Stu's Shots R Us: AMA Pro Flat Track Announces Saddlemen Rookie of the Year Candidates

Friday, March 30, 2012

AMA Pro Flat Track Announces Saddlemen Rookie of the Year Candidates

Round 14 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Peoria TT saw first-year Pro Singles rider Briar Bauman take the checkered flag and the podium ceremonies after appearing to win the 12-lap main on his #10Z Rod Lake Racing/Brown's Cycles/Lazer Racing/Gene & Gail Cummings-sponsored Honda CRF450R. In only his third race in the series, the Salinas, CA. resident had won his first-ever Pro main event at an AMA Pro Flat Track race.

Unfortunately, due to what was termed a 'fuel' violation after race-ending testing, he was disqualified for his win and Mikey Avila on his #33E SDI Insulation/MEH Corp/Boughner Racing/Arai-backed Honda was awarded the win. At the end of the season, Avila had finished 2nd in the overall point standings in the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship behind series champ Mikey Martin, but Bauman would finish 6th after only campaigning eight of the series' 20 races for the season.

It should be noted that Bauman's DSQ was in no way ever termed a situation where he was trying to get an advantage on the rest of the field, it was simply a case of the fuel not testing to 'spec' for the after-race testing, and in all probability it was most likely a case of some leftover fuel having gotten mixed in with the Sunoco spec fuel for the event.

For the 2012 season Bauman, Martin and Avila are now campaigning the Expert division in the series, and are now in the running for the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year Award, each hoping to join former ROY winners Brad Baker, PJ Jacobsen, Matt Weidman, Jake Johnson and Jared Mees, just to name a few, as the season-ending top finisher in the freshman class of Expert GNC racing.

In the shot above, Bauman hands his #10Z Honda off to one of his crewmen just after the Pro Singles final, with Avila's #33E Honda setting against the fence in the background. Also on-hand to take in the Pro Singles ceremonies is Tyler Porter from Fight For Dirt Track.com, who was doing some shooting and videotaping of his own at the August 21 event.

AMA Pro Flat Track and AMA Pro Racing's Director of Sales, Mike Kidd (former '81 AMA Grand National Champion) issued a new-style press release concerning the new class in the Expert division, and you can check it out below. Be sure to check out all of the sponsors of the series and get signed up for updates, and while you are there get your ticket order in early for rounds 3 & 4 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Springfield TT (May 26) and Springfield Mile I (May 27).
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Saddlemen Flat Track Rookie of the Year

DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Daytona Beach, FL

March 17

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 27, 2012) - The first two rounds of the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com are in the books. Both nights had standing room only, over 120 entires with two first time winners standing on top of the podium; Round #1 Johnny Lewis Round #2 Matt Weidman

Again in 2012 the Harley-Davidson Insurance Year End Points Fund for the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Experts is the biggest award with a total of $100,000 to be split between the top 12 in the final GNC Combined point standings.

On paper starting the 2012 season the Saddlemen "Rookie of the Year" award looks to hold another competitive class of youngsters. 16 year old Briar Bauman (USC Kawasaki / Ronnie Brown) leads a couple of 18 year old riders, Mikey Avila (SDI Insulation / Joe Bisha) and Mikey Martin (Bonneville Performance Triumph / Acerbis), after a great debut, posting eighth and sixth place finishes. Avila also qualified both nights and finished 17th and 19th. Martin missed both nights with his best finish just one out in his semi on Friday. Bauman is tied for seventh in the point standings 22 ahead of Avila. Saddlemen has once again posted a $5,000 year end award to the eligible rider who scores the most points in the Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship.

Bauman finished the 2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship in 6th place. Bauman won three of the eight races he competed in and finished within the top-five positions seven of the eight races.

Bauman added, "I ask a lot of myself, but I really want a top-ten overall finish in the class and the Saddlemen Rookie of the Year Award. I can't tell what's going to happen on the twins, but top-ten overall and Rookie of the Year."