoria TT.  I was right at home on the Harley and I know it’s capable of winning until our Racing Unlimited Kawasaki’s are ready for the track.   

A couple days after Savannah we raced at the Volusia County half mile, another Steve Nace All Star event.  We left the Harley in the truck and worked on Weirbach’s Suzuki SV 650.  This was my first time on the smaller Suzuki twin as I have had some time on the 1000cc model.  I really like how the SV ran and how it jumped off the starting line. 

I got the start in the heat race and stayed out in front of Brandon Robinson and Jared Mees to sit on the pole for the main.  I spun pretty bad coming off the start in the main and ended up coming forward to a 3rd place finish.  I also got my R&R Racing Yamaha on the track for the first time this year at Volusia.  I was running 2nd in the main but left a little too much room and allowed Mees to take me off the bottom of the groove and fall back to 4th.  I have to thank Randy Rothe for the help with the Yamaha.   

Daytona round 1 started great with a 2nd overall in qualifying.  The Weirbach Racing Honda was working good in the heat but I got moved off the groove by Johnny Lewis and headed for a semi.   I worked my way into the main with a 2nd in the semi for a third row start in the main.  The track was getting pretty rough and I got bounced around some but still moved forward for an 11th.

Rob 'Bugs' Pearson on the #27 Weirbach Racing Honda CRF450R is shown during a qualifying practice session at round 1 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season at the Daytona Short Track.  Photo courtesy of Weirbach Racing by Mia Moore/FlatTrack.com's The Fans in the Stands.


The next day round 2, again went well in qualifying with 5th overall.  I had the hole shot in my heat until a first turn crash brought out the red flag.  The restart wasn’t as good for me but I challenged Mees for 2nd on the last lap and ended up direct transferring with a 3rd. 

This put me in the middle of the second row for the main, which was a tuff spot to start.  I got funneled  back pretty quickly.  I made my way thru traffic for a respectable 9th on the smoother but slick Daytona track. 

The best finishes I have ever had in Daytona and just a few points from the overall top ten .
 
I  have to thank Dick and Ted Weirbach for all the help and I am looking forward to getting some time on our new Racing Unlimited Kawasaki twins.

I'd really like to thank my sponsors:

Weirbach Racing, KDM Forrest Products/Michael King, General Engineering, Barnett, Spectro, DynoJet, K&N, Saddlemen, Works Connection, White lightning Retrievers, PMP Sprockets, Motion Pro, Spider Grips, Durelle Racing, Cheney Engineering, G2 Ergonomics, All Balls Racing, Firecoat Custom Powderworks, CP Pistons and Carrillo Rods, Web Cams, Foudree's Graphics, Sunoco, Pro Wheel, Southland Racing/Race Tech, Supertrapp , TNT Honda, Regina Chain, Factory Backing, Hinson, Pit Posse, Jet-Hot, Bell Helmets, Cosmetic gaskets, ProFactoryHoses.com , Engine Ice, Rekluse, and Chicken Hawk Racing,        

AMA Pro Flat Track Regular Mick Kirkness Steals the Win at Inaugural Troy Bayliss Classic in Aussie Homeland

Mick Kirkness floats the front wheel on the #87 Yeager Cycles/Clipper Industries/Arai/Memphis Shades-backed Honda CRF450R during the final round of qualifying at round 14 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Peoria TT.  The popular Australian, who has been a regular fixture on The Rolling Thunder Show tour for the last five seasons, qualified with a strong showing of 16th-place out of the 39 riders on-hand to take a timed lap.

However, as the day wore on Kirkness' luck wore out at the track where he has had some strong finishes in his short Grand National career, missing the direct transfer to the National main in his heat by just under .7 second, and by just over a second in his semi.

Mick didn't miss a beat at the Inaugural Troy Bayliss Classic held in his home country this past weekend, though.  Coming in as a wild card entry alongside such luminaries of the sport as multi-time World Superbike Champion Bayliss, fellow Australians Josh Waters and Jamie Stauffer, and a host of other top-notch riders and racers, Mick took them all to school while making the early pass in the SuperMoto-style final to take the win in front of 5000 spectators on-hand for the Bayliss-promoted event.

Check out more below as we look forward to seeing National #87 back in the States in lucky '13 to bring his great blend of savvy, charisma and racing ability to The Rolling Thunder Show.  Way to go Mick, congrats man!


 Thanks to MC News.com for this race and photo report from the Troy Bayliss Classic over the weekend.

Check out the video from over the weekend from the inaugural Troy Bayliss Classic.  Watch right around the 1:45 mark as Manic Mick makes the pass that will take him to the win from this last Saturday in the Land Down Under.  Great move mate!

Check out more on the Troy Bayliss Classic here on their Facebook page.

Mick, a regular contender for the last several seasons in the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship, talked with Just 2 Wheelz TV in his homeland Australia just several days before competing in this last weekend's event, where he went in as a wild card and stole the show from a list of motorcycling greats such as Broc Parkes, Josh Waters, Jamie Stauffer and Troy Bayliss, just to name a few.  Way to put it to them Mick-O!  

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!

Motorcycle-Superstore.com Celebrates 2012 Sponsorships in AMA Pro Racing

The action is hot and heavy in the AMA Pro Flat Track Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship Series, as highlighted by turn one action above in one of the races 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 was another case of the great racing that takes place in the 'feeder' series that runs alongside the AMA Grand National Championship program.

Battling in heat one on the day are Wyatt Maguire on the #18M Kirland Racing/Pro 1 Racing Heads/AXO/Bell Helmets-sponsored Honda CRF450R, Zack Cassidy on his #23P Cassidy Racing/Ghetto Racing/Motorsports.com/Illinois H-D-backed Honda and Nick Daniels on the #32P Fat Boy Racing/FRA/WKR/Hart Racing-sponsored Honda as they chase Jayson Beal on the #17L Beals Sheet Metal/Mason City Honda/One Industries/100% Goggles-backed Honda.  Of the lot, Cassidy raced his way out of the Last Chance Qualifier later in the afternoon and went on to a 16th-place finish in the 18-rider 12-lap Pro Singles main event.

Motorcycle-Superstore.com will be entering their fourth full season of sponsoring the Pro Singles Championship, one of the most competitive forms of high-speed racing on the planet.  During the 2012 season they upped the ante in the points fund and look to be doing the same again for the 2013 schedule, while also sponsoring the AMA Pro SuperSport Series in the Geico Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Series, among other disciplines of the sport.

They recently put together a highlight video of their sponsorship efforts which you can check out below, as we give a tip of the helmet and a big thanks to them for all of their efforts in The Rolling Thunder Show!

Thanks to Motorcycle-Superstore.com for this 2012 highlight video and for their involvement with AMA Pro Flat Track and the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship Series.

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

AMA Flat Track: Bell Helmets Video Celebrates Henry Wiles' 8th-Straight Peoria TT Win

Round 9 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season saw The Rolling Thunder Show head to the oldest venue on the series' calendar and the longest-continuing event that the series has visited over the years and decades.

The Peoria TT is a must-see event on anyone's bucket list (as mentioned many-a-time by Cycle News' and The Rider Files.com's Larry Lawrence) that will leave you gasping for air and wanting much more once the day's events are over.  A lot of flat track mixed in with a little bit of tourist trophy that sees a right hand turn with a jump thrown into the mix, the amphitheater setting in the hills outside of Peoria, Illinois is a perfect fit for friends, family and those wanting to get a hit to help feed their adrenaline fix.

This year's event was run in hurry-up mode by the great folks from the Blue Crew of AMA Pro Flat Track due to the incoming rain showers that hit just after the 25-lap National main was over, but no one left without getting their share of racing as the whole program was run without a hitch and everyone was able to enjoy the racing that they had come to see before Mother Nature ran it's course.

In first lap action in the shot above, Henry Wiles grabs the lead that he would never relinquish in winning his record-tying 8th-straight event at the heralded track.  Getting the jump on the #17 Don's Kawasaki/DPC Racing/Nick Nazzisi/Schiller's Tree Svc-sponsored Kawasaki KX450F, The Hammer went on to lead all 25-laps to tie The Prince of Peoria, Chris Carr for the most wins in-a-row, stretching back to his very first win on a Mack Daddy Racing Honda in August 2004.

Getting 'Jiggy Dog' on the outside is JD Beach on the #95 USC Racing/Red Bull/Bell Helmets/Alpinestars-backed Kawasaki.  The now part-time flat tracker and full time road racer took home a strong 4th-place finish in his weekend off from the Geico Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Daytona SportBike Series, his best-ever finish at Peoria.

Just behind Wiles is the man we all now know as the 2012 AMA Grand National Champion, Jared Mees on the #9 Montgomeryville Cycle/National Cycle/Lucas Oil/Rogers Racing-backed Honda CRF450R.  Jammin' Jared fought the good fight to keep Henry honest but came up just over 6.6 seconds short to finish the day in the runner-up spot.

Sammy Halbert on the #7 The South Ass/Fredericktown Yamaha/GYTR/Van's Yamaha-sponsored YZ450F looks to be making an inside move on the soon-to-be champ, but faded on the day to bring it home for a solid 5th-place finish.

Just outside of Slammin' Sammy is 2-Time AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson on the #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D/Southland Pro Suspension/Arai-backed Honda.  Jersey Jake would round out the podium at the end of the day with a hard-earned 3rd-place spot, just over 1.3 seconds behind the man who would wrestle the #1 plate from his grasp by the end of the season.

And last but certainly not least, Flyin' Bryan Smith looks to be working the outside line on his #42 Oasis Homes/Moroney's FastHog.com/RHC/Villa Esparza-sponsored Honda just outside Jake's right shoulder.  Smith would hang on to finish in the 9th-place spot.

The Dash for Cash entrants for the day at round 9 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season are lined up and ready to go for the four-lap run for the money and the extra points that everyone knows helps to make a season's championship should you be able to capitalize on finishing in the 1-2 spots in one of the three heat races for the day.

These six men did just that and put on a show for the crowded house at Peoria that kept everyone in attendance on their feet.  JD Beach #95, AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year winner Briar Bauman on the #10Z Rod Lake Racing/USC Racing/Burnett Farms/Hart Racing-sponsored Honda, Sammy Halbert #7, Jake Johnson #1, Jared Mees #9 and Henry Wiles #17 get ready to let 'er rip for the fans.

Halbert would take the valuable five points for the win, with Mees, Wiles, Johnson, Beach and Bauman rounding out the finishing order.  Bauman would also bring it home in the 8th-place spot in the National main.

Bell Helmets has done a super job of putting together a video of the exploits at the Peoria TT on August 12, to showcase the great action on the day, Henry Wiles' 8th-straight win and the stellar racing showcased at this great event.  Hang on and let 'er rip and check it out!


A big thanks to Bell Helmets for this great video that helps to not only celebrate Hammerin' Hank's 8th-straight win at the Peoria TT but also highlights this great event that has been taking place at the Peoria Motorcycle Club for over six decades:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWzMbz3Dc1g&feature=plcp

Also, thanks to Bell for highlighting some of Stu's Shots' work with one of our archive shots of The Prince of Peoria, Chris Carr, at the 1:37 mark of the video (insert shameless self-plug here.......), and you can also see that shot here from our story about Chris calling it a career at last season's Pomona Half-Mile from October 2011:

http://stusshots.blogspot.com/2011/10/ama-flat-track-7-time-grand-national.html

AMA Flat Track: Weirbach Racing's Dominic Collindres Ends 2012 Pro Singles Season with 2nd-Place at Pomona & 4th-Place in the Championship Standings

Round 9 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 natural amphitheatre surroundings of the Peoria Motorcycle Club on August 12, and a new rider in the saddle for the '11 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship-winning Weirbach Racing team and it's potent Honda CRF450Rs. 

Californian Dominic Collindres had just signed-on to ride for the team just days before the event that would begin the second-half stretch of the season in the Pro Singles series, and he brought a renewed shot-in-the-a.. to the defending championship-winning Iowa-based effort.

Right out of the box on the #66Y Weirbach Racing/General Engineering/Barnett/Spectro-sponsored Honda their new rider showed that he was in control and that the team's decision to sign him for the remaining events for the year was a wise one.

Collindres, in charge at the front right from the start, took his first-ever win over a stacked field of riders vying for the Pro Singles Championship, including eventual series champ Stephen Vanderkuur (3rd-place finish) and part-time Pro Singles contender Justin Reed (2nd-place finish) and wowwed the paying crowd at the longest tenured event on the AMA Pro Flat Track calendar. 

In the shot above, Collindres walks away from the rest of the field after a red flag delay at the Pro Singles round in Peoria on August 12 as he comes out of turn one.

Team co-owner Ted Weirbach stands with Weirbach Racing's former signee, Ryan Wells, just before the start of heat race action at round 3 of the 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship season at the Springfield TT on May 26.  Wells, on the #94B Weirbach Racing/General Engineering/Barnett/Spectro-backed Honda CRF450R (the weapon of choice and dominance in the Pro Singles series and for the Weirbach team), parted ways with the team just prior to round 9 at Peoria. 

After winning round 2 at Daytona (having missed the cut the previous evening in the season kick-off doubleheader round), Wells only scored one more podium finish for the Iowa-based Weirbach team (3rd-place Hagerstown) and three more top-10s. 

Unfortunately, the former Horizon Award winner was injured in a heat race crash at round 12 of the season at the Springfield Short Track and wasn't able to continue the remaining events of the season.  He still finished 7th in the 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship based on his early-season results while still on the immaculately-prepped Weirbach Hondas, and is expected to return healthy again for the 2013 season.

Team co-owner Richard Weirbach hops off of the back of team rider Dominic Collindres' #66Y Honda CRF450R after taking the spoils of victory lap with the California rider at round 9 of the 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship season at the Peoria TT.  3rd-place finisher Justin Reed #53L and 2nd-place finisher Stephen Vanderkuur #10J talk and head to the podium after the 12-lap main.  Vanderkuur went on to claim the 2012 Pro Singles Championship while Collindres wound up in the 4th-place spot in his first-full season in the series.

Poised to return together again for the full 2013 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship season, Collindres and the Weirbach Racing team are assuredly a safe-bet to contest for the big brass ring next year in the hotly-contested class that showcases some of the best racing on wheels in the world that is AMA Pro Flat Track racing.  It's gonna be a long winter......

Check out the official press release below courtesy of Dominic Collindres and the Weirbach Racing team, and a big congrats to them for a stellar finish to the season.  Bravo!

Press release courtesy of the Weirbach Racing team and rider #66Y Dominic Collindres


Ottumwa, Iowa, November 3, 2012

The AMA Grand National season-finale was held in Pomona, California.  I was stoked for this race being that it was close to home and I got to hang out with friends and family at my house all week.

 

Last year I didn't do so good, not even making the main, but this year I felt that I had some good experience gathered up from this year.  My goal for the weekend was to finish ahead of Shayna Texter and finish the year off fourth in overall points.

Qualifying was going great.  Dick had the bike set up spot on from the start, and the only thing we changed was tire pressures.  The free practice qualifying I set the ninth-fastest time.  We didn't change the bike at all and in the first qualifying session I qualified ninth again.  We then dropped the tire pressure a little and set the fifth fastest time in the second qualifying session.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dominic Collidres gives team owner Richard Weirbach a victory ride on the #66Y Weirbach Racing Honda CRF450R after winning his first-ever event and first with his new team at round 9 of the 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles season at the Peoria TT on August 12. Photo courtesy of the Weirbach Racing team.

 

For the heat race I was lined up on the front row.  I got a great start and was in second into the first turn.  I made a pass for the lead going down the back straight and led the rest of the heat race.  I felt great in the heat, winning by about a second.  Vanderkuur looked fast in his heat and I knew he was going to be tough to beat. 

 

Going out for the main I felt comfortable with the way things were going.  I got the holeshot and going into turn three a red flag came out.  On the second start I was in about fourth riding by myself and another red flag came out about halfway through the race.

 

This time the start was single file and I made my way into third going into turn three.  The top two riders pulled a large lead on me and we were all evenly spaced.  At about four laps to go I found a fast line and reeled in Maquire who was in second.  I passed him and was left with two laps to go.  I caught up to Vanderkuur on the last lap and couldn't quite get into the draft going down the last straight away and I finished a solid second.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With a stellar 2nd-place finish in round 16 of the 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship, Weirbach Racing's Dominic Collindres #66Y capped off the season in the 4th-place spot in the championship standings.  Photo courtesy of the Weirbach Racing team.

 

This year Pomona treated me great.  Being on a totally different bike and having so much more experience really seemed to help me out.  I am very happy with the way this year went.  I couldn't be happier to get team Weirbach a win my first race after their previous rider decided to go on his own mid-season.

 

Getting all of my podiums on Weirbach's bikes gets me ready for next year.  Being that I missed five races and joined Dick and Ted halfway through the season and finished fourth in points, Dick, Ted and I feel like we have a good shot at winning the championship next year since I will be at every race. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dominic Collindres accepts his 4th-place check in the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship for the 2012 season at the AMA Pro Flat Track banquet in Pomona on October 14, 2012.  Photo courtesy of the Weirbach Racing team.

 

 

I couldn't have done it without them and all our sponsors that helped this year. I would like to give a huge thanks to:

Weirbach Racing, General Engineering, Barnett, Spectro, DynoJet, K&N, Saddlemen, Motorcycle Superstore/Bell Helments, White lightning Retrievers, PMP Sprockets, Motion Pro, Spider Grips, Evans Coolant, Cheney Engineering, G2 Ergonomics, All Balls Racing, Firecoat Custom Powderworks, CP Pistons and Carillo Rods, Web Cams, Foudree's Graphics, Sunoco, Pro Wheel, Durelle Racing, Supertrapp, TNT Honda, Pingel Products, Regina Chain, Factory Backing, Hinson, Motobatt, Pit Posse, Jet-Hot, Cosmetic Graphics, , KDM Forrest Products, Michael King, Frankie Morris, my Mom and Dad, Mach 1, A&A Racing, Works Connection, ProFactoryHoses.com, Rekluse, and Chicken Hawk Racing.

Dominic Colindres – 66Y

 

AMA Flat Track: Kawasaki Shows the Love to 8-Time Peoria TT Winner Henry Wiles

Round 9 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season saw 2-Time Singles Series Champion Henry Wiles add to his string of wins at the fabled Peoria TT as the 7-time and defending event winner again took home all the gold aboard his #17 Don's Kawasaki/DPC Racing/Nick Nazzisi/Schiller's Tree Service-sponsored KX450F.  Shown during final qualifying squirting it into turn two and all but ready to pop the rear DT-8 off of the rim, Hammerin' Hank added to his record-tying wins at the track, not to mention his overall win list in the State of Illinois.

Heading into round 11 of the season this coming Saturday, the series is set to hit what in all likelihood will be the last AMA Pro event on the Springfield Short Track for the near future.  For 2012 the IMDA is taking over running of the 'nights before' events over the Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends and will feature amateur races and Steve Nace Racing Promotions-helmed 'mini Nationals' or All-Star races, with a double mile round scheduled for Labor Day Weekend.

But the main question will be, can Henry Wiles be beaten at Springfield after winning five straight on the short track and four of five on the TT (Wiles was forced to sit out the May '11 event due to knee injuries and surgery)?  In a few short days we will know as The Rolling Thunder Show heads to the Multipurpose Arena on the Illinois State Fairgrounds for Saturday night's running of the Springfield Short Track, and the last Singles Series event of the 2012 season.

While we are waiting for this jam-packed weekend of racing in the best racing series on wheels in the world, check out the great stuff that Kawasaki put up a few days back to help celebrate Henry's 8th win at the Peoria TT.  And a big thanks to Mean Green for showing the love to Henry and AMA Pro Flat Track!

Thanks to Kawasaki for this link to the news and a few shots of Hammerin' Hank putting it to them at the Peoria TT on August 12, 2012:

http://www.kawasaki.com/Racing_News/Article.aspx?id=1891

AMA Pro Flat Track Reviews Round 9 of the 2012 Season at the Peoria TT

Round 9 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season saw the series hit the 65th Annual running of the Peoria TT.  As was expected (by most) Henry Wiles on the #17 Don's Kawasaki/DPC Racing/Nick Nazzisi/Schiller's Tree Service-sponsored KX450F took the win again for his record-tying eighth time in-a-row to put his mark in the record books next to one of the icons of the sport, recently-retired 7-Time AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr.

Wiles led Jared Mees, Jake Johnson, JD Beach and Sammy Halbert home in the 25-lap National main, winning by just over 6.6 seconds, after slipping wide with just a few laps to go in the final coming into turn one.  Wiles stated the track was slick and going to groove up quickly and had asked the blue crew at AMA Pro Flat Track to add a little water just before the green flag flew, but was denied due to the fact that rain was approaching fast and it was either get the show going or face a possible delay and/or cancelation of the main.  Obviously other then that one slip things worked out real well for the man who has now won 22 National main events throughout his career.

From the start of the day and almost throughout, Hammerin' Hank controlled and took-hold of his destiny to set the pace for what was an illustrious day for the Clio, MI. rider.  His only missive was not being able to win the Dash for Cash, which was controlled from the start by Sammy Halbert on his #7 The South Ass/Fredericktown Yamaha/GYTR/Van's Yamaha-backed YZ450F.  Halbert won the Dash over National main runner-up Jared Mees and Wiles, with Jake Johnson, JD Beach and Briar Bauman rounding out the 4-lap extra-points and money-paying event.

Pictured above in some heat one race action where Henry set fast time to earn the pole for the main shows what looks to be a close battle on lap 2 of the 10-lap heat race qualifier between Wiles, Slammin' Sammy and Jeffrey Carver, Jr. on the #23 Carver's BBQ/Twigg Cycles/Leo Welch/Kiesow Racing-sponsored Yamaha.  Carver followed Wiles and Halbert home into the 3rd-place spot to also earn his spot in the 18-rider main, where he eventually took a solid 11th-place finish.  Wiles eventually won the heat by just over 2.5 seconds after 10 laps.

Wiles win in this heat race was the fastest of the day by just .082 seconds, with a spread between heat two winner Johnson and heat race three winner Mees of only .311 seconds after each 10-lap heat.  Those figures give you a real good idea of how close the racing action is in The Rolling Thunder Show and how well matched the stars of the big show are in terms of competition in the Singles Series.  There is still one Singles race left on this year's calendar and is scheduled for September 1 at the Springfield Short Track. 

Thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track for doing a stellar job of getting the show in on Sunday and for again running a great event in the best racing series on wheels in the world.  Take a bow and a tip of the helmet to AMA Pro Flat Track manager Dan Johnsen, master track prep head man and former AMA Grand National Championship competitor Steve Morehead and the rest of the blue crew for again running another great program!

And of course, congratulations to 2-Time AMA Grand National Singles Champion Henry Wiles for putting on a riding school for the packed house in attendance last Sunday.  U da man!

Check out the press release below, again thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track, and then get ready for what is going to be one heckuva night of racing as the series heads to 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 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds on Saturday, August 18.  You better hold on as this train is a rolling and it's not going to stop until the season-ending round at Pomona in October.

AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com and Lucas Oil Race Recap: Wiles Wins Eighth Consecutive Peoria TT

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 14, 2012) - The second half of the 2012 AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com and Lucas Oil started with a bang as the series returned to the oldest venue on the circuit. Peoria, IL and the Peoria Motorcycle Club's Race Park TT served as round nine of the 16 race series. Just like the last seven years, Henry Wiles dominated the 25-lap national, leading every lap and winning by a margin of almost seven seconds. Repeating their finishes from last week in Castle Rock, WA, series points leader Jared Mees (Montgomeryville Cycle) was second and defending AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Champion Jake Johnson (Zanotti Racing) was a solid third.  Many felt Wiles' winning streak was in jeopardy as he has struggled of late with his potent Kawasaki, but mild-mannered Henry stepped out of the phone booth with his cape firmly attached. Henry Wiles #17 battles with Jared Mees #9 and Jake Johnson #1 early during the National main event at the Peoria TT on Sunday, August 12.  Wiles won his record-tying eighth time at the track to tie the record set by Chris Carr from 1988-1995.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig. "Everybody was getting nervous. People around me that I talk to sometimes on a weekly basis, I could tell they were nervous," said Wiles. "I said it will be ok, we will be up front. It's tough on a guy sometimes when you are not getting the finishes you know you can, but you are fighting something. We struggled with the bike setup and some mechanical problems, but I tell you, I wasn't frustrated. I know that some things are going to be harder than others." Wiles win matches Chris Carr's Peoria record of eight consecutive wins. "A lot of people would think eight in a row is enough, but I don't, nine would be nice," warned Wiles. "I tell you what, it's a special thing to be able to come in here and tie Chris' eight. I don't think Chris gets enough credit for winning 13 races here. When you stop and look back, that's a lot of years. A lot of things happen in that amount of time." "Guys were running good today. I knew the field would be tough," said Wiles. "I qualified fast. I had fast heat race and didn't do so well in the Dash." Even though Wiles had been fast qualifier and fast heat winner, Sammy Halbert (Fredericktown Yamaha) got the hole-shot in the Dash for Cash and came away with the win. Wiles even had second place slip away as Mees slipped by on the last lap. Halbert's four lap Dash for Cash performance foretold his national problems as each trip over the big jump was an adventure. "My feet were coming off the pegs and everything," said Halbert. "I'm sure the guys behind were waiting for something bad to happen. I definitely had a lot of moments over the jump today. I was just really struggling to figure out how to jump. I've got the speed to run here, I just don't have the jump figured out." Wiles got the lead on what would be an aborted start as Luke Gough (Nicely Motorsports / Skip Eaken Racing) fell heavily coming off the jump on lap one. Gough was unable to make the restart and was transported to a local hospital with a reported leg injury.  When the light flashed green for the 25-lap main event, Wiles shot to the front and it became a race for second. "Just like last year, I just struggled on the starting line. Wiles popped me right off the line," said Mees. "He did exactly what he had to do. Sammy got in between us and kind of road blocked us a little bit. It is what it is. One of these days maybe I can get off with him and give him a run. We always come here in June and have a lot of dominance, then he puts it on us in the main event." Mees took over second on lap four when Halbert had another "jump" moment. "I was able to sneak up into second there on the start but got squirrelly on the jump and the exhaust pipe broke at the midsection," said Halbert. "I kind of looked down, I wanted to make sure that it wasn't dragging on the ground before I went over the jump again. With looking around and checking on what the deal was I lost a little time. Jared and Jake got by me." "It seemed like it was going to get exciting for a minute. About halfway through it seemed like I kind of had a line," said Johnson. "I started catching Jared a little bit, I thought it was going to be a little bit of a race to the end. I came over the jump one lap and blew the rubber off my foot peg. That kind of screwed me up a little bit. Over the jump and through the right hander seemed like where I was making up some time. That was my strong point there and once I lost the foot peg it was done. I just tried to maintain. Jared started inching away from me. With about six or seven laps to go I saw that he was having some problems. I guess he blew his foot peg completely off. I started catching him a little bit, but he had such a big lead on me at that point that it was too late." "With six or seven laps to go, I broke my foot peg clean off. I didn't have rubber or nothing," said Mees. "That there will put you in a training program quick. Holding that leg up with that big steel shoe and boot, it's heavy. There was no catching Henry with one or two foot pegs." After a slow start USC Kawasaki / Red Bull backed JD Beach worked his way up to a distant fourth.  "I was really lucky we had that restart because I blew the first turn. I went way out and got passed by a bunch of guys," said Beach. "I knew I needed to get a better start and get down because everyone was running wide in the first turn. I was starting on the outside and so I knew what I needed to do. I got going pretty good and kind of got into a battle during the whole race and once I was able to get by the guys, I was able to break away a little bit, but we only had two laps to go. I think if I could have gotten a little bit better start, I might have been able to run for the podium. We were struggling coming out of turn four. Here that it one place that you have to get a really good run and pass them into turn one. We just weren't getting that drive." "I definitely lost some horsepower. I was just trying to hang on to fourth," said Halbert. "I almost did, but JD slipped by me. Jumping is the area that we are lacking. Hopefully we will get some time to work on that eventually and come back stronger next year." Brad Baker (The Brothers Powersports) earned the weekend's MotoBatt "Hard Charger Award" by improving three positions in the Expert Main Event. Wiles' day was not without stress including a major moment late in the race.  "I'm just proud of my team and my sponsors and my mechanic, Johnny (Olmstead). We had some problems in that Dash, but we made some changes to the bike," said Wiles. "I knew when I did the warm up lap that the bike was better. It was a relief. I said, 'Yes, this is going to make my life a little bit easier today.' On about lap 17 or 18 going into turn one I set my foot down, it all happened at just the wrong time. It was just all wrong timing, but I stuck my foot right in a hole, which is something that can happen and I've done it here before. The ground was really hard today. I was tapping it a little bit coming to the jump, I thought I stinking broke it. I knew that I would still be able to win the race if it was broke. I was on a mission today." The AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship points chase is still controlled by Mees as he slowly pulls away. "We will take the benefits today," said Mees. "The highlights are putting some points on my two toughest competitors. We will just keep rolling forward." Johnson is now 20 points down. "We are going to have to start stepping it up a little bit and start winning some races. Second and thirds are obviously not cutting it," said the defending Champion. "We are getting to the point of the season where over the past couple years it has been my strong point. Hopefully we can keep that rolling. I was looking at the points from last year and this year and I think we are basically right on the same deal. At Peoria last year, I was 19 or 20 points down, today I am 20 points down. We definitely have some work to do, but hopefully we are right on schedule." Halbert is nine additional points back in third.  GNC Race Results 1 Henry Wiles 25 Laps 2 Jared Mees 6.622 3 Jake Johnson 7.992 4 JD Beach 14.655 5 Sammy Halbert 15.348 6 Brad Baker 15.562 7 Robert Pearson 15.773 8 Briar Bauman 17.838 9 Bryan Smith 18.063 10 Matt Weidman 20.615 11 Jeffrey Carver Jr. 21.202 12 Justin Hittle 24.545 13 Dustin Crow 24.866 14 Ion Stear 32.464 15 Mikey Rush 24 Laps 16 Aaron King 1.289 17 Jon Goodwin 23 Laps 18 Luke Gough DNF GNC Expert Point Standings   1 Jared Mees 185 2 Jake Johnson 165 3 Sammy Halbert 156 4 Bryan Smith 112 5 Henry Wiles 100 6 Johnny Lewis 97 7 Brad Baker 94 8 Jeffrey Carver Jr. 90 9 Matt Weidman 81 10 Briar Bauman 71 Sunoco "Go the Distance" Award   1. Jared Mees - 244.8 miles 2. Jake Johnson - 244.64 3. Jeffrey Carver - 244.08 4. Bryan Smith - 235.89 5. Jethro Halbert - 214.8 Saddlemen "Rookie of the Year" Standings Briar Bauman 71 Michael Avila 13 Michael Martin 10

Photos from Peoria TT Bryan Smith Wins Sacramento Mile Indy Mile August 18, 2012 Event Info | Tickets

Colindres Never Looks Back to Take AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Peoria TT Win

AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles A multiple bike pile up on lap three of the 12-lap AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles main event erased the great start of Dominic Colindres (Weirbach Racing). Four riders ended up in a heap in turn two, forcing the red flag. All but Jacob Constantine (Matts Cycle), who was transported to a local hospital for evaluation, made the restart. Colindres, who was making his first start on the Weirbach Racing Honda repeated his start and led every lap. "I got the hole-shot after the restart, usually something goes wrong in a situation like that but it actually helped me," Colindres said. "I really liked the track and I just want to congratulate Stephen (Vanderkuur), he was on me the whole way and really gave me a good run." Dominic Colindres #66Y gives team owner Richard Weirbach a victory lap ride after winning his first-ever AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship Series race in his first-ever ride for the Iowa-based team at the Peoria TT on Sunday, August 12.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig. Vanderkuur (Parkinson Brothers Racing) closed the gap to just over one second as the laps wound down, but that was as close as he could get. Justin Reed (Rich King Racing / Fun Mart Cycle Center) held second until turning over the spot to Vanderkuur on lap five, but held on to earn his first podium finish.  There was a great race-long battle over fourth that finally went to Rod Spencer Jr (831 Paint). Nick Mataya (Shoe Racing), Jake Shoemaker (Montgomeryville Cycle / Bob Weirbach), Jason Isennock (Highs Dairy Stores), Ryan Wells (Wells Racing), Dustin Cassidy (Cassidy Racing), Jacob Lehmann (Spy Optics) and Jake Cunningham (Schiller's Tree Service) all fought tooth and nail over their positions, but finished in that order. A huge heat race crash has left the Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles points race up for grabs as points leader Gerit Callies (Fun Mart Cycle Center) crashed coming off the jump and collected Adam Bushman (Midwest CNC / Powerbar) and Robbie Treinen (FM Ceiling and Remodeling). All three were transported to a local hospital for evaluation. Callies still holds the points lead, but now by only one point over Ryan Wells. Stephen Vanderkuur, Jake Shoemaker and Jason Isennock are just behind by 10, 11 and 12 points respectively. Injury Update All riders are listed in stable condition. Pro Singles Race Results Pro Singles Point Standings 1 Dominic Colindres 12 Laps 1 Gerit Callies 107 2 Stephen Vanderkuur 1.087 2 Ryan Wells 106 3 Justin Reed 4.069 3 Stephen Vanderkuur 97 4 Rodney Spencer Jr. 7.332 4 Jake Shoemaker 96 5 Nick Mataya 7.781 5 Jason Isennock 95 6 Jake Shoemaker 7.848 6 Dominic Colindres 71 7 Jason Isennock 8.178 7 Shayna Texter 64 8 Ryan Wells 8.374 8 Jake Cunningham 51 9 Dustin Cassidy 8.584 9 Hunter Taylor 50 10 Jacob Lehmann 8.888 10 Wyatt Maguire 49 11 Jake Cunningham 9.224 12 Cory Strickler 14.311 13 Mikeal Strable 14.504 14 Kurtis Lee 15.099 15 Bailey Fox 15.213 16 Zack Cassidy 15.525 17 Dan Bromley 16.258 18 Jacob Constantine 2 Laps Next Up The stars of AMA Pro Flat Track will return to the Indianapolis Fairgrounds on August 18, 2012. For tickets and information, please visit http://indymile.com/.

Photos from Peoria TT   Indy Mile August 18, 2012 Event Info | Tickets

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