AMA Flat Track: Weirbach Racing Announces Rider Rob Pearson for 2013 Grand National Team, Dominic Collindres Returns to Pro Singles Team

2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship team Weirbach Racing announced yesterday that they would be adding veteran rider and Illinois-resident Rob Pearson to their team for the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season to ride the team's new-for-2013 Kawasakis in the Expert Twins Series events.  Pearson will join rider Dominic Collindres, who contested the Pro Singles Championship for the Iowa-based team from the Peoria TT event on through the end of the season, eventually finishing in the 4th-ranked spot.

Pearson is shown talking in the rear of the #27 Eaken Racing/KK Motorcycle Supply/Dick Ford/K&N-sponsored team's pit area, with Eaken Racing's C&J-framed Kawasaki and Roeder Racing XR750 awaiting the day's activities at the Springfield Mile II on September 16.

Pearson rode the team's Kawasaki to a season and career-best 4th-place finish earlier in the year at round 11 of the 2012 season at the Knoxville Half-Mile, after having taken the #27 Kawi to a 7th-place finish at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile in mid-August.

Rob Pearson is shown during qualifying at round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Lima Half-Mile as he comes out of turn four on June 30.

The Morton, IL.-resident started the season off on the #27 Memphis Shades/Yamaha/Wiseco/K&N-backed XR750 and took home a 7th-place finish for his efforts on the Babe DeMay-tuned machine at the Ohio National Championship event at the Allen County Fairgrounds. 

Rob also took home a season-ending 4th-place finish for the Memphis Shades team at the Pomona Half-Mile, adding to his nine top-10s for the 2012 season which saw him place in the 9th-place spot in the overall championship standings. 

Pearson got a chance to ride the USC Racing Kawasaki towards the end of the 2011 season at the Springfield Mile II, and then spent some time this year riding for the late Skip Eaken's race team on their C&J-framed Japanese parallel twin.  Now with the 2013 season coming up fast, Bugs will get a chance to throw his leg over another Kawi as Weirbach Racing has also announced their involvement with Racing Unlimited Kawasaki for the new season ahead.

Dominic Collindres follows team owners Ted and Richard Weirbach out to the staging area for heat race #1 at round 13 of the 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship season at the Springfield Mile II on September 16.  The California rider signed with the team just over a month prior to the final mile event of the season and won his first race out at the Peoria TT on the #66Y Weirbach Racing/General Engineering/Barnett/Spectro-sponsored Honda CRF450R.

Collindres ended the season as the 4th-ranked rider in the 2012 Pro Singles Championship and will be returning to the team for the 2013 season in hopes of garnering himself his first championship and taking a second title in the Pro Singles Championship for the Iowa-based Weirbach Racing team.

A big congratulations and good luck goes out to the 2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship-winning team of Weirbach Racing.  We'll be looking forward to the new season ahead as they go after another title in the Pro Singles class with Dominic while working on a newly-formed Grand National Championship team alongside veteran rider Rob Pearson. 

You can read the full press release below.

Press release courtesy of the Weirbach Racing Team, winners of the 2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship

Weirbach Racing 2013: Dominic Colindres, Rob Pearson, and Racing Unlimited

For Immediate Release:

December 20, 2012, Ottumwa, Iowa – Weirbach Racing announces the sponsorship support of two racers and a partnership with Racing Unlimited, for the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Series.   Dominic Colindres #66Y, from Brisbane, Ca. and National number 27, Rob Pearson, from Morton, IL., will run full campaigns for Weirbach Racing in 2013.

Colindres returns from last year’s team, which he joined in August 2012.  Dominic had a strong last half of the season, winning 1 event, and standing on the podium at 2 others.  He finished 4th in overall points in the 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship and will be contending for the 2013 title on the teams' Honda 450s.

Colindres’ take on 2013, “So happy to be back with Weirbach racing for the 2013 season.  After winning our first race and having a handful of podiums, I believe we have a strong chance at winning the championship this year.”

Pearson will be joining the team as a new member for 2013 and will compete for the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com and Lucas Oil, in both the Expert Singles and Twins competition.
               

In the 4 GNC Expert Singles events, Pearson will be riding the team's Honda 450s.  Last year Pearson finished 6th in the Expert Twins class and 9th in the combined AMA GNC series.

"I'm really excited for this opportunity with Weirbach Racing and Racing Unlimited.  Combining all our resources is going to prove us to be a championship contending race team,"  said Pearson.

Dick Weirbach announced, “We are joining forces with Alan Rodenborn, owner of Racing Unlimited Kawasaki, in Fort Dodge, Iowa.  Alan will provide 2 C&J-framed Kawasaki’s for Rob to ride in the AMA Twins championship.  Pearson will also have the team’s Harley-Davidson XR750 at his disposal.“
               

After several years as a drag racer, Alan Rodenborn has focused on road racing for the past 14 seasons.  Alan’s Development on the Ninja 650 platform began in 2006.  Rodenborn bikes have won over 40 “Battle Of Twins” National events, en route to 3 national titles.

A cylinder head and engine specialist, Rodenborn will not only be handling the engines on the team's Kawasakis, but will be providing engines and components to other Kawasaki GNC racers and teams.

Rodenborn is quoted as saying “It’s very exciting to be building engines for GNC racing, and is an honor to be working with a team of this caliber.  I’m confident that Dick, Ted and Rob’s experience, will make my transition into dirt track racing a smooth one.”

Ted Weirbach commented, "We are proud and excited to partner with Alan and Racing Unlimited.   We are very fortunate to have top-level riders in Rob Pearson and Dominic Colindres for 2013.   Both riders are great character guys and conduct themselves in a way that our sponsors will be proud to be associated with them, both on and off the race track.”

The team is busy building and preparing motorcycles over the winter months, aimed at a successful 2013 season.

About Weirbach Racing-

 

Weirbach Racing is run, owned and operated by Ted Weirbach and his father Dick Weirbach.  Dick is a veteran of the flat track scene for better than 35 years.  He ran as a novice in the late 60’s and owned a Bultaco motorcycle shop for eight years. Weirbach racing was founded in 2000.  In 2009, the inaugural year of the AMA Pro Singles Championship, Weirbach Racing’s James "the Rocket" Rispoli took second place overall and in 2011 Mikey Martin won the Pro Singles Championship.   Other notables to ride for Dick & Ted are Henry Wiles, Sammy Halbert, Aaron King, Jesse Janisch, and Davey Durelle.

 

Check their web site for more information: www.weirbachracing.com

About Racing Unlimited Kawasaki/Victory/Polaris:

 

The multi-line dealership is soon to celebrate it’s 25th year in business.  The store is one of the Midwest’s largest “Kawasaki Team Green” dealers, and is also a Race Tech Suspension Center.

 

For more information see: www.racingunlimited.com.