AMA Pro Flat Track: IMDA & RIDE Academy Team to Bring 'Legends Race' to Springfield Mile I Round 4 on May 26 to Help Promote Newly-Announced Pro-Level Basic Twins Class

Round 6 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the Springfield Mile I saw a handful of the top riders in the series, past, present and future ready to roll out for one of the practice sessions on May 29 for the first of two mile events to be held on the schedule for the new season.

Bryan Smith on the #42 Fasthog.com-sponsored XR750, Matt Weidman on the #20 White's H-D-backed XR, Chris Carr on the #4 American Motorcyclist Association-backed XR and Jared Mees on the #9 Rogers Lake Racing-sponsored XR get ready to put their talents, wrists and machinery to work in the early part of the day's program at the Illinois State Fairgrounds-hosted event.

Carr, who was in his final season of 'full-time' racing, is one of several former greats in The Rolling Thunder Show that will be returning to Springfield on May 26 to entertain the fans and help promote newly-announced Basic Twins Class for  the up-and-coming Pro-level riders.  2000 AMA Grand National Champion Joe Kopp and 3-Time AMA Grand National Champion Jay Springsteen will join the 7-Time Champ along with a handful of other veterans and greats of the sport in putting on a special exhibition race to be held as part of the day's program during the Memorial Day Weekend thriller.

The IMDA and RIDE Academy (owned and operated by former and current AMA Grand National greats Mike Hacker, Johnny Lewis and Kenny Coolbeth, Jr.) are banding together to put on this very special event in the hopes of showcasing the past greats of the sport, while the Expert-ranked contenders and the Pro-level riders do their job to showcase the present and future stars of the greatest racing show on two wheels in the world while competing in the day's regular portion of the program.

This is one event of any on the schedule, but especially one that is held at Springfield, that you won't want to miss.  Everyone knows you must have a ticket to see this great race, but with the day's action planned at Springfield on May 26, the seat you buy it for probably won't get much use throughout the day's events.

Thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track for the press release below which will help fill you in on more of the details, and another round of thanks goes out to the IMDA, who twice a season tirelessly put on a super event at Springfield, and also to the great group of guys at RIDE Academy for going to such great lengths in order to further promote and better the great sport that is the AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship.  You guys rock!

IMDA and Ride Academy to Host Race of Legends when AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Returns to Springfield Mile on Memorial Day Weekend

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 12, 2013) - AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles will be bringing the series to Springfield, Ill. on May 26, 2013 for its first go-around of the Springfield Mile this year.  Along with the usual intense racing action, Ride Academy is set to host a "Race of Legends" during the event.

 

"The Springfield Mile is really shaping up to be another spectacular event and this is just one of the many projects that the IMDA has in the works," said Dan Johnsen, Director of AMA Pro Flat Track.  "The history of this sport is what makes it so great, and we know that our fans will appreciate this opportunity to see their favorite legends back on the track."

 

The race will include a select group of past Grand National Championship event winners who will be on hand to show their support for the Basic Twins class scheduled to return to the series.  Jay Springsteen, Joe Kopp, Rich King, Ronnie Jones, Steve Beattie, Steve Morehead, Mike Hacker and Chris Carr will all be in attendance and participating in the race.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The main event in the AMA Pro Singles Championship roars off the line during round 16 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the Springfield Mile II on September 4.  The great group of people that run the IMDA, the promoters of the Springfield Mile events, will be teaming up with RIDE Academy for the upcoming round 4 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season on May 26 to bring a host of former racing legends together in a special exhibition 'legends race' to help promote AMA Pro Flat Track's new plans for a Basic Twins Class in order to get the Pro-level riders more experience on a Twins Series-based bike.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.

 

 

Mounted on Honda dirt bikes courtesy of Ride Academy, the former stars of the sport will race on a short track specifically designed for this event, giving the fans a "bird's eye view" of all the action.  The race will be located on the front-stretch of the Springfield Mile and will measure at about a quarter-mile in length.  Each participant will be provided number plates and jerseys so that the fans will be able to identify very easily who's who on the track.  The race format will include two six--lap heat races and one 12-lap Main Event.

 

Ride Academy is a school that former flat track rider Mike Hacker created when he retired from racing.  The veteran uses his knowledge obtained from racing to help out current riders of today's era. In addition to the "Race of Legends" and AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Springfield Mile event, Ride Academy will also be holding motorcycle instructional classes before all the action even kicks off on Wednesday and Thursday, May 22-23, 2013.

 

AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles will head to the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill. for the Springfield Mile on May 26, 2013.  For tickets to the event and additional information on the Race of Legends, please visit the IMDA's website at http://www.illinoismda.com/.

 

About AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles:

 

AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles is a national motorcycle racing series in North America and is considered one of the oldest forms of motorcycle racing. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, the Series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track racing in the world.  The 2013 schedule consists of rounds on the country's finest flat track courses.  For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles, please visit http://www.amaproracing.com/ft/. 

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