AMA Flat Track: The Fast & Dirty.com Offers Up Calistoga Half-Mile Video Review

Six contestants get ready to go for the extra points and money that comes with running the Dash for Cash event at round 11 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series at the I-96 Speedway Half-Mile in Lake Odessa, MI. on July 23.  With a maximum of five points to be gained, along with the $1K that goes to each Dash event's winner, the tally at the end of the season to each and every top competitor pays off big dividends.  And in a season that after 19 of 20 events has come down to three men still fighting for the laurels of the 2011 AMA Grand National Championship and being seperated only eight total points, the merits of being in those Dash events shows the importance of who finishes where at the end of the season.



(L-R):  Bryan Smith and his #42 Moroney's Fasthog.com/American H-D/Rockyonline.com/Boughner Racing-sponsored XR750 appears to be studying the track, while his father and tuner, Barry looks on.

AMA Pro Flat Track Rookie of the Year-to be, Brad Baker on the #12 Lloyd Brothers Motorsports/TeamHurtByAccident.com/Nicky Hayden/Foremost Insurance-sponsored Ducati 1098 seems to be in a calm mood as he looks out into the distance, as LBM head crew chief Dave Gamble (over Baker's shoulder) also looks to the horizon.

Defending AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson, on the #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D/Boughner Racing/Motion Pro-backed XR750 is caught blankly staring down as he (perhaps) contemplates what it will take for him to win the Dash in the next few minutes (which he did.)

Rookie of the Year runner-up Jeffrey Carver, Jr. looks down at his #23 Eddie Adkins/Van's Yamaha/Woody Kyle Racing/Yamaha Motor Corp-sponsored XR750, which would take him to 3rd place at the Lake Odessa Dash, his first-ever podium in an AMA Grand National Series event.

Dash runner-up (and Lake Odessa National main event winner) Jared Mees looks over towards Carver as he sets at the ready on the #9 Rogers Lake Racing/Blue Springs H-D/Screamin' Eagle/Lucas Oil-sponsored XR750, while team owner Craig Rogers and Rogers Lake head crew chief, Brent Armbruster discuss the evening's possible outcome.

And just over Mees' shoulder, Sammy Halbert gets ready to take the controls of his #7 Kings Kustoms/White's H-D/LZ Racing/KK Supply-backed XR750 from his brother and crew chief, Andy. 



Jake Johnson took over the lead in the overall points standings after winning round 19 on October 1 at the Calistoga Speedway, and in doing so became the third of the final three men in the championship battle to stand atop the series lead in the 2011 season.  With Johnson leaving the Calistoga event with 357 points, to Mees' 353 and Halbert's 349, the defending champ now heads into familiar territory in terms of leading the points going into the series' finale at Pomona on Saturday, October 15. 

Last year Johnson held a ten point lead heading to the season finale and won the battle and the war at the Arizona Mile II round, and finished the season as the 2010 AMA Grand National Champion with a 20 point margin over runner-up and 2000 AMA Grand National Champion Joe Kopp.  Whether or not history repeats itself for Johnson again, or Mees or Halbert leave the season finale at Pomona with the championship, is something to ponder as you review the video below of round 19 of the season's championship series, and get ready to be thrilled with the action in the final event of the year in The Rolling Thunder Show this Saturday.
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Thanks again to Will & Yve from The Fast and Dirty.com for putting together this exciting video from round 19 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series season at the Calistoga Speedway Half-Mile event:

http://www.vimeo.com/30259716
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