In just over 12 hours, the first event in the 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Twins Series will take to the track for the first round of practice at the Springfield Mile I in round 3 of the season, and the buzz has never been bigger for the fans and throngs of followers the world over with all of the team changes and the first race in decades to see the restrictors removed from all of the bikes.
Just taking into consideration the restrictor removal from The Rolling Thunder Show's big twins, no rider in current competition has ever ridden without the limitations of horsepower output, and massaging the beasts at over 135mph on the Illinois State Fairgrounds will take a slight of hand and will also see the very best in tire and suspension tuning come out from the men who turn the wrenches for each and every rider and their mounts. And the riders will need to learn to finesse the throttles in order to make their tires last through a grueling, bar-to-bar battle in the 25-lap National main. Sheer horsepower alone will not be atop the podium once the final checkers fall tomorrow afternoon.
Hopefully, you will be able to make the race, but if not, FansChoice.TV will bring you all of the action straight to your home with a full complement of video coverage that will commence from the first green flag of the first practice session tomorrow morning at 11:15 AM EDT/8:15 AM PDT and lasting right until the last word is spoken during the winner's ceremonies straight from the podium.
In the shot above, JD Beach on the #95 TJ Burnett Farms/Red Bull Kawasaki leads the pack out of turn 4 during heat race #2 on lap one at the Springfield Mile I during round 10 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship on Saturday, August 31.
Keeping it real behind the eventual 3rd-place finisher in both of last year's events at the Illinois State Fairgrounds are Mikey Martin on the #91 Bonneville Performance/Factory Triumph and eventual heat #2 winner and double Springfield Mile winner Willie McCoy on his #59 H-D of Wausau/Independence H-D XR-750.
Battling for the final direct transfer to the National main are Stevie Bonsey on the #80 Zanotti Racing/RGR XR, Dapper Dan Ingram on the #31 Brush-Eaken Racing/Dick Ford Kawasaki and Canada's own Doug Lawrence on the #73 R&J Racing/CVC Communication Agency XR-750. All of these riders eventually made their way to the big show that day and put on another stellar version of some high-speed bar banging and drafting that left the crowd on hand roaring their approval.
One of the biggest surprises of the off-season saw double AMA Grand National Twins Champion Bryan Smith left without a team, as tuner/builder/engineer/team owner extraordinaire Ricky Howerton decided to mothball the team in order to spend more time with his family and growing (quickly) sons.
But in a great turn of events, former stooge and second-man wrench and Howerton co-hort Jeff Gordon will be taking Flyin' Bryan and the #42 team forward beginning with tomorrow's first of six mile events this season. Gordon will spearhead the effort along with the other original members of the Howerton Motorsports team (you can read more about it here in Larry Lawrence's Cycle News interview with Smith on page 60) in what will be the original bike Smith raced the last two season for the team, but with a C&J chassis instead of the Howerton frame built by the IndyCar/NHRA/USAC and AMA Pro Flat Track fabricator.
In the shot above, Howerton and Gordon, along with team member Dink Glidden, flank the #42 Howerton Motorsports/Crosley Radio rocket Kawasaki at the Indy Mile on August 17 of last season. Crosley Radio will also be back on board with the team again this season and will try to help them all win another Twins Championship, and with a little luck and prayer, possibly the big crown as well.
Brandon Robinson will hit the track tomorrow with the same tuner and same set-up as what he took to the double win at last year's Springfield Mile Labor Day weekend doubleheader, but with a team makeover that happened late last year.
Robinson and his tuner, James Hart, split from the TJ Burnett Farms team and will soldier on this season with the USC sponsorship and be known as the USC Kawasaki/Hart Racing team. With little changing in terms of chassis and motors, BRob44 could be the the first man to win back-to-back races at Springfield since Willie McCoy accomplished that feat over the Labor Day weekend of 2011 and again over the Memorial Day weekend of 2012. Robinson could very well improve on his 3rd-place finish in the championship from last year as well as his three wins on the season for 2013. Remember, Robinson had one of if not THE ride of the double season-opener after crashing on the initial start at Daytona in March and literally tore through the field to take a 5th-place finish after restarting from the penalty line. This kid is fearless and has tasted victory and wants more, and after his devastating crash at the Indy Mile in 2009 nearly saw him lose it all, knows and appreciates what he has now and is ready to take on all comers.
In the shot above, Robinson signs for the fans at round 8 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship at the Indy Mile on August 17, as one of the #44 TJ Burnett Farms/USC Racing missile Kawasakis sets in the background as it gets some final touches done by team member Billy Gruwell.
There are many, many more things that could come into fruition with tomorrow's big bike kick off, but we will all just have to wait to see which way the cards fall. You can check out the full preview below of the race thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track, and also don't forget to tune into FansChoice.TV if you can't be at the race, and if you can, you will be wisely rewarded with what is without a doubt the best two wheel racing in the world as the stars, teams and sponsors of The Rolling Thunder Show will aim to please and thrill you at the Springfield Mile I. And may the best man, or woman, win!
Professionally produced coverage of Springfield Mile to be streamed LIVE on FansChoice.tv
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 24, 2014) - Professionally produced coverage of every session from this weekend's Springfield Mile will be live streamed on FansChoice.tv. Practice and qualifying will begin Sunday at 11:15 a.m. EST (8:15 a.m. PST) with opening ceremonies scheduled for 2 p.m. EST (11 a.m. PST). Tune in for the 12-lap Pro Twins main event at 4:30 p.m. EST (1:30 p.m. PST) and stick around for the grand finale, the 25-lap GNC Twins main event at 5 p.m. EST (2 p.m. PST).
JD Beach #95 leads the field out of turn 4 on the first lap of the 25-lap National main at the Springfield Mile I in round 10 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship on August 31. Beach parlayed a pair of 3rd-place finishes in the weekend's outing during his part time job as a team mate to double winner Brandon Robinson on the TJ Burnett Farms Kawasaki team. Bryan Smith #42 scored the double with two, 2nd-place finishes for the weekend. AMA Pro Flat Track will have every lap of tomorrow's season-opener for the Twins Series' big bikes streamed all over the world, with a pro entourage manning the cameras in order to bring the action right to your home should you not be able to make the event in person. AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.
FansChoice.tv made its debut at the season opening double header at DAYTONA Flat Track last March and produced unprecedented ratings, surpassing tens of thousands of viewers and generating an extraordinary amount of positive feedback from fans across the globe. FansChoice.tv is not only viewable to race fans here in the states, but the live streaming platform enables followers overseas and anywhere with an internet connection to watch all AMA Pro Flat Track and AMA Pro Road Racing events in live time. All FansChoice.tv is available on mobile and tablet platforms as well.
After rolling out FansChoice.tv, many fans had one common concern about the newly established streaming system - how can I watch the race on my flat screen television? Well, the answer is easy. All fans need to do is purchase an HDMI cable (if they don't already have one) to hook their laptop/computer to their television and the problem is solved. Fans can also watch using a live streaming device such as Apple TV, Chromecast or Roku. Now, fans have the ability to watch any race of their choosing in the comfort of their living room or wherever their television is located.
For tickets and more information regarding the Springfield Mile, located at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill. on May 25, 2014, please visit http://www.illinoismda.com/ or call 217-753-8866 or 888-468-1622.
About AMA Pro Flat Track AMA Pro Flat Track is a national motorcycle racing series in North America and is considered one of the oldest forms of motorcycle racing. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, the Series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track racing in the world. The 2014 schedule consists of 16 rounds on the country's finest flat track courses. For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track, please visit www.amaproracing.com/ft. |
AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Riders Gearing Up For Springfield Mile This Weekend
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 21, 2014) - One of the biggest indicators that summer is quickly approaching each year is when the stars of AMA Pro Flat Track roll their two-cylinder motorcycles off the trucks at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill. for the first go-around of the year at the legendary Springfield Mile.
Defending Grand National Champion Brad Baker will look to rebound in a big way this weekend after failing to break the top 10 in either of the two main events at Daytona to begin the season. Baker's current 16th position in the points is unfamiliar territory for the typical front-runner. At Springfield, Baker is entered to compete aboard the Factory Harley-Davidson XR750 for the first time this season since signing with the heavily sought-after race team last offseason. Look for the No. 1-plated Baker to get back to his usual high spot in the running order this weekend when the flags go green at Springfield.
Brandon Robinson #44 leads the heat race #1 pack into turn 3 at the Springfield Mile I on August 31, going on to take the heat win as well as a romp in the Dash and a huge victory, the first of two for the weekend, over the Labor Day weekend marathon last season. Robinson is a huge favorite to repeat in tomorrow's SF Mile I event at the Illinois State Fairgrounds mile oval, the official kick-off to the Twins Series for the 2014 season. AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.
Bryan Smith is widely considered the favorite to earn the coveted Springfield Mile victory this weekend. Smith has been notorious for dominating mile-long tracks over the years, mainly by using the front and back stretches as catapults to pull away from the rest of the field. Like Baker, Smith has a lot of ground to make up after struggling at Daytona. The Flint, Mich. product will ride the No. 42 Villa Esparza/Crosley Radio Team Kawasaki EX650 this weekend as he tries to improve on his 14th place position in the overall point standings.
Kenny Coolbeth will look to keep his momentum rolling this weekend as he comes off his first career DAYTONA Flat Track victory following Round 2. Coolbeth and Zanotti Racing joined forces this offseason to make up a frightening tandem eager to make noise in their first season together. Coolbeth currently sits third in the points and will ride a Harley-Davidson XR750 on Sunday.
Graham, Wash. native and current overall points leader Sammy Halbert appears to be on top of his game in 2014. After an injury-plagued 2013 campaign, Halbert proved he's healthy enough to wreak havoc on the competition at Daytona, earning second and fourth place finishes to come away with the points lead. Halbert will look to build off his nine-point lead aboard a South East Harley-Davidson XR750.
Jake Johnson looked like the Jake Johnson of old during the first two rounds of competition this season. Whatever steps the 2010 and 2011 Grand National Champion appeared to have lost over the past couple years, he seemingly got back at Daytona. Most fans and riders alike know that a revamped Johnson can mean a lot of problems for the rest of the field as he's proven to be one of the best in the business when he and his team are clicking on all cylinders. Johnson will sport a Ramspur Winery Ducati at Springfield.
There probably isn't a rider on the circuit more eager suit to up at Springfield than Brandon Robinson. The Oxford, Pa. native is not only legitimately gunning for his first ever championship, but he was the winner of both Springfield Mile main events a year ago. Robinson just plain loves the track and thrives under pressure so fans can expect the USC Kawasaki EX650 rider to bring it again this weekend.
There are several other notable riders that have a chance to make noise when the series heads to the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill. for the Springfield Mile on May 25, 2014. Shayna Texter, Briar Bauman, Stevie Bonsey, Henry Wiles, Jared Mees and company will all be looking to stamp their name in the record books this weekend. For tickets and more information regarding the event, please visit http://www.illinoismda.com/ or call 217-753-8866 or 888-468-1622.
How to Watch FansChoice.tv will be the official home for live streaming coverage of AMA Pro Flat Track and AMA Pro Road Racing events in 2014. The site will also provide coverage of IMSA's development and single-make series, and NASCAR's touring and weekly series.
Produced coverage of every session from this weekend's Springfield Mile will be live streamed on FansChoice.tv. Practice and qualifying will begin Sunday morning at 11:15 a.m. EST (8:15 a.m. PST) with opening ceremonies scheduled for 2:00 p.m. EST (11:00 a.m. PST). Tune in for the 12-lap Pro Twins main event at 4:30 p.m. EST (1:30 p.m. PST) and stick around for the grand finale, the 25-lap GNC Twins main event at 5:00 p.m. EST (2:00 p.m. PST). Visit http://www.fanschoice.tv to catch all the action.
AMA Pro Flat Track is a national motorcycle racing series in North America and is considered one of the oldest forms of motorcycle racing. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, the Series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track racing in the world. The 2014 schedule consists of 16 rounds on the country's finest flat track courses. For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track, please visit www.amaproracing.com/ft. |
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 www.amaproracing.com.
For additional information contact:
AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com
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