AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Heads to the Springfield Mile I Memorial Day Weekend on Sunday, May 29 for Round 6 of the Season

One of the premier events of the season will roll off the line in just shy of 24 hours as the stars of the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines series heads to the grand daddy of them all at the Springfield Mile I tomorrow in round 6 of the 2016 season.

Unlike the last few years, the event that is the looked forward to most by nearly all fans and riders sits just shy of the half-way point of the season instead of three or four races into the schedule. With the series having completed not only both Daytona rounds, the series schedule has also hit the half-mile in Austin, TX. and both mile events in consecutive weekends prior to this at Phoenix, AZ. and Sacramento, CA.

This season has already been sizing itself up to be another barn burner with former 2-Time AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson having won one of the Daytona Short Track races (with Sammy Halbert claiming the other win), defending AMA Grand National Champion Jared Mees taking the win at the COTA/Austin half-mile, and mile specialist and Howerton Racing's rocket Kawasaki pilot Bryan Smith taking the wins at both the Phoenix and last weekend's Sacto Mile events.

Besides the great racing to look forward to tomorrow, Midwest fans will also get to catch a glimpse of the new Harley-Davidson XG750R being piloted by last year's AMA Pro GNC2 Champion Davis Fisher. Although the bike has struggled in it's first couple of outings, Fisher was finally able to put it into the National main last weekend in Sacramento and came away with a 16th-place finish. The Harley-Davidson folks are trumpeting this weekend's event as the bike's debut (see the press release below from the Motor Company) even though it has already appeared at the previous three rounds of the season.

In the shot above, Bryan Smith on the #42 Crosley Brands/Howerton Motorsports/Villa-Esparza-sponsored Kawasaki leads Jared Mees on the #1 Las Vegas H-D/Rogers Racing/Harley-Davidson Motor Co-backed XR750 and Jake Johnson on the #5 Harley-Davidson Motor Co/Screamin' Eagle Performance Parts/Arai Helmets-sponsored XR750 in the last few feet before the checkers is thrown at the running of the Springfield Mile II on September 6 during round 12 of the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines series held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

Smith heads up the point standings over Sammy Halbert, Jake Johnson and Jared Mees (with just 17 points separating the top-4 riders after just five rounds) and is heading to familiar territory tomorrow in Springfield in a race that he won both times last season and has all but dominated since joining the Howerton Motorsports Kawasaki team in early 2012. There is no reason not to think that tomorrow won't be any different, although riders like Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. and Brandon Robinson have been able to sneak in wins amidst Flyin' Bryan's dominance on the Illinois State Fairgrounds mile oval. And as we all know, that is why we have races, in order to determine who can and will win them!

As we wish all of the men and women in The Rolling Thunder Show the best of luck for tomorrow's event, you can check out all of the particulars about the shoot-out in Central Illinois below thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track, and may the best man (or woman) win!

AMA Pro Flat Track Heads to the "World's Fastest Mile" this Sunday for the Springfield Mile I

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (May 25, 2016) - This Memorial Day weekend will be all about speed as the stars of AMA Pro Flat Track roll into the Illinois State Fairgrounds for the Springfield Mile I on May 29, and the man in every rider's sights will be Michigan native Bryan Smith. The pilot of the No. 42 Crosley/Howerton Kawasaki Ninja 650 heads to the "World's Fastest Mile" having won the last two Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines races - both Miles. Smith also swept both Springfield Mile events in 2015, giving him a rare six all-time victories at the venue that's considered by many to be the crown jewel of the AMA Pro Flat Track schedule. On his last Mile outing this past Saturday, Smith finished just 0.024 of a second in front of Kenny Coolbeth, Jr., to claim his sixth consecutive Sacramento Mile victory after a grueling on-track battle with the former Grand National Champion. Coolbeth, mounted on the No. 2 Zanotti Racing Harley-Davidson XR750, has also had success in Springfield, with a win to his credit from the 2014 season. He'll enter this weekend's race sixth in the standings, 35 points behind Smith and perhaps his biggest threat of all. The Springfield Mile is the third of four consecutive Mile races on the 2016 AMA Pro Flat Track schedule, and for a Mile-expert like Smith, it presents the perfect opportunity for him to pad his points lead. Smith, last year's runner up in the point standings, heads to Springfield leading the 2016 championship chase by two markers over Sammy Halbert and his No. 69 BriggsAuto.com Harley-Davidson XR750. Jake Johnson, mounted on the No. 5 Zanotti Racing Harley-Davidson XR750, comes to Springfield third in points, nine behind Smith, and four in front of two-time defending Grand National Champion, Jared Mees. After splitting wins at the DAYTONA Flat Track to open the season, Halbert and Johnson are both yet to finish worse than eighth this year. Mees, however, is coming off a disappointing showing at the Sacramento Mile on Saturday due to mechanical issues with his No. 1 Las Vegas Harley-Davidson XR750. The Michigan native has a lone Springfield Mile victory to his credit, which came in 2011. No. 6 Factory Harley-Davidson rider Brad Baker will also look to bounce back from a Sacramento Mile that ended prematurely due to mechanical woes. The 2013 Grand National Champion finished on the podium at Springfield in last year's spring edition and comes into the event seventh in the points. Brandon Robinson, riding the No. 44 Kennedy Racing Kawasaki Ninja 650, enters Round 6 of the AMA Pro Flat Track season fifth in the standings and is looking to bounce back from a 16th place result in Sacramento. The Pennsylvania rider swept both Springfield Mile events in 2013, so he'll be looking to recapture that magic when he rolls into Illinois this weekend. Stevie Bonsey and Cory Texter will also look to be in the mix on Sunday. The riders of the No. 80 Harley-Davidson XR750 and No. 65 Kawasaki Ninja 650, respectively, both own podium finishes on Miles this season. Texter was third in Round 4 at the Arizona Mile and Bonsey came home in third at Sacramento. Bonsey is eighth in points, tied with Henry Wiles, and Texter enters Springfield 10th in points. GNC2 Dalton Gauthier leads the GNC2 class coming into the Springfield Mile. The rider of the No. 14A Wood Racing BMW FS 800 owns two wins so far in 2016 -- including BMW's breakout win in the professional flat track ranks -- but the Pennsylvania native settled for 15th last weekend at the Sacramento Mile. Gauthier leads Sacramento runner-up Ryan Wells by four points and Kolby Carlile sits third in the title hunt, 21 points in back of the leader. Tristan Avery has the hot hand coming into Springfield following his solid victory in Sacramento. The pilot of the No. 16S Ron Ayers Motorsports Kawasaki Ninja 650 won by more than two seconds over Wells, and has shown he's a force to be reckoned with on Miles, having won the Du Quoin Mile in 2015 as a rookie. Event Information The Springfield Mile I will take place this Sunday, May 29, and every session will be live streamed in high definition and free of charge at FansChoice.tv. Fans that can't make the trek to the Illinois State Fairgrounds this weekend are invited to tune in at http://www.fanschoice.tv/watch-live/ama/flat-track. Sunday's on-track festivities are scheduled to begin with practice and qualifying at 10:15 a.m. CT (11:15 a.m. ET), followed by an Open Paddock and Rider Autograph Session set for 12 p.m. CT (1 p.m. ET), with a special Pre-Race Show also set to air at 12 p.m. CT (1 p.m. ET). Opening Ceremonies will kick off the afternoon's racing activities at 1 p.m. CT (2 p.m. ET), and the field will qualify through a series of Heat and Semi races, whittling down the field to the best of the best for the afternoon's GNC2 and Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines Main Events. The GNC2 Main Event will begin at 3:40 p.m. CT (4:40 p.m. ET) followed by 18 of the world's fastest flat trackers in the GNC1 Main Event at 4:10 p.m. CT (5:10 a.m. ET). To purchase tickets to the Springfield Mile, please visit http://www.springfieldmile.org/. How to Watch:   FansChoice.tv is the official home for live streaming coverage of AMA Pro Flat Track events. The site also provides coverage of IMSA's development and single-make series, and NASCAR's touring and weekly series. Catch all the action at http://www.FansChoice.tv. About AMA Pro Flat Track:   AMA Pro Flat Track is the world's premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track, please visit www.amaproracing.com/flat-track, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or live stream the on-track action on FansChoice.tv.  About AMA Pro Racing: 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

Next Generation, Liquid-Cooled Harley-Davidson XG750R Flat Tracker Breaks Cover at AMA Pro Springfield Mile

Sent on behalf of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company:

MILWAUKEE (May 26, 2016) - A new-generation Harley-Davidson® flat-track motorcycle is ready to race. The Harley-Davidson® Screamin' Eagle® Factory Team is unleashing the XG750R, its first all-new flat track race bike in 44 years, to battle in fierce, adrenaline-filled competition on dirt ovals across the U.S. The XG750R will make its official competition debut Sunday, May 29, at the AMA Pro Flat Track Springfield Mile in Illinois. Powered by the fuel-injected, liquid-cooled Harley-Davidson Revolution X™ V-Twin engine, the XG750R will be raced by Factory Team rider Davis Fisher on the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines flat track series. The new XG750R motorcycle is strictly for race competition and will not be offered for sale at this time. The new flat tracker is powered by the 750cc Revolution X™ V-Twin engine designed for the Harley-Davidson Street® 750, a motorcycle built for maximum urban maneuverability with rebellious Dark Custom™ attitude. Tuned for the track, this modified Revolution X engine will power the new XG750R in the extreme heat of competition as it fights to be first to the finish line.  Davis Fisher's #67 Harley-Davidson XG750R is shown in a press release photo courtesy of AMA Pro Flat Track and the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. The race-modified Revolution X engine and a racing frame for the XG750R were developed by Vance & Hines Motorsports. Vance & Hines also is the partner for the factory Harley-Davidson® Screamin' Eagle®/Vance & Hines drag racing program where V-Rod® motorcycles have won eight of the past 12 NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle drag racing championships. "After decades of flat-track racing success behind the Harley-Davidson XR750 flat track motorcycle, we knew it was time to develop the next-generation Harley-Davidson to compete in one of the best spectator racing sports out there today," said Kris Schoonover, Harley-Davidson racing manager. Fisher, in his first season racing with the Harley-Davidson Screamin' Eagle Factory Team and a rookie on the GNC1 series, will be the first racer aboard the XG750R. The 18-year-old racer from Warren, Ore., won the 2015 AMA Pro GNC2 championship. "We wanted a young rider with plenty of raw ability for the XG750R program, and Davis proved himself in the GNC2 class," said Schoonover. "We are excited to have the opportunity to bring an emerging talent like Davis up to the GNC1 series to develop the new bike alongside an experienced champion like Brad Baker." Harley-Davidson Screamin' Eagle Factory Team rider Brad Baker, 23 years old and the 2013 AMA Pro Grand National Champion, will continue to race aboard the proven Harley-Davidson XR750 motorcycle while Fisher races the XG750R through its developmental stage. "The XG750R has shown great potential in testing and the first few races this season," said Schoonover. "But as with any new racing motorcycle, there will be work to do. We're excited to continue testing the XG750R in real world competition, and as we make our way through the season, we will evaluate the performance of the bike and our factory riders to see if Baker might switch to the new bike." Check Harley-Davidson.com for a full listing of this season's races; also follow Harley-Davidson on Facebook for racing updates. Be sure to also check out Baker and Fisher competing next week, June 2, during the ESPN X Games Austin at the Harley-Davidson® Flat-Track Racing event. In its second year as an X Games medaled event, Harley-Davidson Flat Track Racing will feature top motorcycle racers from around the world going head-to-head on the challenging Circuit of The Americas half-mile chasing an X Games gold medal. About Harley-Davidson Motor Company Since 1903, Harley-Davidson Motor Company has fulfilled dreams of personal freedom with cruiser, touring and custom motorcycles, riding experiences and events, and a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, general merchandise, riding gear and apparel. For more information, visit www.h-d.com. How to Watch:   FansChoice.tv is the official home for live streaming coverage of AMA Pro Flat Track events. The site also provides coverage of IMSA's development and single-make series, and NASCAR's touring and weekly series. Catch all the action at http://www.FansChoice.tv. About AMA Pro Flat Track:  AMA Pro Flat Track is the world's premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track, please visit www.amaproracing.com/flat-track, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or live stream the on-track action on FansChoice.tv. About AMA Pro Racing: 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