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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com. For additional information contact:   AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

Buckle up and hold on tight!

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


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

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

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

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

AMA Flat Track: Stu's Shots & Todays Cycle Coverage.com 2012 Season Wrap-Up

The top-7 men in the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season get ready to roll out for the first practice session of the day at round 13 at the Springfield Mile II on September 16.  With four rounds to go in the season, the battle for the 2012 AMA Grand National Championship was coming to a head with the Pomona season-finale lying just 27 days away.

Finishing what could have been a totally miserable season after breaking his leg at round 5 at Lima just shy of three months earlier, Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. rounded out his season with another win (after having taken the Knoxville Half-Mile win in just his second race back from injury).  Coolbeth took the #2 Screamin' Eagle/Harley-Davidson Motor Co/Fox/Arai Helmets-sponsored factory XR750 to a decisive win at Pomona to end the season ranked in the 7th-place position after missing out on five of the season's 16 rounds due to his recovery.

After having another stellar year in winning three rounds in the Singles Series for the 2012 season (Springfield TT and Short Track and his record-tying 8th win at the Peoria TT), Henry Wiles and the #17 Lloyd Brothers Motorsports/Foremost Insurance Group/Ramspur Winery/ENI USA-backed Ducati team had what could easily be referenced as an up-and-down season in the series' ten Twins Series events. 

Losing three motors on the year, the team fought hard to still bring home two top-5 results with finishes of 2nd and 4th at Lima and Indy, respectively, and also added three other top-10 finishes to round out the year on a much higher note to rank as the 6th-place rider for the 2012 season.

2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year Brad 'The Bullet' Baker was probably the most-traveled of riders throughout the 2012 season in terms of how many different motorcycles he threw his leg over in competition.  Starting off the season riding for Kenny Tolbert Racing on a fleet of Kawasaki KX450Fs and 650R-based mounts, it all fell apart for KT and the Washington state resident at the fourth round of the season at the Springfield Mile I round.

Failing to make the main, just days later Tolbert pulled the plug on the team due to lack of funding (other then what was coming out of the Texan's pockets) and mothballed the team, leaving Baker without any current options.  By round 5 at Lima he showed up on a bike that reportedly hadn't been in competition in several years, qualified strong only to end the evening in the 17th-place spot with only two points scored in two events.

See-sawing between some strong rides on a Tony Dodge-prepped XR, putting in two events on the Harley factory mount in place of injured team rider Coolbeth, and then competing on his own Baker Brothers' Honda for the remaining Singles Series events on the calendar,  the sophomore Expert ended the year with a super 2nd-place finish at Pomona and as the 5th-ranked rider in the nation.  I don't believe since Gary Scott's defense of his '75 championship has a rider rode or competed on such a wide breadth of equipment in one season and Baker's ability to jump on different machinery throughout the year more then shows it is just a short matter of time before we see him on top of the box.

Bryan Smith was one of only four men in the 2012 season that made all 16 events on the year (the other three will be mentioned shortly.)  With the advantage of two wins on the year on the #42 Crosley Radio/Howerton Motorsports powered by Eaken Racing/MPH/Guts Wear-sponsored Kawasaki 650R-based rocket (Sacto Mile and Springfield Mile II) and a big handful of top-3s, Flyin' Bryan not only finished the season as the 4th-ranked rider in the country, but also took home the ceremonial Twins Series Championship for the year. 

All of the talk this last season was focused on and around the new parallel twin mount that first showed it's strength and prowess under the mile specialist's grip at the Springfield Mile I round by winning his heat and the Dash for Cash (and eventually a hard-fought 3rd-place in the first Twins Series event of the season.)  By mid-year the talk had turned to advantages and riding styles and differences between the power output, weight and racing lines used by the new breed of mile machines.

At Pomona last month, it also showed that a Kawi could also end up on the box at a half-mile event in what was a great 3rd-place finish to cap off the season's ramblings.  It was also what I believe to be the second-best finish on a half-mile track since the Kawi's first started hitting the track in the 2010 season (Johnny Lewis took the #10 Scott Powersports Kawi to a 2nd-place finish at Hagerstown in 2011.)

With his string of 10 of 11 podium finishes between the Springfield TT and the Springfield Mile II rounds, 2-Time and defending AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson looked more than able to keep in the fight for his third series title in the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season.

But in the end, the champ and the #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D/Boughner Racing/Arai-backed XR750 team not only had dropped to the 3rd-ranked spot on the year but Johnson failed to win a National main for the first time in his over ten years competing in the series.    Never fret, the quiet man with the championship focus will be back as strong as ever carrying the #5 again, proudly ready to go after it again.  And you can bet he'll be ready to make up for lost time.

Sammy Halbert again led the series in overall wins for the 2012 season (Lima Half-Mile, Castle Rock TT, Indy and Santa Rose Miles) and with his first-ever mile event win at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile on August 18 grabbed the dirt track 'grand slam' along the way.  Looking to steal the championship from Jared Mees by getting a 2nd-place in the Dash at Pomona after both Mees and Johnson missed the extra points-paying event, Slammin' Sammy's #7 South East Harley/The South Ass/Mo Vaughn Transport/LZ Racing-sponsored XR had his clutch go south in the National main and ended up with an unlucky 13th-place finish to end the year ranked as the 2nd-overall rider in the nation. 

Jared Mees had previously wrapped up the ceremonial 2012 Single Series Championship at the Springfield Short Track on September 15, but even then stated he still had 'unfinished business' in terms of clinching the overall championship at Pomona.  After getting banged and moved around at Pomona, Mees settled into an eventual 8th-place finish that would cap his run to the 2012 AMA Grand National Championship on the #9 Rogers Racing/Blue Springs H-D/National Cycle/Lucas Oil-sponsored XR750. 

With the team announcing several weeks ago that tuner Brent Armbruster would be leaving the team (and moving to the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports corral for the 2013 season), Mees' and Rogers' new tuner, Kenny Tolbert, will be back in action spinning the wrenches for the new AMA Grand National Championship-winning effort.

Could KT also be bringing along his fleet of Mean Green Kawi 650Rs that have been in the closet since mid-June?  Mees had talked of having to put a Kawi together in order to keep with the Kawi rockets in mid-September.  Or will KT's signing make the difference for them to be able to stay with their tried and true XR fleet?  Don't forget, the chances are still pretty good that the rules will get some tweaking in terms of restrictor sizes mandated and in weight minimums being set for all of the competitors for the 2013 season.  But will that be enough to keep the pundits quiet? 

Only time will tell, and it's going to be a long off-season...............

Stephen Vanderkuur hops off of his #10J Parkinson Brothers Racing/Performance Cycle & Dyno/MDR/SSR-sponsored Honda CRF450R after winning his heat race at round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles season at the Lima Half-Mile on June 30.  AMA Pro Flat Track announcer Barry Boone talks to the crowd while Vanderkuur gets some help with his mount and gear prior to the podium celebrations.

Vanderkuur ended the season with three wins on the year and capped off his 2012 Pro Singles Championship in style by winning the season-finale round at Pomona to go with his previous wins at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile and Santa Rosa Mile events.  The young rider, another of a long line of superior flat track talent to come out of the state of Michigan, didn't even qualify for the first two rounds at Daytona, yet still finished the season on top over two riders who qualified for all 16 rounds on the season (runner-up in the 2012 championship Jake Shoemaker and 3rd-place man Jason Isennock) and completed his great run for the championship with seven top-3 performances, ending the year with a tally of 214 points to Shoemaker's 192 and Isennock's 175 points.

A big congrats to our new 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Champion, Stephen Vanderkuur, who had a strong season to capture the fourth Pro Singles Championship since the series' inception in 2009.  Vanderkuur joins former series champions Brad Baker, Jeffrey Carver, Jr. and Mikey Martin in a very unique group of young men who have since moved up to the AMA Grand National Expert class to compete against the best racers in the world in The Rolling Thunder Show.  A job well done, and I'm sure we'll see our new champion competing against the big boys before too long!


Dan Jacobson, Sr. is one of the many fans, photographers and journalists that follow the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship to every event possible each season.  Based out of the Great White North in Fargo, North Dakota, 'Dakota Dan' as he is known, probably puts on thousands of miles each year traveling to the events he covers from his remote location, and chronicles those events at Todays Cycle Coverage.com.  Check out Dan's latest from the season-finale at Pomona below, along with some super photography from Tom Hnitaw.

A big thanks to Dan Jacobson, Sr. & Todays Cycle Coverage.com for this great write-up on the season-finale at round 16 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Pomona Half-Mile:

http://www.todayscyclecoverage.com/wordpress/2012/11/09/the-king-of-cool-and-fast/

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: Weirbach Racing's Dominic Collindres Talks Tucson Pro Singles Round 15

In a class by itself, the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship Series has more then proved to the fans and folks all around that the racing is close, tight, competitive and intense in it's fourth year of existence as the 'junior' part of the program in the AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship series.

One of the teams that has campaigned the Pro Singles Series steadily for the at least three of those seasons is the Weirbach Racing team out of The Hawkeye State in Ottumwa, Iowa, and they have done one heckuva job picking the young talent that is coming up through the ranks to rider their immaculately prepared machinery. 

Regular supporters of the Big Red 'H' (as in Honda, the most popular weapon of choice in the ultra-competive Pro Singles Series) the team has been rolling out Honda CRF450Rs on a regular basis the last three seasons for riders including Mikey Labelle, Mikey Martin ('11 Pro Singles Champion), Ryan Wells and their most recent prospective champion in the class, Dominic Collindres.

Collindres signed with the team just before the Peoria TT on August 12, and promptly went out and won his first-ever race in the class for his new employers, and has since climbed into the 4th-place spot in the 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship point standings.

In the shot above at round 13 of the season at the Springfield Mile II round of the 450 singles-based class, AMA Pro Flat Track official flag man Kevin 'The Lobster Man' Clark waves the checkers for the field after the 12-lap main.  Championship points leader Stephen Vanderkuur on the #10J Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda, Wyatt Maguire on the #18M Kirland Racing Yamaha (hidden), Collindres on the #66Y Weirbach Racing/General Engineering/Barnett/Spectro-sponsoreed Honda, and Jake Shoemaker on the #55A Montgomeryville Cycle Center Honda all cross the stripe within .180 seconds of one another while fighting for the 7th through 10th-place spots.  And keep in mind even Shoemaker in 10th still only finished .454 seconds in arrears of winner Cody Johncox.  (Did we say something about close finishes?)

Dominic Collindres and the Weirbach Racing team have released another press release about the goings on at the Tucson Half-Mile last weekend, and you can check it out below as the team heads to the Pomona Half-Mile season-finale this Saturday, October 13 for the final round of the 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship season.

Press release courtesy of the Weirbach Racing team, the 2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship-winning team, and their rider Dominic Collindres #66Y

Ottumwa, Iowa -- October 8, 2012

This past weekend was the AMA Grand National half-mile held in Tucson,
Arizona.  I had no idea what to expect heading to this track.  It hasn¹t been
raced in awhile and no one knew what it would be like.  I was hoping it
would be a nice blue groove.  I am going into the race fourth in points and
hoped to have a strong finish to stay in fourth.

During the first and second qualifying sessions the bike was all over the
place and the track had deep ruts, holes and dust.  I qualified tenth both
sessions and felt ok.  We decided at the last minute to change to a different
bike and gearing for the last session and I ended up qualifying fourth in
the final timed practice.

Heading into the heat races we didn't make any changes and I would be
starting on the front row on the outside.  I was fourth off the line and got
into third by turn three.  The next lap I made a pass for second going into
three and stayed there the whole race.  With the solid second in the heat, I
felt comfortable for the main.

In the main I was lined up third from the inside but I got a bad start and
was in about fourth or fifth heading into the first turn.  Going into turn
three I dove to the inside and was already up to second.  Texter and I
started battling for a couple laps and that's when the red flag came out due
to a timing problem.

It was a complete restart and I was third off the start and was riding in
third until another red flag came out.  This time off the start I got shuffled
backwards to about sixth place.  Another red flag came out and it would
be a single file restart this time.

The rest of the race I was trying to fight my way back into the top-5,
but it didn't happen.v I ended up getting seventh.  Red flags were definitely
not my friend today, dealing with all the red flags this year has been pretty
tough for me.  I am still fourth in points but Texter closed to within 4 with her win.

Next weekend is the season finale in Pomona, California, and I'm ready
to have a strong finish to end the season and finish fourth in the
overall championship points.

I'd really like to thank my sponsors:

Weirbach Racing, KDM Forrest Products, Michael King, Mach 1, A&A Racing, Works Connection, General Engineering, Barnett, Spectro, DynoJet, K&N, Saddlemen, Motorcycle
Superstore, 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, Bell Helmets, Cosmetic Graphics, ProFactoryHoses.com, Rekluse, and Chicken Hawk Racing, Frankie Morris, my Mom and Dad.


Dominic Colindres ­ 66Y

AMA Flat Track: Henry Wiles Takes Record-Tying 8th Straight Win at Peoria TT, Colindres Wins in First Pro Singles Ride for Weirbach Racing

Round 9 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com at the Peoria TT saw a familiar face at the front of the red flag-delayed National main on both occassions as Henry Wiles kept it up front to lead from flag to flag to take his record-tying 8th win in-a-row.  Wiles rode his #17 Don's Kawasaki/DPC Racing/Nick Nazzisi/Schiller's Tree Svc-sponsored KX450F to a runaway win that was almost without error except for running a few feet wide with just a few laps to go running it into turn one.

Even with that slight error, Hammerin' Hank still took the win by just over 6.6 seconds to overall series points leader Jared Mees on the #9 Montgomeryville Cycle/National Cycle/Lucas Oil/Rogers Racing-backed Honda CRF450R.  Wiles also moved into 5th-place in the championship hunt (100 points). 

Jammin' Jared put in a superb ride throughout the 25-lap main to gain a few extra points over title rival Jake Johnson (185-165) heading into round 10 this coming weekend at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile, and said on the podium that 'one of these days' he's going to 'get a win here' and his flawless lines throughout the day left little doubt as to that happening sometime down the road as he has finished runner-up to Wiles at Peoria for three years straight now.

Johnson, who along with Wiles and Mees won his heat to make the Dash for Cash, took the #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D/Southland Pro Suspension/Arai-sponsored Honda home in the 3rd-place spot, after finishing behind Sammy Halbert, Mees and Wiles in the Dash.  Johnson also rode like a man possessed throughout the National main and improved on his 4th-place finish from last year at the 65th annual event at the Peoria Motorcycle Club facility.

Taking a few weekends off from his full time job of competing in the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Series, JD Beach followed Johnson to the checkers in both his heat race and the Dash, and then set off in search of the leaders after getting held up on the re-start to come off 7th after the first go around (the shot above with JD on the outside of Henry was the first lap, original start of the main).  Beach worked his way around Rob Pearson #27, Briar Bauman #10Z and Sammy Halbert #7 to take the #95 USC Racing/Red Bull/Bell Helmets/Alpinestars-backed Kawasaki to rally to a great 4th-place finish.  Beach put on one of the finest riding clinics on the track for the day by methodically working his way around the early front runners.

Slammin' Sammy had a couple of 'oh sh..' moments in both the original start and re-start at Peoria but came through like the championship contender and defending '11 Singles Series Champ he is to take his #7 The South Ass/Fredericktown Yamaha/GYTR/Van's Yamaha-sponsored YZ450F to a strong 5th-place finish.  Halbert also grabbed another point to climb within 9 points of runner-up Johnson in the fight for the 2012 AMA Grand National Championship.

Luke Gough was looking great all day on the #62 Nicely/Eaken Yamaha until his first-lap fall coming off the jump on the back stretch.  At last report just a few minutes before this was written he was undergoing surgery to his broken pelvis.  A very tough break for the likeable and hard-working former Australian flat track champion.

Bryan Smith (pictured outside Johnson #1 on the original start) rode it home to a respectable 9th-place finish after suffering a flat tire at the Castle Rock TT eight days earlier.  Riding his #42 Barry Smith-tuned and self-prepped Honda, Flyin' Bryan got some solid points to help keep him in the 4th spot in the championship with 112 points heading to the next event this weekend at Indy in which he will undoubtedly be the odds-on favorite to take the win on the Crosley/Howerton/Eaken Kawasaki over the Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP Weekend.



In the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship shoot-out in the valley at Peoria, the story of the day was split into two ends of the spectrum.  The good side saw Dominic Colindres ride the #66Y Weirbach Racing/General Engineering/Barnett/Spectro-sponsored Honda CRF450R to his first-ever win and in his first-ever ride for the defending 2011 Pro Singles Championship-winning team out of Ottumwa, Iowa. 

Signed just before race weekend after Pro Singles Championship runner-up Ryan Wells #94B split from the team early in the week, Colindres hooked-up with the father & son team of Richard and Ted Weirbach to contest their powerhouse bikes at the valley of thunder and never set a foot wrong all day long.  Not only did he win the try-out with the team, he's got a ride now through the end of the season especially taking Richard on the victory lap.  Great job guys!

Wells finished 8th on his Wells Racing Honda to move to within one point of Pro Singles Championship leader Garit Callies.  And this is where the bad end starts.

During heat two Callies, Robbie Treinen and Adam Bushman were all involved in a pile up off of the jump.  Bushman suffered hip injuries (he was operated on this evening per latest updates picked up from Flat Track Live and Flattrack.com on Facebook) and Treinen was held overnight and was dazed and confused (also according to above sources) and was subsequently released from the Peoria hospital earlier tonight and joking about how he was going to get to Indy this weekend.

Points leader Callies unfortunately suffered much worse in the melee.  He's currently on a breathing tube but suffered some bleeding on the brain, though by last report that has stopped and he has movement in all of his extremities and does recognize his family.

Lastly, Jake Constantine suffered a major bell ring in the Pro Singles final and a broken wrist.

Our prayers go out to ALL of the riders and families involved and hope for a speedy recovery for all!

Pictured below after the re-start, Colindres on the #66Y leads eventual 2nd-place finisher Stephen Vanderkuur on the #10J Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda, 3rd-place finisher Justin Reed on the #53L Rich King Racing KTM450SX-F and 4th-place finisher Rodney Spencer, Jr. on the #74Z 831 Pinnit Honda.  Colindres won by just over 1 second.

Full results here thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track (PDF version):

http://results.amaproracing.com/live/results/pdfresults/ft/2012/F1245/default.aspx

Full results (standard version with drop-down box):

http://amaproracing.com/ft/events/results.cfm?year=2012&eid=2012021245&discipline=FT&class=FL&type=F&rnum=1&class_sort=all


Check out the press release below from AMA Pro Flat Track and get your ticket now as The Rolling Thunder Show heads to the Indiana State Fairgrounds-hosted Lucas Oil Indy Mile in what will be one of the fastest and best-attended events of the season on Saturday, August 18.

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Wiles Continues AMA Pro Flat Track Dominance at PMC Race Park With Eighth Consecutive Peoria TT Win

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PEORIA, Ill. (August 12, 2012) - Henry Wiles could have taken his girlfriend out to dinner and a movie during this year's Peoria TT and still would have managed to come away with another AMA Pro Flat Track victory. With over half the season in the books, Wiles took no prisoners Sunday afternoon as he stole the show and ran away with the checkered flag for the eighth straight year at PMC Race Park. 

It was a great day for racing as thousands of passionate fans wrapped around the premises only feet from the track as they witnessed the true power that the bikes of AMA Pro Flat Track produce. Feeding off the crowd's roar, Wiles was in a different area code right from the get-go during the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com and Lucas Oil main event and found himself pumping his fist as he crossed the finish line.

Henry Wiles on the #17 Don's Kawasaki KX450F led both starts in the National main and never looked back yesterday in taking his record-tying 8th straight win at the Peoria TT in round 9 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.

"It feels really good," Wiles said. "I just want to thank my sponsors, these guys don't mess around. I want to thank my family and my girlfriend. I'm thankful that I was able to come out on top. I went hard from the get-go and was fortunate to pull the holeshot and run a clean race. I'm just so happy right now. The Peoria fans are great, I love coming to race here."

Henry Wiles (Don's Kawasaki) has become a household name here in Peoria, Illinois, as he's been the clear-cut winner for eight straight years as he continues his dominance at the historic venue. Second and third place finishers, Jared Mees and Jake Johnson made several attempts at closing the gap during the race, but unfortunately for them, Wiles never gave an inch and diminished any hope they might have had in catching him. JD Beach and last week's winner Sammy Halbert rounded out the top five, although it was no easy task as they had to fend off fierce competitors to claim their spots.

With the win, Wiles now sits in fifth place among the standings, poised to make a run at the title. He stands behind the likes of elite competitors such as; Jared Mees (Montgomeryville Cycle), Jake Johnson (Zanotti Racing), Sammy Halbert (Fredericktown Yamaha) and Bryan Smith (Oasis Homes).

AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles

Pole sitter Dominic Colindres (Weirbach Racing) got off to an incredible start in the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles main event, but it was erased as a four-bike pile-up on lap two forced the red flags to come out and demand a restart. However, the restart had no effect on Collindres as he got the holeshot for the second time and never looked back on his way to victory. 

There was no denying Collindres as he was on a different planet winning by more than a full second over second-place finisher Stephen Vanderkuur (Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda). Justin Reed (Rich King Racing) claimed third place with a solid performance on the KTM 450 SX-F. 

The most exciting battle was the race for the fourth and fifth slots where the margin between six riders was less than a second. Rodney Spencer Jr. (831 Pinnit) and Nick Mataya (Shoe Racing) snuck in to round out the top five, respectively.

"I got the holeshot after the restart, usually something goes wrong in a situation like that but it actually helped me," Collindres 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. I also want to thank the fans and everyone who came out and cheered me on."

Next Up  

The stars of AMA Pro Flat Track will return to Indianapolis, Indiana on August 18, 2012. Visit http://indymile.com/ for 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