AMA Flat Track: After Returning to the Expert Ranks at Springfield, Dan Ingram Heads to the Sacramento Mile to Pilot a Dodge Brothers XR750

Dan Ingram looks over the #31J TCR/Zanna Racing/Indy Southside H-D/Tucker Rocky Harley-Davidson XR750 while team owner and long-time tuner and team owner Tom Cummings cools off on the edge of the team's transporter at the Allen County Fairgrounds on June 30 at round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season.

Ingram announced over the weekend that he would be heading to the Sacramento Mile for the July 28 event to pilot a Dodge Brothers Harley-Davidson XR750 after it was announced earlier that TCR would not be able to make the trip due to cost restraints for the long 2200 mile +/- trek from the midwest.

With help from Mid-American Speedway in Indianapolis and many of his fans, Dan will be flying into Sacramento on Saturday A.M. to throw a leg over one of the Dodge Brothers machines as an 'unofficial' team mate to regular Dodge Brothers competitor, Steve Bonsey.

A big tip of the helmet to Jim Terchila/Mid-America Speedway for helping out Dapper Dan to get out to the Sacramento Mile, as well as Jim Grant from JGPhotowerx who also helped out Dan in his quest to get to the west coast race.  And it goes without saying we wish Dan the very best of luck this weekend.  Go get 'em man!

Jeffrey Carver, Jr. on the #23 Kiesow Racing/Hall's Cycles/Eddie Adkins/Sponseller-backed XR750 takes the low line during the final round of qualifying at the Lima Half-Mile on June 30 while Dan Ingram on the #31J TCR/Zanna Racing-sponsored XR shoots a roost and bounces off one of the ruts in the corner coming into turn 4. 

The Clermont, IN. resident qualified 5th overall in his second Twins Series event since returning the the Expert ranks at the Springfield Mile I event at the end of May, which is quite an accomplishment in itself considering how rough the track was.  He went on to qualify for the National main via a 4th-place finish in heat #2 behind Bryan Smith, Henry Wiles and Rob Pearson, and fought the track as the night wore on to claim a solid 13th-place finish for his efforts.

After a 19-year absence from the track, Dapper Dan returned to action as an Expert-ranked rider at Springfield on May 27 and made his first National main event since being injured there in May '93.  After going through the process of gaining enough points to reclaim his Expert license via AMA Pro Flat Track's guidelines of racing in the Pro Singles Series and in other flat track events around the Midwest, Ingram proudly made the main at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and brought home a strong 11th-place finish on the TCR entry.  Ingram 'just missed the set-up' at the Hagerstown Half-Mile on July 7, but not for want of trying or hard work. 

Steve Bonsey and his Dad, Steve, Sr. roll the #80 Dodge Bros/Alpinestars/Saddlemen/A&A Racing-sponsored H-D XR750 out to the line during rider intros at round 4 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Springfield Mile I event on May 27.

Bonsey ended up finishing in the 10th-place spot at the spring event at the Illinois State Fairgrounds after qualifying for the National main by coming home in 3rd-place in semi #2 behind winner Jeffrey Carver, Jr. and runner-up Rob Pearson.  The '09 AMA Flat Track Rookie of the Year has been campaigning a Dodge Brothers XR750 in the Twins Series events since the 2010 season, when he took his breakout first-ever win in the series at the Calistoga Half-Mile event in July '10.

The Dodge Brothers have campaigned the AMA Pro Flat Track series for many years and have proven time and time again that they can put together some very competitive equipment in the series, which should make for a good pairing for Bonsey and Ingram as team mates for the Sacramento Mile this Saturday, July 28, in round 7 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season.

AMA Pro Flat Track's Dan Ingram #31J TCR/Zanna Racing XR750 t-shirts.  Photo courtesy of Dan Ingram/Clermont, Indiana.


Dan Ingram is offering up some really nice t-shirts to fans who would like to help support his effort to compete in the remaining events of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Twins Series season.  Featuring the #31J rider on the TCR/Zanna Racing/Indy Southside H-D XR750, the shirts are available through Dan for a cost of $20 each plus $4 shipping.  Sizes S-3X in men's sizes and M-XL in women's sizes.  As of this last weekend, Dan stated that the shirts should be available within the next two weeks.

You can contact Dan to get yourself one of these cool shirts via his Facebook page here:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/dan.ingram.92


And you can order one of the shirts from Dan via his address with check or money order:

Dan Ingram
10920 E. U.S. Highway 136
Clermont, IN. 46234


You can also read a little bit more about Dan's return to the track this year, along with some info on Nick Cummings, the son of TCR owner, Tom Cummings.  Nick was seriously injured in a crash at a regional half-mile during the 2009 season, but has recovered enough to help out his Dad and Ingram in his return to the track.

Thanks to Larry Lawrence and Cycle News for this great interview with Nick that talks about his recovery and his help in getting Clermont, Indiana's Dan Ingram back in the saddle this season:

http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20120724#pg77