AMA Flat Track Lima Half Mile Happenings On and Off The Track

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Kenny Coolbeth on the #2 H-D factory XR750 leads Steve Bonsey on the #80, Dustin Crow on the #61, Adam Carpinello on the #58 and PJ Jacobsen on the #99b during Expert heat race one action for 3rd and 4th place. Eventual evening's winner Henry Wiles and Joe Kopp had already checked out early in the action and Bonsey and Crow took the last two direct transfers to the main. The King of Cool went on the nail second in his semi and finish 14th in the main. This picture show how rough the track started out and the different lines that were available to run through out the evening. Great work by Mike Kidd and Steve Morehead of the AMA Flat Track team working with the track prep crews got the track in great shape for the final events.

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Dash for Cash winner Henry Wiles stands behind his winning #17 while second place man Sammy Halbert is interviewed. Jake Johnson carded third in the dash and tries to cool off after the hard and hot action. Wiles made it all but a perfect night in winning his heat, the dash and the main. Johnson finished a solid 5th in the main.

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Third place finisher Matt Weidman cools off after a well fought and hard earned first podium. His team was all smiles after the young man from New York State carded his first Grand National podium of his young career. The #20 with the Million Dollar Smile now knows what it is like to get on the box in AMA Flat Track competition. Matt fought through the main with Bryan Smith and Jared Mees (among others) to put it there and looked like an old pro on the cushion at Lima in doing so. Look for more of Matt and company as the season progresses.

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Sammy Halbert, who for the second week in a row finished second to Henry Wiles in the main event, is interviewed by Cycle News' Larry Lawrence after the victory podium festivities had wound down. One of the lovely trophy girls looks on as the AMA track announcer winds down the evenings events for the crowd. Mister Consistency is lurking in the shadows of the series and it is too early in the season to not consider him a favorite for the title.

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The winningest tuner in AMA Flat Track Grand National competition is busy working on the #42 Werner/Springsteen Kawasakis of Bryan Smith. Bill Werner had his usual sly smile going all night and Smith worked his way through the upper middle of the pack to card a fourth place finish in the main. The first year team is slowly and quietly working it's way to the top of the points and is proving to be a great combination on AND off the track. With the King of the Wrenches and the Old Gun Slinger guiding their efforts, and rider Smith riding like a man on fire, it shouldn't be long before they are on, or on top, of the podium. This team is typical of the great infusion of new machinery to flat track and what can be done to run with the decades old H-D XRs.

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Joe Kopp, National #3 and the 2000 AMA Grand National Champion, talks with the fans in the pits during the fan walk through early Saturday evening with his Latus Motors XR sitting idly beside him and the Lloyd Brother Ducatis behind him. The XR didn't see any action at Lima as the Ducati team with Smokin' Joe on the seat is proving to be a great combination. Although they struggled to a 9th place finish, and were lapped by winner Henry Wiles in the main, after only their first half mile, Kopp did get second in his heat to Wiles and is coming to grips with the power capabilities of the Ducati. Keep an eye on these guys as the season is young, and so is their partnership, and the talent within the team should see their progression rise as well in the series.

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Mick Kirkness and his #87 Suzuki crew wait for rider intros before the main. After transfering out of his semi, the Man from Down Under finished 16th in the final after rolling into the infield silent and smelling of burnt metal. Kirkness looked solid in practice and through out the evening in getting into the main. If the team can get passed their mechanical gremlins, they should be able to run up closer to the front. This is one of the entries this year that should look good on the mile tracks once they get everything dialed in.

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Lima main event winner Henry Wiles rolls up after his victory lap and hands his Mike and Eddie Adkins H-D XR off to one of the team members after dominating on the half mile cushion track and winning by over 6.5 seconds over second place Sammy Halbert. With this being his second win in half mile competition in only eight events, and having already won at Springfield on the TT in May and nailing the Gas City short track event the week before Lima, all Hammerin' Hank and his team needs are a mile win to round out the dirt track grand slam. After the last few weeks, everyone should be watching Henry and Co. very closely.

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Enjoy the Lima review and we'll have more next week after the holiday.

Have a great Independence Day and remember our country while you are celebrating.

Happy 234th America!

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