Rider Bryan Smith, lead mechanic
Jeff Gordon & team owner Rick Howerton get ready to roll out the
#42 Crosley Radio/Howerton Motorsports/Eaken Racing Kawasaki prior to the Springfield Mile II event on
September 16, 2012. Bryan and the team won their second Grand National main event together
at the two-week rain delayed event. Photo by Mike 'Stu'
Stuhler/Stu's Shots.
AMA
Pro Flat Track Crosley Radio/Howerton Motorsports Team Announces They
Will Enter Their Kawasaki for Bryan
Smith #42 at Pomona Half-Mile Season-Finale
In it's first year of
existence the Twins Series team has climbed heights and obtained
goals that only the very best in The Rolling Thunder Show could
aspire for in just five short events. Starting off out of the gate
at the Springfield Mile I round over the Memorial Day Weekend, Smith
and the team won their first points paying event of the day in the
Dash for Cash event after having qualified in the first spot for the
National main at the Illinois State Fairgrounds mile oval. By the
end of the day we had stood on the podium at a Grand National event
when Bryan took home a hard-fought 3rd-place finish.
Since that time the team
has been blessed to have won two National main events (Sacramento
Mile and Springfield Mile II) and have won three of the five Dash
events (Lucas Oil Indy Mile and the Springfield Mile II rounds).
As
far as the added race, "The team decided to run this one extra
event to end the season," stated team owner and builder Rick
Howerton. “Bryan's been asking me since mid-summer to run some of
the other events, and although we originally were just going to run
the five mile events this year, we decided to go ahead and help
support Bryan in his effort in the Twins Series Championship (where
he currently lies tied for the 2nd
place
spot with Sammy Halbert, behind Zanotti Racing's Jake Johnson)
and see what we could do on a half mile track, “ continued
Howerton.“We have been really happy this year with the results, but
know next year will only be harder" stated the long-time
IndyCar, NASCAR and NHRA engineer and fabricator, "by running
Pomona it will give Bryan more information for his half mile program
next year."
One
of the low points of the season was the loss of Skip Eaken, the teams
engine builder and motorcycle mentor. “It was a rough time with
Skip passing away last week, so we went into the Santa Rosa round
wanting to win that one for him. I believe he was the second all
time winningest mechanic in the sport, and we wanted to add one more
for him. He could appear to most as being cold and grumpy, but once
you got to know him he was just the opposite, “ stated Rick a few
days after Eaken had passed away due to a heart condition. Howerton
still thinks of the conversation him and Skip had after Springfield
1. He called a few days after that race and said "seriously
Rick, I watched you guys all day and you guys really made me proud."
That meant the world to me as Skip didn't give many compliments. "I
will never forget that conversation."
“It
has been real fun all year, as all of us on the team get along
fantastic. Jeff and Dink are super mechanics, and even better
friends. Having a rider with Bryan's capabilities on a mile and a
bike like this the rest comes together well, and we're really proud
of what
we've been able to do in just one season, “ elaborated Howerton.
The team also added
another 3rd-place finish to their season total at The Santa Rosa Mile
on Sunday, September 30, to make their finishes in five events as two
3rd-place finishes to go along with their two wins and the 14th-place
effort at Indy.
Crosley Radio is a company
based out of Louisville, Ky. that specializes in modern retro-look
sound and entertainment devices, and they are a first-time sponsor in
the world of AMA Pro Flat Track's Rolling Thunder Show, bringing a
new, bright and great sponsor to the series and to the new team.
Having been friends with Rick, it was a great fit having the folks
from Crosley on-board to sponsor them according to Crosley Radio
president, Bo LeMastus.
The Crosley
Radio/Howerton Motorsports team checks out the action on-track during
round 13 of the 2012 AMA Pro
Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship
presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Springfield Mile
II, where they were able to take the win thanks to their potent Eaken
Racing Kawasaki powerplant and the stellar riding ability of mile
specialist Bryan Smith. During the fan-walk at all AMA Pro Flat
Track events the team encourages the fans to come by and chat it up
with the team, check out the bikes and listen to some of the great
music playing in their pit area compliments of Crosley Radio's
jukeboxes on-hand. Photo by Mike 'Stu'
Stuhler/Stu's Shots.
“We are just thrilled
with the job that Bryan, Ricky, Jeff and the rest of the team have
done this first season, “ stated Crosley's Bo LeMastus, himself a
long-time fan of flat track just like Rick, Jeff Gordon and the rest
of the crew on the Howerton team. “It just felt right to go ahead and
extend this season into a sixth event to not only help Bryan out with
his Twins Series goal but to see what we could work for and towards
in the upcoming 2013 season. We
hope this will springboard us to be able to announce something in the
near future about maybe running some more events for next season
together.
“These guys work awfully
hard but yet have such a great time together doing it, we're proud
and happy to be a part of it and to showcase our products to the
legions of Howerton Motorsports, Bryan Smith and AMA Pro Flat Track
fans that pay their hard-earned money to come to these events and see
the greatest racing in the world, and we open them to come by and
visit at each of the events to check out the bikes and listen to some
of the music playing from some of our Crosley Radio products,“
continued LeMastus.
The Crosley
Radio/Howerton Motorsports powered by Eaken Racing Kawasaki team
family celebrates their second win of the season at the Springfield
Mile II round on September 16, 2012. Back row, from left include
Joey Manns (transportation specialist), Bo LeMastus and Jeff Gordon.
Middle row, from left Dink Glidden, rider Bryan Smith, team owner
Rick Howerton and his wife Colleen, and Donnie Jones. Rick and
Colleen's boys, Dillon and Jared grace the front of the Kawasaki
650R-based parallel twin AMA Pro Flat Track Twins Series' winning
machine. Photo by Mike 'Stu'
Stuhler/Stu's Shots.
With two rounds left in
the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship
presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Tucson Half-Mile
on October 6 and the season-finale round at the Pomona Half-Mile, the
time is now for you to get in on the great racing in The Rolling
Thunder Show, and the Crosley Radio/Howerton Motorsports powered by
Eaken Racing Kawasaki team hopes that you will all come out to enjoy
the great show at round 16 of the season at the Pomona Fairplex and
take the time to come visit us in the pits as we debut our efforts on
a half-mile oval and look and listen to the future not far down the
road.
Howerton
Motorsports would also like to thank these sponsors for their help,
support & efforts during our 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track season
campaign:
Dreyer Motorsports,
Tucker Rocky, Midwest Performance Hardware, Guts Wear, Carbonix USA
and Freelance Graphics.
Team
contacts:
Ricky
Howerton
Howerton
Motorsports/Howerton Racing Products
360
Gasoline Alley
Indianapolis,
IN. 46222
(317)
696-2664
Bo
LeMastus
Crosley
Radio “Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow”
1220
East Oak Street
Louisville,
KY. 40204
(502)387-5930
Press
release prepared by:
Mike 'Stu' Stuhler
Stu's Shots
Indianapolis, IN.
317-373-0522
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