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When the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series season kicks off at the Daytona Short Track in 26 days, three of these riders will all share one new thing in common coming into the new year. They will be sporting new competition numbers based on their placings and finishes in the 2010 AMA Pro K&N Filters presented by Motorcycle Superstore.com Grand National Championship season. At least 11 competitors will be changing numbers on their number plates for the new season, which should see the usual high turn-out of riders at the second year facility when action kicks off on March 10.
Jake Johnson will be dropping the #5 he only wore during the '10 season (after carrying the #14 for years in the series) and will be bolting on the #1 plate to his Zanotti Racing machine in recognition of winning the 2010 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship. Johnson's great year in the 2010 season while riding his Dave Zanotti Racing Honda 450s and H-D XR750s saw him win multiple events on his way to clinching the championship by twenty points over runner-up Joe Kopp.
Jared Mees will not only drop the #21 he wore in the Singles Series, and after wearing #1 in the Twins Series last year (for winning the '09 AMA Pro Flat Track Twins Series Championship), he will be sporting the infamous #9. Jammin' Jared joins retired Michigan Mafia member Jay Springsteen, as well as past champion Gary Nixon in raising that great number to new and unexplored wins in the series for the future, and will surely be represented well in the future of the sport, as it has been for over four decades with these two legends of the sport.
JD Beach will also make a change for the new season in dropping the 'C' from the back end of his #95C Craig Rogers Honda. Shown lined up on the second row at the Springfield Short Track in September of 2010, Beach had a stellar first Expert race at the event, coming home on the podium in third behind event winner Henry Wiles and Jake Johnson. It was enough for Beach to clinch his first points in an Expert Grand National event to earn his Expert Grand National number.
Other riders shown ready to go for the Springfield final are #80 Steve Bonsey (the only first-time winner in the series in the 2010 season) on his Bob Weirbach Racing Honda, Bryan Smith on the #42 Werner Springsteen Monster Energy Kawasaki, 2-Time AMA Flat Track Twins Champion and '07 AMA Flat Track Singles Champion Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. on his #2 Bettencourts Honda, and on the back row #71 Donald Mullen II on his Miller Motorsports Honda.
Read on below the official press release from AMA Pro Flat Track to see who the other riders are that will be starting the 2011 season 'anew' when the green flag drops for the upcoming season in just less then four weeks. It looks to be a great season for AMA Pro Flat Track and you better get ready to get your ticket to The Rolling Thunder Show!
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Daytona Beach, Fla. (February 10, 2011) - AMA Pro Racing has released the Expert Grand National Number list for 2011. The highly anticipated list features new numbers for twelve riders. The most obvious change has defending Grand National Champion Jake Johnson exchanging his #5 for the coveted #1 when the AMA Pro Grand National season gets underway March 11th at the Daytona Flat Track.
After a few years of splitting the #1 between the Twins and Singles classes, this year's plate will only be worn by one rider: the Grand National Champion. Singles Champion Henry Wiles will revert back to his longtime-held #17, while former Twins Champion Jared Mees will bring back the revered #9, the longtime number of Jay Springsteen and Gary Nixon.
Former AMA Pro Racing Pro Singles Champions Brad Baker and Jeffery Carver will be moving to the Expert ranks and will sport new National Numbers of their own. Carver was presented the #23 at last year's awards banquet by Kevin Atherton, and Brad Baker and his brother Scott will be #12 and #11, respectively.
Another brother combo has Merle Scherb moving from the #95 to #78, his dad's number from 2000 through 2002. Merle's twin brothers, Logan and Lucas, will also be carrying National Numbers. Logan retains the #18, while Lucas earned the #22 for this year.
The 2011 AMA Pro Racing Flat Track Rookie of the Year, PJ Jacobsen, will also assume his father's old number. PJ-who also competes in the AMA Pro Road Racing Championship-will be #99, which was held by Keith from 1996 through 1998.
Another road racing power, JD Beach, has dropped the "C" from his #95, as he will also be splitting his season between the dirt and the asphalt.
New York's Jeremy Higgins and Gary Conklin will be dropping their "B"s, as Higgins staged a strong finish to 2010 and Conklin made his one National main at Daytona last year.
Journeyman rider Aaron Lindfors also made his first National main last year. For 2011, he'll run the #46 in honor of his home state's Kris Armentrout and Stan Engdahl.
The list below represents the National Numbers for 2011. Please note that 2011 license applications are not yet entirely complete, therefore consider this list provisional.
2011 AMA Pro Racing Flat Track National Numbers
# Rider Home Town
1*^ Jake Johnson Franklinville, NJ
2 Kenny Coolbeth Morris, CT
3 Joe Kopp Mica, WA
4 Chris Carr Fleetwood, PA
7 Sammy Halbert Graham, WA
9* Jared Mees Clio, MI
10 Johnny Lewis Coatesville, PA
11* Scott Baker Eatonville, WA
12* Brad Baker Chehalis, WA
13^ Dan Gedeon Warren, OH
15 Nichole Cheza Clio, MI
16^ AJ Eslick Tulsa, OK
17 Henry Wiles Winn, MI
18 Logan Scherb Decatur, TX
19 Ion Stear Harvard, IL
20 Matt Weidman Westerlo, NY
22* Lucas Scherb Decatur, TX
23* Jeffrey Carver Alton, IL
24^ Logan Myers Wheeler, MI
25^ Brian Phillips Auburn, PA
26 Brandan Bergen Kewanee, IL
27 Rob Pearson Morton, IL
28^ Shaun Russell Westville, IL
29^ Jake Mataya Brooklyn Center, MN
30 Brock Schwarzenbacher Beaver Dam, WI
32 Shawn Baer Bethel, PA
33^ JR Schnabel Campbellsport, WI
34 Jeremy DeRuyter West Bend, WI
35^ Brady Mueller Port Orchard, WA
37 Jimmy Wood Redlands, CA
39^ Matt Burton Ottumwa, IA
40^ Aaron King Dysart, IA
42^ Bryan Smith Flushing, MI
44 Brandon Robinson Oxford, PA
45 Jesse Janisch Hartford, WI
46* Aaron Lindfors Salina, KS
49 Chad Cose Fremont, CA
51^ Steve Murray Grand Blanc, MI
53^ Don Taylor Port Colborne, Ont., CN
55*^ Gary Conklin Harpursville, NY
56 Mike Radley Coeymans Hollow, NY
58^ Adam Carpinello East Greenbush, NY
59 Willie McCoy Keller, TX
61 Dustin Crow Peoria, IL
62^ Luke Gough Onalaska, WA
65 Cory Texter Willow Street, PA
68 Josh Koch Cedar, MN
69 Jethro Halbert Graham, WA
70 John Hlebo III San Jose, CA
71^ Don Mullen Coatesville, PA
72 Tim Eades Colonial Heights, VA
73 Doug Lawrence Mississauga, Ont., CN
74^ Mitch Vernon Olympia, WA
78* Merle Scherb Decatur, TX
80^ Stevie Bonsey Salinas, CA
81 Justin Hittle Peoria, IL
82* Jeremy Higgins Bergen, NY
87^ Mick Kirkness Jefferson City, MO
88^ John Raun Wood Perkasie, PA
90^ Joe Hartrich Tonawanda, NY
92^ Kevin Vance Williamsfield, IL
95* JD Beach Philpot, KY
99* PJ Jacobsen Montgomery, NY
* NEW # for 2011
^ Pending License Application
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 http://www.amaproracing.com/.
For additional information contact:
AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com
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Here's the link to AMA Pro Flat Track and the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series season schedule:
http://www.amaproracing.com/ft/events/
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Ultimate Motorcycling.com has this version of the AMA press release, but they have added a few great pics from the 2010 season. Thanks to UM for their great version of this great news:
http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com/2011/ama-flat-track-2011-number-list
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very informative and interesting blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing:-)
Thank you, Shina, glad you enjoyed your time here!
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