Mean Green is On The Scene as Bryan Smith Takes Werner/Springsteen Monster Energy Kawasaki to Record Breaking AMA Flat Track GN Twins Indy Mile Win

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Bill Werner talks with AMA Technical Director Al Ludington about 45 minutes after Bryan Smith took the Werner Springsteen Monster Energy/Wossner Pistons/Millenium Technologies/Redline Oil-sponsored Kawasaki to the top of the box at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile on Saturday evening. In background-center can be seen AMA Flat Track Manager Mike Kidd talking with Kenny Tolbert, who wrenched Chris Carr's #4 Lancaster XR to second place and his 200th podium appearance in AMA Pro Flat Track competition.
Besides winning the main event and giving Kawasaki it's first-ever win in AMA Flat Track Grand National Twins competition, Flyin Bryan also topped the charts in qualifying and won the fastest heat of the night to start from the pole in the main event.
Bill was his usual more-than-gracious self in celebratory congratulations, pointing out, again, that it was a combination of rider as well as team that took the team and the Kawasaki to their historic Grand National Twins first-ever win. His smile was priceless, just like the win by Bryan was. One of THE best battles in AMA Flat Track competition I have ever seen in 37 years of watching this series.
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Chris Carr's Lancaster H-D/DFW Honda/Arai/Wiseco Pistons/Cometic Gaskets-backed XRs sit under the awning during the afternoon break at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile round of the AMA Pro Flat Track K&N Filters presented by Motorcycle Superstore.com GNC Twins stop. Kenny Tolbert wrenched Carr to his 200th podium appearance in 26 years of competition. Carr and Smith had an epic battle throughout the 25 lap main event, trading the lead back and forth all over the track, and until they crossed the line to take the checkers there was no telling who was going to be leading in the end. Smith had the nod by .140 seconds over Chris, who looked as strong as I have ever seen him in my years of following this great 7-Time former Grand National Champion in this great sport. Chris also won the dash earlier in the evening to collect the winner's check, the five bonus points and a super nice Tissot Nicky Hayden-replica watch. Not bad for a guy who professes to be 'living his mid-life crisis.'
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The 'King of Cool' managed a solid third place for the evening on his H-D Motor Corp/Screamin Eagle/Arai/Fox/Motion Pro-sponsored factory XR750. Kenny Coolbeth, Jr., the '06-'08 AMA Grand National Twins Champion, had a good, solid night on the #2 machine to keep himself a solid 6th in the overall Grand National Championship. Coolbeth was the defending winner of the Lucas Oil Indy Mile and placed second to winner Chris Carr in the event's return to Indy in September of 2008. Pretty good average out of this seasoned veteran who has been campaigning the AMA Pro Flat Track Series since '94 when he was named AMA Flat Track Rookie of the Year.

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One of Jake Johnson's #5 Zanotti Racing/Leo Vince/Arai/Tucker Rocky/S Designs-backed XRs sits in the pits during the break before all the action begins at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile. The former GN Singles Champ ran a race to bring it home in the fourth spot, 3.057 seconds back from winner Smith. But most important, he gained four solid points over points leader Smokin Joe Kopp to close his third place in the overall standings to within 14 points, 221-207. With Jersey Jake's mastery on the mile tracks, the remaining schedule could play very well into this veteran's hands. And having won the last two Springfield Miles, you know he must be looking forward to the upcoming weekend at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, where he has also has a win at the arena on the Singles bikes. Don't count this man out with three miles, one half mile and one short track yet to go in the season.

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The Kings Kustoms/KK Motorcycle Supply/Nelson Racing/Motion Pro/Cometic-sponsored XRs of brothers Jethro Halbert #69 and Sammy Halbert #7 sit in the pits at Indy as they talk with the fans and the team goes about various duties before the racing action begins. Jethro had a round night and looked to have suffered oil pan failure just half-way into the night's main. Sammy ran his usual fierce race to come home fifth in the main and closing to within 12 points in the overall AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship over points leader Joe Kopp, 221-209. He also came up just .026 seconds short of winning the dash, and the five valuable points that go with it, to winner Chris Carr. This young man is slowly inching his way towards the top and could have the best chance of the top three over the course of the last events of the season.

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Honorable mention goes out to Matt Weidman for his mastery of the outside line in Saturday night's Lucas Oil Indy Mile main event. Qualifying in the 13th spot for the evening and also placing fourth in heat one to get a direct transfer to the main, he rode the high, wide and handsome outside line in the final event, and looked like a cat with it's tail on fire in swooping around the other competitors while running right up next to the airfence in the corners to help advance his position. At one point in the early part of the race, Matt was battling for third and fourth before either the outside line went away or his tire did. But he put on one of the best shows in the main from this person's viewing and it was extremely thrilling to watch. After falling off the pace Matt ended up 9th in the final standings, and now sits in 10th place in the points with 81 points, one point back of 9th place in the points Johnny Lewis.

Matt can be seen sitting just behind his #20 machine as it gets the final touches before the night's racing commences at Indy. His team is sponsored by White's H-D/SNIP/Silkolene/

Shoei/K&N and Motion Pro. Matt was a busy man over the weekend making an appearance for his sponsor SNIP (Spay Neuter Indiana Pets) at a local fund raiser, as well as making a stop at one of the local H-D dealers on the southside of town to sign some autographs for the fans. Great show by this young man who carded the the '08 AMA Flat Track Rookie of the Year award and was the District 3 50CC Champion in his home state of New York in 1997.

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Shawn Baer talks with some fans while signing autographs at Indy during the break in the day's program. His #32 Bonneville Performance/Marines/Wiseco Pistons/Motion Pro/K&N-backed Triumph machines set at the reay behind him in the Bonneville Performance pit area.

Shawn took his Triumph to the win in the first semi by .077 seconds over Jethro Halbert to put it into the main for his third AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Twins event of the year, putting on a heck of a show in the process.

After overcoming some electrical maladies earlier in the season, the team looked good and ended up 16th in the main event. Shawn's win in his semi was a first by a Triumph on an oval track in close to three decades if my memory serves me correctly and he rode like a seasoned veteran. Hats and helmets off to Shawn and the whole Bonneville Performance team for a fine showing at Indy.

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History was made Saturday night at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile, round 12 of the AMA Pro Flat Track K&N Filters sponsored by Motorcycle Superstore.com Series, when Bryan Smith wheeled his #42 Werner Springsteen Monster Energy Kawasaki to the win over 7-Time Grand National Champion Chris Carr, and putting Kawasaki on the top of the box for it's first-ever Twins Series win. Battling with Carr throughout the 25 lap main, Flyin Bryan traded the lead numerous times all over the track to lead the most laps and secure his and his team's place in AMA Grand National history. In doing so, he is the second man this year to win over the venerable H-D XR750's after series championship overall points leader Joe Kopp won on the mile in Arizona back on the first of May after winning every GN Twins event since August of 1998.

The evening was full of delights and thrills as former flat track competitor, '02 AMA Superbike Champion and '06 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden not only announced his re-signing with the Marlboro Ducati team for 2011-2012, but saw him spin some laps on a specially prepared Lloyd Brothers Ducati 1098 to the thrills of the screaming crowd. Spinning it up in the corners like the flat track racer he is at heart, The Kentucky Kid thrilled the crowd with his demo ride and promised after removing his helmet that he 'would be back' one day to contest the AMA Flat Track Series. He also had a smile the width of the Mississippi River after his thrilling ride. It was a pure joy to see the Grand Marshall of the Lucas Oil Indy Mile put on such a great show for a few of his legions of fans, this one included. It wasn't quite as thrilling as Kenny Roberts laps on the TZ last year, but it was pretty darn close. Thanks Nick!

Also of note for the evening was Shawn Baer's performance in the first semi on the Bonneville Performance Triumph who won by .077 seconds on Jethro Halbert, taking a Triumph to an oval track win in at least three decades by this writer's memory. Great job!

The win by Bryan Smith is just another great story on the return of AMA Flat Track to the prominence it has deserved for some time. With the multi-brand racing, the closeness in competition, and expert work by AMA Flat Track Manager Mike Kidd and Company in making the track the best I have seen it in my 37 years of watching AMA Flat Track Grand National racing (I don't remember seeing any track prep being done once the green flag flew for the evening's first event, and other then a couple of short red flag delays, the program clicked all night. My first Indy Mile was in August of 1974 when Gene Romero took his #3 Team Yamaha parralel twin to the XS-based motor's last mile win. Kudos to Mike and brother Gary and Steve Morehead and the rest of the AMA team for making this a premier event and for bringing AMA Flat Track back to the fore front of two wheeled competition. I'm telling you, this isn't your father's AMA Flat Track anymore.

Series overall points leader Joe Kopp came home in the sixth spot after suffering some sort of mechanical problems in the dash on his Lloyd Bros. Ducati, that forced him to miss out on the four lap race and a shot at the very valuable five points that go to the winner. And Henry 'Hammerin Hank' Wiles missed the main after having to race his way out of the semi and coming up just .315 seconds back of third-placed semi two finisher Brandon Bergen. Wiles still sits in the 5th spot in the overall championship standings with 188 points, and should clinch the Singles Championship this Saturday at the Springfield short track, barring any mechanical or injury-related problems.

Kopp's lead in the overall did shrink to 12 overall to second place man Sammy Halbert, 221-209. Halbert carded a fifth in the main at Indy, and third place in the overall points man Jake Johnson, who finished fourth at Indy, now has 207 points, just 14 back on Smokin Joe. Jared Mees, the defending Twins Champ, carded eighth in the Indy main to stay in the fourth spot overall in points at 198.

The series resumes Saturday night in the arena at the Illinois State Fairgrounds running of the Springfield short track, and hits the fastest mile on the circuit on Sunday. It's go time for all competitors in the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship and the overall title is still very much up for grabs with five total races to run in the 2010 season.

You can read on below about this historic evening of competition and the thrills that are the best show on two wheels below!

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Check out Larry Lawrence's story on this historic evening for AMA Flat Track over at his site TheRiderFiles.com:

http://www.theriderfiles.com/?p=5744

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This is the official story of the evening along with complete results and standings courtesy of AMA Pro Flat Track:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/news/index.cfm?cid=39429

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And from the staff scribes over at the bible of motorcycle racing news, CycleNews.com, you can read their take on this great evening at the Indiana State Fairgrounds running of the Lucas Oil Indy Mile:

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/flat-track/2010/08/30/smith-victorious-at-indy-mile

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And also from the AMA Pro Flat Track site is this great gallery from the AMA's offcial photog, Dave Hoenig:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/multimedia/gallery.cfm?gid=4005

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And from Dave's great site, FlatTrakFotos.com, comes this link to the full list of results, sponsors and photos (soon to be posted as of this writing-usually online within 2-3 days of each event) from this most historic of wins by Bryan Smith and the Werner Springsteen Monster Energy Kawasaki on and at the legendary Indy Mile:

http://www.flattrakfotos.com/2010%20Results/RESULTS%208-28-10.html

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And here is a great album of shots from the great lens of Jim Grant at JGPhotowerx on SmugMug:

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/13550297_dZ2Rw#987584339_ZFRfL

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Dean Adams does a super job on his SuperBikePlanet.com website, and he has some of the infamous Brian J. Nelson's shots from Saturday night at Indy:

http://superbikeplanet.com/image/2010/motogp/indy/briansat/

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David Emmett runs one of THE best websites in the racing business over at MotoMatters.com. As is pretty obvious from the title, the majority of his coverage is of MotoGP, but his ace photographer, Scott Jones, was on-hand at the Indy Mile the night before last and they have these fine shots up from this great race:

http://motomatters.com/report/2010/08/29/the_heart_of_racing_the_2010_indy_mile.html

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Here is the link to AMA Pro Flat Track's event PDF results with complete breakdown for each race and for both the Pro Singles side of the show as well as the GN Twins side of the show from Indy:

http://results.amaproracing.com/pdfresults/ft/2010/13-indiana/

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Motorcycle-USA.com has been doing a super job of covering the AMA Pro Flat Track Series this year, and for those of you that were at Indy, they were the one's giving out the free mags at each of the entrances Saturday night. Matt Davidson has his spin on Saturday night's race events right here:

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/504/7825/Motorcycle-Article/2010-AMA-Flat-Track-Indianapolis-Results.aspx

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AMA Pro Flat Track Lucas Oil Indy Mile MotoGP Weekend Preview

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Former AMA Flat Track winner and National #23 Kevin Atherton (L) makes an adjustment on the Latus/Lloyd Bros/American Agip Ducati of Joe Kopp, the 2000 AMA Grand National Champion, as one of the Lloyd Bros. team members looks on. Kopp took the big twin Ducati to the mile win at Arizona back on May 1st, and hopes to do so again at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile on Saturday night. Per the entry list as of this writing he is entered on the Ducati. Larry Pegram will be making an appearance as well and you can read more on that below.
On the right side of the shot, which was taken at Lima in June, is defending Twins Champion Jared Mees #1 Rogers Lake/Blue Springs-sponsored XR750 as it is being brought up for race time from the pit area. Look for both Jammin' Jared and Smokin' Joe Kopp to be in the mix all night this coming Saturday. It's going to be fast and fun!
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One of the all-time legendary figures in AMA Flat Track is 7-Time AMA Flat Track Grand National Champion tuner Kenny Tolbert. Behind the infamous Bill Werner, Kenny has wrenched
for more AMA Flat Track Grand National Championships and main event wins then any other tuner to have ever walked the hallowed grounds of an AMA Flat Track event. Of course, those multiple championships and wins have come with the pairing of Tolbert with 7-Time AMA Grand National Champion, and the Prince of Peoria, Chris Carr, whose #4 Lancaster H-D/DFW Honda/Arai Helmets-backed XR750's sit in the foreground of this shot at Lima earlier this summer. Of course, Carr won the return to the Lucas Oil Indy Mile in September of 2008, and the pair will be looking to repeat that success in just less then 48 hours from this writing.
I was very fortunate to be able to officially meet both Chris and Kenny earlier this summer and can say it was a pure delight to be able to meet, talk and get to hang out with them. There is nothing like having watched your heroes for over two-and-a-half decades to finally get to meet them and learn they still have the enthusiasm and the drive that you always thought they would and did, as well as learn that they were two of the funniest and warmest individuals to talk with in general. These guys have always had an ultra-strong mile track program, so look for the pairing to put Chris' #4 up at the front Saturday night at the Indy Mile.
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When you talk legends in AMA Flat Track racing, the names Jay Springsteen and Bill Werner always come to the top of the heap. The pairing of the '76-'78 AMA Grand National Champion Springer with super-tuner to the stars Bill Werner in the Harley-Davidson Factory Wrecking Crew was a match and friendship made in heaven. Springer went on to win 40-some odd races along with his three GN Championships, and Bill Werner went on to win some 150 Grand National races as well as 13 Championships as a tuner to the stars. Besides his three with Springer, Bill got his first in '75 with then-champ Gary Scott, and went on to collect nine more with the all-time winner in AMA Flat Track racing, Scott Parker, as the two paired for over a decade-and-a-half to win over 90 races and nine championships together. Can you say history re-written?!
Werner and Springsteen paired up after the '09 season was over and formed Werner Springsteen Kawasaki Racing, and put National #42 Bryan Smith in the seat of the team's Ninja 650-based twins racers. With sponsorship from Monster Energy/Kawasaki/Wossner Pistons/Supertrapp and a list that would cover this page, the team has had some bright spots in a growing year, one of which was when Smith put the #42 machine on the podium in the spring running of the Springfield Mile. Teething and growing the first-year team being what it is, going into the Lucas Oil Indy Mile, the team sits eighth in the AMA Pro K&N Filters Grand National Overall Championship. Saturday night could be a big building block, and with Indy and three other mile tracks left in the season, could finish strong to wrap up the season. Never count these men out as there is way too much experience between them to rule them out.
In the picture Springer can be seen speaking with AMA Flat Track's Ken Saillant while Bill Werner looks over the machines in final prep before the running of the Lima Half Mile earlier this year.
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3-Time AMA Grand National Champion, and now #2-plate wearer Kenny Coolbeth, Jr., looks on during rider intros at Lima in June. Sponsored by the Screamin' Eagle/H-D Motor Corp/Arai and Fox, Coolbeth won the '09 running of the Lucas Oil Indy Mile, and with a factory motor, you can never rule him out on the big tracks. Or anywhere, for that matter, as the 18 year veteran is older, wiser and much more cunning then his youthful looks make him out to be.
Just in front of the King of Cool is GN rookie PJ Jacobsen and his #99B Moroney's 1-800-FASTHOG/Weiss Racing/Shoei-sponsored XR750 and crew.
Contesting the AMA Road Racing Series this year for Celtic Racing, PJ has been taking some time off from the pavement races to run some AMA Pro Flat Track events, winning a semi in Lima and also putting it into the field at the spring mile at Springfield. He'll be at Indy trying to make the field again before he heads to New Jersey for the penultimate round of the AMA Road Racing Series during Labor Day Weekend. You can read his team's press release below and find out more PJ.
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Current AMA Flat Track Manager Mike Kidd, former National #72 and then #7 after winning the 1981 AMA Grand National Championship, rolls through the pits at Indy during the double-header round in August of 1977. Just a week before, MK had crashed at the terrible Terre Haute track, breaking his wrist/forearm-if you look closely, you can see his cast on his left arm. He came back to podium and win this very weekend, and won a total of two Indy Miles in his long and illustrious AMA Flat Track career. A multiple factory team rider, Mike rode for the factory Triumph and Harley-Davidson teams and was one of the first riders to sign up with Honda when they came into AMA Flat Track in the early '80s. Winning the '81 AMA Grand National Championship by five points in the final round at Ascot over Hank Scott, Mike was also the first rider to bring outside-the-sport sponsorship to the table in running his own program. His Army sponsorship for his AMA Flat Track program in the late '70s/early '80s was unprecedented for it's day and set the bar for future outside-the-sport sponsorships to come into the great sport of flat track racing.

Since retiring from racing, he and his brother Gary started the Arenacross series, ran it successfully and then sold it to Clear Channel and ran the program for them for some years, with also a high level of success in doing so with his and his brother's knowledge of the sport, the fans and the racers. Mike and Gary have brought the same level of enthusiasm and professionalism to AMA Flat Track in running the program for them the last couple of years, and both are largely responsible, along with former Grand National competitor Steve Morehead, of bringing the sport of AMA Flat Track back to the forefront in terms of excitement and high speed thrills. Their knowledge of the sport, the owners, fans, promoters and track preparation have turned the sport around where the show now goes off on time-in most cases-and is efficient and fun to be a part of again. And he still has his youthful smile that he had some 36 years ago when I first started watching him win races in this great arena of high speed motorcycle racing.

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Brandon Robinson, National #44, sits in his pits while being interviewed by Larry Lawrence of The Rider Files.com during the Gas City Short Track earlier in the summer. Sponsored by Lancaster H-D/Action Motorsports/Ruckus 44 and his parents and grand parents, Brandon may best be remembered at this point in time for two things. One, winning the 2008 AMA Flat Track Expert Twins Championship, and two, flying out of the park at the Indy Mile during the August 2009 running of the main event in turn one. Coming back from devastating leg, hip and rib injuries at the very least, the young man looked good at Gas City and finished seventh in the short track Expert Singles event in June.

Since he is still in the healing process, and admitted in June that his movement 'is very limited at this time' from all of his operations from his injury, Brandon didn't run last weekend's Peoria event in order to rest up for Indy this weekend. We can't wait to see the enthusiastic young man back out in the mix on the big tracks again and wish him the very best of luck-and safe racing-for his future!

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Larry Pegram rolls his #72F Lloyd Bros/American Agip Ducati into place in the pits at Indy during August of 2009 in preparation for the evening's events. Larry didn't make the main last year, but came back on the bike-now running the #99 number plate-to get 10th at the spring running of the Springfield Mile. With Joe Kopp having won at Arizona now, Larry is ready to equal that result after the work he has helped the team with in getting the big twin Ducati up to speed in AMA Pro Flat Track competition.

This weekend should help as Larry has the weekend off from his Foremost/Ducati/Pegram Racing AMA Road Racing duties, and will be looking to put it in the show and finish up front on the Hypermotard 1100-based machine. We'll be ready to see him put it together. Larry has been competing in AMA Flat Track for over 20 years now.

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With less than 48 hours until the running of the 2010 edition of the Lucas Oil Indy Mile AMA Pro Flat Track event, Stu's Shots wanted to bring this little preview out since we will be at both IMS and the Indiana State Fairgrounds over the course of the next three days for this monumental weekend here in the World Capital of Racing.

Since being paired up with the Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP round, AMA Pro Flat Track's return to the popular Indy Mile track has seen a resurgence in fans, action, race teams and the program as an overall whole. With AMA Flat Track Manager Mike Kidd at the helm, with the help of his brother Gary, along with track-prep specialist and former Grand National competitor Steve Morehead, the series is hitting on all cylinders and at a pretty good clip as well.

With title sponsorship being announced in late May in the terms of the series new name--AMA Pro K&N Filters presented by Motorcycle Superstore.com Grand National Championship--Mike and Company have really helped to turn the greatest show on wheels around in very little time. Considering the dwindling numbers in the ranks of racers, venues and fans from just six or so years ago, the series has and is once again proving to all why the Rolling Thunder show is the best show on two wheels again.

With this being the third year back since returning to Indy since the late '90s, the action should be fast and very furious for the first of six remaining events on the AMA Pro Flat Track schedule. Including Indy, with four miles, one half mile and one short track left in the 2010 season, round 12 at Indy could very well prove to be pivotal in many ways. And with the crowd that is expected to be on hand, this will be a great showcase to kick in the run to the 2010 AMA Grand National Championship, where the eventual champion will be crowned in Arizona the second weekend in October. With the overall championship having Joe Kopp out front with 208 points over second place Sammy Halbert with 191 points, Jake Johnson in third with 190, defending Singles Champion Henry Wiles in fourth with 188, and defending Twins Champion Jared Mees in fifth with 187 points, the race for the crown is far from over. And is most likely to get pretty heated starting about 7:30 PM EDT Saturday evening.

Believe me, you don't want to miss it as the AMA Pro Flat Track Rolling Thunder Show storms into the Indiana State Fairgrounds and shows the fans where, and what, the real racing is all about. Be there or be square, as it's gonna fly by you at about 140 MPH in a pack that make fighter pilots look like youngsters.

Read some of the releases and whether you are there, or not, you can follow the action below with the links provided. Stu's Shots will be there and will have some extra coverage after the weekend is over to showcase this great two wheeled sport that is re-inventing itself and showing the fans that everything else is just a race.

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Here's a press report from defending GN Twins Champ Jared Mees as he talks about the last two races and the lead up to Saturday night's legendary Indy Mile pairing with the Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP round:

http://www.theriderfiles.com/?p=5671

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AMA road racer P.J. Jacobsen has been running some AMA Flat Track events, and he has the Indy Mile on his calendar this weekend before he heads to New Jersey Motorsports Park for the Labor Day weekend running of the AMA Road Racing Series. Here's his press release courtesy of his sponsor Moroney's 1-800-FASTHOG as posted over at RoadRacingWorld.com:

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=41714

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Here is the official event page for round 12 at Indy (they still have it listed as round 13 forgetting about the canceled Grove City event) as posted over at the AMA Pro Flat Track site:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/events/event.cfm?eid=2010021065

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Nicky Hayden will be at the Indy Mile, but unfortunately not to throw a leg over one of the Lloyd Bros. Ducatis. Instead, he will be the Grand Marshall for the event and you can read the press release here as posted over at SpeedTV.com's Moto Racing News site:

http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/motogp-hayden-to-be-indy-mile-grand-marshall/

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Here's the weather info for the Indiana State Fairgrounds running of the AMA Pro Flat Track Indy Mile event thanks to The Weather Underground folks:

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=46205&searchType=WEATHER

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And thanks to Google Maps here is the link to the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Just zoom in to the grandstand area and/or the infield area to get where you need to go once on the premises. The place is real easy to get around in, and around on!

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=indiana+state+fairgrounds&hl=en&cd=1&ei=0wl3TLfOJp-sNe3OkNMP&sig2=xc-HZA516IANKrnA-eWYoQ&ie=UTF8&view=map&cid=9401432956597038257&ved=0CHwQpQY&hq=indiana+state+fairgrounds&hnear=&ll=39.826995,-86.134443&spn=0.007399,0.019205&t=h&z=16&iwloc=A

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SpeedTV.com's Moto Racing News has the rundown from last year's Lucas Oil Indy Mile which was won by 3-Time Grand National Champion Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. on the Screamin' Eagle H-D XR750. You can read about it here:

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ama-flat-track-coolbeth-takes-indy-mile/

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And thanks to SuperBikePlanet.com we have some review shots of the return of AMA Pro Flat Track to the Indy Mile at the 2008 Lucas Oil Indy Mile in September of 2008, which was won by 7-Time AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr on his Kenny Tolbert tuned H-D XR750. Check them out here as you get ready for Saturday night's action on the fast and furious Indiana State Fairgrounds track:

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/image/2008/mgp/indy/mile/index.htm

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Note--I didn't post a link for the AMA Flat Track Live Timing and Scoring since they don't put the fresh and updated link up until the day of the race itself. I have updated the link on the left side column, which should prove to be correct with the way they have been changing the paths for the link to each race. However, on race day you should be able for sure to get it by going to the link below, which is the AMA Pro Racing opening page, and they should have a link for it at the top of the page highlighted in green, again, come race day:

http://amaproracing.com/
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And you can get your very own Legends of The Indy Mile shirts right here-pretty cool!

http://legendsofflattrack.com/index.html

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Good News Again On The Eve of the 3rd Annual Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP Round

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The IMS Pagoda looms overhead in the background during the Red Bull IndianapolisMotoGP race weekend in August of 2009, during the pitwalk to see all of the exotic European machinery as it is readied for battle for the next three days. Teams set up their bikes in front of the garages for the fan's viewing as some work in the garages, while others stand around enjoying the camaraderie of the other team members, and in some cases the public while viewing the wonderfully prepared machines. This is as close as you get to the big boys on this level.
What has been pretty much another badly-kept secret is the re-signing of the sprawling Indianapolis Motor Speeday to an extension of it's contract with Dorna to continue on hosting the Indy round of MotoGP. The final details in the overall MotoGP schedule are being worked out and it sounds like an official announcement COULD come here this weekend, but if not for sure within the next several weeks.
The Hulman Family will play host again this weekend to the premier motorcycle racing series in the world at the World Capital of Racing in Speedway, IN. From a fan's point of view, the hosting of this event has been unparalleled and has been welcomed with open arms and a lot of positive comments over the course of the last couple of years from those that venture from afar to attend this grandeur event. If the cards play out the way things should be, IMS will host the MotoGP circus again in 2011 and most probably beyond.
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Riders including multi-time World Champion Valentino Rossi, '06 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden, and 2-Time World Superbike Champion James Toseland head through the carousel on the north end of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during qualifying for the inaugaral running of the Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP round In September of 2008.
Probably the only thing that has been a negative for the first two years of hosting the MotoGP round was the weather problems while dealing with the remnants of Hurricane Ike on the final day of racing. But then again, there's not much you can do about Mother Nature, even when you are as big of a corporation as the Hulman Family is. Last year's event saw rain on Friday afternoon's free practice sessions, and the weather forecast for this weekend is superb.
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With just over 14 hours before the gates open on the sprawling Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 3rd Annual running of the Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP round, good news came down the pipe earlier today that, for the most part, was probably another one of those worst-kept secrets in MotoGP.

According to the news from the Indianapolis Star Newspapers, The Brickyard is close to making an official announcement, along with Dorna (the rights owners for MotoGP) that they will be extending the contract for 2011-and most probably beyond-for Indy to continue hosting the premier motorcycle road racing event in the world at the famed Speedway, IN. speedway.

After a rough start in 2008 in the initial running, IMS also got to host the remnants of Hurricane Ike that caused havoc for the fans, racers and the Yamaha tent in the infield. Several people were injured slightly when 60+ mph winds hit the massive 1000+ acre facility, causing the main Yamaha tent display to pull up stakes-so to speak, and for fans to have to seek shelter from those winds blowing up their bums. Thankfully no major or permanent damage was done, especially to the fans. The MotoGP race itself was cut short by eight laps due to crosswinds on the track that caused some major problems for the premier class, but again no major crashes or injury. The 250CC class was the only real loser in that the race had to be scrapped due to time constraints after waiting out the storm that hit Indy in the late morning/early afternoon of the final day's event. 2009 saw rain on the first free practice day on Friday of the event, and the rest of the weekend was wonderful. The forecast for this weekend's 3rd Annual running is expected to be just about perfect.

In what should be a wonderful weekend for fans, racers, teams and sponsors alike, the 3rd running of the Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP round will be about fun, speed and excitement. With all of the vendor displays in Gasoline Alley as well as in the infield, the pitwalk on Friday morning, and the chance to at least see your favorite rider-or riders-from closer then your 52 inch flat screen, there is something for everyone at this great event that is hosted by the World Capital of Racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

And that doesn't even take into account all of the other outings in/around the area. This is only a short sampling of all the goings on:

Lawrenceburg Speedway in Lawrenceburg, IN., just west of Cincinatti, is hosting a pro short track event on Friday evening, Mid America Speedway at the Marion County Fairgrounds on the southeast side of Indy is hosting the Speedway Championships, AMA Endurocross is at the Pepsi Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, and the XDL Freestyle stunt show is downtown at the War Memorial.

But the biggest 'race within the race weekend' is the Indy Mile on Saturday night as the AMA Pro Flat Track rolling thunder show rolls into town for a repeat performance from the last two year's return to the famed Indiana State Fairgrounds mile dirt track.

That will be the race to see and we will be doing a preview of the Indy Mile before tomorrow night here as well on Stu's Shots.

'08 winner Chris Carr and '09 winner Kenny Coolbeth, Jr., will be on hand to try and steal the bacon at 140 MPH on the Indy Mile straightaways. The best show on wheels will not and does not dissapoint and AMA Flat Track Manager Mike Kidd and his team will be there to set the bar as they have done again and again the last few years in bringing this sport to the forefront again.

So read on below of the good news about MotoGP returning again after this year to Indy and the logistics involved for it to happen, and enjoy everything there is to do this fine weekend. It's going to be a good one!

WFO baby!
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The always-on-the-MotoGP-scene David Emmett of the superb MotoMatters.com talks about the final logistics being worked out with Dorna, IMS, and Laguna Seca in order to make the re-signing of The Indianapolis Motor Speedway round of the Red Bull MotoGP official for 2011 and, with any luck, beyond.
There is also a link in David's article to the news as was reported on the Indianapolis Star Newspaper this morning.
Read on and right on:

http://motomatters.com/news/2010/08/26/indianapolis_motor_speedway_close_to_ext.html
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Roger Lee Hayden & Jason DiSalvo Looking for Good Results in Moto2 Wild Card Outing at the Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP Round

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Roger Lee Hayden on the #95 Kawasaki Motors Corp. ZX-6RR leads older brother, and '04-'05 AMA 600 Supersport Champion Tommy Hayden on the #1-like sponsored machine, early in the running of the AMA 600 Supersport final at Mid Ohio on July 24, 2005. Keeping it close are Ben Attard on the #12 Attack Performance/Kawasaki Motors Corp. ZX-6RR and Jason DiSalvo on the #40 Chuck Graves-run Yamaha Motor Corp. YZF-R6. After 16 laps of fighting it out, the four finished pretty darn near this close to one another, and in the order as shown in the shot. Only .553 seconds seperated the Hayden's from Attard, and DiSalvo finished just 2.269 seconds arrears of winner Roger Lee.

Roger Lee and Jason are both contesting the Indy MotoGP Moto2 Class in wild card outings this weekend and after testing at the World Capital of Racing last Thursday and Friday at least have a good feel for the track, since neither had ever ridden it. With a one-shot deal to get your name and number back in front of an international crowd and make some impressions for their future resumes in racing, both riders know the difficulty of taking something like this on in a class that could see as many as 43 or 44 bikes on the grid come racetime on Sunday. Stu's Shots will be watching them both and helping to get them home towards the top and we wish them the best and safest of racing this weekend.

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One of the better stories from the American side of things for the 3rd Annual Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP is the wild card appearances in the Moto2 class of former AMA Road Racing stars Roger Lee Hayden and Jason DiSalvo. Both men tested last Thursday and Friday at the World Capital of Racing on the 2.6 mile IMS course in preparation for this weekend's round 11 stop of the MotoGP/Moto2/125CC World Championships. (Okay, in actuality it is really only stop 10 for the Moto2 and 125 classes as they didn't make the trip to Laguna Seca in late July.)

Hayden was able to test all day on both days as American Honda set the test up and paid the big bucks (reportedly $30K U.S. to rent the sprawling IMS facility for the two day test), and they are the one's footing the bill for this big outing for RLH. With Kevin Erion and his Erion Honda Racing resources paired up with Roger Lee, and former '93 500CC World Champion Kevin Schwantz managing the effort, this is a full-on assault in the Moto2 class.

With Honda submitting the control-spec and sealed 600CC engines for all participants in the 40+ rider class, it was a natural to sponsor an American effort since American Honda has been pretty idle in U.S. road racing since the end of the 2008 season. And with this match up of the stars-literally and figuratively-they could produce some really good results with the Moriwaki-based chassis set up the team is using. This was the team's third test after also having tested under hot and humid conditions at Barber Motorsports Park earlier this summer as well. And with the close proximity of times being produced by the regular riders in this class, every minute of track time is going to prove to be VERY vital in order to be able to produce top 1o or even top 15 results, not to mention the level of talent in this class.

Roger Lee has been contesting the World Superbike Championship for the under funded Team Pedercini Kawasaki, but has shown signs of great considering the lack of development the bike has received, and has scored points in a couple of rounds now. That may not sound that great for the guy that took the 2007 AMA 600 Supersport Championship and used to figure up in the front in almost every class or race he has run in North America in the last 10+ years, but if you look at the curve of what he has gotten out of the bike, the level of competition in WSBK, the lack of money the team has been able to put into it, and then throw in Roger's never having seen the majority of the tracks they race on, well, he's not doing too awfully bad then. But you have to look at the big picture to see the signs of light being emitted from what he has done in the face of these hurdles this year.

Jason DiSalvo will also be doing the wild card thing in the Moto2 class for the FTR MOTO M210 team and his effort will be overlooked by current AMA Pro Racing Technical advisor Al Luddington, who if you will remember was involved with American Honda for some time and wrenched for a man by the name of Miguel Duhamel. The man knows Honda's and he knows how to set a bike up, so that has to be a big plus to have in your corner coming into this one-off weekend.

Jason seemed reasonably happy with the test speeds he was able to attain last week and is also hoping for strong results after having split in late May/early June with the World Supersport team of ParkinGo BE1 Racing after running their Daytona 675 Speed Triple in the World Supersport Championship for the first part of the year.

Knowing this is a big platform to be able to put on a good showing, the Moto2 class running this weekend at the Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP round is probably going to be the race and class where it is all going to happen. The new class has produced some changes and variations compared to the old 250CC two stroke class in that some of the regular two stroke riders who used to be at the front have struggled with the new diesel class. Whereas some of the up and comers who have come out of four stroke production-type racing--i.e. Roger Lee Hayden and Jason DiSalvo (we hope!), have faired much better with the rigidity of the chassis and the performance specs of the sealed inline four cylinder four stroke machines.

Thusly, for both RLH and DiSalvo, this is a critical weekend to get their names out there for future consideration in just about any racing series, let alone one that caters to 40+ rider grids and runs on an international level criss-crossing the globe several times throughout a given race season. That's a pretty steep hill to climb for both riders and both teams.

Whichever way things go for the former AMA Road Racing pilots, the real winners this weekend are going to be the fans. The level of racing produced in this class is top of the bar, and when you throw in the wild cards for the weekend here in Indy, you've got a full-on game of black jack....on two wheels at 160+ mph.

We wish Roger Lee Hayden and Jason DiSalvo both the very best of luck and safest of racing this weekend and we'll be on hand to check them out and watch them perform on this greatest of stages. And if they can manage to put it up there and dice it with the boys over the course of racing action, good on them! Go get 'em guys!

You can check out the various reports of the tests at Indy last week below, as well as a press release from American Honda below that has a shot of the great looking machine with the #34-in homage to team manager Kevin Schwantz-that RLH will be contesting here in Indy.

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Here's Larry Lawrence's spin on what these guys have ahead of them for this weekend's round 11 of the MotoGP circus at Indy in their respective wild card rides in the new Moto2 class. Larry runs the always bitchin' TheRiderFiles.com and was on the scene for the test session these two took part in last Thursday and Friday at the World Capital of Racing here in Indianapolis over at IMS:

http://www.theriderfiles.com/?p=5597

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And here's Double L's posting on the test sessions as per the press release from IMS:

http://www.theriderfiles.com/?p=5584

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Here's Larry's report from the first test day that Roger Lee and Jason took part in along with Kenny Noyes and Robertino Pietri. Some good shots of the boys from Larry as well that helped to fill in the big picture on the testing session:

http://www.theriderfiles.com/?p=5554

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And here is another spin on the testing put in by Roger Lee on the American Honda/Erion Racing/Kevin Schwantz-run team that also has a shot of the bike in the great looking colors as RLH will be racing:

http://motorsportsnewswire.wordpress.com/2010/08/24/american-honda-moto2-team-indy-test-0824105/

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Ben Spies Ready to Go WFO at Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP Round This W/E

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Eric Bostrom on the #32 Ducati Austin/Parts Unlimited/Dunlop/Red Bull-sponsored 999R leads Ben Spies on the #11 American Suzuki/Yoshimura/Motorex/Dunlop-backed GSX-R1000 early in the running of race one of the AMA Superbike Series weekend at Mid Ohio in July of 2005. Spies got around EBoz in race one to finish second to winner Mat Mladin with EBoz rounding out the podium. The youngest of the Boz Bros turned it around in Sunday's race two and won with Miguel Duhamel in second and Ben 'Elbowz' Spies bringing it home third on the day.
Elbowz went on to win the '06-'08 AMA Superbike Championship, the '09 World Superbike Championship-as a rookie-and currently sits in 7th place in the 2010 MotoGP Championship standings, having already scored a podium finish at the Silverstone round with a fine third place finish on his Monster Energy Yamaha YZR-M1. Look for Ben to be close to the top at Indy this weekend as he has enough or more experience at this track then many of the tracks that the MotoGP circus visits. With two days tire testing at the end of June of '08 for the Suzuki MotoGP squad, and then racing in the first Indy Red Bull MotoGP in September of '08, Ben will have at least an equal-or better if that is possible-advantage at IMS this weekend during round 11 action.
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Ben Spies is looking to step it up (again?!) at this weekend's running of the 3rd Annual Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP, round 11 of 18 of the 2010 MotoGP World Championship. Having already put it on the podium back at the Silverstone round and then qualifying on the front row at Brno two weeks ago, Ben is making the U.S. fans and his Monster Energy Yamaha squad quite proud this year. And including this weekend here in Indy, we still have eight rounds to go before he most probably is crowned the 2010 MotoGP Rookie of the Year. Not that I'm trying to throw a jinx at anyone now. Quite a performance for the satellite Monster Energy Yamaha pilot and squad to say the least.

Elbowz is looking forward to racing on U.S. soil again and also to being back at Indianapolis for his second go-around at the most famous race track in the world. Having tire tested here and competing in the first running of this event some two years ago, Ben does know the nuances of the REAL world center of racing and it's multi-surface layout. With the MotoGP track being completed in the early spring of 2008, this track does offer a variety of surface-types where everything from the original oval, the changes made from when the Formula One parade was here, and it was constructed and pieced together (so to speak) from different mixes of asphalt, making for the surface-types meeting together and offering different grip levels for traction. There have been some rumblings about those differences in grip levels as a result of the putting together of this world famous facility, but Ben knows them well from the many laps he ran here. If my memory serves me, in just the two days alone of tire testing in 2008 he ran close to 80 laps or so each day. In other words, over three race distances each day. So this should be a great weekend for him here in Indy!

One of two of the still-to-be-officially-announced worst-kept secrets left in the MotoGP silly season is where Ben will end up for the 2011 season. With '07 MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner making his move to the Repsol Honda team official and multi-time 500CC/MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi making his move to the Marlboro Ducati team official, Ben Spies moving to the official Yamaha MotoGP team for next season should be 'officially' announced this weekend on U.S. soil at the World Capital of Racing. And of course the second of those two worst-kept secrets being the announcement-most likely this weekend as well-of Nicky Hayden staying on for another year with the Marlboro Ducati team, and his pairing again with soon-to-be-team mate Valentino Rossi.

This should be a great weekend overall, what with the 'official' announcements for two of the three American riders in the MotoGP class, the weather outlook overall is really expected to be superb and most likely the best of the three years that MotoGP has visited here at IMS. Sure has to beat '08 with the remnants of Hurricane Ike bearing down on us the final day of racing and pushing 60+ mph winds up most everyone's arse and all but spoiling the Yamaha and Boz Bros party in the infield in taking out some of the tent supports. Last year we even got some rain on Friday so it made it sketchy for not only the fans, but especially the riders during day one's on-track activities.

It's going to be great to see Ben and the boys back here for this monumental event. And since he was off killing 'em in World Superbike last year this will be his first visit since he brought the Rizla Suzuki #11 home in sixth place during the Hurricane Ike edition of the Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP round in September of 2008. It should be great for him as well as the fans, and we wish Ben as well as all of the others the best as well as the safest of racing this weekend!

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Colin Young over at SpeedTV.com's Moto Racing News penned this article about Ben's season and his hopes for himself and the Monster Energy Yamaha, as well as for the U.S. fans at this weekend's running of the 3rd Annual Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP, round 11 of the 18 round MotoGP 2010 season.

Check it out, and we'll be watching for Ben, Nicky and Colin to put on a great show no matter where they end up, as well as the rest of the MotoGP traveling road show!

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/motogp-spies-going-for-broke-at-the-brickyard/
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Indy Red Bull MotoGP Round 11 May Be Last Chance for North Amer Fans to See Colin Edwards on a MotoGP Bike

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Kenny Roberts, Jr. sits on the #25 Wayne Rainey Racing/Otsuka lectronics/Nankai/
Tsubaki/PJ1-backed Yamaha TZ250 ready to roll out for practice at Mid Ohio in late July/early August of 1992. To his right sits--and SMILES--eventual '92 AMA 250GP Champion Colin Edwards on the #45 Southwest Motorsports/Yamaha/Dunlop/OTS/Arai/Vanson-sponsored TZ250. KRJR obviously moved up to the then-500CC World Championship, and won the title for Suzuki in 2000, the second to last before the end of the two strokes.
Edwards moved up to the premier AMA Superbike Championship Series in '93 winning Rookie of the Year honors and winning three races in '94 while riding for the Vance & Hines Yamaha squad, his first of those wins coming at Mid Ohio in the summer of '94. Moving to the World Superbike Championship in the mid-late '90s with Yamaha, he could never attain the championship with them-and it wasn't for lack of trying! With a move to Honda, CE captured the '00 and '02 World Superbike Championships on one of the team's star-fleet RVF-RC51 big twins, winning his AND Honda's initial championship on the all-new 1000CC twin that was brought out to even the score over the big twin Ducatis.
Could the 2011 season in MotoGP see Tech 3 Yamaha without any Texas riders (with Ben Spies most-likely moving up to the Factory Yamaha team) and Colin possibly on a Xerox-sponsored Factory Ducati in WSBK? Time will tell. That's why they call it silly season. But where ever The Texas Tornado may land, hopefully he will be smiling again!
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Colin Edwards' Tech 3 Yamaha Monster Energy/Motul/Antonio Lupi-backed YZR-M1 sits outside the paddock garages at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in August of 2009 in preparation for the 2nd Annual Indy Red Bull MotoGP round. With the talk-and probable announcement this weekend-that team mate Ben Spies will be moving up to the Factory Yamaha team for the '11 season, and CE considering a move to World Superbike, the France-based Tech 3 team could be looking at starting fresh for the first time in a few years. And the big question would be who would fill the seats on this fine team? Considering they have the direct ties to the Yamaha factory, a rider would just about give his first-born to ride one of these finely prepared machines. I know it's silly season, but with Indy being the 11th of 18 rounds for MotoGP, it's also time to line up the dominos for next game.
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With the 11th round of the MotoGP calendar about to commence at the 3rd Annual Indianapolis Red Bull MotoGP, the cards are starting to fall as to who will be where, and who won't for the 2011 season. With '07 MotoGP World Champion Casey Stoner announcing his move to the Repsol Honda squad and multi-time Champion Valentino Rossi making his move to Marlboro Ducati official 10 days ago, the big news that will most likely come out of the World Capital of Racing in Indianapolis this weekend should not only involve Nicky Hayden as discussed earlier today in our previous post, but the riders on the Tech 3 Monster Energy Yamaha squad.

It's pretty much a badly kept secret that Ben 'Elbowz' Spies will be moving up to the Factory Yamaha team for the '11 season, and that announcement will most likely come 'officially' this weekend, so as to help spur on more American fans and with any luck American involvement in the high dollar arena of MotoGP racing. And to be able to capitalize on a U.S.-based round and crowd to help generate more buzz throughout this great land of ours.

For Colin Edwards, the talk has been centered on his possible/probable move to the Factory Ducati squad in World Superbike for next season. CE has been fairly vocal on the lack of speed from this year's YZR-M1, and of course the fact that Honda has the fastest bike, again, in a straight line has pretty much made it miserable for anyone NOT on the Big Red--or Orange as the Repsol sign would be. Except of course Yamaha Fiat Factory Pilot Jorge Lorenzo who can't seem to turn a wheel wrong.

With Ben Spies able to get one on the podium in his first year in the premier class, the frustration with NOT being able to get the bike up to speed has grown with Colin Edwards, thusly the chance he may or could make the move to the series he helped to dominate from '95-'02 and winning two World Superbike Championships in the process a solid reality. That could mean that U.S. fans may be seeing the last appearance by the Texas Tornado at Indy on a MotoGP bike. Not that a move to WSBK would be bad--where ever the man lands, as long as he's smiling and in the mix, bravo. JMOH. But then I've been a fan of CE's for 19 seasons now, dating back to early '92.

So if you ARE a fan of Colin's--and even if you aren't--relish this visit to the World Capital of Racing in Indianapolis by not only the MotoGP circus in general, but of Colin on a multi-million dollar factory prototype as it may be our last chance to see him before he possibly heads over to the World Superbike Championship for the 2011 season.

Read about it below and check out an old interview with CE as well!
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Here's the article by Dean and Co. over at SuperBikePlanet.com that talks with The Texas Tornado about his chances/prospects of moving to the Ducati WSBK team for the 2011 season. Which ever way it goes, Colin will still always be a welcome sight at any race event, being one of the crowd favorites as well as one of the on-track favorites. Where ever he may land for the 2011 season and beyond, the series he runs and the fans that follow it will be better off for it as always! Go get 'em man!

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2010/Jul/100724b17.htm
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And here's a great little article about Colin penned by the always excellent and on the edge Dean Adams over at SuperBikePlanet.com that talks with him back in '03 after he had moved to the MotoGP World Championship after having won the '02 World Superbike Championship.

Check down the right side column and you'll see the cover shot for American RoadRacing in August of '92. It's CE and KRJR on the bikes as shown in the first shot above from the '92 AMA 250GP Championship and Colin's championship-winning season. Good old stuff! Thanks Dean!

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2003-nov/031110edwards1.htm
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Nicky Hayden Shows Off New Helmet Design for Indy Red Bull MotoGP Round

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Nicky Hayden on the #69 American Honda/Honda Riders Club/Pro Honda Oils/Dunlop-backed RVF-RC51 leads the Vance & Hines/Ducati/Parts Unlimited/Dunlop/PJ-1 Oil-backed Ducati 996 of #46 John Kocinski (and '90 World 250CC Champion and '97 World Superbike Champion), with Nicky's team mate Miguel Duhamel on the #17 Amer. Honda/Dunlop/Jardine/Shoei-backed RC51 bringing up the rear in this fight during early AMA Superbike race two action at Mid Ohio in July of 2000. Miguel went on to bin it not too many laps after this shot was taken, Nicky came home third on the day (after taking second the previous day in round one action), and John Kocinski brought the V&H Duc home in fifth for the day. Aaron Yates won both rounds in Lexington that hot and steamy weekend as a team mate to Mladin on an American Suzuki/Yoshimura/Dunlop/Motorex/Showa/Mikuni-backed GSX-R750.
Nicky ended up ranked 2nd and 3rd in the AMA Superbike Series for the '00 and '01 seasons, and collected the 2002 AMA Superbike Series Championship, beating then-3-Time AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin's string for that time at three championships. At the time, #69 was also the youngest-ever champion in the premier U.S.-based series. He added to his '99 AMA 600 Supersport Championship in the process, and went on to win Rookie of the Year in MotoGP in 2003, and garnered the 2006 MotoGP World Championship while riding for the Repsol Honda Team. Nicky has raced the last two years with the Italian-based (and built) Team Marlboro Ducati and is also expected to announce this weekend at Indy that he will continue to get the best out of his Desmosed ici GP10 on into the 2011 season as well.
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Nicky Hayden, the 2002 AMA Superbike Champion and the 2006 MotoGP World Champion, unveiled a new lid he will be wearing for the upcoming weekend while riding his Marlboro Ducati Desmosedici GP10 in round eleven of the MotoGP World Championship. And it looks pretty awesome in paying respect to the greatest race course in the world.

Unless you have been living under a rock, this upcoming weekend is the 3rd Annual Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP round being held at the World Capital of Racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and it's sprawling mecca. Over 100,000 people are expected to walk in and out of the gates of the most famous race course in the world this weekend to come and see the boys get it on the 2.6 mile road course that has hosted the MotoGP circus since the initial 2008 outing at IMS (which also hosted Hurricane Ike remnants for those of you who remember 60+ mph winds blowing up your bum and darn near taking down the big Yamaha tent in the infield housing Yamaha streetbikes, demos, and the Boz Bros Bike Show). The weather outlook is good for the weekend in Indianapolis and the racing should be even better if the last two years have been any indication.

Here's a few pics of Nicky's new lid for the weekend which does a wonderful job of celebrating the Centennial Era at IMS, incorporating the bricks at the start/finish line, the new pagoda built to resemble and pay homage to the original pagoda from the 1950's, as well as the track's now-over 100 year old lineage. If you are a fan of all-things Indianapolis, you won't be dissapointed. And if you aren't, sorry for your rotten luck, cuz this hat is way cool! Go Nicky 69!


Check it out here thanks to Nicky's official website and enjoy:

http://www.nickyhayden.com/index.cfm/p/news#a_9F0775F6C2
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Henry Wiles Spanks Em Again at AMA Flat Track Peoria TT

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Henry 'Hammerin' Hank' Wiles watches the competition in heat two during short track action at Gas City in June of 2010 after having won heat one, and eventually going on to the final win at the Gas City/I-69 Speedway.
Wiles rode his Monster Energy/Don's Kawasaki/Shift Racing/Jones Bros. #1 machine to a very convincing sixth-straight victory at Peoria Raceway Park in round 11 of the AMA Pro K&N Filters presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com Grand National Championship yesterday afternoon. Henry had a perfect day in setting fast time (in both qualifying sessions to time in at .361 faster then second fastest man Bryan Smith), winning his heat (the fastest of the day good for pole position), the dash for cash (winning by close to 1.5 seconds) and the GNC Singles final event. The only lap he didn't lead was the first lap of the dash, and he won the main by over 11 seconds on second-place man Jared Mees and takes a very strong 113-92 point lead in the Singles Championship over Joe Kopp to the now-final Singles event at Springfield on September 4th.
Kopp still holds the overall GNC points lead over new second place man Sammy Halbert by 17 points, 208-191. Jake Johnson rounds out the top three with 190 points by virtue of his fourth place finish yesterday. Wiles sits in the fourth spot overall with 188 points after his fourth win of the season, his third singles win on the year.
If anyone can stop Hammerin' Hank, they weren't in the ballpark yesterday at Peoria. Barring any major problems he should walk away with another Singles Championship again in 12 days time. Look for Henry to win again at Springfield in grand style as it sure doesn't look like anyone has anything for him in the Singles Championship this year. Not that they aren't trying! The man has it dialed on the little bikes, and if his program on the twins ever gets to the point as what his singles program is, look out.
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Peoria TT second place man Jared Mees takes a swig of water while overlooking prep on his bikes in the pits at Gas City back in June. Riding the #21 Rockysonline.com/Lucas Oil/Rogers Lake/Montgomeryville Cycle Center-backed Honda, Jammin' Jared timed in for the day in 9th spot, won the third heat race and also took second in the dash to go along with his runner-up spot in the AMA Flat Track Peoria TT Singles main event.
The defending Twins Champion now sits in the fifth spot in the overall standings with 187 points, and also holds down third in the Singles Championship with 90 points. Look for Jared to put a strong run in at the Springfield rounds over Labor Day weekend in both the short track and the mile events with the season starting to wind down. He has had some good results from both Springfield events in the past, and there is no reason to believe it won't happen again this year. But first up is the Indy Mile this Saturday.
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AMA Flat Track racing brothers Jethro Halbert/#69 and Sammy Halbert/#7 sit and wait out the red flag break in the running of the Gas City/I-69 short track event earlier this summer.
Jethro made the cut at Peoria yesterday according to qualifying, but didn't actually race the main and as of this writing I haven't heard anything official on that.
Brother Slammin' Sammy, however, rode his Woody Kyle Racing/Fredericktown Yamaha/Kings Kustoms/Fluid Suspension-backed Yamaha to a fine and hard-earned third place finish at the Peoria arena. The '09 'mythical' overall GN Champion qualified in 12th overall for the day and took third in the first heat behind Henry and Jake Johnson to round out the podium. The 'little man' with the iron will and iron throttle hand is making a great show of trying to run down Joe Kopp in overall GNC points standings. After yesterday's event he sits in second place only 17 points down on leader Smokin' Joe. Sammy also sits in the fifth spot in the Singles Championship with 73 points.
With his solid finishes this year, to go along with his season-opening short track win at Daytona, Sammy has been right there in all of the events this season. With four miles, one half mile and one short track left in the series run to the championship, if anyone tips the apple cart it's most likely to be this man. Look for this youngster to just keep on getting better and better, and if something, or someone, goes amiss during the rest of this season, he will be right there to get the better of them should it happen. Indy this Saturday could be where those apples get jostled around. Stay tuned!
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Henry 'Hammerin' Hank' Wiles simply outclassed the field yesterday in the annual running of the AMA Flat Track Peoria TT, winning his sixth straight event at the famous outdoor arena, and leading just about every lap of the day in the process. Henry won the final by 11+ seconds over second place man Jared Mees, and Sammy Halbert rounded out the podium in round eleven of the AMA Pro K&N Filters presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com Grand National Championship. Wiles is in position now to go after Chris 'The Price of Peoria' Carr's eight straight wins at Peoria Race Park, let alone looking at the overall 13 wins the former 7-Time Champ has there. But that's for another time.

Hammerin Hank couldn't put a wheel wrong yesterday, and in the process of winning it all and leading just ABOUT all of the laps he ran at Peoria, took a commanding lead in the AMA Flat Track Singles Championship over second place man Joe Kopp 113-92. Look for Hank to wrap it up at Springfield in twelve days with not only a win, but another Singles Championship to boot. With the now-canceled/postponed Arizona short track out of the season's equation, Henry could cruise to the Singles title. But don't look for that to happen as he keeps his string intact in winning at Illinois (and Indiana after his June Gas City win) singles events. Four miles, one half mile and one short track are all that is left in the season now, and the title for the singles will come down September 4th in the Capital of the Land of Lincoln. Let alone the Capital of AMA Flat Track racing!

But first up is The Indy Mile this Saturday, August 28th. There should be a big time huge crowd there again in the third running of the legendary pairing of the Red Bull MotoGP Indy round along with the best show on two wheels, the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship.

Stu's Shots will be there to highlight all the action and to take it all in. This is getting better all the time!

You can read and look at the various race reports below on the action at Peoria from yesterday, and marvel in the mastery that is Henry Wiles!
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Here is Matt Davidson's take from Motorcycle-USA.com on the Peoria event yesterday, with a few pics from the event as well:

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/504/7784/Motorcycle-Article/2010-AMA-Flat-Track-Peoria-Results.aspx


AMA Pro Flat Track has this report on the Peoria event as well as the overall and singles points round-up with eleven overall events run, and one singles event remaining in Springfield (with the cancelation/postponement of the Arizona season-ending ST) on Saturday, Sept. 4th:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/news/index.cfm?cid=39290

And here's a nice little gallery of shots from Dave Hoenig over at the AMA Pro Flat Track site:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/multimedia/gallery.cfm?gid=3977

Here is the link to the Peoria event from AMA Pro Flat Track. Some of the results (main/combined points standings) haven't been updated on here as of this post:

http://results.amaproracing.com/pdfresults/ft/2010/12-peoria/

Dave Hoenig at FlatTrakFotos.com has his results up (and will soon have photos from Peoria up as of this writing) right here:

http://www.flattrakfotos.com/2010%20Results/RESULTS%208-22-10.html

Dave also filed this report for the bible of motorcycle racing news, CycleNews.com that includes full results from all the races on Sunday at Peoria:

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/flat-track/2010/08/23/sixth-straight-for-wiles-in-peoria-tt


And the great Chew and Mia from over at FlatTrack.com have this great gallery of shots that they put together from Peoria. Great job as always guys and thanks again!

http://picasaweb.google.com/101900423602085486119/Peoria10#
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