AMA Pro Flat Track Regular Mick Kirkness Steals the Win at Inaugural Troy Bayliss Classic in Aussie Homeland

Mick Kirkness floats the front wheel on the #87 Yeager Cycles/Clipper Industries/Arai/Memphis Shades-backed Honda CRF450R during the final round of qualifying at round 14 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season at the Peoria TT.  The popular Australian, who has been a regular fixture on The Rolling Thunder Show tour for the last five seasons, qualified with a strong showing of 16th-place out of the 39 riders on-hand to take a timed lap.

However, as the day wore on Kirkness' luck wore out at the track where he has had some strong finishes in his short Grand National career, missing the direct transfer to the National main in his heat by just under .7 second, and by just over a second in his semi.

Mick didn't miss a beat at the Inaugural Troy Bayliss Classic held in his home country this past weekend, though.  Coming in as a wild card entry alongside such luminaries of the sport as multi-time World Superbike Champion Bayliss, fellow Australians Josh Waters and Jamie Stauffer, and a host of other top-notch riders and racers, Mick took them all to school while making the early pass in the SuperMoto-style final to take the win in front of 5000 spectators on-hand for the Bayliss-promoted event.

Check out more below as we look forward to seeing National #87 back in the States in lucky '13 to bring his great blend of savvy, charisma and racing ability to The Rolling Thunder Show.  Way to go Mick, congrats man!


 Thanks to MC News.com for this race and photo report from the Troy Bayliss Classic over the weekend.

Check out the video from over the weekend from the inaugural Troy Bayliss Classic.  Watch right around the 1:45 mark as Manic Mick makes the pass that will take him to the win from this last Saturday in the Land Down Under.  Great move mate!

Check out more on the Troy Bayliss Classic here on their Facebook page.

Mick, a regular contender for the last several seasons in the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship, talked with Just 2 Wheelz TV in his homeland Australia just several days before competing in this last weekend's event, where he went in as a wild card and stole the show from a list of motorcycling greats such as Broc Parkes, Josh Waters, Jamie Stauffer and Troy Bayliss, just to name a few.  Way to put it to them Mick-O!