2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Rookie of the Year Briar Bauman Heads Back to School, But Not Before Having Some Fun with Some Friends & Family

Briar Bauman works on getting the #10Z Rod Lake Racing/Browns Cycle/Russo Construction/Arai-sponsored Honda CRF450R dialed in for round 12 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the Springfield Short Track on September 15, in preparation for the evening's 25-lap National main held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Multipurpose Arena.

The 2012 Rookie of the Year headed to Daytona last month with his new team, the Babe DeMay Yamaha/Memphis Shades squad, and suffered from a serious case of the sophomore blues in rounds 1 & 2 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season.  But like all champions in the making, he will surely shrug it off by the time round 3 hits the half-mile confines in Stockton, CA. come May 11, and with his new team and soon-to-be-new stable of Yamaha twins will be working his way back to the top before we all know it.

Bauman got a chance to spend some down-time with some of his flat tracking friends after Daytona, and talks about it in his latest update below.

Check it out, thanks to Tyler Porter/Fight for Dirt Track.com and the Babe DeMay Yamaha/Memphis Shades team!


Press release courtesy of Tyler Porter/Fight for Dirt Track.com and Briar Bauman, the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year.

Briar Bauman update

April 3, 2013

For Briar Bauman, rider for the Babe DeMay Motorsports/Yamaha Motor Company/Memphis Shades racing team, it has been a relaxing couple of weeks since leaving sunny Daytona Beach, Florida.  While many local racing seasons have not taken off yet, the young Californian has been able to spend a little time relaxing after some tough luck in the opening two rounds of the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship presented by J&P Cycles.

 

Though he is a fierce competitor on the track, he is just like any teenager who enjoys time with his friends.  The only difference is most of his friends are some of the fastest motorcycle racers in the world!  In his own words, here is what Briar has been up to:

 

“I was ready to get away from the moon-like track in Daytona after the luck I had there this year.  Instead of heading straight home to California, I was able to head North up the East Coast to spend some time with the Texter’s, Cory and Shayna, two-time Grand National Champion Jake Johnson and his wife Jodi, as well as former Daytona Short Track winner and current Factory Triumph rider Johnny Lewis and his wife Alysha. 

 

"Though we are all racers, we were able to do a lot of things that kept my mind off of the two wheel game.  They took me Go-Karting, where they cheated with all of their local knowledge of the track and we shredded a knobby or two on a couple of their local motocross tracks.

 

"The biggest thing for me was getting to experience real snow for the first time!  It was funny, after the tough winter that they have had, they were not too excited, and I was outside running around in it, just loving it!  All good things have to come to an end though, and as with any job, you can’t be on vacation all year long, so it was time to head home to California.”

 

Once back in his home state with his family, Briar got back to work quickly, catching up on all of the school work that he missed while away at the track and on the East Coast. 

 

“It was great to be home and to top it all off, my younger brother Bronson had the van loaded up when I got there so we could head to the local motocross track to show off our air wheelies and panic revs.  It’s always a great day when you get to spend time at the motocross track goofing off with your little brother,” stated Briar.

 

Two wheels and things that go fast aren’t Briar’s only hobby though, as the very next day the family spent time getting their fishing boat ready for some time getting their lines wet on the water.  “While it was great being out on the water with my family and best friend Austin, I pretty much proved to everybody that I was there only for moral support and maybe to help with the dip net here and there.  They caught twice the fish that I did!  The main thing though was just being able to relax and talk about things other than racing for a change; it really helped put things in perspective.  I am just about caught up with all of my school work now and last weekend I enjoyed an amazing Easter holiday with my family.  I’m getting really close to graduating High School and man that cannot come soon enough!”

 

Being at home in his warmer climate, Briar is back on the pedals, doing his favorite type of training, cycling, both on the road and off.  You can be rest assured that he and his brother Bronson are beating up some mini bikes around their house also.

 

Briar is getting geared up for round 3 of the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Presented By J&P Cycles in nearby Stockton California on May 11^th as the entire Babe DeMay Motorsports squad works at a feverish pace to put the final touches on their new Yamaha twin-based equipment so the team can begin testing with Briar to make sure they have a race winning combination for round 3 of the series, but the first round for the twin cylindered machines. 

 

Look for more updates as the team wraps up the final preparations on the bikes and they start the testing process! 

Along with Yamaha Motor Company and Memphis Shades, Babe DeMay Racing would like to thank the following sponsors who have come on board to make the 2013 season possible:

(In alphabetical order) Barnett Clutches, Big Gun Exhausts, CJ signs, Cometic Gaskets, Comp Cams, CV4, Falicon Cranks, G2 Ergonomics, K&N Filters, Millennium Technologies, Motion Pro Cables and Tools, MSD Ignition, Saddlemen Seats and Luggage, Silkolene Lubricants, Wiseco Pistons, Works Connection and Xceldyne.

Briar Bauman would like to thank the following personal sponsors for their support during the 2013 season: 

(In alphabetical order) Arai Helmets, DC10, Drew Massa Transportation, Eks Brand Goggles, Fly Racing, Gene and Gail Cummings, Rod Lake Racing, Russo Construction and Specialty Fabrications Incorporated.

 

 

AMA Pro Flat Track: Brad 'The Bullet' Baker Fills Us In on the Season-Opening Doubleheader Rounds at Daytona

2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year Brad Baker runs it in hard during the final qualifying session at round 12 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the Springfield Short Track in route to a 2nd-place qualifying position behind 2-Time and defending AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson.

The Washington State resident went on to take his #12 Brothers Powersports/D&D Exhaust/Schenk Racing Enterprise/Boughner Racing Suspension-sponsored Honda CRF450R to the win in his heat race and a pair of 2nd-place finishes in the Dash for Cash and the 25-lap National main, behind winner Henry Wiles after leading the majority of the main event.

'The Bullet' had an excellent start to the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season at rounds 1 & 2 in Daytona in mid-March, finishing 2nd in both Nationals held at the Daytona International Speedway short track.  However, after round 2 he was demoted to a 'DNF' status after a misinterpretation of the rules concerning his forks on his 2013 Honda.

Check out the full press release below to get filled in from 'The Bullet' as to what transpired in Daytona and how the first two races of the season went for the former rookie of the year.


Press release courtesy of Brad 'The Bullet' Baker, AMA Grand National #12 and the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year.

Daytona Short Track 2013 Round 1&2 AMA Pro Flat Track

The beginning of the year excitement is one of my favorite feelings.  When you hit the track in Daytona you have a clean slate from the seasons past and it’s just the beginning of the next 7 months of great racing!  I always look forward to the Daytona rounds, it is a track that has always seemed to treat me well as I have not finished outside the top-5 there since I began my Pro career in 2009.

This year was no different.  I had some pretty good momentum going into the series this year.  I raced almost every weekend throughout the off-season and trained as much as I could in between getting everything ready.  Not to mention, I had just come off a second place at the Savannah, Georgia half-mile and a win at the Volusia Speedway short track in the AMA All Star Series previous that week.

Round 1 started off a little shaky when I qualified outside the top 10.  I quickly turned it up a notch by having an awesome battle with Jake Johnson #5 in the heat race, earning myself a spot in the Dash for Cash and a front row start for the main event.  In the Dash we were all stacked on top of each other like we were dominos!  I got shuffled around a little and ended up 5th in the short 4-lap race, earning my first championship point of the year.

When the main rolled around it was go time!  I nailed an awesome start getting to turn one second right behind the Grand National Champion, Jared Mees.  I followed him down the back stretch and then squared him up coming off turn 4 rocketing past him for the lead going past the start/finish line.  For the next 17 laps I just tried to stay consistent and hit my marks and I guess I had a pretty good sized lead for a while.

That changed when my good friend and fierce competitor Mikey Rush #54 started applying the heat on my rear wheel pretty hard.  Mikey is an awesome rider and when I slipped just a little wide going into turn 3 on lap 18 he was there to take the spot.  I stayed pretty much even with Mikey for the remaining laps he was riding great and I ended up second. Although, I fell short of my first win once again it was a great way to start off the year and I went into the next day in 3rd-place in championship points!

On the morning of round 2 I was a man on a mission!  I knew exactly what I had to do and I was ready to succeed in my goal.  In qualifying I set fast time in all three rounds and set pole for the heat races.  In the heats, I lined up right next to my biggest competitor from the previous night, Mikey Rush!

Unfortunately, Mikey went down going into turn one also taking Jake Johnson with him.  We all found out that the track was way slicker then it had ever been throughout both nights of racing and we were going to have to adjust our riding a little.  I nailed the hole shot on the restart and went on to win heat 1 and also set pole for the Dash for Cash and the main event!

In the Dash, I again nailed the hole shot but I had Brandon Robinson #44 right behind applying the pressure.  I put in four solid laps and earned my second Dash for Cash win of my career and an extra 5 points in the championship hunt!

Come main event time as you can imagine I was more determined than ever!  I decided to switch up my starting position from the pole position to complete outside position.  I thought this was a smart call because there was a lot of rubber being laid down on the outside and Jared Mees had nailed the hole shot from the outside on the previous night.

I ended up getting off the line about third but I was on the outside.  Another rider came up the inside of Henry Wiles and rammed into him hard!  I was on the outside of Henry so this sent both of us way up the race track.  I crossed the start/finish on the first lap in about 6th-place I believe.  By lap 3 or 4 I had already moved up to second place and I had my sights set on the leader which was #44 Brandon Robinson.  I closed the gap at the beginning of the race but about midway through we were about dead even on our lap times.  He would make a little slip and I would gain some ground but then I would make a mistake and he would gain it right back.  Eventually, I just ran out of laps and I came home in another second place position!  I never got my first win like I wanted but I got to witness another great friend get their first win, so that was cool.  I was also very happy and proud of myself because I had realized that I had the championship point’s lead moving on to round 3 of the AMA Pro Flat Track GNC Series!

As they say though, great things always come to an end!  When I got back to the pits I was informed by the AMA Pro Racing staff that a protest was posted against me for a non-homologated coating that I was running on my fork tubes.  At first, I thought I was okay because I had spoken to Al Ludington (AMA Pro Racing’s technical director) about possibly using a set of forks that had D.L.C.-coated fork tubes at Daytona.

The reason why I decided to use the forks in the first place was because they were an older conventional/spring set of forks that I had for a back up in case I encountered a problem with the new air forks that come on the 2013 Honda CRF450.  The only problem with this situation was that the only extra set of older forks I had available to me had D.L.C.-coated fork tubes, which violates rule 5.5. B in the rule book.  It wasn’t that I encountered a major problem with the air forks but with how the track conditions were shaping up at Daytona and I knew I would feel more safe and comfortable running the older spring/conventional forks, so I switched to them throughout the program of round 2.

What I understood during the conversation between Al Ludington and myself was that I could switch to the forks that had the D.L.C coating at any time whatever the reason may be and I would be safe from any protest.  Al recalls telling me that the only circumstance that I could use the forks was if I had a mechanical failure and I had to contact him before I used them.  Regardless of it being a misunderstanding between myself and AMA Pro Racing, I was still stripped of all my championship points from round two’s main event.  I have decided to file an appeal to AMA Pro Racing.  The appeal wasn’t to bash on AMA Pro Racing at all, I appreciate all their hard work they put in to further our sport!  I just think that since it was a misunderstanding between both of us and that D.L.C. coating is a minimal-to-no-performance advantage that I don’t deserve that severe of a punishment.  As we all know, one point can determine a championship, let alone 19!

In Conclusion, whether the appeal falls in my favor and my punishment is dropped to a less-severe punishment and I get my points back I am proud of myself and my team and all the hard work we put in to start off the year with a bang like we did!

This just in Tuesday, April 2, 2013 @ 8:30 EDT:

Brad Baker #12 AMA Pro Racing Daytona Short Track II Protest/Appeal Conclusion

After further ado, the appeal that I filed to AMA Pro Racing to fight the protest that was made against me during round 2 of the Daytona Beach short track has come to rest.  I actually found this out late last week but I figured it would be more proper to give you the first half of the story that I had planned to release on April 1^st.

It’s unfortunate that they still thought I deserved that severe of a punishment but I guess it is all part of racing.   I have learned a big lesson during this whole situation!  I should get all clarifications and interpretations submitted in writing, not just with AMA Pro Racing but with everyone.  On the bright side, I am still inside the top-5 in points and the championship is still close within grasp!  I am just going to use this as fuel to feed my fire and put my head down come May.  Thank you again for all your help and support.  Take care, talk to you soon.

I would love to thank all my great sponsors that make it possible for me to achieve my goals!

Schenk Racing Enterprises, Sefnco Communications, Specialty Fabrication Incorporation, Silkolene Lubricants, Boughner Racing Suspension, EBC Brakes, Brother Powersports, Dodge Bros Racing, Motion Pro, CP Carrillo, D&D Exhaust, Fusion Graphix, Saddlemen, K&N Air Filters, Arai Helmets, YSR, Crank Works Incorporation, Micro Blue Racing, Cometic Gaskets, Perrys Harley Davidson, MVR, Jack MIlls, Defy All Odds, Light Shoe, 100%, Oneal USA, Sparkplugs.com, Atlas Brace Technologies, Matrix Concepts, Alpinestars, Micah Racing Services, KIbblewhite, Major League Motorsports, Spencer Aircraft, Paint By Smokey, Rockstar Powder Coating, Renthal, PMP Sprockets, Eddie Mulder 12, Devol Engineering, Mototassinari, Loudmouth MX, DandW Racing, Boysen, Acerbis, PMP Sprockets, Moto Hose, Bam it All and Pacific Auto Trim.

http://www.bradthebulletbaker.com/

AMA Pro Flat Track: Zanotti Racing's Jake Johnson Talks Daytona Season-Openers, the Team's New Kawasaki Twins Series Effort & Testing

Jake Johnson on the #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D/Southland Pro Suspension/Arai-sponsored Honda CRF450R during the final qualifying session at round 12 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the Springfield Short Track, and taking the overall fast-time out of the 48 riders who timed-in for the final National event to be held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Multipurpose Arena.  Johnson would go on to win his heat race, take a hard-fought 3rd-place finish in the Dash for Cash and then brought home a 5th-place finish in the 25-lap National main.

Johnson and the Zanotti Racing team had a great year by just about anyone's standards in the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season, just not by their's.  After taking back-to-back Grand National Championships in the '10-'11 seasons, the team finished out last year ranked in the 3rd-place spot in the overall standings.  And for the first time in their three years together, also failed to win a National main, although Jake's string of podium finishes from round 3 until just before the Indy Mile in mid-August sure made it look like they were awfully close to knocking down the door.

During the off-season, the team went back to the drawing board, and with the help of one former 2-Time AMA Grand National Champion/3-Time 500cc World Champion by the name of Kenny Roberts, as well as engineering work from former grand prix stalwart Warren Willing, the team set out to right what they considered their wrongs from the 2012 season, by building a Kawasaki 650R-based Twins Series mount.  If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, right!? 

And that's exactly what has been moving down the pike for the California-based team, with steps moving closer as the 2013 schedule takes a break after the Daytona season-opening rounds last week.  When the first Twins Series event rolls around in mid-May, this team will roll out their first-ever Kawasaki-based twin in order to lay claim to the #1 plate they rightfully feel belongs back on their machines.

With Jake leaving Daytona in the 3rd-place standings in the championship hunt, it's worth noting that they are off to a strong start.  Johnson rode like a man on fire during both rounds 1 and 2, and his efforts in his heat race, semi and the National main in round 2 on Friday night last week were stuff legends, and champions are made of. 

After colliding with the previous night's winner, Mikey Rush, in their heat race, Johnson was forced to line up for the restarted heat on the back row.  Although only making it back to the 5th-place spot and semi bound, his slicing through the field was amazing.  Coming back to win his semi to qualify for the 25-lap National main, Jake again set sail from the back row and a 15th-place starting spot, to work his way into a 4th-place finish by the time the checkers flew.  Possibly the only other rider with as stellar of a ride that night was put in by first-time winner Brandon Robinson.  And with 2nd-place finisher Brad Baker losing his points for the evening (although he has filed an appeal to try and get those re-instated), Johnson and the Zanotti team left Florida with some very solid points in their run to reclaim that #1 plate.

Check out the full press release below (with some in-house pics from the team of their new Kawasaki effort) and see what Zanotti Racing and Jake Johnson have up their sleeve and planned for the rest of the season, and check out what Jake has to say about their southern swing to kick-start the new season of racing in The Rolling Thunder Show, the best racing on two wheels in the world!


Press release courtesy of Zanotti Racing, 3-Time AMA Grand National Champions.

March 21, 2013

Hi, I am Jake Johnson and welcome to the Jake Johnson/Zanotti Racing race report.

After falling short of our goal of our third championship last year, we re-evaluated our race program from top to bottom during the off-season. I am both excited and flattered that the King, Kenny Roberts has taken an interest in getting us back to the top by helping us develop a Kawasaki for the season and bringing in the legendary Warren Willing to develop the chassis.

(Note all photos: right click, open in new window to view.)

I will be sure to keep everyone updated throughout the year on the progress of this project. This will definitely be a flat track machine that will move our sport forward.

 

Our team owner, David Zanotti and Ted McDermitt worked tirelessly during the off-season rebuilding all of the bikes in David’s extensive stable. Every bike was rebuilt down to the most minute detail. All shocks and forks were broken down and sent off to Jimmy Wood of Southland Racing and rebuilt with the assistance of Race Tech Suspension. After our test session at Perris Raceway in January with Jimmy and Race Tech I am very optimistic that we have moved in the right direction in regards to our suspension!

 

I was very excited leaving frozen Pennsylvania for the sunshine of Georgia and Florida for the season opener.

 

Testing began in Savannah on Wednesday. It was a full day of work as we put in over 50 timed laps with a variety of set up and suspension configurations. It proved to be an extremely productive day with lap times continuing to get better untill we ran out of daylight. Ted definitely had the Harleys prepared for optimal performance.

 

Thursday we drove to Neeses,South Carolina for 450 testing and once again we left feeling we moved forward and better prepared for Daytona.

 

Oglethorpe Speedway on Friday night was, as always, immaculately prepared and extremely fast. Our lLap times were faster than they were on our test day and but we were still looking for a little extra, so we tried one of Chris Carr’s Golden Tyres for our last practice. I was very pleased with the results. We dropped a second off our previous practice session’s time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the heat I got a solid start but Kenny Coolbeth had a better drive coming out of turn 2 than I did. I spent the remainder of the race trying different lines looking for an opening or the mistake that never came. Kenny rode a great race and I was relegated to second.

 

I felt very confident going into the main with a solid starting spot on the front row. Maybe I was too confident. I over-revved the motor and spun the rear wheel all the way to the first turn. In a non-national with only 12 laps to get your job done I had put myself in quite a hole coming out of turn 2 in 6^thplace.

 

I moved up to 4^thpretty early in the race behind Kenny Coolbeth who in turn, was all over Jared Mees. Kenny made an aggressive move under Jared but I was just a bit too far back to follow by with him. With laps winding down Jared was freewheeling into the corners and protecting the bottom leaving me nowhere to go but to the top. On the last corner I decided to try to drive around him, and luckily there was traction up there and I was able to make a pass stick on the outside for a hard fought 3^rdplace finish. Brandon Robinson rode off with the race and looks to be a force to be contended with this year. He was fast all night.

 

Chris’s Golden Tyres worked great all night. We ran a Goodyear bald in 25 laps on test day but the Golden Tyre that we used in the heat and main (20) laps was still hooked up on the last lap, and the remaining tread looked like it could have gone another 50 laps. I think Chris has a winner there.

 

We left Georgia for Daytona feeling guardedly optimistic. I have had a bit of success in Daytona but I have also had some miserable nights. The teams that hit the set up properly have a big advantage at this track.

 

Night one on Thursday started out well, our lap times dropped in each session and I qualified 3^rdoverall with a pole position start in the heat. I got a decent start in the heat but was behind Brad Baker who was fast all weekend. I was fortunate to get by him late in the race winning my heat, earning a start in the Dash for Cash. As the past 3 years have proven, the Dash for Cash points are critical in attaining a championship. I got a subpar start in the DFC but felt good and was able to salvage a 3^rdand some precious points towards the championship.

 

As we prepared for the main we felt confident a win was within reach. It took a few starts to get the National underway with Jethro Halbert going down twice. When we finally got underway I was fighting in the front of the pack and feeling good. About 10 laps into the race the bottom brushed off and the cushion outside the groove started moving higher and higher. This development left me with the wrong set up halfway through the race. I went from a high of running 3^rdat one point, to holding on for dear life and barely holding on to a 7^thplace finish. We were disappointed with our results after being fast all day but we just didn’t foresee the changes.

Friday was a polar opposite of the previous night. We struggled a bit in qualifying, then got a great start in our heat going into turn 1 behind the previous night’s winner, Mikey Rush. Unfortunately, Mikey tucked the front wheel right in front of me and I couldn’t avoid him and went down. I was relegated to the 4^throw for the restart and was only able to work my way to5^thplace behind my good friend and brother-in-law Johnny Lewis. This forced me into a semi to qualify for the National. This ended up being a blessing in disguise as we were able to tweak our bike a little more and we were all of a sudden going fast. I got a good start and won the semi with Mikey Rush keeping the heat on all race long.

We made a few more minor changes to the bike and prepared for an uphill battle as I would be starting from the 3^rdrow in the main. As it was, the main event turned out to be somewhat uneventful. I got a solid start and kept my head down trying to put in solid laps and move myself forward at every opportunity. After 25 laps I was able to work my way to 4^thand salvage the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The season opener could have treated me better, but I can’t complain as Daytona’s always a crapshoot. I am leaving Daytona a solid 3^rdplace in the points for the 2013 overall championship. I am looking forward to our next race at the new track in Stockton, California. Our Twins program has always been a strength and I don’t see anything on the horizon to change that.

 

I would like to thank David Zanotti, Ted McDermitt, and Jimmy Woods for their tireless support all week.

 

Thanks also to my sponsors and supporters at Arai, Silkolene Lubricants, Vortex, Schaeffer’s H-D, Pinit Motorsports, Southland Racing, Race Tech Suspension, Motion Pro, Sidi, Cometic, K&N Filters, NJK Leathers, Chickenhawk Tire Warmers, Bazzaz, Yoshimura, Moto Café in Sunnyvale,Works Connection, Millennium Technologies, G-2 Ergonimics, Mikuni, Mike Stauffer, Troy Lee Designs

 

 

AMA Pro Flat Track: Weirbach Racing's Dominic Colindres #66Y Talks Daytona Short Track Rounds 1&2 in the Pro Singles Championship

Dominic Colindres on the #66Y Weirbach Racing/General Engineering/Barnett/Spectro-sponsored Honda CRF450R leads Ryan Wells on the #94B RLJ Racing Honda during heat race 2 action at round 12 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles Championship round at the Springfield Short Track.  Colindres led the former Weirbach Racing rider home to finishes of 2nd- and 3rd-place in the final qualifying heat for the Pro Singles Championship, to earn direct transfers to the Pro Singles National main event on September 15.

Colindres, who signed with the Weirbach team just past the mid-point of the 2012 season, won his first outing for the team at the Peoria TT, round 9 of the 2012 Pro Singles Championship season, and ended the season ranked as the 4th-place rider in the overall standings in the 'feeder' series for AMA Pro Flat Track.

Last week in Daytona, the young California rider had a rough start to his first full season with the Iowa-based team, coming home in the 14th-place spot in round 1 on Thursday,  March 14.  But in round 2 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season the next evening, Colindres fought a good fight and was able to card a 6th-place finish in the AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles Championship main event, leaving the season-openers sitting in the 9th-place spot in the overall Pro Singles standings. 

Check out the press release below from Weirbach Racing's Dominic Colindres to see his spin on the start of the new season!


Press release courtesy of Weirbach Racing, the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles Championship-winning team

Dominic Colindres/Weirbach Racing Daytona Race Report

Ottumwa, Iowa -- March 21, 2012

This past week was the AMA Grand National short track doubleheader held in Daytona, Florida.  Last year was my first time at this track and I didn't make the program the 1st day and didn't transfer from the semi the second day.  With the results from last year, I just wanted to make the main and get a few points for the championship run.

Day one during practice I felt very comfortable.  The bike was set up great and we only made a couple gearing changes.  I ended up qualifying sixth overall and was pretty happy with that because it put me on the front row start in the heat.  In the heat race I rode around in fourth the whole race and stayed there.  The track got really rough with huge ruts and I just took it easy and finished with a fourth place.  For the main event I would be lined up on the inside of the second row.  I got a horrible start and ended up getting shuffled back wards.  The track was falling apart with huge ruts coming out of the turns and my bike just wasn't set up for that bad of a track.  I rode around in fourteenth place the whole race and was just happy to finish without crashing.

Dominic Colindres is shown on the #66Y Weirbach Racing Honda CRF450R during action at the Daytona Short Track rounds of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track J&P Cycles Grand National Championship last week.  Colindres left Daytona with a 9th-place overall standing in the 2013 AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles Championship hunt.  Photo courtesy of Weirbach Racing by Mia Moore/FlatTrack.com's The Fans in the Stands.


On day two during practice I felt comfortable again.  We didn't make any changes during all the qualifying sessions and I ended up qualifying ninth overall.  This would give me a front row start for the heat race again.  There was rumors that they were not going to tear up the track again so it would hopefully be smooth all the way around that night.  In the heat race I tried to rail the outside of turn one but that didn't work out.  I got shuffled all the way back to seventh.  I couldn't get the bike to hook up at all up high and ended up getting passed coming out of turn four because I sat there spinning.  My eighth place in the heat meant I had to go to the semi.  In the semi I just barely missed the hole shot and was in second the whole race, battling for first.  The bike was working a little bit better down low so I was looking forward to the main, but had to start on the third row.  In the main I rode around in last place for about four or five laps.  Then I found a fast line and started to get hooked up and made a pass just about every lap.  I made my way all the way up to sixth but ran out of time before I could advance any farther.  I was really happy with that and got some decent points.

Overall for Daytona in 2013 I am happy with the way things went.  I made the main both days and got some valuable points.  After missing five races last year, I already have several more points than this time last year, and I am ninth overall so the championship dream is looking good.  I also feel like I started to figure out Daytona in the second day main which makes me feel more confident for the next time I go there.


I'd really like to thank my sponsors:

Weirbach Racing, KDM Forrest Products/Michael King, General Engineering, Barnett, Spectro, DynoJet, K&N, Saddlemen, Motorcycle Superstore, Works Connection, White lightning Retrievers, PMP Sprockets, Motion Pro, Spider Grips, Evans Coolant, 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 Graphics, ProFactoryHoses.com , Engine Ice, Rekluse, and Chicken Hawk Racing, my Mom and Dad, Jason Saito, Mach 1.

AMA Pro Flat Track Reviews the Season-Opening Rounds from the Daytona Short Track

Heat race action rolls off the line at round 12 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the Springfield Short Track on September 15 as the front row blasts off the line, with what appears to be an even advantage for the six riders leading the pack, for the start of what was the final National main event at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Multipurpose Arena.

(L-R) Jake Mataya on the #29 Donahue Sports Center Kawasaki KX450F, Cory Texter on the #65 RLT Racing Honda CRF450R, Rob Pearson on the #27 Memphis Shades Yamaha YZ450F, JD Beach on the #95 USC Racing Kawasaki, Brandon Robinson on the #44 Big Dawg Racing Honda, and 2-Time AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson on the #1 Zanotti Racing Honda go at it to start the evening's Expert Singles program off with a roar.

Last week the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship kicked-off the new season in fine fashion, with one new winner in the series (Brandon Robinson #44 along with his new-for-2013 team the T.J. Burnett Farms Kawasaki) and one returning winner (Mikey Rush #54 on his Machete Energy Drink Honda.)  Rush, who won his first National at the old Daytona Memorial Stadium track in 2007, led off the season with his second-ever win in the series by taking round 1 on Thursday, March 14.  Robinson, the former '08 Expert Twins Champion, followed up with his cherry-breaking win in the series on Friday, March 15 at round two.

Full results from rounds 1&2 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season can be found here.

Larry Lawrence was in the house covering the action for Cycle News, and you can read all about it here!

The official photographer for AMA Pro Flat Track, Dave Hoenig, took these shots from round 1.

And here are some round 2 shots, thanks again to Dave Hoenig and AMA Pro Flat Track.

The series now takes a two-month break before returning to action at the Stockton Half-Mile in May.

Thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track for the wrap-up press release below to keep you filled-in on what happened at Daytona last week!

Rush, Robinson Come Away with Victories in AMA Pro Grand National Championship Expert Singles Classes at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 19, 2013) - Round one of AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles heated up on a chilly night on Thursday, March 14, 2013 at DAYTONA Flat Track. Defending Grand National Champion Jared Mees (Montgomeryville Cycle / National Cycle / Rogers Racing) got out front early in the main event only to surrender his lead to Brad Baker (Specialty Fabrication Inc. / Schenk Racing) on lap two.   Baker looked well on his way to his first GNC victory as he pulled out to nearly a one second lead. However, there was a melee of riders transpiring behind Baker that included a charging Mikey Rush (Machete Energy Drink / Cascio-Rush Racing). Rush, a winner at Daytona back in 2007, came from the back-end of the pack and systematically knifed his way up to a competitive position with the race hanging in the balance.  Rush passed Mees on lap eight for second place and began cutting into Baker's lead. The young Californian was able to make his move for the lead on lap 18 and made it work. "Brad made it extremely difficult for me tonight but I was lucky to make that pass late in the race and eventually stick it for the win," said Rush. "The feeling I have right now is incredible and I love competing against these guys."                             Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. #2, Henry Wiles #17 and Brad Baker #12 lead the field during action in the season-opening rounds of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship at the Daytona Short Track last week.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.     Baker tried in vain to counter attack. "About three quarters of the way through the race I felt someone coming up behind me. As rough as the track was I didn't dare look back," said Baker. "Mikey finally came by and it was there wasn't much I could do at that point."   Rush passed Baker on lap 18 and never looked back, claiming his first ever professional victory.  "I got hurt pretty bad at the Springfield Short Track last year," said Rush. "Now I'm on top of the box. I'm stoked. I was just trying to pick up the throttle way earlier than them. That's what it took to do it tonight. I just want to say that I love Daytona, this place is extremely special to me."   Final results 1-10: 1st - Mikey Rush, 2nd - Brad Baker, 3rd - Jared Mees, 4th - Henry Wiles, 5th - Brandon Robinson, 6th - Matt Weidman, 7th - Jake Johnson, 8th - Johnny Lewis, 9th - Stevie Bonsey, 10th - Jethro Halbert   AMA Pro Grand National Championship Expert Singles - Round 2   Day number two of AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles action was filled with intense racing action that included more surprises.  The start of the 25 lap AMA Pro Grand National Championship Expert Singles race saw Kenny Coolbeth Jr. shoot his Chaplin Kawasaki / Cometic Gasket backed Kawasaki into the lead over the 18 rider field.   Fellow Kawasaki pilot, Brandon Robinson, pushed his TJ Burnett Farms / USC Racing / Hart Racing Kawasaki to the front on lap two, wasting no time establishing himself as the man to beat. After 24 nearly perfect laps, Robinson earned his first Grand National victory.  "This is a dream come true," said Robinson, who overcame career threatening injuries in 2009 at the Indianapolis Mile. "Ever since I was a kid I've dreamed about winning a National. All the hard work I put in this winter paid off. The end of the race seemed to last forever. I saw the five-lap board and couldn't believe there was that much still to go."   Brad Baker (Specialty Fabrication Inc / Schenk Racing) was looking to improve on Thursdays night's second place finish and closed repeatedly on Robinson, but to no avail.  "Every time Brandon made a little mistake I'd gain on him," Baker said. "I thought I might have a chance to go for the lead at one point, but then with about five to go I made a mistake. If you make one slip here it takes five laps to make up for it. Even though I didn't get a win, it feels good to leave with the series lead."   Coolbeth held on to third for a long time, but Bryan Smith had his Crosley Radio / Howerton Racing backed Honda on the move. Smith had a good start, dropped to eighth, and then started a slow climb to the front, grabbing third on lap 14.  "I came up and made a lot of passes," Smith said. "The way people were riding; you could make up or lose four or five positions in one corner. Once I got in third I just could not seem to close the gap, but we'll take it."   When the double checkers came out, Robinson's lead had grown to over a second and was his largest lead of the night. "My entire team just worked extremely hard to make this happen for me and I can't be more thankful for their support," said Robinson.  "We got the setup as close to perfect as possible and everything went as smooth as we could have asked for all night. I got out front early in the main event, put in a hard 25 laps and it all paid off. My team and I have had an awesome week in general and it feels incredible to win here."   Though Baker finished in an impressive second place in Friday night's main event, a post-race protest by an opposing competitor led to a technical inspection of Baker's motorcycle. The inspection revealed that Baker's Honda had suspension parts that were in violation of AMA Pro Flat Track's guidelines. Though Baker retained his second place finish and money earned, he had to forfeit the 19 points granted to him for his effort.   This mistake on Baker's behalf leaves Robinson as the point leader after leaving the Sunshine State. Robinson holds a four point advantage over Rush with 2011 Grand National Champion Johnson just eleven off the lead.   Final results 1-10: 1st - Brandon Robinson, 2nd - Brad Baker, 3rd - Bryan Smith, 4th - Jake Johnson, 5th -Mikey Rush, 6th - Kenny Coolbeth Jr., 7th - Matt Weidman, 8th - Jethro Halbert, 9th - Robert Pearson, 10th - Jeffrey Carver Jr.

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

2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year Briar Bauman Talks Daytona Short Track II

Briar Bauman on the #10Z Rod Lake Racing/Russo Construction/Browns Cycle/Arai-sponsored Honda CRF450R during final qualifying at round 12 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship at the Springfield Short Track on September 15, good enough for 5th-fastest on the night out of the 48 riders who took a timed qualifying lap.

Bauman would go on to his best finish of the season later in the evening (4th-place) and just missing the podium by .135 seconds.  He would finish the season ranked as the 12th-place rider in the overall standings and capture the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year Award at the season-ending banquet ceremonies held in Pomona.

After being one of the most-traveled riders in his freshman campaign in The Rolling Thunder Show (riding Kawasakis, Hondas and Suzukis), Double B announced over the off-season that he was signing to ride for the Yamaha-backed Babe DeMay Memphis Shades team. 

The team made it's debut at rounds one and two of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season at the Daytona Short Track last week, and had a rough go of it for Bauman's start to his sophomore season.  But you can be sure that not only will last year's Rookie of the Year turn it around, so will the team headed-up by one of the long-standing and hardest working tuners in the business.

You can check out their press release below, and be sure to keep an eye on the new team when they head to the next round of the series at the Stockton Half-Mile in May!


Press release courtesy of Briar Bauman/Babe DeMay Racing and Tyler Porter/Fight For Dirt Track.com

Rossville, TN. -- March 20, 2013 -- On the white limestone track just outside of turn 1 at the world famous Daytona International Speedway, fortunes can be made or broken in the blink of an eye.  A track surface that changes quicker than any other that riders see during the entire AMA Pro Flat Track Presented by J&P Cycles series gives riders a challenge throughout the day.

 

Team mechanic Clayton Shambaugh worked into the very early morning hours to get Briar’s Yamaha YZF450’s ready to do battle once again.  Briar suited up to take on the “un-timed” practice session and using a similar set up to what he had on Thursday night, finished a very strong and respectable 8^th place, just a quarter of a second off of the pole sitter’s time.   In the first qualifying session Briar was even stronger, finishing 6^th overall, and now just 0.140 seconds off of the pole time! “The bike felt great," said Briar.  “All of my laps were consistent and I knew right away that our set up was good for the day.”

 

As qualifying goes on in Daytona, the track gets much faster, and in the last session, which is where the best times will come from, Briar slipped just a bit to the 10^th starting spot, but still good enough for a front row starting spot in the heat race.   Briar lined up in heat number 1 and unlike the previous night, rocketed off the line and battled with very seasoned Daytona veteran’s Brad Baker, Bryan Smith and last year’s winner, Johnny Lewis to secure the 3^rd spot at the checker, sending him straight into the main event without having to ride a Semi Final race.

 

After the race Briar explained, “I was so excited to be right there, you know? Right with the best guys.  I knew we had the speed, I just needed to put it all together for the main event”

 

In the main event, the fortunes would turn against Briar, as he was shuffled to the outside of the track where there is no traction at all.  It took several laps for Briar to get back down on the tiny groove that had developed on the quarter mile short track and by then, the field had spread out.  Once back on the racing line, Briar picked up his lap times and was running similar times to the leaders, but it was too little too late.

 

Ending the Daytona trip with a DNF one night and a 14^th place finish on the other is obviously not where Briar or the team want to be or what they are capable of.  “It was a tough week,” Briar explained.  “We had a great day of testing, both days at the track the bike was excellent, but I just had some slip ups out there racing, things I can learn from though.  I can’t wait to get back home, out West, and ride the new Yamaha twins on some familiar dirt!”

 

The series next moves on to the West Coast on May 11^th at the brand new Stockton Half-Mile where the new Babe DeMay tuned Yamaha twin cylindered machine will make its racing debut.  This is a home town race for Briar too, as he is based just 2 hours from the event.

 

Along with Yamaha Motor Company and Memphis Shades, Babe DeMay Racing would like to thank the following sponsors who have come on board to make the 2013 season possible:

(In alphabetical order) Barnett Clutches, Big Gun Exhausts, CJ signs, Cometic Gaskets, Comp Cams, CV4, Falicon Cranks, G2 Ergonomics, K&N Filters, Millennium Technologies, Motion Pro Cables and Tools, MSD Ignition, Saddlemen Seats and Luggage, Silkolene Lubricants, Wiseco Pistons, Works Connection and Xceldyne.

Briar Bauman would like to thank the following personal sponsors for their support during the 2013 season:

(In alphabetical order) Arai Helmets, DC10, Drew Massa Transportation, Eks Brand Goggles, Fly Racing, Gene and Gail Cummings, Rod Lake Racing, Russo Construction and Specialty Fabrications Incorporated.

 

 

AMA Pro Flat Track: Brandon Robinson Breaks Through to Earn His 1st Career Grand National Race at the Daytona Short Track II

Brandon Robinson on the #44 Action Motorsports/Big Dawg Racing/Metro Racing/Derby Ridge Salvage-sponsored Honda CRF450R attacks the final qualifying session at the Springfield Short Track at round 12 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season on September 15, going on to qualify for the evening in the 6th-place spot.  Robinson, the former '08 Expert Twins Champion, finished out the day in great form to card a 9th-place effort in the 25-lap National main held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Multipurpose Arena.

BRob44 finally broke through last night in Daytona Beach and ran away with his first-ever AMA Grand National win at round 2 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season, to cap a remarkable return to form after his devastating crash at the '09 Indy Mile that left him recovering from multiple surgeries and months' long rehab due to injuries suffered almost 3 1/2 years earlier.

After returning to racing in the 2010 season, the lanky and likeable Pennsylvania resident took to the track fairly well in what was a hard-fought 7th-place finish at the Gas City Short Track in June '10.  With up-and-down finishes throughout the rest of '10 and into '11, it was apparent that this young man had the verve, nerve and ability to reach the heights in the sport that he had tasted before that fateful night in Indy.

Signing with the rebuilding-for-2012 season Werner-Springsteen Kawasaki team, Robinson started to show those signs of on-track brilliance as early as the Springfield Mile I round in late May of last year before being involved in a first-lap crash in the National main and finishing the day off early when the 650R-based motor went south midway through the 25-lap National main.  At Lima just over one month later, Robinson again met with misfortune when mechanical ills caused him to crash, again, early in the night's main event.  The climb back to top form may have taken it's toll on many a rider, but not this kid.

As the season rolled on, Robinson began to show those signs of brilliance as he finally took his first top-5 effort with a great run to 4th-place at the Sacramento Mile in late July.  By the time the series headed to the Lucas Oil Indy Mile in mid-August, Robinson had a smile on his face as wide as a midwest barn door, and capped his great run back to the top with his first-ever podium finish of 2nd-place at Indy, and came away with even a bigger smile from the venue that almost ended his young career.  Throughout the remainder of the season, Robinson continued to improve and impress, and by the end of the season had taken the 10th-place spot in the overall season's end point standings.

Over the off-season, Robinson switched teams and signed with the newly-rebranded USC Racing team, now being headed up by T.J. Burnett Farms, and combining efforts with USC and James Hart Racing.

The team started the new year off with a bang in the first Steve Nace Racing All-Star presented by Golden Tyre event at Oglethorpe Speedway in Pooler, GA. late last week with Brandon taking wins in both the Expert Twins and Singles events, followed by another win and a 2nd-place finish at Volusia early this week. 

But Robinson's break-out win last night was the true frosting on the cake for him when he made the pass on early-leader Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. and went on to a rousing win over a strong field of AMA Grand National Championship-caliber riders to score his cherry-breaking victory in The Rolling Thunder Show at Daytona International Speedway.  After placing 5th the evening before and having a dominant night, Robinson took charge for good last night to show that hard work, prayer and determination do pay-off.  And it couldn't have happened to a nicer guy! 

On a side note, and not to take away from this great win by Brandon Robinson, but the ride of the night (other then the winner's!) was put in by 2-Time AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson.

Forced to race the semi after coming together with another rider in his heat and working his way back to 5th-place from his restart on the back row, Johnson started the 18-rider National main on the back row and in the 15th-place slot.  Snaking and maneuvering his way through the field, Johnson capped his great run with a 4th-place finish on the night, one that champions are made of.

And after what appeared to be another 2nd-place effort in as many nights, 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year Brad Baker was DQ'd on the evening after an issue involving what was reported to be the use of 'improper' equipment on his #12 Honda.  As it stands of this writing, Baker is still shown and scored in the 2nd-place spot, but AMA Pro Flat Track has stripped him of his points earned on the evening.  This all could change, as well, as Baker does have the right to an appeal due to some verbal misunderstanding as reported from his video interview with Miriam Deitcher's Flat Track Live.

Full results can be found here thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track.

Larry Lawrence was again on-hand at Daytona last night and filed this report on round 2 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season for Cycle News.

And LL filed this story on Cycle News earlier this morning concerning the Brad Baker issue and DQ.

Mia Moore & Chew Larcom, The Fans in the Stands from FlatTrack.com, were again taking care of business with these shots from last night's Daytona Short Track II.

And here's another batch of shots from last night, again thanks to Chew & Mia!

Just added @ 5:05 PM EDT on March 16:

Brandon Robinson talks to AMA Pro Flat Track about winning his first AMA Grand National event.

This just in from Will Fulford & Yve Assad from The Fast and Dirty.com who produced these great videos for AMA Pro Flat Track:

"The jury is still out on Brad Baker's DQ in Daytona. At this moment he has lost Championship points only, he was allowed to keep the prize money for 2nd place and the Dash for Cash."

Updated Saturday, March 16 @ 8:35 PM EDT:

This just in from Miriam Deitcher's Flat Track Live: Turns out Brad Baker wasn't DQ'd during the Main last night. He was just stripped of his points. AMA Pro Racing felt his actions didn't warrant a DQ. So he gets credit for finishing 2nd and gets to keep the purse. Baker has until Tuesday at 5pm to appeal.

Double runner-up Brad Baker talks to AMA Pro Flat Track about his two-night run.

Bryan Smith talks to AMA Pro Flat Track about his great run to 3rd-place on the Crosley Radio/Howerton Motorsports #42 Honda.

(Thanks to Will & Yve for their great efforts and as always bitchin pics and vids!  You guys rock!)

A big congratulations go out to Brandon Robinson and the T.J. Burnett Farms/USC/Hart Racing team for their big win last night in Daytona, and to all the riders, teams and sponsors, AMA Pro Flat Track, and all the fans that made last night's season kick-off complete and possible.  Without a doubt, a superb start to the new season in the best racing series on wheels in the world, the AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship series!

You can check out the official press release below, courtesy of the folks on Fentress Boulevard in Daytona Beach.

Robinson, Constantine Claim First Career Victories in AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Battles at DAYTONA Flat Track

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 15, 2013) - Brandon Robinson (Kawasaki KX450F/TJ Burnett Farms) tasted the sweet taste of victory for the first time in his young career tonight during the second round of action at the DAYTONA Flat Track. The Pennsylvanian acquired the lead on the second lap of the AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles main event and never let up on the throttle from then on.    "My entire team just worked extremely hard to make this happen for me and I can't be more thankful for their support," said Robinson. "We got the setup as close to perfect as possible and everything went as smooth as we could have asked for all night. I got out front early in the main event, put in a hard 25 laps and it all paid off. My team and I have had an awesome week in general and it feels incredible to win here."                             Brandon Robinson #44 executes the pass on early leader Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. #2 that would take him to the lead and his first-ever victory in The Rolling Thunder Show at round 2 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season at the Daytona Short Track II on Friday, March 15.    Robinson not only took his cherry-breaking win in the series, he also delivered for his new team, the T.J. Burnett Farms/USC Racing/James Hart Racing-sponsored Kawasaki team, who he joined during the off-season.  A big congrats to the former Expert Twins Champion and to the Burnett/USC/Hart team for their hard-earned and well-deserved efforts!  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.     After recording an impressive fifth place finish last night, complacency obviously wasn't an issue for Robinson tonight as he was hungry for better results and he certainly delivered. After taking the early lead from Kenny Coolbeth Jr. (Chaplin Kawasaki/Kawasaki KX450F) on the very first lap, Robinson's main competitor of the night was Brad Baker (Honda CRF450R/Specialty Fabrication Incorporation). After fending off Baker's valiant attempts late in the race to overtake the lead, Robinson managed to get loose on the final lap and take the checkered flag by 1.262 seconds.   Baker, who finished in second-place last night, turned in another second-place effort tonight before an issue in post-race technical inspection resulted in the loss of points for the night's main event. Robinson now sits atop the AMA Pro Grand National Expert Championship point standings and will carry that momentum into Stockton, Calif. when the stars of the series head out west for their next event.   After getting knocked out of last night's main and finishing in 17th to start the season, Bryan Smith (Honda CRF450R/Crosley Radios) rebounded quite nicely on this go-around. The Michigan native beat out 2011 Grand National Champion Jake Johnson (Honda CRF450R) to close out the podium with a third-place finish.   Final results: 1st - Robinson, 2nd - Baker, 3rd - Smith, 4th - Johnson, 5th - Rush   AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles   Jake Constantine's (Honda CRF450R/Allphase Masony & Chimney) lead was in constant expansion throughout the duration of tonight's AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles main event. The New York product captured the lead early on and never looked back. Constantine, who won the race by over a full two seconds, had never won a professional race before tonight.   "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."   Ryan Wells (Honda CRF450R/Waters Auto Body), who was on the pole for tonight's main event, ran a solid race that landed him in second place. Final results: 1st - Constantine, 2nd - Wells, 3rd - Poe, 4th - Maguire, 5th - Vanderkuur

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