AMA Flat Track: 2010 AMA Grand National Championship Season Review; Kawasaki Wins Manufacturer of The Year

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Bill Werner talks with the fans in the Werner Springsteen Monster Energy Kawasaki pit area during the break in on-track action at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile on Saturday, August 28. The team, headed up by 13-time AMA Flat Track Grand National Champion Master Tuner Bill Werner, 3-time AMA Flat Track Grand National Champion Jay Springsteen, and multiple AMA Flat Track winner Bryan Smith, came together in the off-season in what was definitely an 'aligning of the planets'-type move for all those involved.
Several hours after this shot was taken, National #42 Bryan Smith took the team's Kawasaki 650-based parallel twin to it's first victory in AMA Flat Track Grand National Twins competition, beating the strongest of fields equipped with the ever-conquering H-D XR750 in front of an International crowd on hand for the Indianapolis round of the MotoGP circus at IMS. Smith and team duplicated their efforts some eight days later in winning another of the series premier stops on the Springfield Mile, and helped cement Kawasaki atop the Manufacturer of The Year Award in AMA Flat Track competition for the first time ever. A changing of the guard in itself since H-D had topped the standings as MOY since the early-mid '90s after Honda got out of the game.
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After winning the fastest heat of the night, running away with the Dash for Cash event (and winning his 2nd AMA Flat Track Singles Championship in the process) and then flat stealing the main event, Henry Wiles stands on the podium talking with the race announcer at the Springfield Rodeo Arena short track on Saturday, September 4. In winning his 7th event in a row at Springfield, and his 13th overall in the State of Illinois, Hammerin Hank brought his season Singles win-tally to four to help Kawasaki win the Manufacturer of The Year Award in AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship competition. Wiles stands behind his Monster Energy/
Jones Brothers Kawasaki 450 which has helped to re-set the bar of late in the Singles competition.
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One of the big stories this year in AMA Pro Flat Track competition has been the diversity in the ranks on the track. With Ducati taking their first win back in May at Prescott Valley with Joe Kopp, a lot of people wondered how long it would take the other machines homologated to compete in the AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship Series to win as well. The answer to that question was answered a little less than four months later when Bryan Smith took the Werner Springsteen Monster Energy #42 Kawasaki to the top of the box at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile, and then backed it up with another win on the big mile oval at the legendary Springfield Mile over the Labor Day weekend.

And front and center this year, as well as last, has been the Monster Energy/Jones Brothers Kawasaki of now-2-time AMA Flat Track Singles Champion Henry Wiles, who has won the last 13 Singles events in the State of Illinois, and in the last two years having done so on a Kawasaki. These two teams, along with some hard-earned points by Johnny Lewis' Scott Powersports team, among others, helped to earn Kawasaki their very first-ever AMA Flat Track Manufacturer of The Year Award for the 2010 season. Something that no other make other than H-D had done in years. The awards were handed out last weekend after the season finale in Prescott Valley for the AMA Pro Flat Track K&N Filters presented by Motorcycle Superstore.com Grand National Championship Series season. The Werner Springsteen Monster Energy Kawasaki team was also awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award by AMA Flat Track for their efforts in bringing new blood and enthusiasm to the series on and off the track.

Join me in congratulating the super efforts of the WSMEK and Jones Brothers teams, not too mention riders Bryan Smith and Henry Wiles for their on AND off track efforts to attain this wonderful award, let alone for helping to raise the bar in the great sport of AMA Flat Track. Great job to all in 2010 for helping to put the AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship Series back at the top of the racing map where it rightfully belongs. Bravo to all!
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Great release over at Kawasaki's official racing site detailing the Manufacturer of The Year Award as given to them for their efforts in winning the this great title in AMA Flat Track, something no other manufacturer other than Harley-Davidson has done in the series since Honda was still around:

http://www.kawasaki.com/Racing_news/Article.aspx?id=1467
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A great video on how it happened is Kawasaki Presents The Werner Springsteen Monster Energy Kawasaki Team's Road to The Indy Mile Win:

http://www.kawasaki.com/Racing_news/Article.aspx?id=1463
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Here's the Kawasaki press release over at SpeedTV.com as well:

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ama-flat-track-kawasaki-earns-manufacturer-of-the-year-title/
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