AMA Pro Flat Track Spotlight on Riders Henry Wiles, Johnny Lewis & Jimmy Wood

Henry Wiles spins it up on the #17 Monster Energy Kawasaki/Jones Bros/Don's Kawasaki/Arai-sponsored KX450F and sets fast time in his return to the track he has owned since the 2004 season during qualifying for the Peoria TT on August 21.  Round 14 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series saw the reigning 2-Time Singles Series Champion return to win his 7th National main event in a row, after suffering injuries earlier in the year at the DuQuoin indoor round that would see him have to sit out almost a third of the season.

Adding to his roster of wins this season, Hammerin' Hank also managed to pull off the win at the Salinas Short Track round in late April, before going under the knife in California to have his knee repaired from the damages incurred the previous weekend inside the confines of the Southern Illinois Center on the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds.  Wiles was able to speed up his rehab, and returned to the track less than three months later at the Lake Odessa, MI. round, and was able to wrestle his GCR XR home to a safe 12th place finish.

Skipping the Sacramento round in late July, Wiles was able to card a strong 4th place finish at the Castle Rock TT before heading to the track that he has owned in central Illinois.  When the series next hit the Springfield Short Track over Labor Day weekend, he again did the near-impossible by winning his 5th National main in a row on the rodeo/multipurpose arena track located at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, further adding to his legend as a Grand National Championship Series contender.

Although Henry wasn't able to defend his two Single Series Championships due to missing part of the year, he still finished the season in the top 10 in points, 10th overall.  Not bad for a guy who didn't even make it to six rounds and missed qualifying for another two rounds. 

Look for The Hammer to be back strong as ever for the 2012 season and completely healed up.  By the time Daytona rolls around in mid-March, Wiles will be ready to go again!

You can read his AMA Pro Flat Track rider spotlight below.
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Former AMA Supermoto Champion Johnny Lewis maneuvers through turn 2 at the Peoria TT during his heat race at round 14 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series.  The #10 Scott Powersports/Dubach Racing Developments/Saddlemen/Triple J Racing-sponsored and Honda CRF450R-mounted JL10 would go on to finish 3rd in his heat behind winner Henry Wiles and runner-up Rob Pearson, and would end the day in the 10th spot in the National main event at the oldest track on the AMA Pro Flat Track Series schedule.

Lewis turned even more heads during the 2011 season on the Scott-developed Kawasaki 650R-based Twins Series mount, in carding a 2nd place finish at Hagerstown (for a series' and personal best finish in the Twins class) and for leading several laps at the Springfield Mile II round over Labor Day weekend.  He also brought home two 2nd place finishes on the year at the season-opening rounds in Daytona.

Johnny ended the season ranked as the 7th place rider in the overall standings, even after not 
qualifying for three rounds on the year (Salinas ST, Sacramento, Springfield ST.)  After improving from a 10th place finish in the 2010 season, look for JL10 to move up during the 2012 year.

You can read Johnny Lewis' AMA Pro Flat Track rider spotlight below.
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Jimmy Wood puts his #37 A&J/Southland Racing/M.E.H. Corp/Race Tech-sponsored Honda CRF450R through it's paces during qualifying for round 14 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series at the Peoria TT on August 21.  Qualifying in the 27th spot for the National main, the West Coast hotshoe was involved in a massive pile-up in turn one of heat 3 that saw him suffer extensive damage to his left wrist, causing him to miss several rounds of the series.

With a new Twins Series program to work with for the 2011 season on his A&J Racing Kawasaki 650R-based mount, Wood was able to still finish the season ranked as the 13th overall rider for the year.  His season-best effort came at the Salinas Short Track early in the season where he finished 2nd behind winner Henry Wiles.

For a man who didn't even have his full effort for the year planned out until late winter, Wood did a remarkable job for the year, and plans to contend the full season for the second year in a row during the upcoming 2012 race season.  We wish him the very best of luck!

You can read Jimmy Wood's AMA Pro Flat Track rider spotlight below.
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Thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track for the links to these rider spotlights for the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series!

Henry Wiles #17:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/news/index.cfm?cid=51647

Johnny Lewis #10:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/news/index.cfm?cid=51621

Jimmy Wood #37:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/news/index.cfm?cid=51599
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Steve Nace Racing's 2012 AMA Indoor Dirt Track National Championship Series Round 4-New Year's Eve at DuQuoin

JD Beach on the #95 USC Kawasaki works his way into turn 5 at the Peoria Motorcycle Club's annual gathering during qualifying for round 14 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series on August 21.  The Peoria TT is the oldest venue on the AMA Pro Flat Track Series schedule and has been hosting Grand National events for over 60 years.

With the AMA Pro Road Racing Series having the weekend off, Beach was one of 39 Expert riders that showed up to do battle at the legendary track.  With practice times that put him in the top 20, he went on to qualify 17th, .731 seconds behind fast-man and eventual event winner, Henry Wiles. 

With a 3rd place finish in his heat behind winner Jared Mees and runner-up Sammy Halbert, JD put on a good show while racing the National main with Brad Baker, Aaron King and Jeffrey Carver, Jr, and went home with a hard-earned 13th place finish on the Universal City Kawasaki Motorsports/Morlandt Electric/Alpinestars/Arai-sponsored KX450F.



The Philpot, KY. resident has been spending his 'off-season' racing the Steve Nace Racing 2012 AMA Racing Indoor Dirt Track National Championship Series at DuQuoin, IL.  In the first three rounds of the series, Beach has been running the Open Pro Am, 450 Pro and Open Pro classes in the short track events, as well as the Open Pro Am in the TT events, and has pulled out wins in 8 of the 12 races he has run, while racing with talent like 2010 AMA Pro Singles Champ Jeffrey Carver, Jr, former 2-Time AMA Flat Track Singles Champ Henry Wiles and AMA Pro Singles rider Hayden Gillim, just to name a few.

In the other four rounds he has raced, he's finished either 2nd or 3rd.  Not too bad for someone who spent more time road racing during the 2011 season!

JD, Henry and Hayden are all expected to be on-hand for round 4 this coming weekend.  Tyler Porter mentioned on his FightForDirtTrack.com's InSlide Line column last week that Jared Mees, Cory Texter, Chad Cose and Rob Pearson could all be on-hand to race the New Year's Eve event and take part in the Ethan Gillim Memorial race event.

If you haven't made plans yet, DuQuoin's Southern Illinois Center will be rockin' and rollin' as the Steve Nace Racing crew of Steve, Kelly Bell, Kevin Snyder and company put on one heckuva great show for the fans!
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Round 4 of the 2012 AMA Racing Indoor Dirt Track National Championship Series, the Ethan Gillim Memorial Race will be held this Saturday, December 31 at the Southern Illinois Center on the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds.  Event flyer courtesy of Steve Nace Racing Promotions.
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You can keep up with the events of this weekend as well as the whole Steve Nace Racing indoor series here via their official website:

http://www.stevenaceracing.com/mcatv.html
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Check out round 3 action at the Southern Illinois Center of the Steve Nace Racing indoor series here, thanks to this neat video put up by Mia Moore and Chew Larcom, the Fans in the Stands from FlatTrack.com:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdw6b9KyDOs
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Need to find your way to the Southern Illinois Center in DuQuoin, IL.?:

http://www.agr.state.il.us/dq/index.php?pg=125
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AMA Flat Track: From a Dream, to the Desktop to the Dirt-The Eaken Racing/Luke Gough & Rick Howerton-Built Kawasaki Twins Series Machine, Part 3

Eaken Racing's Luke Gough rolls out for practice at the rain delayed Springfield Mile I round of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series on May 29 on the team's new #62 Kawasaki 650R-based mount, built by Rick Howerton of Howerton Products in Indianapolis, IN.  The Digger/Dick Ford/KK Cycle/Eaken Racing/Sakaida Trucking/Howerton-sponsored machine was making it's debut in the Twins Series after Howerton had started the build back in late summer 2010.  Gough just did miss the revamped program, coming up just .110 seconds out of the 6th and final qualifying spot on the day in the bike's first real test under real racing conditions.  By the end of the 2011 season, things were starting to look almost as bright for the new Kawasaki and rider as it's dayglo paint job.
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Former AMA Grand National Championship Series competitor and National #31 Dan Ingram, talks with Cycle News.com's Larry Lawrence at round 6 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series on May 29 at the Springfield Mile I.  The Clermont, IN. resident and former AMA Grand National Championship race winner did some testing with the team in preparing the Eaken Racing Kawasaki, along with current National #13 Dan Gedeon when they tested at the Circleville, OH. half-mile in early May.  Lloyd Brothers Motorsports was also on hand for the test, and then-rider and eventual 2011 Saddlemen AMA Flat Track Rookie of the Year Brad Baker also did some laps on the parallel twin for the team.

Ingram was within reach of the track record almost immediately after having not ridden in Expert competition since the early '90s accident he suffered racing.  Originally hoping to make his comeback at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile in August, Ingram is now racing some of the Steve Nace Racing indoor events at DuQuoin on an AMA Pro Singles license, and once he has amassed 100 points can move back to an Expert license per AMA Flat Track.  He's already gotten over 40 of those and could be back on a Twin by late spring 2012 according to Howerton Products' Rick Howerton.
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As rider Luke Gough and team owner Skip Eaken discuss strategy the rest of the team gets the #62 Eaken Racing XR750 and Kawasaki 650R ready for the former Australian flat track champ at round 11 of the series at Lake Odessa, MI. on July 23, 2011.  Unfortunately, Gough missed the cut at I-96, but by the next weekend things had turned around for them at the renewed Sacramento Mile.  Gough won his heat to nab a front row start for round 12 at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds, and went on to bring the new machine home in the 9th spot.  Things were really starting to look up.  Expert rider Dan Gedeon from Ohio also tried to qualify the machine for the Lima race between Springfield I and Lake Odessa, but finishes of 7th in his heat and 6th in his semi kept him and the Kawasaki on the sidelines again.
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At the next Twins Series round at the Springfield Mile II on September 4, Gough put the Rick Howerton-built machine into it's second-straight final.  Practicing in the top 17, he went on to qualify 9th on the Kaw, just .306 seconds adrift of fast man Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. on the #2 Harley-Davidson Motor Co. factory XR.  He then went on to finish 3rd in his heat behind winner Sammy Halbert and runner-up Bryan Smith, just .247 seconds behind what was virtually a dead heat between the top 2 for what was a very strong run.

On the warm up lap, eventual event winner Willie McCoy rolls off the line as Gough, Matt Weidman #20, Rob Pearson #27 and Jake Johnson #1 get the signal to roll from AMA Pro Flat Track official Kelly Bell.

Getting a rough start in the National main, Gough worked his way to the rear of the lead pack and was running in the lead draft of seven other riders when........
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........the crank let go on the Kawasaki 650R-based mount with just 5 laps to go.  The season ended on a very bright note, however, when Gough took the bike home to a career-best 4th-place finish at the season's penultimate round at the Calistoga Half-Mile.
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Rider Luke Gough, team owner and long time tuner to the stars Skip Eaken, and Rick Howerton, the builder extraordinaire of the Eaken Racing Kawasaki, pose for a team shot for Cycle News.com's Larry Lawrence during the debut of the machine at round 6 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series at the Springfield Mile on May 29. 

After over 1700 hours of thought, work and sweat in getting the machine ready to race at Springfield, the team rolled out what is one of the finest specimens of current flat track technology out there.  With the advent of the Werner/Springsteen Kawasaki and the Scott Powersports Kawasaki of Johnny Lewis during the 2010 season, the Eaken Racing team also dipped their toe into the rule book to come up with a dry weight of around 285 lbs. for the parallel twin machine.  With vinyl graphics that reach out a grab you, the machine is a work of art, and is steadily gathering steam to be regularly competitive in the AMA Flat Track Twins Series for the upcoming new season. 

Rick Howerton told me on my visit to his shop last week that the team is working strongly to try and be a top-5 competitor with the Kawasaki.  And when talking with Gough at the Springfield Mile II just before he made the main, he was slowly but surely coming to grips with the power and handling of the bike.  It seems the high-spinning bike has plenty of power ('well over 85-90 HP' per builder Howerton), it's just harnessing that power to the ground that they are working on now.

With the release of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series schedule the other day, we all will now have to wait until the first Twins Series event at the Springfield Mile round in May '12 to see if that work has paid off.  With this great team of people involved it should be fun to see the results, and if and when it happens, it couldn't happen to a nicer and hard-working group of folks!
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Merry Christmas to everyone from Stu's Shots, and we thank you for making us a part of your virtual visits throughout the season!
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AMA Flat Track: From a Dream, to the Desktop to the Dirt-The Eaken Racing/Luke Gough & Rick Howerton-Built Kawasaki Twins Series Machine, Part 2

Luke Gough's #62 Digger/Dick Ford/KK Cycle/Eaken Racing/Sakaida Trucking/Howerton-sponsored Kawasaki 650R-based mount sits ready to make it's debut at the Springfield Mile I round of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series on May 29.  Team members are pretty laid back discussing the machine with fellow racers during the rain delayed event over the Memorial Day Weekend.  After testing the machine earlier in the month at the Circleville, OH. half-mile, the bike was ready for it's first true racing test.
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During the street tracker's build, the seat, tail section and rear suspension details can be enjoyed.  Photo courtesy of Rick Howerton/Howerton Products.
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The rolling chassis for the street tracker sits outside the Howerton facility in Indy.  Photo courtesy of Rick Howerton/Howerton Products.
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Three sets of exhausts sit ready to roll out the door to one of Howerton Products customers just less than 10 miles west of the shop.  John Force Racing in Brownsburg will no doubt be happy with these finished pieces.

Underneath the tarp is one of Rick's pride and joys-a former Team Honda bike ridden at one time by none other than.......
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.....former National #3 Ricky Graham to a win at the Houston Astrodome TT event in the mid '80s.  The bike is a Honda RS600, which Rick hopes to completely restore sometime in the future.
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One of the frequent visitors to the westside Indy shop is former motocross champion Roger DeCoster, who was in town last spring for the AMA Supercross event at the Lucas Oil Stadium.  Here he checks out the race version of Rick's Eaken Racing/Howerton Kawasaki.  Photo courtesy of Rick Howerton/Howerton Products.
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The left side of the street tracker sits on stands in the shop awaiting the return of the front end.
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One of the signs in the shop shows some of the handiwork that Howerton Products can put together for you.  Their list of clients and series in which they supply parts for is diversified.
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This was one of the exhaust manifolds that Rick and his team were working on when I visited the shop on Gasoline Alley in Indy.  This sweet unit is for one of the new IndyCar motors for the 2012 season.
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Looking down the Kawasaki 650R's exhaust pipes.
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During my visit to the shop, the front forks for the street tracker had been sent out for revalving.  Rick got his first motor off of eBay for about $1K (and probably one of the least expensive items purchased for the bike at that!)
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The completed street tracker sits outside the Howerton Products race shop along Gasoline Alley on the westside of Indy.  Rick mentioned that him and the team discussed riding the tracker version over to Springfield for it's May 2011 debut and removing the lights and front brake and going racing, just like a lot of the Class C flat trackers would do back in the old days.  Photo courtesy of Rick Howerton/Howerton Products.
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Builder Rick Howerton, team owner and legendary AMA Grand National Championship tuner Skip Eaken, and 5-Time Australian Flat Track Champ and AMA Grand National Championship Series #62 Luke Gough pose for a shot before the bike heads out for it's first test in spring 2010.  Alongside sits the rolling chassis for the street tracker version.  Photo courtesy of Rick Howerton/Howerton Products.
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We'll have more on the Eaken Racing/Luke Gough and Rick Howerton-built Eaken Racing Kawasaki 650R, so check back to see what else is coming up!

Merry Christmas to everyone the world over from Stu's Shots!
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AMA Flat Track: From a Dream, to the Desktop to the Dirt-The Eaken Racing/Luke Gough & Rick Howerton-Built Kawasaki Twins Series Machine

Rick Howerton and Luke Gough talk during the rain delay at the Springfield Mile I round of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series on May 29, with the #62 Digger/Dick Ford/KK Cycle/Eaken Racing/Sakaida Trucking/Howerton-sponsored Kawasaki 650R-based mount at the ready.  The 5-Time Australian Flat Track Champion was tasked with debuting the team's new Twins machine at the first round of the season in round 6 of the series and just missed making the National main in the bike's first true racing tryout by just .110 seconds.

Howerton, a long time fan of the AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship Series, decided he wanted to give back to the sport he loved and built the 650R-based Twins Series machine starting in late summer 2010.  Working from his original dream, Rick started putting everything together for the build on his work pc, and came up with a splendid design and working concept that in it's original outing on the track at Circleville, OH. was lapping within reach of the track record. 

The pictures and stories that follow are about Rick Howerton's vision in bringing a challenge to the track in today's AMA Pro Flat Track Series.
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The man behind the Eaken Racing Kawasaki, as ridden by Luke Gough in the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Twins Series.  Rick Howerton has been around racing all of his life (his father Jackie is a former USAC Silver Crown driver/owner) and has been a major flat track racing fan since the early-mid '80s when Team Honda had their shop just two doors down from the Howerton facility. 

Rick told me when he was 14 years old back in those days he used to ride his BMX bike around the shop and down the street to the Team Honda facilities and became good friends with Skip Eaken, Sparky Edmondson, Gene Romero, Doug Chandler, Bubba Shobert and Ricky Graham from the Team Honda superteam. 

That relationship with Skip Eaken has stood since and his pairing with the man that took Bubba Shobert to three straight AMA Grand National Championships in the mid-late '80s is now hoping to put a dent in the H-D XR750-dominated world of AMA Flat Track.
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This is the computer model of the Eaken Racing/Howerton Products Kawasaki 650R-based machine as put together by Rick Howerton at Howerton Products in Indianapolis.  Starting from what he had working in his head, Rick took to the task of generating a computer model to actually do the build off of, and from there the build got into full swing.

Rick has what to many would be the IMAX of computer screens in his office in a 31" unit with wonderful graphics.  The shop is located just 8 blocks from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Gasoline Alley, amongst a plethora of other racing shops set-up in the area on the westside of Indy.
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Everything  built in the Howerton Products shop starts as raw product in the form of sheeting, in various sizes and dimensions.  Some of Howerton's many clients include John Force Racing in NHRA and Michael Waltrip Racing in NASCAR, along with many of the IndyCar teams located close to the shop on the westside of Indy.
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Various frame and swingarm pieces in mid-build sit on the shop bench ready for the next step in the building process.  Most of the pieces in the build are 1/1000th of an inch thick.  Photo courtesy of Rick Howerton/Howerton Products.
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Completed swingarm assemblies sit on the shop bench after final prep.  Photo courtesy of Rick Howerton/Howerton Products.
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The roughly 2.5 gallon gas tank has over 30 hours of labor alone in it between the stamping and rolling, from what started as flat sheet metal.  Photo courtesy of Rick Howerton/Howerton Products.
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The frame assembly awaits further pieces to become a true rolling chassis.  Photo courtesy of Rick Howerton/Howerton Products.
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Axles, swingarm pivot and head neck assembly are ready for installation.  Photo courtesy of Rick Howerton/Howerton Products.
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Triple clamp assemblies are ready to be put together.  All of the aluminum parts are made from 7075 aluminum, while all of the stainless pieces are made from 17-4 stainless.  Very light, very strong and VERY expensive.  Photo courtesy of Rick Howerton/Howerton Products.
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The seat and tail section on the street build are the same as found on the AMA Grand National Twins Series version.  The wire assembly hanging from the rear of the tail section is for the LED brake and tail light assembly.  The dzus fasteners alone cost around $100 apiece, as shown in front of the 'HRP' logo.
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Tune in tomorrow for part 2 of our look at the Eaken Racing/Luke Gough/Rick Howerton Kawasaki 650R-based AMA Flat Track Twins Series machine, and we'll also look more at the street tracker version of this great build project, which is a mirror copy of the full-race version.
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AMA Flat Track: Motorcycle-Superstore.com Posts $50K in Contingency Funds for 2012 Pro Singles Series

Round 15 of the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship Series gets off to a wild and crazy start in heat one at the Peoria TT on August 21 with riders blazing out of turn 2 heading towards the jump.  In a battle that would see all six riders shown head to the LCQ race, it sure wasn't for lack of trying that this group wasn't at the front instead of in the middle of the pack.

Leading this group on the #40L TNT Honda.com/Lightshoe-sponsored Honda CRF450 is Philip Smith, followed closely by Richard Ivey III on the #59P Espy Suspension/Shade Tree Cycle-backed Yamaha YZ450F, Kinji Eto on his #88 GCR/Baroque Works-backed Honda, Wyatt Maguire on the #18M Pro1Racinghead.com/Shortblock Charlies-sponsored Yamaha, Jeremy Hamilton on the #36N Al Lamb's Dallas Honda/Woody Kyle Racing-backed Honda, with Michael Bickerton bringing up the rear on his #28P Hogwrench Racing/DCT Precision-sponsored Honda. 

Of the bunch, Hamilton and Bickerton would card 3-2 finishes in the LCQ race to go on to race the Pro Singles final at the oldest track on the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series calendar.  Hamilton would finish the day in 11th in the Pro Singles main, with Bickerton bringing it home in the lucky 13th slot.



Motorcycle-Superstore.com will return again for it's third year as title sponsor for the Pro Singles Championship and the presenting sponsor for the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series.  They have also upped the ante for the new season with extra incentives and contingencies for the Pro Singles riders.

You can read the full press release below, and we thank and welcome the return of a great sponsor to the AMA Pro Flat Track Rolling Thunder Show in seeing Motorcycle-Superstore.com back onboard!
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$50,000 in New Contingency for AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Available from Motorcycle-Superstore.com in 2012

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 22, 2011) - Motorcycle-Superstore.com, the nation's leading online motorcycle gear, parts and accessories retailer and title sponsor of the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles division of AMA Pro Flat Track is proud to announce a $50,000 contingency program for Pro Singles riders that wear a Motorcycle-Superstore.com-branded Bell helmet during the 2012 season. This special helmet will only be available through Motorcycle-Superstore.com and riders must also register at www.motorcycle-superstore.com/rider-support to be eligible for the awards.

"Flat track represents the grass roots of motorcycle racing - one of the oldest forms of motorcycle racing there is - and one of the most exciting! That's why we feel so strongly about supporting the series with a $25,000 rider's points fund and now, a $50,000 contingency program for those athletes that fly our colors," claims Erick Barney, VP Marketing for Motorcycle-Superstore.com. "This program provides the racers with another opportunity to earn some money to offset their race expenses."

The contingency program's payout schedule for each race will pay down to 8th place as follows:

1st - $600. 2nd - $500. 3rd - $400. 4th - $300. 5th - $250. 6th - $200. 7th - $150. 8th - $100.

Between all successful sponsored riders, a total payout of $50,000 is possible for the season. With a 20 race season held at tracks scattered across the country, this $50,000 Rider Support Program helps put some money back into the racer's pockets.

It is easy to apply for this program - simply complete the application available through the link provided below, and our sports marketing representative will be in touch with you. The opening rounds at the DAYTONA Flat Track will be here before we know it, so... let's go racing! Apply online at: www.motorcycle-superstore.com/rider-support.

About Motorcycle-Superstore.com:

Motorcycle-Superstore.com is the leading online retailer in the motorcycle and powersports industry. Serving motorcycle riders for over 12 years, Motorcycle-Superstore.com specializes in selling motorcycle and powersports helmets, riding apparel, accessories and parts at the lowest prices possible. Internet Retailer magazine has ranked Motorcycle Superstore in the top 10 of all sporting goods sites and in the top 200 of all e-commerce sites. Powered by a dedicated staff of motorcycle enthusiasts, Motorcycle-Superstore.com continues to impress customers by constantly raising its online shopping standards. Visit www.motorcycle-superstore.com.

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: Motorcycle-Superstore.com Posts $50K Contingency Sponsorship for 2012 SuperSport Series

Motorcycle-Superstore.com to Post $50,000 in Contingency for AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport in 2012

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 22, 2011) - Motorcycle-Superstore.com, the nation's leading online motorcycle gear, parts and accessories retailer and title sponsor of the AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport division of AMA Pro Road Racing is proud to announce a $50,000 contingency program for AMA Pro SuperSport riders that wear a Motorcycle-Superstore.com-branded Bell helmet during the 2012 season. This special helmet will only be available through Motorcycle-Superstore.com and riders must also register at www.motorcycle-superstore.com/rider-support to be eligible for the awards.

"With our current title sponsorship of the SuperSport class, along with our funding of the $25,000 points fund, this new Rider Support Program simply provides an additional way for Motorcycle-Superstore.com to give back to the competitors," explained Erick Barney, VP Marketing for Motorcycle-Superstore.com. "We are equally excited to be co-sponsoring this program with Bell Helmets, as we know Bell shares our same enthusiasm towards supporting the racers."

The payout schedule for each race will pay down to eighth place as follows:

1st - $600. 2nd - $500. 3rd - $400. 4th - $300. 5th - $250. 6th - $200. 7th - $150. 8th - $100.

A total payout of $50,000 for the season is possible for participating entries. With a 20 race schedule there is now plenty of opportunity for Motorcyce-Superstore.com racers to find the help they need cover those racing expenses.

It is easy to apply for this program - simply complete the application available through the link provided below, and our sports marketing representative will be in touch with you. Round one at Daytona International Speedway will be here before we know it, so... let's go racing! Apply online at: www.motorcycle-superstore.com/rider-support.

About Motorcycle-Superstore.com:

Motorcycle-Superstore.com is the leading online retailer in the motorcycle and powersports industry. Serving motorcycle riders for over 12 years, Motorcycle-Superstore.com specializes in selling motorcycle and powersports helmets, riding apparel, accessories and parts at the lowest prices possible. Internet Retailer magazine has ranked Motorcycle Superstore in the top 10 of all sporting goods sites and in the top 200 of all e-commerce sites. Powered by a dedicated staff of motorcycle enthusiasts, Motorcycle-Superstore.com continues to impress customers by constantly raising its online shopping standards. Visit www.motorcycle-superstore.com.

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 Pro Road Racing Signs GoPro for Multiyear Title Sponsorship for Daytona SportBike Series

GoPro Named Official Camera of AMA Pro Road Racing and Daytona SportBike Title Sponsor in Multiyear Agreement with AMA Pro Racing

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 21, 2011) - Officials from AMA Pro Racing and GoPro® have announced an exclusive multi-year partnership naming GoPro as the Official Camera of AMA Pro Road Racing and the title sponsor of the AMA Pro GoPro Daytona SportBike class. In addition, AMA Pro Racing will name a special year-end points fund after GoPro for the athletic heroes that race in the Daytona SportBike division.

GoPro is the world's leading activity image capture company, producing lightweight, wearable and gear-mounted cameras designed to capture adventure and action sports in high definition and from previously impossible viewpoints. The extreme racing action and engaging personalities of the AMA Pro Road Racing athletes lend themselves perfectly to creating feature content out of the captivating video produced by all-new GoPro HD HERO2® cameras. Teams will now have the opportunity to utilize this footage in their marketing initiatives to increase sponsorship value while also exposing to the world just how intense the gripping, non-stop action really is from the rider's perspective.

 

"We are very excited about this new partnership with GoPro and their very unique HD HERO product line of video cameras and accessories," said David Atlas, Chief Operating Officer of AMA Pro Racing. "This is especially important to AMA Pro in that it will open up a new dimension of video content for fans and will significantly elevate our ability to display to the public the very exciting and close racing which our special athletes perform with such exciting regularity."

The agreement calls for several at-track, in-market and cross-promotional marketing opportunities aimed at expanding each brand, including geo-targeted email campaigns, website promotions about upcoming AMA Pro Road Racing events and promotional sweepstakes for GoPro products. Full details about these exciting programs will be released in the coming months.

 

The 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing season will kick off with the historic Daytona 200 Week, scheduled for March 15-17, 2012 at Daytona International Speedway. Please visit GoPro.com for more information on GoPro and the award winning HERO product line.

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 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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