AMA Pro Flat Track Releases 2012 Schedule

Round 16 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series at the Springfield Mile II comes down to the National main event on September 4 as the front row gets ready to roll out for their warm-up lap. 

Chris Carr on his #4 American Motorcyclist Assoc/Classic H-D/DFW Honda/Arai-sponsored XR, Johnny Lewis on the #10 Scott Powersports/Dubach Racing Developments/Saddlemen/Triple J Racing-backed Kawasaki 650R-based mount and Bryan Smith on his #42 Moroney's FastHOG.com/American H-D/Rockyonline.com/Boughner Racing-sponsored XR take up the the first spots from the wall. 

Sammy Halbert on his #7 Kings Kustoms/White's H-D/LZ Racing/KK Supply-sponsored XR, Jared Mees on the #9 Rogers Lake Racing/Blue Springs H-D/Screamin' Eagle/Lucas Oil-backed XR and Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. on the #2 Harley Davidson Motor Co/Screamin' Eagle/Spectro Oils/Fox-sponsored factory H-D XR750 round out the final (and fastest on the day) spots at the front.



AMA Pro Racing announced their 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track schedule today that includes 16 
confirmed rounds and 3 as yet-to-be named facilities for the new season ahead.  With the usual suspects back on the schedule in returns to Springfield, Lima and Lake Odessa (among several others), the series will also return to the Indy Mile in August after the cancelation of the 2011 event due to the tragedies suffered from the rigging collapse at the Sugarland concert in early August '11.  And as usual, Daytona will kick off the new season with a doubleheader round on March 15-16, 2012.

You can read the full press release below and get your calendars set for the 2012 season!
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AMA Pro Racing Announces 2012 Schedule for AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship

Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles to Appear at All 19 Rounds

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 21, 2011) - AMA Pro Racing is pleased to announce the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track schedule. The 19-round 2012 AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com schedule has 16 confirmed dates and three additional events in final negotiations.

Of the 16 confirmed events, the fire-breathing Grand National Twins will appear 10 times, which includes five half-mile and five mile tracks, and the 450cc Grand National Singles will be featured in three TT and three short track events. Every event on the 2012 calendar will also feature the Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles class, which debuted in 2009 and showcases the future stars of AMA Pro Flat Track piloting 450cc single-cylinder machines.

Once again the season will kick off with the traditional Bike Week doubleheader on March 15th and 16th, 2012 at the DAYTONA Flat Track, which is located just outside of Turns 1 and 2 at the mighty Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. In the 2011 contest, Grand National Championship title contender Sammy Halbert swept the mid-week openers in dramatic fashion.

In the world of flat track racing, Memorial Day Weekend and the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill. go hand in hand. May 26th, 2012 finds the Series at the Rodeo Arena for a TT race that serves to whet the appetite for the first "big bike" race of 2012, scheduled for the next day, May 27th, 2012. The Springfield Mile is one of the most coveted wins on the circuit and is one of the most highly-contested races each year.

Next up for the Series is a to-be-announced event scheduled for June 9th, 2012, with the series moving on to the first "cushion" race at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio three weeks later on June 30th, 2012. The 2011 season saw the return of pea gravel to the Lima half-mile oval and the return of the sideways, rooster-tail shooting action.

The Series heads farther East on July 7th as Hagerstown, Md.'s Hagerstown Speedway hosts the only round on the east coast that features what is typically a very smooth, and very fast, half-mile track. Many consider this venue the "home track" for defending Grand National Champion Jake Johnson, and the New Jersey native will surely be looking to repeat his 2009 victory.

I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Mich. returns to the series calendar on July 14th, 2012 with its always action-packed half-mile circuit, before the Series moves to the west coast on July 28th, 2012 for the Sacramento Mile at Cal-Expo in Sacramento, Calif., the highly-successful Bob Bellino-promoted event run alongside the California State Fair.

A drive up the coast will find the AMA Pro Flat Track stars back on their 450cc singles at the Castle Rock Race Park TT in Castle Rock, Wash. on August 4th, 2012. 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 12th, 2012. 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.

The Indy Mile at the Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Ind., returns to the 2012 schedule on August 18th, 2012 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 a Short Track and another Mile, scheduled for September 1st and 2nd, 2012, respectively.

September 8th, 2012 will mark the return of the Series to Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa. The 2011 event saw one of the closest finishes in the AMA Pro Flat Track's long and storied history and all signs indicate that next year's race will be just as close.

Details about an event scheduled for September 15th, 2012 will be released soon; following that race the Series will head to the Santa Rosa Mile at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, Calif. on September 30th, 2012. The last time a Grand National was held at the beautiful fairgrounds was in 1970, which saw Jim Rice win the contest on a BSA.

The last to-be-announced event on the schedule is will be held on October 6th, 2012 before the 2012 AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com schedule comes to a close on October 13th, 2012 on the half-mile track at the LA County Fairplex in Pomona, Calif.

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Complete 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Schedule:

March 15, 2012
Daytona Flat Track I
Daytona Flat Track, Daytona Beach, Fla.
Short Track

March 16, 2012
Daytona Flat Track II
Daytona Flat Track, Daytona Beach, Fla.
Short Track

May 26, 2012
Springfield TT
Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.
TT

May 27, 2012
Springfield Mile I
Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.
Mile

June 9, 2012
TBA

June 30, 2012
Lima Half-Mile
Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, Ohio
Half Mile

July 7, 2012
Hagerstown, Half-Mile
Hagerstown Speedway, Md.
Half Mile

July 14, 2012
I-96 Half-Mile
I-96 Speedway, Lake Odessa, Mich.
Half Mile

July 28, 2012
Sacramento Mile
Cal Expo, Sacramento, Cailf.
Mile

August 4, 2012
Castle Rock TT
Castle Rock Race Park, Castle Rock, Wash.
TT

August 12, 2012
Peoria TT
PMC Race Park, Peoria, Ill.
TT

August 18, 2012
Indy Mile
Indiana State Fairground, Indianapolis, Ind.
Mile

September 1, 2012
Springfield Short Track
Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.
Short Track

September 2, 2012
Springfield Mile II
Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.
Mile

September 8, 2012
Knoxville Half-Mile
Knoxville Raceway,Knoxville, Iowa
Half Mile

September 15, 2012
TBA

September 30, 2012
Santa Rosa Mile
Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, Calif.
Mile

October 6, 2012
TBA

October 13, 2012
Flat Track 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

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Happy Birthday to Freddie Spencer, 3-Time World Champion

Crew chief Mike Velasco looks on as his rider, Freddie Spencer gets ready to roll out to the grid on the #19 Two Brothers Racing/Honda Motor Co/D.I.D./Ohlins-sponsored Honda RC30 at the Mid Ohio round of the AMA Superbike Championship Series in August 1992.  Despite a row 2, 5th-place starting spot on the grid, 'Fast Freddie's was slowed in the Wiseco Superbike 100 race as part of the Camel Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop event, and went on to finish in the 23rd spot.



One of the all-time motorcycle racing greats, Spencer burst onto the AMA scene during the '79 season winning his first AMA National event at Loudon in the 250 GP/Lightweight class, and went on to win the championship that year.  The Louisiana-born rider also won his first AMA Superbike race while riding for Kawasaki in '79, before signing with American Honda for the 1980 season.

After splitting time in the AMA series and in Europe while riding for Honda Japan, Spencer headed overseas full-time for the 1983 season, where he captured his first of two 500CC World Championships in a battle that went down to the wire with rival Kenny Roberts.  Spencer lost the title to sophomore GP and Yamaha teamster Eddie Lawson in the '84 season, but came back to do the impossible in winning both the 500CC and 250CC World Championships in the '85 season.

Spencer rode for the Two Brothers Racing Honda team and the Fast By Ferracci Ducati team in his return to U.S. racing in the early-mid '90s, where he won three more AMA Superbike Championship Series events.  Two of those wins came on the TBR Honda RC30 at the Miami street race in late '91 and on the FBF Ducati at Laguna Seca in '95, and he is also the only man to have ever won all three premier events at Daytona, which he accomplished in '85 by winning the 250/Lightweight, Superbike 100 and Formula One 200 by Arai.



We would like to take the time to thank Freddie for all of the great years of racing and wonderful memories, and wish him a Very Happy 50th Birthday today.  Thanks man, and please take a bow!
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'Fast Freddie' Spencer was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999, and you can read his bio here:

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=275&lpos=-1025px&letter=S&txtFname=&rblFname=S&txtLname=&rblLname=S&discipline=0
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Back in the early '80s and the days of the inline-4 1025cc motors in the AMA Superbike Championship, tires and suspensions had not yet come close to being able to handle the amount of power that the big roaring motors put to the ground.

Honda and Peter Starr Films put together some promo films back in those days, and this first part of one of those about Freddie Spencer and the iconic Honda CB750F, from the '81 season is worth the time to check out.  Freddie on the banking at Daytona on what is still considered by many to be the all-time best sounding superbikes of all-time will bring chills up and down your spine.  If not, better check that pulse.

Check it out:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZo7-NyBvqk
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AMA Flat Track: Waters Auto Body/Project K Team to Develop KTM Further in 2012 Twins Series Season

The Waters Auto Body Racing team's mounts of #49 Chad Cose and #82 Jeremy Higgins sit in the team's pit area during round 16 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series at the Springfield Mile II on September 4.  Cose's Suzuki SV650-based mount sits alongside the KTM 950/990 LC8-based mount, as do Higgins' #82 machines in the back of the shot.  Team owner Dave Waters can be seen overlooking his machinery in the rear of the shot.

Cose was able to put the Suzuki in the main earlier in the season at Lima, carding a 16th place finish, while fill-in rider Gerit Callies was able to take the KTM-based Twins effort to a like-result at the season-ending round at Pomona for one of his provisional rides in the Twins Series after campaigning the Pro Singles Series this season. 

The team has decided to put the Suzukis on the back-burner for the upcoming 2012 season, concentrating solely on the KTMs, along with retained rider Higgins and new signee Steve Murray #51, and also hooking up with Boughner Racing to help with their suspension needs  The full press release can be read below.

With the rules in AMA Pro Flat Track being said to hold true into the 2012 season, the team has a good base to work with on the KTMs going forward.  Having some of the nicest looking equipment in the pit area coupled with getting some more development work done with the KTM should help them get over the hump in getting the big Twin into National mains on a regular basis and being able to get the power to the ground that the big orange-and-black machines produce.

We wish them all of the best and will be glad to see the WAB KTM team back at it in the AMA Grand National Championship for the 2012 season ahead!
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Waters Autobody/Project K Racing Changing it up in 2012

From a Press Release Issued by Waters Autobody/Project K Racing:


ALBION, N.Y. (December 19, 2011) - Coming off of 2010 with some great finishes and strong showings, we thought we had turned the corner and momentum was on our side. However, 2011 did not turn out to be the year the Project K Racing/Waters Autobody Racing team had hoped to have. Many things contributed to a less than stellar season and it was time for the team owners, Dave & Rhonda Waters, to reevaluate where things were going and what changes needed to happen to go forward into 2012.

One thing that was agreed upon after the final race in Pomona was to park the Suzuki’s. The Suzuki's had become a distraction and had taken away the focus from our original goal. That goal being, to put another brand on the box of the highly dominated Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship class and our weapon of choice was the KTM 950/990’s with their dependable and reputable LC8 power plants. The final California race was less than kind to our riders and equipment and it was time to get back on track.

Many other dynamics played into the decisions but one thing had been plaguing the team since the start. The LC8 motors had more than enough power but getting it to the ground and through the corners was always a huge issue. The bikes loved cushion tracks and hauled on big miles, but on hard packed half-miles, the handling flaws became more prevalent. Back to square one, get some fresh ideas and start over with the basics.

Many great builders had tried to help but one in particular stood out. While in Sacramento, Marty Lewis from Lazer Racing struck up a conversation with Dave regarding the problems that the riders had been experiencing. Numerous conversations later, it was determined that a new chassis would be built by Lewis from San Leandro, California.

We have a great crew and some even better sponsors but we struggled with set up and needed to make some serious changes. We needed a person willing to do the homework necessary to work with the new chassis design and power plant combination.

One name kept coming back into the conversation, and after discussing at length our mission, it was decided to that Mike Boughner of Boughner Racing, located in Tawas City, Michigan would be our guy for suspension.

Boughner had this to say regarding the collaboration on the team, “I’m sure I can be an asset to your program and would look forward to the challenges of working with your KTM's.”

But certainly the most exciting change has to do with the core of the team. We are extremely proud to have Steve Murray joining us to be Jeremy Higgins teammate in 2012. “Murrdizzle” as he is affectionately known on the circuit, has the experience needed to give the Waters Autobody Racing team important feedback required to make things happen. Steve, like his teammate Jeremy, is very 'hands on' and both riders opinions will be paramount to take us to the next level of competition.

Murray 26, originally from Grand Blanc, Michigan, was a regular on the circuit with the renowned Michigan Mafia crew. He currently resides in Kansas City, Missouri and has an Associates Degree in Website Design from ITT Tech & a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Cleary University. Steve has fielded his own race program with success but Waters Autobody Racing feels we can give both riders the support and opportunities to achieve the results they desire with this team and with the addition of our new sponsors.

Steve Murray: "I'm really excited to be joining the Waters Auto Body Racing team for the 2012 Season and riding their KTM Twins and having Jeremy Higgins as my teammate. I'd like to thank Dave and Rhonda Waters and all of the team’s sponsors for the opportunity. Developing the KTM's will be a task but I'm confident that Jeremy and I can get Dave and crew the appropriate feedback to be contending for podium positions."

We are pleased to have Steve Murray and both Lazer Racing & Boughner Racing on board for 2012 and are excited about the possibilities that they both have to offer.

We would also like to thank our existing sponsors that are back on board for the 2012 season:

Bell Helmets, Arlen Ness, Motion Pro, Saddlemen, Silkolene Oils, Vortex, K&N Filters, Durelle Racing Wheels, Rekluse Clutches, Spider Grips, RLJ Race Engines, RK Excel, Leo Vince Pipes, D&D Power Sports, Matto Cycle, Power Sports Institute & Hollink Honda.

A special thank you to the following individuals for the support over the past seasons, Jack & Michelle Higgins, Chad & Norm Cose, Steve Fortunato, RJ Overholt, Guy Ruger, Brian Schultz, Yve & Will, Mike Owen, Staci & Jenna Waters, Mia & Chew, the AMA Pro Flat Track crew, KaTeM and various other families and riders of the Western New York race circuit.

In the spirit of the upcoming holiday and race season, we feel truly blessed to have such a wonderful program and many exceptional people contributing and are looking forward to a great 2012.

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You can check out more about Waters Auto Body Racing's Project K racing team here via their official site:

http://www.projectkracing.com/aboutus.html

And you can take a look at Waters Auto Body's facilities in Albion, NY here:

http://watersautobody.net/index.html
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AMA Flat Track: Today's Cycle Coverage Builds a Pro Singles Honda

Round 7 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com saw the Weirbach Racing team out of Ottumwa, Iowa getting ready in the pits before the first practice session at the Springfield TT for the Pro Singles riders on May 30.  After having survived the loss of some of their equipment the day before from a fire involving their transporter, the team was doubly busy in getting their machines ready for riders Mikey Labelle #20T and Mikey Martin #91Y.

Martin, who would go on to win the 2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship on his Weirbach Racing/General Engineering/Barnett Clutches/Spectro-sponsored Honda CRF450R, made the best of a bad situation over the Memorial Day weekend rounds in finishing 2nd in both the TT and mile events.  Labelle would fare worse, but still pulled out a 7th place finish on the mile on his Weirbach Racing/General Engineering/Jerry Wilhelmy/Barnett Clutches-backed Honda.

Weirbach Racing finally got their championship after a tough start to the season, and have shown regularly that they have a good hand in picking talent and setting up competitive equipment.  Labelle had a rough season in finishing in the 19th spot in the Pro Singles standings with a best finish of 4th at the I-96 Speedway round, after a great year in 2010 where he finished in the 5th spot with four top-5 finishes and a win at the season-ending event in Arizona.  And Martin, who was handed the #1 Pro Singles plate at the season-ending round in Pomona, won three rounds on the season and had 14 top-5 finishes for 2011, after a 6th place finish in '10 with three top-5s and two podium finishes.



The Pro Singles Series has shown some exceptionally good, close and competitive racing in it's three seasons of existence.  The amount of talent that comes up through the ranks is deep, with now all three previous Pro Singles Champions having moved onto the Expert rankings ('09 Champ Brad Baker, '10 Champ Jeffrey Carver, Jr. and now '11 Champ Mikey Martin who will ride for Bonneville Triumph in the 2012 season.)  Probably it's biggest downfall is setting these young riders lose on these machines on a mile track, where the close action at over 130 mph can be eventful at the very least.

Just as where many long-time fans of the sport would rather see not only the Pro Singles but Expert Singles series go back to a full-framer racing class, you can't doubt or overlook the cost of putting together one of these 'DTX'-spec bikes as opposed to building a full-framer flat track machine.  And the original intention of going to the 'DTX'-spec machines was and is to help draw in more industry, if not manufacturer sponsorship and backing.  Although factory involvement in flat track is still lacking from what it was decades ago, the formula for going racing and being able to put a machine on track has been made somewhat less costly (if anything racing COULD be less costly!) and has made it easier for people and teams to get involved.

Having been a long-time flat track fan/fanatic/lunatic/junkie for over four decades myself, I appreciate both sides of the argument.  Yes, I would love to see full-framer flat track bikes out banging bars at my favorite events.  But at the same time I applaud the fact that now more people CAN get involved because of the platform available to enter a Pro Singles or Expert Singles event and the comparitive ease of being able to do so with the 'DTX' formula.  And bottom line, at least we still have those willing to do so for the betterment of the sport, and it's fans new and old alike.
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Today's Cycle Coverage.com's Dan Jacobson, Sr. put together a nice read on what it could or would take in order to put a competitive Pro Singles machine together in order to go racing in the Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship Series.  Now whether or not you have the success that the Weirbach team has had is another story altogether, however this is a good snapshot of setting up a Honda CRF450R to be race-ready in the Pro Singles ranks.  Just add rider.

Read on:

http://www.todayscyclecoverage.com/wordpress/2011/12/04/so-you-want-to-be-a-flat-track-racer/

Keep up with the 2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship-winning team of Weirbach Racing here:

http://weirbachracing.com
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AMA Flat Track: Cycle News.com's Larry Lawrence Talks With 2011 AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson for Year End Issue

Jake Johnson sits ready to roll out for his heat race on the #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D/Boughner Racing/Motion Pro-sponsored H-D XR750 at round 16 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series stop at the Springfield Mile II on September 4, where he finished 4th in his heat behind winner and title-rival Jared Mees, Chris Carr and eventual event-winner Willie McCoy.  Johnson went on to finish in the 3rd place spot on the day behind McCoy and Carr to add to his strong year of top-3 finishes for the season.  At the end of the season, with four wins to his total, Jersey Jake would stand on the podium 13 times throughout the season's 20 rounds.

After winning the Salinas TT and the Peoria TT rounds early in the season, some would say that Johnson's season had leveled off.  But the Pennsylvania resident would finish no worse than 8th place in two rounds (Lima, Hartford) for the rest of the season, and would take the points lead going into the final round at Pomona after winning on the half-mile at Calistoga, and would cap his season with a win at the Pomona round to take the 2011 AMA Grand National Championship for the second year in a row while riding for the Zanotti Racing team.

Besides his 13 top-3 finishes on the year, Johnson would also end the season with three Dash for Cash wins (Lake Odessa, Sacramento and Pomona) each worth a valuable 5 points towards his championship tally, and would never fall below the 3rd spot in the overall point standings throughout the season after the 3rd round at the DuQuoin Indoor Short Track in mid-April. 

With two Singles Championships to his credit ('06 & '08), Jake now has a double in the overall AMA Grand National Championship to add to his stellar resume.  The first repeat overall champion since Chris Carr ('04-'05), the former New Jersey resident is gradually adding to that resume in terms of wins as well as championships.  Riding for Dave Zanotti, whose father, Mario, won the '79 AMA Grand National Championship with the late Steve Eklund, Johnson's machines and team are always ready to go and at times appear as if ready to be put on display they are so sano.

With crew chief Ted McDermitt spinning the wrenches, Dave Zanotti looking over the crew and machines and helping out where needed, and former AMA Grand National competitor Mike Hacker in his corner as a rider/coach and fill-in wrench, Johnson appears to have the perfect scenario in his corner for showing up at the races and going fast.  The question is, who can and will knock him off that top spot?  In the 2011 season, there were several comers, but no one worthy of taking on the laid-back rider and double champ.
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Fellow Indy resident and Cycle News.com scribe Larry Lawrence made the trek to Eastern Pennsylvania last week to talk with '10-'11 AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson for CN's year-end issue.  Check out what LL and JJ talked about and see what The Champ is up to in the off-season:

http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20111213#pg135
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AMA Pro Racing Re-Signs Sunoco as Official Fuel of AMA Pro Road Racing & AMA Pro Flat Track

Eric Bostrom on the #117 American Honda/Dunlop/DID/Arai-sponsored RC45 leads Tom Kipp on the #16 Fast By Ferracci/DKNY MEN/Ducati Motorcycles/AGIP Lubricants-backed 998, with Mat Mladin on the #66 American Suzuki/Yoshimura USA/Dunlop/American Showa-sponsored GSX-R750 close on their heels during the early running of the Wiseco Superbike 100 final at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course in July '98.  Bostrom was appearing as a fill-in rider for the injured Miguel Duhamel for several rounds in the '98 season and would come to grips quickly with the powerful V-4 Honda in what would be a big jump for his career in the AMA Superbike Championship Series at the Honda Super Cycle Weekend presented by Dunlop Tire event at the Lexington, OH. facility.  Mladin would also go on to win his first of seven and record breaking AMA Superbike Championships the next season.


With the rules and regulations of racing changing dramatically in the last few years, largely due to the economy, spec fuel and tires top the lists of trying to even the playing field for all contestants.  Sunoco fuels, having been involved as NASCAR's official fuel since the demise of the Union 76 contracts several years ago, has also been the fuel of choice for AMA Pro Road Racing for the last three seasons. 

With the newly announced contract extension and expansion to AMA Pro Flat Track, look for the blue, yellow and red arrow to make it's presence even more well known in the future of AMA Pro Racing with it's partnerships with the DMG-led series.

You can read the full press release below. 
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AMA Pro Racing and Sunoco Announce Multiyear Extension of AMA Pro Road Racing Partnership and Expansion to AMA Pro Flat Track

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 12, 2011) - AMA Pro Racing, America's premier professional motorcycle racing organization, and Sunoco, a world leader in the manufacturing of high quality race fuels, have expanded their established partnership with a multiyear agreement which now names Sunoco as the Official Fuel of AMA Pro Road Racing and AMA Pro Flat Track. AMA Pro Racing is also pleased to announce that beginning in 2012 the lucrative Sunoco "Go The Distance" Award, previously presented exclusively within the AMA Pro Road Racing paddock, will be awarded to the AMA Pro Road Racing and AMA Pro Flat Track riders that achieve excellence in their respective disciplines.

Since the 2009 season, Sunoco has fueled the outstanding competition found at AMA Pro Road Racing events with Sunoco 260 GTX, a premium unleaded racing fuel designed to meet the performance needs of AMA Pro Road Racing in addition to having numerous other high performance racing applications. Each division of AMA Pro Road Racing, which includes AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike, AMA Pro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series, has thrilled audiences across the country with neck-and-neck racing followed by photo finishes thanks in large part to the exceptional performance, quality and consistency of Sunoco 260 GTX.

As part of the new agreement, Sunoco will begin supplying AMA Pro Flat Track with Sunoco Supreme, a uniform Sunoco gasoline tailored specifically to the unique performance characteristics of the motorcycles raced in the AMA Pro Grand National Championship and Pro Singles divisions.

"Sunoco has been an important and highly-valued partner to our Series, teams and riders for the last three years," said David Atlas, Chief Operating Officer of AMA Pro Racing. "The quality of racing that we have been experiencing in AMA Pro Road Racing is unparalleled and there is no question that part of that is due to the high quality product provided by Sunoco. We are excited to welcome them to the AMA Pro Flat Track paddock."

"Sunoco's Race Fuels and Branded Marketing Departments have been extremely pleased with the partnership that has been forged over the past three years with AMA Pro Racing and their Road Racing Series," said Rob Marro, Sunoco's General Manager of Performance Products and Automotive Events. "Enhancing this relationship by including the exciting racing taking place in the Flat Track Series has been a goal of Sunoco's all along. We look forward to providing the series and the riders with the highest quality fuels on the track and exciting marketing activation exposure via our over 4,900 retail facilities and aggressive social media initiatives."

In addition to the role Sunoco will play as the exclusive fuel supplier of the two Series, the agreement also calls for an increased marketing relationship between the two companies, including a number of national advertising and marketing activations focused on expanding the collective reach of the brands through the continued growth of American motorcycle racing.

Sunoco Race Fuels is the fuel of choice for a prestigious lineup of American motorsports organizations, including AMA Pro Racing, NASCAR, GRAND-AM Road Racing and ARCA. Sunoco has also been a consistent and valued supplier to grassroots motorsports, with more than 400 race tracks throughout the United States currently offering Sunoco racing gasoline at their facilities. For more information on Sunoco Race Fuels' premium products, please call 1-800-RACE GAS (1-800-722-3427).

To locate a distributor near you, please log onto Sunoco's cutting-edge and highly-useful online fuel finder at http://www.racegas.com/fuelfinder

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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Sammy Halbert Staying Busy in the Off-Season Away from AMA Flat Track

Round 14 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series made it's annual stop at the Peoria TT on August 21, and the fans came out in droves to see the likes of the stars of the series including multiple-winner Henry Wiles, Jake Johnson and Jared Mees do battle in the fields of West Central Illinois.  Mees and Johnson were locked in an epic title fight along with Sammy Halbert, with seven rounds left in the season at the beginning of the day at the natural amphitheatre setting at the infamous Illinois track.

Halbert, on his #7 Woody Kyle Racing/Fredericktown Yamaha/AGV/Kings Kustoms-sponsored Yamaha YZ450F didn't dissapoint the fans, ending the weekend in the 3rd-place and final spot on the podium behind 7-time repeat winner Henry Wiles and championship runner-up Jared Mees, after qualifying 8th on the day (pictured above during qualifying), and going on to finish 2nd in his heat behind Mees.

Slammin' Sammy also nabbed the final point paid out in the Dash by finishing 5th, and at the end of the weekend still held a slim three point lead in the series standings, a lead which he had held since the opening rounds at Daytona in March.  At the end of the season Halbert finished in the 3rd spot in the championship behind Johnson and Mees, and claimed the 2011 AMA Grand National Singles Series Championship at the Springfield Short Track the weekend after Peoria. 

Throughout the season (and off season) Sammy stays pretty busy with his various racing programs.  Earlier this season he dabbled in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series at a couple of rounds of the AMA Pro Road Racing Series, and even took time to ride some speedway, indoor short track and some hare scrambles in Ohio.

Last weekend, after getting spit off of his short tracker at Perris Speedway in California on Saturday, he turned around and led all 20 laps to take the Pro Main win in the last round of the Southern California Flat Track Association's 2011 season, also at Perris.  And last night in Puyallup, WA. in his home state, Sammy was scheduled to hit another indoor short track.  He also mentioned briefly on his Facebook page a few weeks ago he may be in DuQuoin over New Year's Weekend to run one of the Steve Nace Racing indoor series' events. 
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Cycle News' Digital edition earlier this week had this story from Jamey Blunt of Sammy Halbert taking the win in the Pro Main at the Perris Speedway round of the SCFTA Series last Sunday (lower left of page):

http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20111206#pg23

And Poppa Wheelie was on the scene to capture these pics of Slammin' Sammy riding his Woody Kyle Yamaha to victory at the Perris Speedway event:

http://pwheelie.blogspot.com/index.html#6456992631209738011

Check out the Southern California Flat Track Association here:

http://www.southerncaliforniaflattrack.com/

And keep up with what Sammy may be racing next here via his Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/SammyHalbertRacing
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2012 Canadian Superbike Championship Gets Title Sponsorship from Canada Chrysler's Mopar Brand

Former Canadian Superbike Champion Rueben McMurter catches some air on his #24 Honda Canada/Action Access/Shoei/RK-sponsored Honda RC30 coming out of the turn 9 area at the Mid Ohio round of the AMA Superbike Championship Series in August '91.  McMurter showed up for the weekend with his trick RC30 V-four and finished in a very respectable 7th-place in the main event of the Wiseco Superbike 100 as part of the Camel Super Cycle Weekend at the Lexington, OH. track, behind winner Thomas Stevens, fellow-Canadian Miguel Duhamel, Tom Kipp, Scott Russell, Freddie Spencer, Dale Quarterley and another fellow-Canadian and future Canadian Superbike Champion, Pascal Picotte.  Jacques Guenette and the late Jimmy Adamo rounded out the top 10.

McMurter was one of the fast Canadians that made the trek to the AMA Superbike Championship Series when the Canadian Superbike Championship had a weekend off, and started racing in the AMA rounds back in the early '80s, finishing 3rd in the overall standings for the '84 season.  His last year of racing in the AMA series came in the '91 season.  McMurter was followed to the U.S. by a handful of other Canadian Superbike Champs including Steve Crevier, Pascal Picotte and Brent McCormick.  McMurter was inducted into the Canadian Motorcycle Hall of Fame in summer of 2011.

You can read more about one of the true heroes of the Canadian Superbike Championship below, from motorcycle and motorcycle racing historian, Cycle News scribe and The Rider Files.com's very own, Larry Lawrence.


Great news from the folks up north comes in the form of the signing of a big NON-industry sponsor to the title sponsorship for the 2012 Canadian Superbike Championship.  Mopar's brand is a highly recognized marque all over the North American continent (let alone around the world!), and brings with it a vast legion of four-wheeled fans that could help to further open the doors for exposure to the two-wheeled racing world. 

This should be a great step in bringing in the Chrysler brand's sponsorship to the racing world, and hopefully will help to open the doors for even more non-industry sponsorship in the two-wheeled racing world. 

Congrats to the Canadian Superbike Championship Series!  You can read the full press release below.
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Press release courtesy of the Canadian Superbike Championship Series


Mopar® Secures Title Sponsor of CSBK  



TORONTO, ON (December 9, 2011) - Frontline CSBK Inc., organizer of Canada’s National motorcycle road racing series, is excited to announce that Chrysler Canada’s Mopar® brand is the new title sponsor of the 2012 Canadian Superbike Championship.

“We are thrilled to sponsor the exciting 2012 Mopar Canadian Superbike road race series,” said Jim Kiritsis, Head of Service and Parts, Chrysler Canada. “Our shared passion for performance and dedication to the series provides a great opportunity for the Mopar brand to connect with the fans involved.”

As well as introducing the Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship title, logo and branding, today’s event also included the announcement of the 2012 race schedule for the newly named National motorcycle road racing series.

CSBK’s Kevin Graham announces the 2012 schedule, stating “We’re really proud to offer a solid slate of events at popular venues that our competitors support and our spectators enjoy. We are looking forward to a strong 2012 season and it wouldn’t be possible without the valued support of our sponsors, partners, venues, staff and teams.”


2012 Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship Schedule


Round 1 June 23-24 Shannonville Motorsport Park, ON.

Round 2 July 7 – 8 Autodrome St. Eustache, QC.

Round 3 July 21-22 Atlantic Motorsport park, N.S.

Round 4 August 11-12 Circuit Mont-Tremblant, QC.

Rounds 5/6 August 25-26 Mosport International Raceway, ON.


The Canadian Superbike Championship’s history stretches all the way back to 1980, when Mississauga’s George Morin earned the inaugural National crown thanks to an early season win at the long departed Edmonton International Speedway. Last year, Saskatoon’s Brett McCormick celebrated his 20th birthday with a Championship-clinching win at the penultimate round of the Championship at Mosport International on Saturday.

For the past decade, the Mosport doubleheader has served as a showcase event for the series, with two National rounds per year at the popular venue. In 2012, the title battle in all the National classes will again be settled with two days of doubleheader race action at the legendary facility.

The 2012 Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship will include classes for the Feature Pro Superbike class, as well as Pro Sport Bike, Harley-Davidson XR1200 Cup, Amateur Superbike, Amateur Sport Bike and the brand new Honda CBR250R National Challenge series.


The sponsors of the 2012 Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship are:

Chrysler Canada, BMW Motorrad Canada, Deeley Harley-Davidson® Canada, Pirelli, Honda Canada, Suzuki Canada, Canadian Kawasaki, Yamaha Motor Canada, Dyno Jet, Design Junkies, Inside Motorcycles, Kicker®, MMIC and Lean Angle Canada.


About Mopar

Mopar is Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. Mopar distributes approximately 280,000 parts and accessories in more than 90 countries and is the source for all original-equipment parts for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram Truck vehicles. Mopar parts are unique in that they are engineered and tested with the same teams that create factory-authorized vehicle specifications for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram Truck vehicles – a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide.


For additional information please contact:

Alicia Brimo
Frontline CSBK Inc.
Tel. (416) 895-1393

This e-mail address is being protected from spam

LouAnn Gosselin
Chrysler Canada
Tel: 519.984.2600


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You can read more about former Canadian Superbike Champion Rueben McMurter here, thanks to Larry Lawrence and Cycle News' Archives column:

http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20110412#pg73

And you can check out more of what the 2012 Mopar Canadian Superbike Championship Series will have to offer via their official website here:

http://csbk.ca/
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ICE Speedway Releases 36th Annual 2012 World Championship Ice Racing Series Schedule

2012 World Championship ICE Racing Series

PRESS RELEASE

WHAT: 36TH ANNUAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ICE RACING SERIES

WHERE: MODERN SPORTS ARENAS

WHEN: JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2012

WHO: WORLD'S TOP MOTORCYCLE & QUAD ICE RACERS

36TH Annual World Championship ICE Racing Series Roars Into The New Year!!!

The world's undisputed premier Motorcycle and Quad ice racing series, sanctioned by I.C.E./International Championship Events, kicks off 2012 with a double header weekend January 6th & 7th. Top riders from throughout the country are preparing their specialized exotic race machines for what promises to be a very tough, competitive and exciting World Championship Chase #36.

Professional racers will be competing for cash and World Championship Points on lightning quick Manufacturers World Cup Motorcycles and I.C.E. Unlimited Outlaw Quads. I.C.E. also offers select Amateur Classes for local racers to experience the limelight in front of the hometown fans. For more information on racing visit www.icespeedway.com.

Thrilling racing excitement the whole family will enjoy. Tickets for all events are on sale now. Don't miss THE GREATEST SPECTACLE ON ICE!TM

36TH ANNUAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ICE RACING SERIES SCHEDULE:

Fri-Jan 6th 7:30 PM - Sovereign Center - Reading, PA

Sat-Jan 7th 7:30PM - Hampton Coliseum - Hampton, VA

Fri-Jan 13th 7:30PM - Budweiser Events Center - Loveland, CO

Sat-Jan 21st 7:30PM - US Cellular Coliseum - Bloomington, IL

Sat-Jan 28th 7:30PM - Glens Falls Civic Center - Glens Falls, NY

Sat-Feb 4th 7:30PM - Cambria War Memorial Arena - Johnstown, PA

I.C.E. World Headquarters, P.O. Box 8648, Myrtle Beach, SC 29578

P: (843) 750-0741; E:info@icespeedway.com ; www.icespeedway.com

 

 

THE GREATEST SPECTACLE ON ICE!TM

-Celebrating 35 years of arena motorsports entertainment excellence-

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AMA Flat Track: Bonneville Performance Triumph Makes it Official, Will Have Factory Support for 2012 Expert Twins Series

Bill Gately looks over his team's pit area at the Springfield Mile II round of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series on September 4, while the team's techs get rider Shawn Baer's mounts ready to roll for round 16.  The #32 Bonneville Performance/Wiseco Pistons/GBR/Eckhart Roofing-sponsored Triumph 855-based mounts are immaculately prepared by the Florida-based team, and are easily some of the finest looking machines in the pit area.

With new signee, '11 AMA Pro Singles Champion Mikey Martin joining the team along with the Triumph factory lending support to the Bonneville Performance Triumph squad, the team should be able to step up in making some Expert Twins Series main events and in getting over the mechanical failure hump that has plagued the team in the '10-'11 seasons, where they only were able to qualify for four main events.  Baer had one of his best rides in his two years with the team at the 2010 Lucas Oil Indy Mile in winning his semi to qualify for the National main event in front of the MotoGP weekend crowd.

With Triumph having been out of any official factory participation in the AMA Grand National Championship Series for over three decades, it will be good to see a second factory-supported team at the big tracks in the 2012 season.  Triumph has a long history of involvement in American flat track racing, with big name riders such as Gary Nixon, Gene Romero, Gary Scott and Mike Kidd, among others.  Maybe one day Mikey Martin's name will get to be bunched in with that list of former AMA Grand National Champions.


You can read the official press release below, courtesy of the Bonneville Performance Triumph flat track team, and we wish them the best of luck for the 2012 season!
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Press Release courtesy of the Bonneville Performance Triumph AMA Flat Track team



The flat track phenom who raced his way to the 2011 AMA Pro Singles championship, Mikey Martin, is on his way to the Grand National circuit in 2012 as part of the Bonneville Performance Triumph factory team.

Martin starts his rookie season in the Expert Twins class as part of the team put together by Bill Gately, who has been racing and perfecting the big British bike for several years.  “What drew us to Mikey is that he’s a talented, aggressive rider who’s also smart,” Gately said.

"He only wants to ride in front, and that’s the kind of guy you're looking for.  He’s already a champion.  Plus, he has a great personality and knows how to present himself off the track as well as on."

Despite his youth, Martin has a long pedigree in racing – and connections to Triumph. His father was a racer and currently is an AMA flat track promoter.

His grandfather was a Triumph dealer who sponsored a number of riders in the late 60s and early 70s.

“Joining the Bonneville Performance team and becoming the factory rider for Triumph is a huge honor, and the perfect fit for me,” said Martin.  “Bill Gately has built an incredible machine.  They've had their hand on every part of this bike and there’s nothing they haven't improved.

"Their level of commitment and dedication is impressive.  I'm excited to be on the bike and looking forward to a great season.”

Bonneville Performance launches the 2012 campaign as the factory team for Triumph.  “Triumph is returning to its racing heritage,” Gately said.  “Clearly the brand is committed again to racing and we're proud to be working closely with them.”
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You can see what Bonneville Performance has to offer here, specializing in all-things Triumph:

http://bonnevilleperformance.com/bonneville_performance_800gt.htm
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And the great lads across the pond at Sideburn Magazine posted this info from the Bonneville Performance flat track team:

http://sideburnmag.blogspot.com/2011/12/triumph-factory-flat-track-team.html

And they also posted these team testing photos taken by AMA Pro Flat Track official photographer, Dave Hoenig:

http://sideburnmag.blogspot.com/2011/12/triumph-team-test-photos.html

Poppa Wheelie has these great photos from the season-ending round at Pomona of the Bonneville Performance Triumph team:

http://pwheelie.blogspot.com/index.html#2371156191112669459
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AMA Flat Track: Steve Nace DuQuoin Indoor Series Hosts Round 3 on December 10

Jeffrey Carver, Jr. takes the inside line on his #23 Van's Yamaha/Stevens Racing/Yamaha Motor Corp/GYTR-sponsored Yamaha YZ450F during the Dash for Cash event at the Springfield Short Track, round 15 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series on September 3.  Defending AMA Grand National Champion (and soon to repeat) Jake Johnson holds a tight line on the #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D/Boughner Racing/Motion Pro-sponsored Honda CRF450R while racing the first year rookie Expert in the four lap Dash.

Carver would go on to take the win over Johnson, for his first-ever win in a Dash event, which was his second appearance of the year in the extra points and cash-paying event (the '10 AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles Champion also made the Dash at Lake Odessa in the Twins Series, and brought home a 3rd place finish at the I-96 Speedway event.)  Carver was on fire all night, qualifying in the top 5, winning his heat and coming home 3rd in the 25-lap National main event behind winner Henry Wiles and Johnson.



Carver has been spending the off-season competing in the Steve Nace Racing 2012 AMA Indoor National Dirt Track Series at DuQuoin, IL. and carded a handful of 2nd place finishes over the course of the round 2 event held just after Thanksgiving.  Running in the Open Pro and 450cc Pro main events, Carver was able to hold off a strong field of riders including new Weirbach Racing Pro Singles signee Ryan Wells, returning-to-the-track JR Schnabel on a Travis Smith Suzuki, and former AMA Grand National competitor and Clermont, IN. resident, Dan Ingram.  Carver wasn't able to hold off JD Beach over the weekend, however, as JD was on a roll in winning the three short track events and the TT Pro main, where Jeffrey dropped to 3rd place behind JD and Pro Singles rider Levi Mayer.

Round 3 at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds' Southern Illinois Center is scheduled for this Saturday, December 10.
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Steve Nace Racing's round 3 flyer for the 2012 AMA Racing Indoor Dirt Track National Championship courtesy of Steve Nace Racing.
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You can check out the results of the first two rounds of Steve Nace Racing's 2012 AMA Racing Indoor Dirt Track National Championship below.  Round 3 is scheduled for Saturday, December 10, with round 4 coming up on New Year's Eve:

http://www.stevenaceracing.com/mcatvresults.html
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AMA Road Racing: 2012 Schedule Sees Three Venues Added Including Return to Road Atlanta

The end of the '94 AMA Superbike Championship came down to the final round at Road Atlanta in September '94, and saw Australian Troy Corser on a Fast By Ferracci Ducati pull it out over Vance & Hines Yamaha's Jamie James in the closing laps of the final when James' Yamaha suffered mechanical ills and Corser was able to cruise home ahead of James to secure the championship. 

But the sub-story for the weekend involved defending '93 World Superbike Champion Scott Russell in his return to the States aboard his #4 Muzzy Kawasaki.  Russell dominated the weekend's events from the start, and went on to win the race by over 10 seconds in what was a rare appearance in the AMA Superbike Championship that year due to his WSBK duties. 

Russell may not have repeated as the champ on the European scene, but he left his mark on U.S. fans in a big way in the waning days of the summer of '94 just outside of Braselton, GA.  He's shown above during one of the weekend's qualifying sessions coming out of the turn 7 area heading down the long back-straight at the 2.5 mile circuit.
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AMA Pro Racing and M1 PowerSports Announce Three Exciting New Events as part of 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing Schedule

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 2, 2011) - AMA Pro Racing will be working in conjunction with M1 PowerSports for promotion of three exciting new events as part of the 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing schedule. Each of the three events promoted by M1 PowerSports, formally known as M1 Entertainment, will be modeled after the highly successful AMA Pro Road Racing events that the group promoted and grew over a 10 year span at racetracks in the Southeast.
 

The original Big Kahuna events were known for delivering exceptional entertainment value alongside world-class racing by America's finest motorcycle road racing talent, and fans can expect that same Big Kahuna Show as M1 PowerSports returns to promoting motorcycle road racing with an expanded portfolio of AMA Pro Road Racing events in major Southeastern markets.

"M1 PowerSports is extremely excited to return to full time event promotion in 2012," said Cameron Gray, President of M1 PowerSports. "The Big Kahuna Nationals have a long and rich history in AMA Pro Racing and we are excited about our new relationship with the series. Promoting motorcycle road racing events is our passion and what we do best. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship putting on some of the most thrilling racing events in the country."

 

"For much of the past three months, I have been and traveled with I-San, Danny Walker and Cameron back and forth across this country, and enjoyed every minute of it," said David Atlas, Chief Operating Officer of AMA Pro Racing. "I've gotten to know them well, and they and their staff at M1 PowerSports have proven that they know how to deliver entertainment value that goes perfectly hand-in-hand with the outstanding racing found at our events. The new events, which they will bring to our series in 2012, promise to be some of the most exciting stops on our schedule. I am so proud of their joining forces with us."

M1 PowerSports began promoting the Big Kahuna events at Road Atlanta as part of the 1998 AMA Pro Road Racing season and the series will make a return to the 2.55-mile circuit in the hills of Braselton, Ga. for the Big Kahuna Atlanta on the weekend of April 20 - 22, 2012. The track is located just 35 miles outside of Atlanta and has a rich history with AMA Pro Road Racing dating to back to Eddie Lawson's 1980 AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike victory. The series last raced at the facility in 2010, where fans witnessed Blake Young sweep the National Guard SuperBike doubleheader weekend in dramatic fashion.

 

"Road Atlanta has had a storied legacy of terrific top level professional two wheel racing over its 40+ years," said Geoff Lee, President of Road Atlanta. "We have been staying close with AMA Pro Racing in the hopes of being able to strike a relationship to bring their series back here soon. This could not possibly be a better way to do so. We, and our fans, are thrilled to have M1 PowerSports returning and bringing the Big Kahuna back to Road Atlanta where it began. With an event of this stature in place again we look forward to more great racing and adding many more years of 'legend and lore' to our motorcycle history at Road Atlanta."

 

AMA Pro Road Racing will head south after the New Jersey Motorsports Park round for the inaugural Big Kahuna Miami, scheduled for the weekend of September 21 - 23, 2012 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, which is located south of Miami in Homestead, Fla. As fall weather begins to draw in across the country, fans will find the Miami area a tropical oasis while being treated to an entertainment spectacle from M1 PowerSports and the stars of AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike, AMA Pro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport and the AMA Pro Vance & Hinex XR1200 Series.

 

"We are thrilled to partner with M1 PowerSports to bring the AMA Pro Nationals to Homestead-Miami Speedway," said Speedway President Matthew Becherer. "Our track will be active more than 280 days in 2012, and this event - featuring the biggest motorcycle series in North America - is a great opportunity for South Florida."

Two weeks later, the AMA Pro Road Racing season will come to a close at America's newest racetrack, with the Big Kahuna New Orleans scheduled for the weekend of October 5 - 7, 2012 as the first professional motorsports event to be held at NOLA Motorsports Park. The track, which was designed by Alan Wilson, is located just 20 minutes from the historic French Quarter area in downtown New Orleans, La. The state-of-the-art facility features excellent areas for spectator viewing and is focused on making motorsports accessible to a broad range of enthusiasts across all facets of the motorsports community. AMA Pro Road Racing will hold the season-ending awards banquet in the New Orleans area on the Monday evening following the event.

 

"We are excited to be partnering with AMA Pro Racing and M1 PowerSports for our inaugural professional event," said Mitch Wright, General Manager of NOLA Motorsports Park. "M1 PowerSports has a proven track record of fun, fan-friendly motorcycle events and the riders in AMA Pro Road Racing put on an incredible show. New Orleans and NOLA Motorsports Park will provide the perfect place to cap off their season and have one heck of a party." 

AMA Pro Road Racing competitors will have the opportunity to check out each of the new tracks before the respective event weekends in a set of official series tests. In an effort to reduce the costs associated with traveling to these tests, each will be held following an event in the same region. The test at Homestead-Miami Speedway will be scheduled for soon after the Daytona 200 event weekend and the NOLA Motorsports Park test will be held soon following the event at Barber Motorsports Park. Full details about the test events will be released at a later date.

Complete 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing Schedule:

March 15 - 17, 2012

Daytona 200

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Beach, Fla.

April 20 - 22, 2012*

Road Atlanta

Braselton, Ga.

May 4 - 6, 2012

Infineon Raceway

Sonoma, Calif.

May 26 - 28, 2012

Miller Motorsports Park

Tooele, Utah

June 1 - 3, 2012

Road America

Elkhart Lake, Wis.

June 22 - 24, 2012

Barber Motorsports Park

Birmingham, Ala.

July 13 - 15, 2012

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Lexington, Ohio

July 27 - 29, 2012

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Monterey, Calif.

        September 7 - 9, 2012

New Jersey Motorsports Park

Millville, N.J.

September 21 - 23, 2012*

Homestead-Miami Speedway

Homestead, Fla.

October 5 - 7, 2012*

NOLA Motorsports Park

New Orleans, La.

* Events promoted by M1 PowerSports

The mission of M1 PowerSports is to "Get People to the Track," and the company is launching a new website at www.m1powersports.com. Information about the launch of the new website and ticket sales will be released in the coming weeks.

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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AMA Road Racing: CN Archives' Larry Lawrence Talks History of Tricky Turn 5 at Road America

Riders come down the Moraine Sweep and set-up for turn 5 at Road America during the sighting lap for the AMA Superbike Championship Series in June 1991.  In this shot you can really tell the way the riders have to set-up and brake after hitting speeds of over 160 mph in order to be ready for the first gear left-hand turn at the four-mile track located just outside of Elkhart Lake, WI., and the drop-off of elevation mentioned in LL's story is evident from this angle.

The Coca-Cola Super Cycle Classic held at Road America had at the time been (and still is) an annual stop on the AMA Superbike Championship Series calendar since the 1980 season.  In it's first few years on the schedule, the events were held in mid-late May, which if you know how the weather can be in south central Wisconsin that time of year, can be dicey.  The powers that be then moved the event further back on the calendar to mid-late June, the '91 event actually taking place over June 28-30.  The partial 2012 schedule just released last month has the event scheduled for June 1-3.

Leading the group in this shot are Scott Russell on the #22 Muzzy Kawasaki/Dunlop/SBS/NGK-sponsored ZX-7R alongside Miguel Duhamel on the #97 Honda Commonwealth/American Honda/Honda Oils & Products/Dunlop-backed RC30.  Following just behind is Jamie James on the #2 Vance & Hines/Yamaha/Dunlop/Bell-sponsored YZF750OW01.  Russell would go on to win the '92 AMA Superbike Championship and the '93 WSBK Championship, while Duhamel would win the '95 AMA Superbike Championship and a handful of AMA 600 Supersport and FX Championships throughout his career.  These two men alone have five-each Daytona 200 victories on thier resumes over the years.

James would go on to win the race by .880 seconds over team mate Thomas Stevens (behind James) on the #11 like-sponsored V&H OW, but Stevens would win the war at the end of the season by winning the '91 AMA Superbike Championship.  James had won the '89 AMA Superbike Championship over then-team mate Russell while riding for the Yoshimura Suzuki team.  Eventual 4th place finisher Jacques Guenette on the #39 Kawasaki USA/Dunlop/Muzzy R&D/NGK-sponsored ZX-7R is directly behind James.

Freddie Spencer on the #19 Two Brothers Racing/American Honda/HP-4 Oil/Hondaline-sponsored RC30 is just behind Guenette, with eventual 3rd place finisher Rich Arnaiz on the #20 Commonwealth Racing/American Honda/HRC/Hondaline-backed RC30.  Although Spencer would never win the AMA Superbike Championship, he did win the '83 and '85 500CC World GP Championship, as well as the '85 250CC GP World Championship.  Spencer, Russell and Duhamel would all DNF on the day.

Tommy Lynch on the #30 Suzuki/Yoshimura/AGV/Michelin-sponsored GSX-R750 is next coming into turn 5, with Tom Kipp on the #16 Wiseco/Bell/Klotz/Bridgestone-backed Yamaha.  Kipp would finish 7th on the day with Lynch in 8th place.

Some other notables in this shot include, among others, Canadian Linley Clarke on the #126 Fast Riding School/Sunoco/Yamaha Canada-sponsored Yamaha OW01 (5th place finish), fellow Canadian Pascal Picotte on the #34 Ducati (no sponsor listed, 9th place), Dale Quarterley on the #32 The Boys/Penguin School/Vanson/Air Tech-backed Honda RC30 (10th place), and another Canadian, Rueben McMurter on the #24 Honda Canada/Action Access/Shoei/RK-sponsored RC30 (6th place).  Picotte and McMurter are both former and future Canadian Superbike Champions.
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Long before he was covering AMA Pro Flat Track events and penning his great column 'Archives' for www.CycleNews.com, and putting his own stash of great stuff out on the web from over the years on his bitchin' website, www.TheRiderFiles.com, Larry Lawrence was THE man in charge for all-things AMA Pro Road Racing in terms of the media coverage.  Traversing the continent in search of the perfect shot and story, LL led the AMA's charge to put road racing out to the masses by setting up interviews and local news coverage of AMA Pro Road Racing events across the nation, working with local news outlets and the riders of the day to get the coverage out to the general public. 

Also working with the AMA out of their Ohio offices, LL wrote and maintained biographies for the Hall of Fame, covered WERA events for CN and the former American Roadracing Magazine, and eventually became what is today a virtual walking/talking historian of the sport.  Make no mistake, this man knows his history, and not just in racing, either.

Besides trying to do a stellar job of blowing smoke up the skirt of one of the nice guys in the sport (and a true and great friend of Stu's Shots), I enjoy getting to read his takes on whatever it is he may be writing (or shooting) about around the sport.  And due to our similar ages, related friends and upbringing in the great city of Indy, most everything is of interest to me especially if penned by one Mr. Lawrence.

So I get especially giddy when he puts out a great story (like any of them aren't?!) about the history of the sport that involves a track or place that I hold near and dear, like an old, long-lost friend.

This week's 'Archives' column hit a home run (again!) with LL's history of turn five at Road America, and what significance and history it holds in the great sport of AMA Pro Road Racing and the AMA Superbike Championship.

So sit back, strap in and hang on as Cycle News' own Larry Lawrence digs into the 'Archives' to talk about one of the most daunting turns in AMA Road Racing's great history:


http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20111129#pg79
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