In an announcement made late last Friday, AMA Pro Flat Track announced the cancellation of the Santa Rosa Mile at the end of the season, and the Calistoga Half-Mile being moved into it's place on the series calendar for Saturday, September 27. No reason was given for the cancellation of the Santa Rosa event at the time and no word has been received as of yet for the announcement, although Calistoga Speedway should again prove to be a worthy replacement as it did when the series last visited during the 2011 season and year previous.
Just under two months ago, the Sacramento Mile was originally announced as being canceled due to lack of cooperation with the horse racing crowd which ultimately has the final say-so in track operations due to their extensive schedule at the facility. But according to very well-informed resources, the new promoters of the Sacto event did some chemical testing on the track's surface to determine that the calcium chloride used in track prep for the AMA Pro Flat Track events lost the majority of it's concentration within 48 hours after being put down, thusly negating any kind of track alterations that would have an affect on the horses that would run after the event. As a result, Sacto was saved along with the help of a new promoting group headed up by former AMA Superbike pilot and contender, Steve McLaughlin and his SMI promotions.
In the shot above, riders get ready to roll out for heat race #1 during round 3 of the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship at the Springfield Mile I on May 25.
(L-R) Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. on the #2 Zanotti Racing/Moroney's H-D/Burt Ives Honda-sponsored H-D XR750, Sammy Halbert on his #7 South East H-D/White's H-D/Specialty Fabrications-backed XR750, Brad Baker on the #1 Harley-Davidson Motor Co/Screamin' Eagle Racing Parts/Dunlop-sponsored factory XR750, Doug Lawrence on his #73 Lawrence Racing/Jon Castin Racing/Wieblers Harley-Davidson-sponsored XR, and the oldest man to qualify for a National main event in the history of the series, Ronnie Jones, former National #16 on the #74G USC Racing/Hot Shot Motorworks/James Stevens Racing-backed Kawasaki EX650. Jones still wears #74G in spite of qualifying for the Springfield Mile II last season, to honor his late brother, David, who was tragically killed in a racing event at the Louisville Half-Mile 34 years ago.
You can see the full release below thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track on the cancellation of Santa Rosa and the replacement round at the Calistoga Speedway on September 27.
With the series having the weekend off after last Sunday's Knoxville Half-Mile, next Saturday, June 28 will see the teams and riders head to the Lima Half-Mile for their first return to the track after last year's first-ever rain out at the Allen County Fairgrounds-hosted facility in the 30 years of appearing on the AMA Grand National Championship schedule.
Calistoga Speedway to host AMA Pro Flat Track event in place of canceled Santa Rosa Mile
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., (June 20, 2014) - AMA Pro Flat Track is headed to Northern California's wine country and the historic Calistoga Speedway on Saturday Sept. 27, 2014. The weekend was originally slated to have the series visit nearby Santa Rosa, Calif., on Sunday afternoon but AMA Pro will be moving its event over the mountains into Napa Valley, less than 20 miles northeast due to unforeseen circumstances forcing the cancellation of the Santa Rosa Mile.
Jared Mees #9, Sammy Halbert #7, Jake Johnson #1, Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. #2, Matt Weidman #20 and Rob Pearson #27 blast off the line in the Dash for Cash event at the Calistoga Speedway half-mile round of the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship on October 1, 2011, the last time the series visited the venue. The round will take the place of the just-announced cancellation of the Santa Rosa Mile this coming September 27. AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.
Along with the close proximity to the previous host site for the weekend's races, Calistoga Speedway offers plenty of history and an exciting under-the-lights Saturday-night format for fans to enjoy. Experienced promoters Steve De Lorenzi of SDI Insulation, Terry Otton of Ramspur Winery d.b.a Dirt Trackers LLC. and Chris Morgan of Motorsports Ventures have joined forces to host the event, which will mark the return of AMA Pro Flat Track to the half-mile circuit after a two-year hiatus. Members of the promotion team are also involved with the AMA Pro Flat Track season finale at the L.A. County Fairplex in Pamona, Calif., Oct. 11, 2014.
Fans will be able to watch all the action live on FansChoice.tv, which has provided unprecedented access to flat track racing to people all over the world this season.
The stop at the Napa County Fairgrounds in Calistoga, Calif., will take the place of the Santa Rosa Mile at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds as Round 15 on the 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track schedule, and the next-to-last event.
"We're thrilled to be returning to historic Calistoga Speedway in the heart of California's wine country," said Michael Gentry, Chief Operating Officer of AMA Pro Racing. "We have seen some great racing at the speedway in the past and we're happy to have it host one of the final events of the season when we know there will be plenty on the line for our riders in the championship hunt." California flat track legend Eddie Mulder will serve as the Grand Marshall for the event, which will also feature an extensive vintage race bike display. "After a number of years of success at the Flat Track Finals event at Pomona and with our great working relationship with AMA Pro Racing, my team is excited to sign on to this project with Dirt Trackers LLC to bring back the thrilling spectacle of AMA Pro Flat Track to the beautiful Calistoga Half Mile," said Motorsports Ventures' Morgan. "Calistoga is one of the greatest racing venues in the country and racing there is always in on the edge. We look forward to a great event in September."
AMA Pro Flat Track's last trip to Calistoga in 2011, Jake Johnson won the Grand National Championship main event on his Harley-Davidson by just under two seconds over runner-up Sammy Halbert. In the Pro-Singles class that year, Briar Bauman emerged victorious on his Honda CRF450R, just ahead of Shayna Texter. All four of those riders will look to challenge for a spot in the GNC main event at Calistoga, along with the series' defending champion Brad Baker, Jared Mees, Kenny Coolbeth, Brandon Robinson and other top riders.
How to Watch
FansChoice.tv will be the official home for live streaming coverage of AMA Pro Flat Track and AMA Pro Road Racing events in 2014. The site will also provide coverage of IMSA's development and single-make series, and NASCAR's touring and weekly series.
About AMA Pro Flat Track
AMA Pro Flat Track 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 2014 schedule consists of 16 rounds on the country's finest flat track courses. For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track, please visit 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
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