Saturday, December 29, 2012

A BIG Thanks to the Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour & NBC Sports Group for the Airing of the AMA Pro Flat Track Pomona Season-Finale





















With the year winding down and the racing season having long ago ended, we were treated to a season-ending treat today with NBC Sports' airing of the Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour coverage of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track season-finale at Pomona from back in mid-October.  In what was excellent coverage of round 16 of the AMA Grand National Championship, the Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour group hit it out of the park in bringing us up-front coverage of The Rolling Thunder Show's final race of the year.

And what a race it was, with Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. putting on a runaway clinic to take the win, and battles all around the track with riders Brad Baker, Bryan Smith and the rest putting on a show for the fans of the greatest sport on wheels in the world.  The camera crew on-hand did a thumbs up job of capturing the action all around the 5/8ths mile oval from back on October 13.

If you were fortunate enough to check out today's coverage on NBC Sports, please take the time to contact them and the Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour people and let them know how much we appreciate their airing of this great sport.  If you didn't see today's race coverage, you'll have another chance to catch it on Monday, December 31 at 3:00 PM EST.  Details on that airing can be found at the link at the bottom of this write-up.

The links to contact both NBC Sports and the LOMH people can be found below--please take the time to thank them!


In the shot above from 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, the bikes are ready for their riders to show up as the 25-lap National main event gets ready to roll out onto the legendary Illinois State Fairgrounds mile oval on September 16. 

RIDE Academy owner and rider coach Mike Hacker (back to camera) watches over Kenny Coolbeth, Jr.'s #2 Screamin' Eagle/Harley-Davidson Motor Co-sponsored factory XR750 while talking with Jake Johnson and Zanotti Racing's crew chief, Ted McDermitt just behind Johnson's #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D-backed XR.

In the background, left of center, Werner-Springsteen Kawasaki Racing's Bill Werner talks with Howerton Motorsports' Jeff Gordon, while team member Donnie Jones gets an earful listening in to two of the most colorful and knowledgeable people in the world of motor sports, with either two or four wheels. 

Brandon Robinson's #44 Werner-Springsteen/Wosner Pistons-backed Kawasaki 650R can be seen partially obscuring Bryan Smith's #42 Crosley Radio/Howerton Motorsports powered by Eaken Racing Kawasaki.  JB Beach's #95 USC Racing/Red Bull-sponsored Kawasaki can be seen in the back of the shot.


You can contact the Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour folks here.  If you took the time to watch the excellent coverage of round 16 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Pomona Half-Mile, then you already know what a super job these folks did in covering the races.

Please take the time to let them know so that they can bring us more coverage of The Rolling Thunder Show put on by the Blue Crew of AMA Pro Flat Track.  Look for the 'contact us' tab at the top right of the homepage from the Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour:

http://motorsportshour.com/

And you can also send an e-mail to the NBC Sports Network to thank them for airing the final round of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track season at Pomona.  Here is their e-mail:

nbcsportshelp@nbcuni.com

And in case you missed today's original airing of round 16 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the L.A. Fairplex in Pomona, you can find out when and where this will air again on Monday, December 31 here:

http://stusshots.blogspot.com/2012/12/ama-flat-track-nbc-sports-to-air-pomona.html

 
 

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

AMA Flat Track: NBC Sports to Air Pomona Half-Mile Season-Finale Round 16 on December 29






















Bryan Smith acknowledges the crowd after winning 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 on September 16. 

Flyin' Bryan had just taken the #42 Crosley Radio/Howerton Motorsports powered by Eaken Racing/Guts Wear/MPH-sponsored Kawasaki 650R to it's second victory of the season at the weather-delayed Illinois State Fairgrounds mile oval over runner-up Sammy Halbert and 3rd-place finisher Jared Mees.

While AMA Pro Flat Track official announcer Barry Boone talks to the crowd, Halbert and Mees ponder their race finishes with just three rounds remaining in the 2012 season.  Mees would go on to win the 2012 AMA Grand National Championship over 2nd-place man Halbert and 3rd-place finisher and defending 2-Time AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson at the season-finale in Pomono, just shy of a month later after collecting the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Singles Series Championship the night before the Springfield Mile II round.

After winning the Sacto Mile event earlier in the season, Smith would go on to take the ceremonial 2012 Twins Series Championship at the season-ending round at Pomona.

AMA Pro Flat Track announced today that NBC Sports will be airing the season-finale at Pomona this Saturday, December 29.  You can check out the full press release below for air times and a handy guide to get your DVRs set-up to find where NBC Sports airs in your area.









Tune-In Alert: Pomona Half-Mile Airs Saturday (December 29th) on NBC Sports

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 26, 2012) - AMA Pro Flat Track's racing action from the Law Tigers Flat Track Finals at Pomona Fairplex will be aired this Saturday (December 29) at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. with a re-airing on Monday (December 31) at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bryan Smith #42 leads Jared Mees #9, Sammy Halbert #7 and Jake Johnson #1 during action at round 16 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Pomona Half-Mile on October 13.  NBC Sports will air the season-finale round this Saturday, December 29 at 1:00 PM EST.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.
 
 
How to catch the action:


See NBC Sports' TV listings and channel lineup by going to http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/
 
NBC Sports Channels on Select Providers:
 
* Dish Network - 159
* DirecTV - 220
* AT&T U-Verse - 640
 
Please check your local listings for a channel line-up to find NBC Sports. Search Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour or Motorsports Hour if you don't see the program listed.
 
Stay connected with AMA Pro Flat Track at www.twitter.com/AMAProFlatTrack and www.facebook.com/AMAProFlatTrackSeries.

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
 
 

Geico Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Releases December Issue of Dunlop Download Magazine








Dunlop Download December Issue: GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing Edition Now Available

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 21, 2012) - The following release has been issued by our partners at Dunlop Tire.
 
 

For Immediate Release
December 21, 2012


The December issue of Dunlop Download magazine is here and this special issue is dedicated to the 2012 GEICO Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season.
 
You'll find detailed review of this past year's championships, including close-up looks at the fastest riders and machines in 2012 and the efforts it took them to gain race victories and championships.
 
You'll also enjoy behind-the-scenes looks at what it takes to go racing for the entire season, how the latest developments in race tires helped establish numerous new lap records in 2012 at a wide assortment of tracks and much more.
 
So just click on the link below and take enjoy a look back on the 2012 racing season and the people who made it memorable.
 
 
Click on the link below to download this December issue:
 
 
This issue, as well as back issues of Dunlop Download magazine can be found at dunlopmotorcycle.com.
 
Once you have received this issue PDF or have downloaded it from the Dunlop site, we encourage you to post it to your Web site and pass it along to other powersports enthusiasts.
 
Thanks for your support of Dunlop, and we hope you enjoy this issue.
 
For more Dunlop tire information go to dunlopmotorcycle.com or call 800.845.8378. ©2012 Dunlop.
 


 


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

Monday, December 24, 2012

Merry Christmas from Stu's Shots!































From Stu's Shots to you and your's around the world, we want to take the time to wish you a VERY Merry Christmas and thank you for taking the time out of your busy lives to come by and hang out with us here.

Peace, love and happiness to everyone around the world on this blessed holiday as we celebrate the glory of Christmas from our border to yours.

God Bless and Merry Christmas to all!

Friday, December 21, 2012

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.
 

 







Wednesday, December 19, 2012

AMA Flat Track: Cycle News.com's Larry Lawrence Talks With 2012 AMA Grand National Champion Jared Mees





















2012 AMA Grand National Champion Jared Mees can be seen talking in the pits while being filmed by the Lucas Oil Motorsports MavTV crew during round 4 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Springfield Mile I event on May 27.  Crew chief Brent Armbruster works on the fleet of #9 Rogers Racing/Blue Springs H-D/Saddlemen/Lucas Oil-sponsored XR750s in preparation for the day's events at the Illinois State Fairgrounds running of the Memorial Day Weekend classic during the fan walk, which is hosted by AMA Pro Flat Track at each and every event on the series' calendar.

Mees wrapped up his title a little over two months ago at the season-ending round at the Pomona Half-Mile after battling it out again with 2-Time AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson and Sammy Halbert, the three riders who have dominated the competition in The Rolling Thunder Show for the last four seasons, and for what should most likely be several seasons to come.

The Rogers Racing team and Mees announced shortly after the season-ending round that crew chief Armbruster would be leaving the team (to crew for the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports team with rider Henry Wiles) and that 7-Time AMA Grand National Championship-winning tuner and master XR wrench spinner Kenny Tolbert would be coming on-board to helm the mechanical efforts for the team's mounts in the upcoming 2013 season.






















Round 14 of the 2010 AMA Pro Flat Track K&N Filters Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season found the Rogers Lake Racing crew going about applying the finishing touches on rider Jared Mees' #1 Rogers Lake Racing/Blue Springs H-D/Rockysonline.com/Lucas Oil-sponsored XR750 at the Springfield Mile II on September 5.  Mees can be seen talking with crew chief Brent Armbruster and team owner Craig Rogers during a break in the on-track action at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

The 2009 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Twins Series Championship will again get to have the #1 plate adorn his mount for the upcoming 2013 season after winning the overall championship this season over runner-up Sammy Halbert and 3rd-place finisher and defending 2-Time AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson.

From 2006-2009 the series championships were awarded to each of the Singles and Twins Series contenders and Mees won the final 'separate' Twins Championship in the '09 season based on his overall finish in the split championship battle, without winning a single event in the series.  In each of the following seasons, the #1 plate was worn by each series' champion at each of the Singles and Twins Series events on the schedule.  From the 2010 season on, AMA Pro Flat Track again combined the overall championships while still recognizing each series' accomplishment with a ceremonial #1 plate and trophy to go along with it, but only one person thusly will wear that special #1 plate for the full season.

Mees consistency won him the overall championship (and the Singles title as well) during the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season, while still winning the Hagerstown Half-Mile round in early July, his only win of the 2012 season after winning a series' leading five events and finishing runner-up to Johnson in the 2011 season.

Check out what the champ has been up to since wrapping up the crown at the Pomona Half-Mile on October 13 as Larry Lawrence interviews Jammin' Jared in the season wrap-up issue of Cycle News below.  Mees talks about, among other things, departing crew chief Brent Armbruster and new crew chief Kenny Tolbert, his close friendship and association with team owner Craig Rogers, and whether or not he will choose to campaign a Kawasaki (or other brand) in the upcoming 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season's mile events.


Thanks again to my close friend and traveling companion Larry Lawrence for another out-of-the-park interview with 2012 AMA Grand National Champion Jared Mees, featured in the year-end issue #50 of Cycle News:

http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20121218#pg71

Team Ohio Racing Will Again Compete in AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series Along with Wounded Warrior Project for 2013 Season






















Team Ohio Racing's Pete Cline talks with members of his team in between test sessions at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 11, 2012.  Cline, a former WERA championship winner and founder of Team Ohio, was on hand along with his team to take part in the IMS and AMA Pro Road Racing-hosted test at the Brickyard in preparation for round 8 of the 2012 AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series to be held the next weekend as the undercard for the 5th Annual Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP Weekend.

The team has been involved with the Wounded Warrior Project, a most worthy cause that helps injured veterans to better transition into a return to a normal lifestyle after being injured while serving in the military.  Inviting members of the WWP to AMA Pro Road Racing rounds, the team uses these great heroes who have served their time in the military and been injured along the way as crew members over the course of each weekend.























Team Ohio Racing's #26 Oxford Consulting Group/RevZilla.com/RIDER Insurance/XR1200 Owners Group-sponsored XR1200 sits in the garage ready for the afternoon practice session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 11, 2012.  The team was taking part in the AMA Pro Road Racing-hosted special test the week before the 5th Annual Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP.  Looking over the team's mount is Maverick Moto Media's Lance Lau and one of the team's helpers and close friends, Nan Algieo, a long-time WERA scorer and friend of Stu's Shots.

TOR announced yesterday that they will be continuing their affiliation with the Wounder Warrior Project into the 2013 Geico Motorcycle AMA Pro Road Racing season and again will be contesting select rounds of the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series. 

The WWP helps America's veterans who have incurred an injury while serving in the military.  Team Ohio has been inviting some of those members of the WWP to help out at various events that they contest on the series' schedule in order to help enhance their overall abilities and to better help them transition back into what most of us know as a normal lifestyle.

You can check out their press release and find out more about Team Ohio Racing and the Wounded Warrior Project below.


A big thanks to RoadRacing World.com for this press release from Team Ohio Racing concerning their renewed plans to contest the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series and will again be working with the Wounded Warrior Project for the 2013 season:

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=50504

You can follow more from Team Ohio Racing via their Facebook link here:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/TeamOhioRacing

And you can find out more about the Wounded Warrior Project here:

http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

You can check out Team Ohio Racing's bio here thanks to AMA Pro Road Racing:

http://www.amaproracing.com/rr/teams/team.cfm?tid=2292

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Attack Performance MotoGP CRT Team Granted Wild Card Entries for Three 2013 U.S. MotoGP Rounds






















Rider Steve Rapp works on seating position just outside the Attack Performance garage at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the open test hosted by AMA Pro Road Racing and the Hulman Family-owned facility on Saturday, August 11, 2012.  The California-based team and rider were on-hand to get more rider and machine input prior to the running of the 5th Annual Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP over the August 17-19 weekend ahead on the #15 Attack Performance APR CRT-based mount.

The Richard Stanboli-built and designed Attack machine is fitted with a modified Kawasaki ZX-10R motor and coupled to a hand-built chassis of Stanboli's design, in accordance with the CRT (claiming rules team) guidelines and rules as set forth by Dorna and the powers that be in the MotoGP World Championship rule book.  The 2012 season saw the first year that the machines, running production-based power nestled into special chassis' were allowed to run in the prestigious MotoGP class alongside the multi-million dollar factory prototype machinery.

Along with the U.S.-based GPTech team that saw former multi-time AMA Pro Road Racing champion Aaron Yates campaign the Indy round of the MotoGP schedule, former Daytona 200 winner Rapp and the AP team made it two CRT-based teams that were home grown in the U.S. rounds in the 2012 season.

 































The Attack Performance technicians go about dialing the APR machine in prior to the afternoon testing session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the tire warmers get the Bridgestone rubber up to operating temps.
























Team owner and machine designer Richard Stanboli (right) helps one of the team's technicians get the Attack Performance Kawasaki-based mount buttoned up prior to another test run at IMS.



















Attack Performance and team owner Stanboli can be seen talking with a member of the media while the team goes about the finishing process of readying the APR machine for the next test session at Indianapolis.
























With owner Stanboli and rider Rapp talking in the background, right of this shot, the Attack Performance technicians ready the team's CRT effort for the afternoon of testing on the MotoGP-spec Bridgestone Battlax rubber.























Steve Rapp gets a push start from two of the Attack Performance team members as he heads out for the afternoon testing session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 11, 2012.  With only six days until the opening day of practice for the 5th Annual Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP round, the team had their work cut out for them in getting ready to qualify for their first MotoGP event in the new-for-2012 CRT entry class.

It obviously paid off.  Rapp ended up putting the APR machine in the field at Indy the next weekend, qualifying in the 21st-place spot just ahead of the final grid position held by Aaron Yates and the GPTech team.  Rapp went on to finish in the 14th-place spot in his first-ever grand prix after having just missed the show at the Laguna Seca round just weeks before.  Rapp and the rookie team also garnered two points in the 2012 MotoGP World Championship for their hard earned results at Indy.

For the upcoming 2013 season the team will have three rounds in which to improve their results with their newly-granted wild card entries into next season's three United States rounds at the COTA in Austin, Texas, Laguna Seca and Indy.  It wasn't announced whether rider Steve Rapp would be back on board, but we can't see where this won't happen after Rapp's good showing at Indy and his long-time association with Stanboli's team and Attack Performance.  Rapp won the 2007 edition of the Daytona 200 while riding an Attack-prepped and sponsored Kawasaki ZX-6R and finished out the '07 season ranked 2nd in the now-defunct AMA Formula Xtreme Series Championship class and has continued his association with AP riding this last season in the AMA Pro National Guard Superbike Championship on the team's ZX-10R-based superbike, garnering 13 top-10s and four top-5s along the way.

Here's wishing the team the best of luck in the coming year, they definitely deserve it for their great efforts on this beautiful machine, as does rider Rapp.  You can read the official news below and check out some more reading on owner Richard Stanboli's efforts to build a competitive CRT MotoGP entry from scratch.

Thanks to Motorcycle.com's Dennis Chung for this news out yesterday concerning Attack Performance's entries being accepted for the CRT class in all three of the rounds in the U.S. for the 2013 MotoGP season.  The article reference's GPTech's entries for next year also, which we covered earlier this month:

http://blog.motorcycle.com/2012/12/14/manufacturers/kawasaki/attack-performance-gptech-to-race-all-three-us-motogp-rounds-in-2013/

Attack also campaigned the Laguna Seca and Indy rounds during the 2012 season.  Here is one of the articles that talked about this from back in April, again thanks to Dennis Chung and Motorcycle.com:

http://blog.motorcycle.com/2012/04/09/manufacturers/kawasaki/attack-performance-announces-motogp-crt-effort/

Motorcyclistonline.com's James Parker penned this story of Attack's Richard Stanboli and Steve Rapp contesting the two rounds in the CRT class during the 2012 season:

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/features/columns/122_1211_steve_rapp_attack_performance/


You can also find out more about the fine line of Attack Performance's wares here via their official site:

http://www.attackperformance.com/


Friday, December 14, 2012

AMA Pro Flat Track Releases 2013 Technical Rules





















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 saw teams, riders and fans alike converge on the cathedral of speed, albeit a couple of weeks later than normal after the remnants of Hurricane Isaac caused the original Labor Day Weekend gathering to be canceled and rescheduled for the middle of September.  But once things got under way at the Illinois State Fairgrounds everyone was ready to go in what would be another great weekend of speed.

Just after the first round of practice, riders can be seen after pulling off of the track as they roll to a stop for the usual AMA Pro Flat Track inspection process to insure all is well under the tank.  Getting fuel samples tested by one of the AMA Pro Flat Track Blue Crew are Stevie Bonsey on the #80 Werner-Springsteen Racing/Alpinestars/Wossner Pistons/Cometic Gaskets-sponsored Kawasaki 650R and Willie McCoy on his #59 Harley-Davidson of Wausau/Independence H-D/Tucker Rocky/Arai-backed XR750.  JD Beach #95 and Kayl Kolkman #98 can be seen just behind Bonsey and McCoy while Will Fulford from The Fast and Dirty.com swaps out one of his GoPro cameras on McCoy's mount.

AMA Pro Flat Track released the new technical rules package for the upcoming 2013 season last night in an early move from what we have seen in the past few years.  This will surely help the teams to get a little bit of a jump on getting their set-ups ready for the new season ahead.  Some of the big changes anticipated and expected include a new minimum weight rule for the Twins Series (310 lbs. for ALL machines), and the addition of another millimeter in restrictor size (32mm to 33mm) for the H-D XR750s on the mile ovals.

Both of these should help keep all of the screaming at a dull roar in terms of equaling the competition across the board from the XR750 camps after the Kawasaki camp with rider Bryan Smith won the Sacto and Springfield II miles this last season.

Thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track for the newly released package, which you can view below.









2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Technical Rules

To: AMA Pro Flat Track Community
From: AMA Pro Competition
Date: December 13, 2012

Subject: 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Technical Rules


The 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Technical Rules have been released and are now available in the Competitor Information section of AMAProRacing.com. A direct link to the file follows:


AMA Pro Racing

Monday, December 10, 2012

AMA Pro Flat Track Announces Confirmed Dates for 2013 Season















Riders and team members make final preparations as the machines are brought to life in order to do battle at round 4 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Springfield Mile I on May 27.

Jared Mees on the #9 Rogers Racing/Blue Springs H-D-sponsored XR750, Luke Gough on the #62 Skip Eaken/Roeder Racing-backed Kawasaki 650R, Bryan Smith on the #42 Crosley Radio/Howerton Motorsports-backed rocket Kawi, Willie McCoy on his #59 H-D of Wausau/Independence H-D-sponsored XR, Jake Johnson on the #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D-backed XR and Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. on the #2 Screamin' Eagle/H-D Motor Co-sponsored factory XR750 fill out the front row in what would be another exciting 25-lap National main at the Illinois State Fairgrounds mile oval.

In welcome news out of Daytona Beach today, AMA Pro Flat Track has announced the confirmed dates for the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season in what is surely the earliest announcement of a solid calendar by AMA Pro Flat Track in the last three seasons. 

Fourteen dates that have been confirmed include among others, the season-opening rounds at Daytona in March, a return to the Peoria TT in August followed by the Lucas Oil Indy Mile, the annual treks to the Springfield Mile over Memorial Day and Labor Day, and the season-ending round in Pomona in mid-October.

AMA Pro Flat Track is still working to secure two rounds in Arizona at the beginning and end of the season and is also working on bringing another event to Ohio, strongly rumored to be a return to the Greenville Half-Mile which was on the schedule several years ago. 

A rumored return to I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, MI. was no where to be mentioned on the schedule, although after the fall-out from the last-minute cancelation of this year's round most likely having some bearing as to whether AMA Pro Flat Track was willing to chance another go around with the track and/or promoters, although that is strictly speculation after the rumor was floated that there may have been a return to I-96.  Note--for the second year in a row, this leaves the schedule without any rounds in Michigan, home to many of the current and a large handful of former champions and competitors.

The west coast is getting an extra burst for the 2013 calendar, with the return of the classic Castle Rock TT, Santa Rosa and Sacto Miles, as well as two new half-mile venures in Elma, Washington and Stockton, California.

Thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track for the full press release below which details all of the announced dates for 2013 thus far.










AMA Pro Racing Announces Confirmed Dates on 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Schedule


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 10, 2012) - AMA Pro Racing is pleased to announce 14 confirmed events on the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track schedule. In addition to the events listed below, AMA Pro Racing plans to make announcements on three additional events in the near future.

All of the AMA Pro Flat Track events in 2013 will once again feature non-stop entertainment and thrilling motorcycle racing action from the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com and AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles classes. Of the confirmed events announced today, Harley-Davidson Insurance GNC Expert Singles will compete at four of the rounds, broken down into two Short Tracks and two Tourist Trophies, while the mighty Expert Twins will contest the remaining 10 rounds, consisting of five Half-Mile and five Mile tracks. Fans can also expect to watch as the sport's finest up-and-coming talent battle for fame and glory in Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles races.
 
On March 14-15, 2013, DAYTONA® Flat Track will once again play host to the AMA Pro Flat Track opener as the series kicks off the 2013 season with a doubleheader on the quarter-mile lime rock track located outside Daytona International Speedway's west banking. At the 2012 season opener, fans witnessed two riders taking their breakout Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship wins, with Johnny Lewis holding off the charging field for his first in the Thursday night final and Matt Weidman taking the checkered flag over eventual 2012 series champ Jared Mees in Friday's main event.

Next up, the series will make a stop in Arizona on May 4, 2013 at a TBA event before heading to Stockton, Calif.'s Half-Mile track at the San Joaquin County Fairgrounds on May 11, 2013. The event will mark the first time AMA Pro Flat Track races on the all-new Half-Mile track located within the historic Stockton Mile and it's sure to bring northern California some of the most exciting motorcycle racing action in the world.

It wouldn't be a complete season if AMA Pro Flat Track didn't visit Springfield, Ill. The legendary Springfield Mile has served as one of the most historic venues and is considered to be one of the most coveted wins on the circuit. When the fire-breathing twins roll off the trucks at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on May 26, 2013, this go-around is sure to add even more excitement to the legacy of the storied event.
 
Another TBA event is scheduled in Ohio on June 8, 2013 before the series heads to another historically significant and action-packed circuit on June 29, 2013. Dating back to 1984, AMA Pro Flat Track has made the trek to Lima, Ohio to take on the "cushion" Half-Mile at the Allen County Fairgrounds, and this year will be no exception.
 
 













Bryan Smith #42 leads Sammy Halbert #7, Jake Johnson #1, Willie McCoy #59 and the rest of the field coming out of turn 4 at the running of the Springfield Mile II at round 13 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Champioship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season.  AMA Pro Racing announced the confirmed dates for the 2013 season today.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.

 
Just after the Fourth of July holiday, the Series will make a swing near the Nation's capital on July 6, 2013 as Hagerstown, Md.'s Hagerstown Speedway will host the only round on the east coast that features what is typically a very smooth, and very fast, half-mile track. Jared Mees grabbed his lone win in 2012 over local-favorite Jake Johnson at last year's event, and the defending champ will likely have his hands full when the star-studded line-up gets to the grid again next season.

The second west-coast tour begins on July 20, 2013 with a Half-Mile event at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Wash, followed by the always-incredible Sacramento Mile at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento, Calif. on July 27, 2013. That leg will conclude with a drive up the coast, where the AMA Pro Flat Track stars will hop back on their 450cc singles at the Castle Rock Race Park TT in Castle Rock, Wash. on August 3, 2013.
 
Next up is another TT, and the granddaddy of them all, scheduled for one week later at Peoria Race Park in Peoria, Ill. on August 11, 2013. The Peoria TT has been a staple on the Grand National circuit since 1947 and still packs the hillsides with spectators eager to watch the high-flying singles take to the track. Watch out for Henry Wiles, who collected his eighth consecutive victory at the legendary venue last year and seems to be unbeatable here.

The Indy Mile at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Ind., returns to the 2013 schedule on August 17, 2013 and the event will once again coincide with both the Indiana State Fair and MotoGP's state-side return for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Labor Day Weekend means a return to the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill. for the second Springfield Mile on the calendar; the September 1st event is the final 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track event scheduled east of the Mississippi river.

AMA Pro Flat Track will once again head west to the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa to battle it out against the beautiful backdrop of the Santa Rosa Mile. In last year's contest, Sammy Halbert grabbed his fourth win of the season in front of a packed house, and the 2012 runner-up will definitely be looking to match his winning result on September 29, 2013.

The last to-be-announced event on the schedule is slotted for October 5, 2012 in Arizona before the 2013 AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com schedule comes to a close - and fan-favorite Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. looks to repeat his commanding victory - on the half-mile track at the LA County Fairplex in Pomona, Calif on October 12, 2013.

2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Schedule:

March 14th
DAYTONA Flat Track I
DAYTONA Flat Track Daytona Beach, Fla.
Short Track
March 15th
DAYTONA Flat Track II
DAYTONA Flat Track Daytona Beach, Fla.
Short Track
May 4th
TBA
Arizona

May 11th
Stockton Half-Mile
San Joaquin County Fairgrounds, Stockton, Calif.
Half-Mile
May 26th
Springfield Mile
Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.
Mile
June 8th
TBA
Ohio

June 29th
Lima Half-Mile
Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, Ohio
Half-Mile
July 6th
Hagerstown, Half-Mile
Hagerstown Speedway, Md.
Half-Mile
July 20th
Grays Harbor Raceway
Grays Harbor, Elma, Wash.
Half-Mile
July 27th
Sacramento Mile
Cal Expo, Sacramento, Calif.
Mile
August 3rd
Castle Rock TT
Castle Rock Race Park, Castle Rock Wash.
TT
August 11th
Peoria TT
PMC Race Park, Peoria, Ill.
TT
August 17th
Indy Mile
Indiana State Fairground, Indianapolis, Ind.
Mile
September 1st
Springfield Mile II
Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.
Mile
September 29th
Santa Rosa Mile
Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Mile
October 5th
TBA
Arizona

October 12th
Flat Track Season Finale
LA County Fairplex, Pomona, Calif.
Half-Mile


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