From the Department of 'I Wanna Be a Rock Star': AMA Pro Flat Track Announces 2013 Pro License Applications Now Available

So you've been riding flat track for years and now you're ready to move up to the 'bigs' to race with the 'names' of the sport including newly-crowned 2012 AMA Grand National Champion Jared Mees, 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Twins Series Champion Bryan Smith, and former AMA Supermoto Champion Johnny Lewis?  Well now's your chance to throw your hat (......er, let's make that helmet...) into the ring to do so!

The Daytona Motorsports Group-owned and operated AMA Pro Flat Track today announced pro license applications are now being accepted for the upcoming (how soon does it start, and are we close to getting a schedule released before the first snow flies this year) 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season.

Now take into account before you throw that ceremonial helmet into the ring, you WILL be going up against the best of the best in The Rolling Thunder Show.  You will be required to race in four forms of racing in the series (mile, half-mile, TT and short track), you will be required to transport a minimum of two bikes per each of those events on the calendar, which means you will need a minimum of two Twins Series machines for EACH of those types of tracks (that means two-each for half-mile AND mile events) and you might be able to get by with two Singles Series machines for the short track and TT events on the schedule by just mounting up your front brake onto your bike for the 2-4 TT events that will assuredly be on the calendar.

Then you'll need to book all of your extra race gear, find a decent van and/or transporter to use to move those machines criss-crossing the country several times during the season, book your hotel and/or camping arrangements and pay for your fuel to move those machines across the country.  But wait, it doesn't end there......(actually, when it comes to racing, it NEVER ends.......)

You will be competing on a bevy of dirt tracks around the country that are made up of a variety of clay, soil, rock, pea gravel and you name it when it comes to surface possibilities.  And if you run one of the series' longest current tenured events on the schedule at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio, you will need a MINIMUM of a half-case of duct tape in order to protect your investment from the constant showering, pelting and down and out hammering that it will take when running said event at the Lima Half-Mile.....just like the pros above that you so aspire to want to race against and with.

Believe me, this is barely dipping your toe into what it would take to mount a serious effort in the greatest racing series on wheels in the world, but it gives you an idea of the uphill battle you will/would/are facing looking said venture into the eyes and taking it on like a fighting Roman Emporer.  But when it's all said and done, you WOULD be racing against the stars of The Rolling Thunder Show, and you WOULD be rubbing elbows (or leather pads) with said stars when you are screaming out of the corner at Lima and the guy in front of you is showering you with a fire hose-plus size roost made up of pea gravel and sandblasting rock and sand. 

Round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season saw three men putting on a show at Lima during the first practice session of the afternoon, and in the process slinging a pea gravel roost that would stop a small army in it's tracks.

Out front, eventual 2012 AMA Grand National Champion Jared Mees leads the roosting on the #9 Rogers Racing/Blue Springs H-D/National Cycle/Lucas Oil-sponsored XR750, with eventual 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Twins Series Champion Bryan Smith on his #42 Moroney's FastHog.com/American H-D/Doc's H-D-backed XR trying his best to stay out of the pelting, with former AMA Supermoto Champion Johnny Lewis playing tag with the haybales on the highline on the #10 Scott Powersports/Saddlemen Seats/Wallace Trucking/AXO-sponsored Kawasaki 650R-based mount.  For the record, Mees finished 4th, Lewis 5th, and Smith 8th at the end of the day in the 25-lap National main, won by one Sammy Halbert.

So, are you still ready to 'bring it' against the best of the left-clankers (thanks Chew & Mia!) in The Rolling Thunder Show?  You can check out the info below and get on the bandwagon now as AMA Pro Flat Track announces what you need to do for the 2013 season to fulfil that dream!

2013 AMA Pro Flat Track License Applications Now Available

To: AMA Pro Flat Track Community

From: AMA Pro Member Services

Date: November 7, 2012

Subject: AMA Pro Flat Track License Applications Now Available

Licensing applications for the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track season are now available. AMA Pro Racing License and Crew membership applicants will receive a 10% discount on membership fees for the 2013 season if completed applications and payments are received in the AMA Pro Racing office by Friday, January 4, 2013.

The following files have been made available in the Competitor Information section of AMAProRacing.com.

2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles and Expert License Application

• Included in the following document are the 2013 season flat track license regulations and eligibility questionnaire.
• The file can be downloaded at http://www.amaproracing.com//assets/2013-AMAP-FT-Pro-Expert-App.pdf

2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Crew Membership Application

• The file can be downloaded at http://www.amaproracing.com//assets/2013-AMAP-FT-Crew-App.pdf

Please contact Doris Pitts in AMA Pro Racing Member Services at (386) 492-1014 ext. 152 for any questions regarding the license and entry process.