AMA Flat Track: RLT Racing's Cory Texter All Set for '12 Season Daytona Doubleheader Openers

Cory Texter lays down a lap on his #65 RLT Racing/Herr's/Invisible Glass/Penske Racing-sponsored Honda CRF450R during qualifying for round 15 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com at the Illinois State Fairground Rodeo-Multipurpose Arena on September 3.  Qualifying 38th out of the 64 riders that took a qualifying time at Springfield, CTex was just over .5 seconds behind fast-qualifier Jake Johnson heading into the heat races for the program's events, and one of only 48 riders that were able to stick around for the night's racing.

Running a limited schedule during the 2011 season proved to be too much for Texter, as he only qualified for the Hartford half-mile event in June, and despite his efforts ended up with an 11th place finish in his heat and an 18th place finish in this semi at Springfield.  Definitely not indicative of what this hard charging and likealbe young athlete is capable of after winning a slew of amateur championships while rising through the ranks.

Opting to amp up his program, he will be competing in the full schedule for the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season, with strong backing from ER&T and Mad Hog Cycles for both his Twins and Singles Series program and a slew of new and returning sponsors to his Pennsylvania-based effort.  As in the past, CTex will be campaigning Harley-Davidson XR750s for the Grand National Twins Series Championship and Honda CRF450Rs for the Singles Series.

While stepping up his workout regimen during the off-season, Texter has also been doing a variety of riding and testing during the winter months, and recently completed what will be his last on-track test at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds last weekend in the Steve Nace Indoor Series.  He reports on that below while getting ready to head south for the first round of the new season at Oglethorpe Speedway's Savannah round scheduled for March 9, round 1 of the 2012 Steve Nace/AMA All Star Series, before heading to Daytona to campaign the doubleheader season openers on March 15-16.
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Press release courtesy of Cory Texter #65 & RLT Racing


RLT Racing ready to race during Daytona Bike Week


February 29, 2012

RLT Racing’s Cory Texter made the 14 hour trip to Du Quoin, IL. this past weekend for three days of testing and tuning.  The RLT Racing’s singles, tuned by Englehart R&T, were consistently at the top of the lap time charts all weekend, including number one qualifier for Saturday's race program.

Cory stated, “DuQuoin went very well.  I had some good times all weekend and that was good for me. I wasn’t there to race really, but more so to test all three of my Englehart R&T 450′s.  If I was fast on one bike, I'd hop on the other one and get that one working.  I went down hard on Saturday, and after that my main concern was to get out of there injury-free and get ready for the busy week in Daytona.  I feel great and my team is awesome.  The Engleharts worked hard all weekend and I couldn’t thank them enough for this opportunity.”

Tom Englehart of ER&T had this to say about the testing, “The testing went really well. We accomplished everything we wanted to this weekend.  The bikes ran great, and we dialed in the Durelle Racing suspension to fit Cory’s riding style.  I really think we are going to turn some heads in Georgia and Florida next week.”

Mad Hog Cycles, RLT Racing’s 2012 twins sponsor, also made the trip to Du Quoin.  Dave Miller, Mad Hog Cycles owner, did some racing of his own on a beautifully prepared 360 Bultaco.  Dave has made significant improvements to the Harley Davidson XR750′s Texter will ride this season, and Cory is very excited about getting to Savannah for the All Start races next week.

Cory commented, “Dave has been working so hard on my 750′s.  We have made so many changes that I feel will all benefit me this year and allow me to run up front with the contenders week in and week out.  I have been training hard and I am ready to to rock and roll.”

Shayna will be riding her RLT Racing CRF 450′s at Savannah and Volusia during Daytona Bike Week.  We hope to have a full press release on her program by weeks end, but the plan has stayed the same through-out and that is to win as many races as possible and be in contention for the number one plate at the season finale in Pomona.


RLT Racing would like to thank all of our sponsors for their support in 2012, and we hope to see all our fans in Sunny Florida as we take on Daytona’s Bike Week!

The team is again being sponsored by Herr Foods, Invisible Glass, Alpinestars, Bob Hilbert Sportswear, Metro Racing, Lancaster Honda, Arai, Spectro, Muscle Milk, Wiseco, Motion Pro, All Balls Racing, Scott USA, Fluidyne, Hinson, Saddlemen, Wurth USA, G2 Ergo, EBC Brakes, PMP Sprockets, K&N, Matrix Racing Concepts, ISC Racer’s Tape, Works Connection, with new sponsors to the team Kunzler Foods, Two Brothers Racing, Amped Apparel, West Coast Hot Shoes & Falicon.
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RLT Racing & Cory Texter #65 sponsor graphics courtesy of RLT & Cory Texter.
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About RLT Racing:

RLT Racing was started in 2010 by Cory & Shayna Texter. It is named after their father and biggest fan, Randy Lee Texter. He passed away in August 2010. Randy was a past AMA Professional Dirttrack and Road Racer and was named the AMA Sportsman of the Year in 2010.

The team is owned and operated by the brother/sister duo. Cory is a multi-time amateur national champion and races with the #65 in the AMA Grand National Expert class. Shayna is a past AMA Female Athlete of the Year and in 2011, she was the first female to win an AMA Grand National event. She contends in the AMA Pro Singles class with the #25a.

About Englehart R&T:

 Englehart Research and Technology is located in Zanesville, Ohio. All motorcycles are Honda powered and exclusively use Durelle and J&M Racing Products along with RHC components.

About Mad Hog Cycle Racing:

 Mad Hog Cycle Racing is run by Dave Miller from Pine Bluff, Arkansas. In addition to Dave, the team receives insight from AMA Flattrack Hall of Fame member, Sammy Tanner. It is also supported by Jerry & John Kocinski and Steve & Robbie England.
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AMA Flat Track: Weirbach Racing's Ryan Wells Checks In After Final DuQuoin Indoor Round Before Heading to Daytona

Ted and Dick Weirbach of Ottumwa, Iowa's Weirbach Racing talk with one of the members of the Van's Yamaha team at round 11 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com before the racing gets ready to start at the Lake Odessa, MI. round on July 23.  Weirbach Racing's team rider, Mikey Martin #91Y, ended up winning his 2nd of 3 events in a row at the I-96 Speedway event that would lead him to the 2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship aboard the team's Honda CRF450R.
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Press release courtesy of Weirbach Racing


Ryan Wells DuQuoin Report:

On Friday, Febuary 24th, my dad and I traveled to DuQuoin, Illinois for a practice day where we would be meeting team owner Dick Weirbach.  Since the last time riding the Weirbach 450’s, we have made suspension, power commander, motor & handle bar changes plus a few others to make me feel more comfortable on the bikes.

After the first practice session I immediately felt way better and faster on the bikes compared to the last time I had rode them.  After getting on the track for about 5 sessions, I knew we were ready for Daytona. So to make sure the bikes stayed fresh, Dick decided to pack them up for the weekend and I would just race my own 450 on Saturday.

On Saturday the track turned out to be very slippery and hard to pass on. In the Heat race I was lined up 6th on the starting line which put me all the way up by the outside wall.  I ended up getting 2nd in the heat behind expert rider Jeff Carver.

In the main event I was back up by the wall on the starting line. After 20 laps on the slick track I ended up with a 4th place in the main event.  Overall it was a great weekend and we got some great testing in and figured out some new things on the bikes.

Big thanks to Dick Weirbach for heading to DuQuoin for me to get some more seat time and testing on the bikes before heading to Daytona in 2 weeks.

Special thanks to all our sponsors:

Weirbach Racing, General Engineering, Barnett Clutches, Spectro, K&N, Saddlemen, DynoJet, White Lightning Retrievers, PMP Sprockets, Motion Pro, Motorcycle-Superstore.com, 5 Star Steel & Fabrication, Arlen Ness, Boughner Racing, Light Shoe, RLJ Racing, Ride 100%, Precision Power

Ryan Wells - 94B

Weirbach Racing's Dick Weirbach is shown with new-for-2012 rider Ryan Wells at the Southern Illinois Center at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds during the Steve Nace Racing/AMA Racing Indoor National Dirt Track Series.  Wells is a former AMA Grand National Champion, Canadian National Champion and the '07 AMA Youth Dirt Tracker of the Year Award honoree.  Wells and the Weirbach Racing team will contest the 2012 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship aboard the team's Honda CRF450Rs.  Photo courtesy of Weirbach Racing.
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2012 Indy Dealer Expo Deemed Huge Success With Big Jump in Attendance

Lucas Oil Products has a very large footprint amongst the racing community, as their display at the 2012 Indy Dealer Show helped to showcase during the annual convention held at the Indiana Convention Center in mid-February.
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2012 DEALER EXPO^® AND AMERICAN V-TWIN DEALER SHOW A HUGE SUCCESS – INCREASED ATTENDANCE AND ONSITE BUYING EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEALERS

Show Attendees Spend $1.28 Million at Onsite Vehicle Auction in Just Two Hours

INDIANAPOLIS (February 28, 2012) – Dealer Expo, the premier global powersports trade show reported a six percent increase in retail/buyer attendance compared to the prior year’s event. The growth in attendees was greatest from franchised dealerships, specialty retailers, online retailers and big box stores, including Costco and Amazon.com. The diverse expansion in attendees points to increased consumer interest in the powersports aftermarket and motorcycling in general. Displaying the complete range of parts, accessories, tools, business services, vehicles and apparel, more than 700 exhibitors showcased the most exciting products available in the powersports market at the Indiana Convention Center earlier this month (February 17-19, 2012).

The inaugural American V-Twin Dealer Show, launched as a co-located event with Dealer Expo, attracted 2,018 onsite buyers including Harley-Davidson dealers, franchised dealers with cruiser lines, independent V-Twin dealers and custom builders – all communities with specific business needs.

“Nearly every segment showed attendance growth across the board at Dealer Expo and the American V-Twin Dealer Show this year,” said Advanstar Executive Vice President Daniel Phillips. “Mass merchandisers, franchised dealers and online retailers were all up more than five percent, with specialty service retailers up 166 percent and outdoor retailers up more than 500 percent. Our exhibitors were the real winners – a large number of them reported increased onsite orders this year as they took advantage of the expanded range of high-spending buyers we delivered at the show.”

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Castrol Lubricants and Emgo Motorcycle Parts & Accessories took up a large portion of one of the displays at the Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis during the 2012 Indy Dealer Expo held February 17-19.
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Demonstrating the continuing value of the pre-owned sector and the increased spending of Dealer Expo and American V-Twin Dealer Show attendees, National Powersport Auctions (NPA) hosted a live pre-owned vehicle auction, securing more than $1.28 million in two hours, from the sale of 152 Harley-Davidson and metric motorcycles to attendees.

The 2012 Dealer Expo and the American V-Twin Dealer Show offered both exhibitors and attendees greater value than ever before with more features including: product demonstrations; a live build on the Builder’s Stage; fashion shows; the Ultimate Dealer Custom Bike Show; educational seminars by Dealership University valued at $15,000 per attendee; a Saturday night industry party at Lucas Oil Stadium; and more. In addition, 193 registered members of the media – the largest media turnout in Dealer Expo history – attended Friday’s dedicated media preview and stayed to cover the powersports weekend extravaganza, generating more news than ever about the impressive lineup of innovative new products making world debuts.

The 2012 Dealer Expo and the first-ever American V-Twin Dealer Show destination event took place February 17-19, 2012, at the Indiana Convention Center, 1000 South Capitol Ave, in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Dealer Expo and the American V-Twin Dealer Show are open to qualified members of the powersports retail trade.

For more information please visit www.dealerexpo.com, or www.vtwinshow.com.

Contact:   DeeDee Taft/Shelbi Okumura Spin Communications  deedee@spinpr.com  (415) 380-8390

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7-Time & Retired AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin Talks to Cycle News

Mat Mladin hammers the throttle coming out of turn 8 on his #66 American Suzuki/Yoshimura USA/Dunlop/Showa-sponsored GSX-R750, during qualifying for the AMA/MBNA Superbike Championship Series during the Coca-Cola Super Cycle Classic weekend at Road America in June '99.  In the first season running the fuel-injected Suzukis, Mladin and the Yoshimura team would go on to win their first of seven championships together.

After riding for the Fast By Ferracci Ducati team, Mladin hooked up with the Yoshimura Suzuki team in a match made in heaven, earning the '99-'01, '03-'05 and '09 AMA Superbike Championships.  Mladin, who will turn 40 next month just over 2 1/2 years after hanging up his leathers, is also the all-time winner in the premier road racing class in America with 82 wins.

To a lot of riders and fans, Mladin was the brash and cocky-type in his years of dominating AMA Superbike racing, but he was a very strong advocate in helping to progress safety at the tracks in America when many were sorely in need of improvements.  Standing up for the safety of the riders, Mladin wouldn't back down when it came to the needs of the riders and the lack of safety improvements around the tracks in America.  He helped to escalate many changes and improvements in his years of kicking hind-end in the States.

Having retired at the end of the 2009 season after winning his 7th title in the class, Mladin now runs his businesses in his home country of Australia while also enjoying his love of flying many different types of aircraft. 

Check out below what Mat has been up to since his retirement, thanks to the great folks at Cycle News.com!
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Cycle News' Darryl Flack had a chance to catch up with 7-Time AMA Superbike Champion Mat Mladin recently, and you can check out what 'the man from down under' is doing these days back home in Australia, right here:

http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20120223#pg57
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AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Breakfast at Daytona With Kevin Schwantz to Include Silent Benefit Auction

Press release courtesy of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame


AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Breakfast At Daytona Featuring World Grand Prix Champion Kevin Schwantz: Benefit Auction Included


PICKERINGTON, Ohio--February 28, 2012-- This year's 24th annual AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Breakfast at Daytona, which features Hall of Famer and 1993 500cc World Grand Prix roadracing Champion Kevin Schwantz, will once again include the popular silent auction to benefit the Hall of Fame.

Special items available for the auction are still rolling in, and among them is an authentic Nichole Cheza flat-track racing helmet (complete with racetrack roost spots), a Bill Werner "Pair of Nines" race shirt honoring racers Gary Nixon and Jay Springsteen, special signed posters from past Hall of Fame events, an autographed copy of Buzz Kanter's Indian Motocycles book and much more.

The silent auction is open to attendees at this year's breakfast, which is set for Friday of Bike Week, March 16, in the Daytona International Speedway infield at the prestigious 500 Club building. Tickets are available online at www.motorcyclemuseum.org, or by calling (800) 262-5646.

"One of the great things about the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame is the direct connection it provides to Hall of Famers and others in the motorcycle world, and nowhere is that more true than in the silent auction, where bidders are vying for memorabilia from the fast and famous," says Jack Penton, the AMA's director of operations. "And best of all, 100 percent of the auction proceeds go to support the Hall."

Featured speaker Schwantz, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999, rocketed to prominence as one of America's best roadracers during the mid-1980s. By the end of the decade, Schwantz had moved to international competition in the 500cc Grand Prix World Championships. He was a perennial top rider in that series and won the world championship in 1993. During his Grand Prix racing career, Schwantz racked up 25 500cc GP victories, putting him second all-time among American riders.

At the breakfast, Schwantz will be interviewed onstage by race announcer and Bike Week mainstay Ben Cheatwood before fielding questions from the audience in a rare up-close-and-personal appearance.

Several individuals have signed on as sponsors of the event, including AMA Board Chairman Stan Simpson and long-time Hall of Fame supporters Mike and Margaret Wilson. Additional sponsorships -- individual and corporate -- are available by contacting Steve Gotoski at sgotoski@ama-cycle.org.

About the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation

Founded in 1990 by the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, the goal of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum is to tell the stories and preserve the history of motorcycling. Located on the campus of the American Motorcyclist Association in Pickerington, Ohio, the Museum's three major exhibition halls feature the machines and memorabilia of those who have contributed notably to the sport. The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to motorcycling, including those known for their contributions to road riding, off-road riding and all categories of racing, as well as those who have excelled in business, history, design and engineering.

More information can be found at MotorcycleMuseum.org. 
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Steve Nace Racing's '12 AMA Indoor Dirt Track National Championship Series Final Round in DuQuoin This Sunday, February 26

Round 6 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com saw the series convening on Memorial Day, Monday May 30 for the Springfield TT, after a rain delay from the previous Saturday caused the round to be pushed back and having to run after the Sunday Springfield Mile I round.  Considering the amount of water that had pooled up inside the Springfield Rodeo/Multipurpose Arena, AMA Pro Flat Track and the track crew headed up by former AMA Grand National competitor and National #42, Steve Morehead, did one heckuva job in getting and keeping the track in-shape for the 53 riders that had entered the event.

Relaxing in between sessions in his pit area, Cory Texter leans over his #65 RLT Racing/Herr's/Invisible Glass/Penske Racing-sponsored Honda CRF450R while looking over his sister Shayna's #25A Pro Singles mount while the rest of the crew takes a break under the awning on a hot and drippy day at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

CTex, who will be running the full schedule in the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season after a partial run of the previous year, has been doing some off-season testing and riding preparing for the upcoming 19-scheduled round year.

He is heading to DuQuoin, IL. with his RLT Racing mounts this weekend in what will most likely be his last on-track time before heading to Daytona for the season-opening rounds on March 15-16.  Steve Nace Racing is wrapping up their excellent running of the indoor rounds inside the Southern Illinois Center this weekend, with a practice schedule set for tomorrow night, Friday February 24 from 6-9 P.M. CST and a full-schedule of racing set for Sunday, February 26.  Quads and karts will take to the track on Saturday to fill out a busy weekend of racing at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds facility.

Cory will be joining regulars JD Beach, Jeffrey Carver, Jr., Rob Pearson, Ryan Wells and Indy's own Dan Ingram for the final round of the season before all pack up to head to Daytona in March. 

If you are in the area and wanting a great racing fix, DuQuoin is the place to be as Steve Nace, Kelly and Kevin and the rest of the SNR crew put on one heckuva show.  And I wouldn't be surprised to see a few other heads on-hand at DuQuoin this weekend to close out the indoor season.
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2012 AMA Racing Indoor Dirt Track National Championship Series promoted by Steve Nace Racing round 6 promotional flyer courtesy of Steve Nace Racing Promotions.
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You can check out the results from previous rounds of the 2012 AMA Racing Indoor Dirt Track National Championship Series promoted by Steve Nace Racing Promotions here:

http://www.stevenaceracing.com/mcatvresults.html
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AMA Road Racing: Cycle News' Archives Scribe Larry Lawrence Reviews Troy Corser's '94 AMA Superbike Championship

By the time the AMA Superbike Championship Series rolled into Road America in June '94, a relative unknown to American race fans was making a huge impression on the U.S.-based series and was on his way to a 'rookie' championship in AMA Pro Road Racing's premier class. Troy Corser had won the Australian Superbike Championship the year previously, and Eraldo Ferracci was able to sign him to his Fast By Ferracci Ducati team to race in the AMA Superbike Championship Series with team mate Pascal Picotte. It proved to be a perfect pairing after it was all said and done.

At the Coca-Cola Super Cycle Classic in Elkhart Lake, WI., Corser on the #19 Ducati Motorcycles/Pro Grip/Dunlop/Fast By Ferracci-sponsored Ducati 955 leads team mate Picotte on the #21 Ducati/Fast By Ferracci-backed Ducati 955 early in the Superbike main event heading into turn 14. Picotte would go on to take the win after Jamie James on the #2 Vance & Hines Yamaha was docked for passing under the yellow just out of turn 14 when team mate Colin Edwards crashed out of the event. Corser would finish 4th after over-cooking his brakes at the four mile circuit. Almost ironically, Corser would go on to beat James for the title at the season-ending round at Road Atlanta when a mechanical on James' bike forced him to drop back in the pack.

The man from New South Wales, Australia would head to Europe for the '95 season contesting the World Superbike Championship, where in '96 he won his first of two titles while riding for the Promotor Ducati factory team. He would grab his second World Superbike Championship in '05 while riding for the Alstare Corona Suzuki team.

Corser would go on to compete in 377 WSBK events throughout his career, over 60% of the races held in the now-25 years of the series. He is the all-time Superpole winner with 43 and won 33 WSBK events while riding for Ducati, Suzuki, Aprilia and Yamaha. In his 15 years of contesting the WSBK Championship, Corser also rode for the Foggy Petronas and BMW teams and retired after the end of the '11 season after having ridden for BMW since the '09 season.
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A big shout out and thanks goes to Larry Lawrence and his Cycle News Archives column as he hits a home run with this trip back in time to the '94 AMA Superbike Championship when Troy Corser appeared on the scene in America to take on the rest of the big horses in the premier road racing series in the U.S.

Thanks to LL and CN for this great trip down memory lane:

http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20120223#pg87
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Reviewing the 2012 Indy Dealernews International Powersports Dealer Expo Part 2

Motorcyclist Magazine had one of the larger display booths at the Indy show, including one of the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Ducatis featuring the #100 on it.  According to team co-owner Mike Lloyd, the mag is putting together a series of stories about the LBM team as part of their 100th anniversary in 2012 that will deal with their assault on the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season.

The veteran team has been supporting AMA Pro Flat Track for over two decades now, and finally got their breakout win with Joe Kopp at the helm at the May 2010 Arizona Mile.  '11 AMA Rookie of the Year Brad Baker took the LBM Ducati to a season-best 2nd place finish at the season-ending Pomona Half-Mile on October 15, 2011.

Lloyd also mentioned that the team has removed the 'Ducati' branding from the bike, instead focusing on the team's name and sponsor Nicky Hayden's name on the tank.  Nicky helped lend the LBM team some support during the mid-part of the season last year after blowing a motor at the Sacramento Mile. 

"Nicky's been great and he'll always have a ride with us" was what Dave Lloyd had told me last season, and which brother Mike also confirmed at the Indy Dealer Show.  When The Kentucky Kid ran his demo laps at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile in August 2010 it was on one of the LBM bikes.  "He'd been away from flat track for a few years, but he would have qualified in the top 20 that night in just the few laps he did run," according to Mike.

"When he's ready to come back to flat track, we'll put him on one of our bikes in a heartbeat.  We took Ducati's name off of the bike since they haven't been willing to help us out.  They offered us dealer cost on parts, but I can get that at any dealer now," according to Mike Lloyd. 

It's been refreshing with all of the other support the team get's from fans at the AMA Pro Flat Track Twins Series races.  "We actually get as many or more Harley fans coming by to check us out at the races, they love the competition and are tired of seeing 18 Harley's out there just racing against themselves," stated Lloyd.



View on as we bring you another handful of the teams, sponsors and riders who help to support racing and were on hand at the 2012 Dealernews International Powersports Dealer Expo at the Indiana Convention Center in Indy over the February 17-19 weekend.
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Germany's Wossner Pistons had several displays throughout their booth at the Indy Dealer Expo.  The Werner-Springsteen Monster Energy Kawasaki team counts Wossner as one of their many sponsors in AMA Pro Flat Track.
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Lockhart Phillips had a nice display that included this Nicky Hayden Ducati 848.  Not to mention the pretty blond lady!
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Shoei Helmets had this wall display among their many lines of lids in Indy.  Among many of their sponsored riders is AMA Grand National #20 Matt Weidman.
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The folks from Scala Rider had a big display of some of the rider-to-passenger and rider-to-rider communication systems they offer on-hand at the Indy show.  The Bluetooth system they offer is considered one of the finest on the market, and they were announced at the end of January as the official communication system of AMA Pro Racing.
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Millenium Technologies had a cool display of some of their cylinder and head work.  Zanotti Racing, Werner-Springsteen Racing and Rogers Lake Racing are a few of the sponsored teams that the take care of in AMA Pro Flat Track.
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Sidi Boots had this wall of racing boots displayed at the Indy Dealer Expo.  Johnny Lewis, Nicky Hayden and Jimmy Wood are a few of their sponsored riders.
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Mikuni Carburetors had this impressive display that included a cool backdrop that featured former 2-Time AMA Superbike Champion Wes Cooley on an early '80s Suzuki.  The carb sitting on the counter on the left was so highly-polished you could almost brush your teeth with it.
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I had the pleasure of running into and meeting Richard Weirbach from the Iowa-based Weirbach Racing team, the 2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Flat Track Champions.  Richard and the team signed AMA Horizon Award winner Ryan Wells in the off-season and have been staying busy getting him some track time while running the Steve Nace AMA Dirt Track Indoor Championship inside the Southern Illinois Center at DuQuoin.  They have also been working on their XR750 for the Expert Twins Grand National Championship for the 2012 season, which they are hoping to sign someone to ride in a few races this year.  Richard headed home to Ottumwa after the show and then was on to the Minneapolis area to do some final dyno testing early in the week, before heading to DuQuoin for this weekend's final round of the Steve Nace Series.
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Two Brothers Racing stayed busy during the weekend at Indy.
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Penske Racing Shocks had some impressive goods on display.  Lloyd Brothers Motorsports and Nichole Cheza are among some of Penske's sponsored teams and riders in AMA Pro Flat Track.
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Silkolene USA stayed busy inside the Indiana Convention Center-hosted dealer expo.  Notice the Jake Johnson 2011 #1 AMA Pro Flat Track plate sitting in the background.  They also sponsor Bryan Smith, Matt Weidman and Brandan Bergen in AMA Pro Flat Track.
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AMA Superbike Championship rider Larry Pegram brought along one of his Pegram Racing/Foremost Insurance BMW S1000RR superbikes to display in the D2M booth at Indy.
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'94 AMA Superbike Champion and 2-Time World Superbike Champion Troy Corser was in the house on Friday at the Indy Dealer Expo talking with some of the SamcoSport reps.
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Dave Zanotti made the trip from California to display 2-Time and defending AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson's H-D XR750 at the Indy Dealer Show at the AMA Pro Racing/Racer X booth.
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Not too far around the corner from Jake's mount we found the Zanotti Racing crew holding shop in the Bazzaz booth.  Jake Johnson, crew chief Ted McDermitt and team owner Dave Zanotti talk with 2011 Springfield Mile II winner Willie McCoy along with a member of the Bazzaz team.
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Mentor, OH.-based Wiseco Pistons had some impressive displays at the show.  Among many of their sponsored teams and riders include Kenny Coolbeth, Jr., Nichole Cheza and Chris Carr.
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The folks from Metal Rescue had this new Moto3 entry on display in their booth with a Yamaha 250 engine.  Moto3 will be replacing the 125CC two-strokes this year.
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Tyler Porter stayed busy all weekend while helping out the great folks at Memphis Shades (who will be sponsoring Babe Demay's team this season with new rider Rob Pearson #27 in AMA Pro Flat Track.)  Brad Baker stopped by to see the main man from Fight For Dirt Track (www.fightfordirttrack.com) on Saturday of the show. 

The '11 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year flew in from Texas after spending some time with new team-owner Kenny Tolbert, who is in the process of getting the new team's Kawasaki 650R-based machines ready for the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season.  Brad 'The Bullet' said they are working on getting their final sponsorships worked out and put together for the upcoming season, and after the show was over on Sunday he was heading back to KT's home base.
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Motobatt Products had a booth at Indy after having just signed-on with AMA Pro Racing in November '11 as the official battery, charger and tester for the 2012 season in both AMA Pro Road Racing and AMA Pro Flat Track.
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Galfer Brakes had this Storz SP1200RR on display at the Indy show.  Storz Performance has a new line of cafe-style accessories for '04-present Harley-Davidson Sportsters, and this new show bike was used as a display to show-off what can be done with a little cash and a little imagination.  This bike started as a low-mile '07 883 Sportster and was tweaked with the help of a 1200cc Wiseco piston kit, 18 inch wheels, Galfer brakes, Barnett clutch and Performance Machine brake calipers, among other changes.
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Spectro Oils of America was busy thoughout the weekend with their Sarah Palin look-alike on-hand in their booth for pictures with the attendees.  Spectro sponsors the former 3-Time AMA Grand National Champion Kenny Coolbeth, Jr., among others, in AMA Pro Flat Track.
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Vance & Hines had a large display on-hand at the Indiana Convention Center for the 2012 Indy Dealer Expo, highlighted by this sweet AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series machine, decked out and ready to go racing at Daytona in about three weeks.  Vance & Hines XR1200 racing division is based out of their Brownsburg, IN. location, about 4 miles west of Stu's Shots homebase.
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Book-ending our coverage of the 2012 Indy Dealer Expo, we see the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports booth that featured a surprise along with a fine display of one of the team's big sponsors, ENI USA Lubricants.  Team co-owner Mike Lloyd (brown shirt, left rear of shot) is busy talking with attendees of the show and hawking the ENI line of quality products.  "These guys are great to work with and offer a big line of products for the industry," commented Lloyd.  ENI USA rep Dave Rinefierd (2nd from right) was helping out over the weekend and was very enthusiastic about the team's efforts and their association with ENI.  "These guys are great reps for the ENI brand," stated Rinefierd.

As you can see from the 1098 on display at the LBM booth, it is sporting a new number for the 2012 season.  "Yep, Henry Wiles will be our rider for this year.  We tried to get things worked out last year and then they fell apart and that's how we ended up with Brad," according to Mike Lloyd.  "We've got four complete bikes for this season.  This one (the one on-hand in their booth) is the original 1098 we started with, along with Larry Pegram's help several years ago.  We'll have two set up for the mile races and two for the half-miles."

Team co-owner and Mike's brother Dave, wasn't on-hand for the Indy show, but had told me several weeks ago that the budget was almost complete for the 2012 season.  They should be ready to go for the first Twins Series race at Springfield over the Memorial Day weekend, and are planning to run the Savannah, GA. Steve Nace All Star round the weekend before the Daytona Short Track season-openers.

This will definitely be one of the top teams to again keep an eye out for in the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season.  With Henry having ridden for the team in the past (taking their Aprilia to a 2nd place finish at Lima in 2008) they shouldn't have the usual 'teething' problems of getting team, bike and rider to gel. 

It should be a fun and productive year.  When you get to a round of the series this year make sure you stop by and say 'hi' to the Lloyd Brothers team.  They not only know how to do it on the track, but are a fun bunch of people to hang out with, too!
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This wraps up our coverage of the 2012 Dealernews International Powersports Dealer Expo, held in Indianapolis over the February 17-19 weekend.  We hope you've enjoyed our coverage of a handful of the companies, sponsors, teams and riders who help to support racing here in the United States and abroad.  Remember, without these companies and sponsors the sport we so dearly love would not be possible, so whenever you can support these companies and tell them thank you for the time, money and effort that they put into helping to make motorcycle racing possible.

We also want to again thank the great folks at Dealernews who sponsor the Indy Dealer Expo and for putting on such a great show and for allowing Stu's Shots to be a part of it this year.  We had a blast, and we hope all of our readers have enjoyed the coverage. 

Thanks again for taking the time to hang out with us here and to spend your hard-earned time with Stu's Shots!
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And you can read part one of our review of the 2012 Dealernews International Powersports Dealer Expo here:

http://stusshots.blogspot.com/2012/02/reviewing-2012-indy-dealernews.html
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Reviewing the 2012 Indy Dealernews International Powersports Dealer Expo

Stu's Shots managed to score a press credential for the 2012 Dealernews International Powersports Dealer Expo, held at the newly-remodeled and enlarged Indiana Convention Center in downtown Indianapolis over the February 17-19 weekend, and we had a blast hanging with some of the racing crowd, while also meeting new friends in the racing business over the course of the show. 


With 700 exhibitors signed on to display their wares in downtown Indy, just a 40 minute drive from the Stu's Shots homebase, we headed downtown to take in the action for a few hours on the first two days of the expo.  We have tried to do our best to showcase a handful of the companies that support AMA Pro Flat Track and AMA Pro Road Racing, along with some of the other national and international racing series.  Without these companies the racing that we all enjoy would not be possible, and we thank them for supporting racing the world over and for taking the time to put on a great show in Indy this last weekend.


In the shot above, at the RacerX/AMA Pro Racing booth we came acrossed the #11 HMC/KTM RC8 that will be returning to the AMA Superbike Championship for the 2012 season along with rider Chris Fillmore (the '11 AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Champion), starting with the season-opening round at Daytona scheduled for March 14-17.  Reporting a 22% increase in sales for the 2011 year, KTM made the announcement earlier this month that they would be returning to the AMA Superbike Championship with the HMC team.  The team ran a few races last season with Fillmore scoring a superb 7th-place finish in one of the Mid Ohio round races.
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One of the many signs in the lobby of the Indiana Convention Center greeting the 20K-strong crowd for the weekend of February 17-19.
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Cycle World Magazine had a beautiful booth at the Indy Dealer Expo that included autographs by '93 500CC World Champion Kevin Schwantz and a silent auction of racing memorabilia that was sponsored by publisher Joe Parkhurst.  On display in the booth was a sano-looking early '70s Honda CB500 Four (front-center of shot.)
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AGV Helmets had this collection of Valentino Rossi model lids sitting on one of their racks in their booth at the Indy show.  They also sponsor Sammy Halbert in the AMA Pro Flat Track series, among other racers.
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Barnett Clutches had this sweet display of clutch assemblies and baskets on hand at the show.  One of their sponsored teams is the Iowa-based Weirbach Racing team who won the 2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship with rider Mikey Martin.
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K&N Filters, who were the series sponsor for the 2010 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series, has been a racing supporter for decades in both flat track and road racing.  This was but one of several displays they had throughout the show's 500K square feet of displays.
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Former AMA Grand National Championship competitor and National #20, Johnny Murphree, is now working for the Beta Motorcycle folks and was on-hand talking to the show's gathering.  Here he is in their booth with one of Beta's very trick bikes.
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Cometic Gaskets sponsors the Werner-Springsteen Monster Energy Kawasaki flat track team, among others, and had this diplay at the show in Indy.
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Arai Helmets was one of the many helmet manufacturers on-hand at Indy with this diplay wall in their booth.  Chris Carr and Jake Johnson are but two riders sponsored by Arai in the AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com.
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Dave Zanotti and Ted McDermitt (center and right) of the 2-Time AMA Grand National Championship-winning Zanotti Racing team, were around and about at the show.  Here they talk with the one of the folks from EBC Brakes, one of Zanotti Racing's fine sponsors.
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The Chinese motorcycle accessory and after-market was very well represented at the Indy Dealer Expo with a huge block of booths..........

.......as was the Taiwan market.
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The 2008 Suzuki GSX-R1000 that propelled Ben Spies to his 3rd AMA Superbike Championship was on display in the Yoshimura booth at the Indy Dealer Expo.  Talking with one of the show reps, I found out that this was one of the actual bikes used to win the championship in the last season of the fire-breathers of Superbikes, and not just a reproduction.  It had been in storage in one of Yoshimura's storage areas and was brought out to Indy for the show.
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HJC Helmets had this display set-up in their booth at Indy, along with a nice backdrop featuring Yamaha factory MotoGP teamster, Ben Spies.  'Elbowz' was on-hand Friday afternoon to sign autographs for the show's attendees.  Somehow, I missed this one, while also failing to get some good shots of other attendees like Chris Carr, former AMA Motorcross star Chuck Sun, and AMA Supercross rider Chad Reed (who unfortunately was injured in Saturday night's Dallas Supercross round.)
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One of the several electric motorcycle manufacturers on-hand in downtown Indy over the weekend was BRD Motorcycles, with their line of RedShift bikes.  This one is their RedShift MX, which retails for $14,995 and they offer RedShift SM (Supermoto model) for $15,495.  The California-based company produces machines that are powered by a 40HP liquid-cooled brushless engine that is powered by a 5.2 kWh lithium-ion battery, with claims of battery range of 50-65 miles, and an 80% battery capacity after 10K hours or 50K miles.
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5-Time Daytona 200 winner Scott Russell was in the house on Saturday to talk with some of the show's attendees.  He looked pretty relaxed! 
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Bell Helmets had this bitchin' backdrop in their booth featuring Evel Knievel and some old flat track stuff, Josh Herrin on his #8 Graves Monster Energy Yamaha YZF-R6 and Craig Breedlove and his early '60s Bonneville Speed Weeks 'Spirit of America' machine.
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Ohio-based KK Motorcycle Supply has been around for 53 years now in the motorcycle accessory and after-market business, and is one of the only remaining original companies to attend all 45 shows of the Dealer Expo.  They have sponsored many a rider over the years, including former '75 AMA Grand National Champion Gary Scott, former AMA Grand National competitor Steve Morehead, and current and 2011 AMA Grand National Singles Champion, Sammy Halbert, to name just a few.
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Tennessee-based Memphis Shades offers a fine line of motorcycle fairings and windscreens, and was at the Indy show to display some of their fine equipment.  Helping out in the Memphis Shades booth was Tyler Porter of Fight For Dirt Track, who was caught goofing off on the job talking to AMA Grand National competitor and National #44 Brandon Robinson.  I'm sure they were talking business, though, so we'll give the FFDT man a break!
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Teknic Leathers had this set of Miguel Duhamel's leathers on display from the '94 AMA Superbike Championship season when he rode the Harley-Davidson factory VR1000.  The likeable Canadian had a rough year on the VR (H-D had a rough go entirely with the VR...) but to this day, one of the loudest roars from a crowd at any race I have ever attended was at Mid Ohio in '94 when Duhamel led the first lap or two of the Superbike final.  Two of the highlights of that year were Miguel qualifying the VR on the front row at Mid Ohio AND Brainerd, which was a pretty fast track back in the day.
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The NPA Motorcycle Auction was one of the highlights of the weekend, featuring 150 vehicles that were auctioned off in 90 minutes for a reported $1.28M total.  You can read about that here:

http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews/AVTDS+Update/INDY-2012-NPA-motorcycle-auction-generates-12-mill/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/760969?contextCategoryId=48447
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This was the display for the Dealernews Top 100 Excellence in Powersports Retailing.  100 dealers were announced in late December for their accomplishments over the last year in the motorcycle industry.  Some of the areas acknowledged were print and online media campaigns, best displays and service department excellence.  City Cycle Sales, a Harley-based multiline dealer from Junction City, KS. was named the Top 100 Dealer of the Year.  Indy-based Dreyer Motorsports South was one of the many honorees.  You can check out the full list here who were honored with the display wall above:

http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews/LATEST+NEWS/DEALERNEWS-ANNOUNCES-TOP-100-DEALERS-FOR-2012/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/754140?contextCategoryId=48447
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Graves Monster Energy Yamaha pilot Josh Herrin was on-hand over the weekend to give out autographs and talk with the attendees at the Bell Helmets booth.  Herrin will be joining 2-Time and defending AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes as a team mate as he moves up to the AMA Superbike Championship after campaigning the AMA Pro Daytona SportBike Championship the last three seasons for the Graves squad.
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The American Motorcyclist Association booth at the Indy Dealer Expo featured several bikes from the days gone by that would make any race fan drool.  One that caught my eye was this '71 Husqvarna 400 Cross that was ridden by Malcolm Smith in the movie 'On Any Sunday.'
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Roland Sands Design (RSD) was commissioned by the National Powersports Auction as part of the Indy Dealer Expo to build this special 2010 Triumph Thruxton.  This bike was part of a raffle at the show that was given away on Saturday night, February 18.  The winner was Van Hammel, the man who owns Van's Yamaha in southern Illinois and who has sponsored '10 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Champion Jeffrey Carver, Jr.
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National Cycle offers a full line of motorcycle parts and accessories and was on-hand at Indy.  One of their sponsored riders is Jared Mees, the '09 & '11 AMA Grand National Twins Series Champion, and the 4-Time ICE Speedway Series Manufacturers Cup Bike Champion.
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Lectron Carbs had this impressive display at the show in Indy.  I first started hearing about Lectron's back in the mid-'70s when Kel Carruthers started using them on Kenny Roberts's Team Yamaha mounts in AMA Flat Track and AMA Road Racing.
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You can read more about the 2012 Dealernews International Powersports Dealer Expo here, and I want to thank the fine folks from the Indy Dealer Expo for a great weekend checking out all of the happenings inside the Indiana Convention Center-hosted event!

Article about the industry heading into the opening of the Indy Dealer Expo's opening on Friday, February 17:

http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews/LATEST+NEWS/INDY-LIVE-2012-Market-smaller-than-in-06-but-still/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/759150?contextCategoryId=48447

And some interesting numbers concerning the turnout for the 2012 Indy Dealer Expo:

http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews/AVTDS+Update/INDY-LIVE-2012-Retailers-ruling-in-Indy/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/760959?contextCategoryId=48447

Dealernews.com homepage with loads of industry info:

http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews
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My buddy Larry Lawrence was in the house on Friday for the Indy Dealer Expo and put up these shots on his super The Rider Files.com site:

http://www.theriderfiles.com/?p=15219
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Stay tuned in the next couple of days as we bring you some more from the 2012 Indy Dealer Expo.  We'll have more special stuff from the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports team, Motorcyclist Magazine, Motobatt Products, Scala Rider and Mikuni Carbs, among others, that were showing off their goods in the huge confines of the Indiana Convention Center over the weekend.

Thanks for coming by to hang out and check us out!.
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