Saturday, May 28, 2011

AMA Pro Flat Track Postpones Springfield TT Due to Torrential Downpour at Illinois State Fairgrounds: Mile to Run as Planned Sunday With TT to Run Memorial Day Monday Now













Rain Forces Rescheduling of Springfield TT Event


SPRINGFIELD, IL (May 28, 2011) - Round 6 of the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Flat Track Championship, the Springfield TT, has been rescheduled for Memorial Day, May 30. The severe weather that's plagued the Midwest this spring hit the Illinois State Fairgrounds full force at around 2 p.m. Saturday, forcing AMA Pro Racing officials and Illinois Motorcycle Dealers Association staff to send everyone home.

For a time, it appeared the Multi-Purpose Arena would be spared, and the series maintained a "business-as-usual" approach for as long as possible in hopes the much-anticipated event would be able to move forward. More than 100 riders had been checked through tech inspection when the final blow was dealt.

Round 6 and 7 Memorial Day Weekend plans have been revised as follows: the legendary Springfield Mile will run as scheduled on Sunday, while the TT race originally scheduled for Saturday will be moved to Monday. The rescheduled TT will use the same schedule as Sunday's Mile event, with pit gates opening at 7 a.m. and opening ceremonies taking place at 1 p.m.

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
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Photo by Dave Hoenig















Torrential downpours would be a slight understatement as visualized in this pit shot as taken by AMA Pro Flat Track's official photographer Dave Hoenig.  While on the road between Decatur, IL. and Springfield, we drove in and out of several massive sheets of storms that all but cloaked visibility to less then several feet in front of our vehicle, all the well knowing that the storms we were traveling through had just been in Springfield and had in all possbility soaked the track.  Those thoughts would become the understatement for our day.

Upon arrival this afternoon at a little after 2:30 P.M. CDT at the track, we saw what we knew was imminent from our trip....the pits were all but completely flooded, and the track a virtual quagmire.  After all the work that Steve Morehead and the AMA Pro Flat Track prep crew had put in the day before and in the morning hours of today, all was definitely lost and the powers that be with AMA Pro Flat Track had already pulled the plug for today.

But....good news is things are a go for tomorrow for the mile and on Memorial Day Monday for the TT race...obviously barring any pop-up type stuff that has seemed to plaque the Midwest for several weeks now.  We're keeping our fingers crossed, as should you, that the next two days are moisture free so that the Rolling Thunder Show can and will go on to bring us, and you, the best racing on wheels you'll see anywhere in the world.

And Stu's Shots will be there when it happens and ready to bring you more of the exciting scenes from the pit area and the track.  Stay tuned!
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Dave Hoenig also posted links to some shots he took for his Flat Trak Fotos.com site, and you can check them out here:

http://www.flattrakfotos.com/2011%20Results/RESULTS%2005-28-11.html
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