Title Fight in the 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Heads to the Springfield Mile II for the Final Mile Event of the Season

With just three events left and only one mile race remaining in the 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship, tomorrow's round 14 of the season at the Springfield Mile II could very well hold some of the final cards to be dealt in terms of which of the three riders left in the championship battle walks away with the best hand before heading west for the final two half-mile races of the season.

With just 18 points separating the three title contenders with a realistic shot at the championship, tomorrow's final mile race will undoubtedly lay the final groundwork in the fight for the 2014 AMA Grand National Championship. And as everyone knows by now, those fighting to keep championship points leader Bryan Smith from claiming the double at the Springfield Mile II tomorrow will have to bring their best 'A' game in order to keep those title aspirations alive heading into the final two events of the season on the left coast.

In the shot above, riders line up and ready themselves to do battle at the Springfield Mile I on May 25 in round 3 of the 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship.

Front row (L-R): Brandon Robinson on the #44 USC Kawasaki/Hart Racing/Stevens Racing Kawasaki EX650, Jared Mees on the #9 Rogers Racing/Blue Springs H-D/Las Vegas H-D XR750, Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. on the #2 Zanotti Racing/Moroney's H-D/Burt Ives Honda-sponsored Harley-Davidson XR750, Henry Wiles on the #17 Don's Kawasaki/DPC Racing/EA Racing Kawasaki, Jake Johnson on the #5 Ramspur Winery/Lloyd Brothers Motorsports/Parkinson Brothers Racing Ducati and Bryan Smith on the #42 Villa-Esparza/Crosley Radio/Howerton Products Kawasaki head the field as they ready for the green light to go for 25-laps in the National main at the Illinois State Fairgrounds mecca of speed.

Second row (L-R): Sammy Halbert on his #7 South East H-D/White's H-D/Specialty Fabrication-backed XR750, Brad Baker on the #1 Harley-Davidson Motor Co/Screamin' Eagle Racing Parts/Dunlop-sponsored factory Harley-Davidson XR750, Shawn Baer on his #32 Baer Racing Products/KB 5/Kam's Peformance-sponsored KTM LC8 950, Mikey Martin on the #91 Bonneville Performance/Factory Triumph Racing/Castrol Racing-sponsored Triumph and Willie McCoy on his #59 H-D of Wausau/Tucker Rocky/Independence H-D-backed XR750 ready themselves for the flash of the green light.

Third row (L-R): Johnny Lewis on the #10 KTM/GE Capital/Waters Autobody-sponsored KTM LC8 950 and Dustin Crow on the #61 Greg Crow Racing/Gardner Racing/Harley-Davidson of Salina-backed XR750 bring up the back of the field in the 18-rider National main.

We could go on about all of the possibilities that could transpire tomorrow at Springfield, but most of them have been hashed around that at this point it wouldn't add much more fire to the burning of the outcome in what will undoubtedly be another great event, so if any way possible you can be there tomorrow, you need to do so or you will miss one of the premier events of the season put on by AMA Pro Flat Track and the great promoters of the Springfield Mile, the Illinois Motorcycle Dealers Association. And like all of the other races this season, if you can't, FansChoice will have you covered--but nothing like being there!

We wish everyone good luck, safe and fast racing as we get ready to close out the Midwest portion of this year's AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship!

AMA Pro Flat Track returns to Springfield Mile for second time in 2014

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 28, 2014) - The AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship battle is heating up as it nears the end, and it'll roll back to Springfield Illinois, for the second running in 2014 of the Springfield Mile on Sunday.    On-track action begins at 10:15 a.m. CT (11:15 a.m. ET, 8:15 a.m. PT) with the Pro Twins main scheduled for 3:40 p.m. CT (4:40 p.m. ET, 1:40 p.m. PT) and the Expert main is set for 4:10 p.m. CT (5:10 p.m. ET, 2:10 p.m. PT). Fans can catch all the action, live in high definition at FansChoice.tv.   Bryan Smith was the victor on the hallowed grounds back in May, and the Michigan native and pilot of the No. 42 Villa-Esparza/Crosley Radio Kawasaki enters the eventwith a six-point lead over Rodgers Racing's Jared Mees in the title hunt. Smith, who is famously comfortable on longer tracks, is coming off a win at the circuit's longest stretch, the 1.25-mile Virginia Mega Mile. But in May, he needed every ounce of speed out of his Kawasaki, as he won by just .041 seconds over Kenny Coolbeth. Mees was third, just .153 seconds behind Smith.       Bryan Smith #42 leads Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. #2 and Jared Mees #9 to the checkers at the Springfield Mile I on May 25. Round 14 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds tomorrow will be the place to be to see whether Smith can continue his overall dominance on the big tracks and at the mecca of speed. Smith's only non-victory on the mile tracks this season came three weeks ago at the Indy Mile where Coolbeth dominated the evening's events. AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.         Coolbeth, who is fourth in points with 171, has shown speed all season, and would be firmly entrenched in the title hunt if not for a little bad luck and lackluster showings in the season's two TT events. The pilot of the No. 2 Zanotti Racing Harley-Davidson even has a win on a mile track, taking the checkered flag at the Indy Mile. Coolbeth also owns three Springfield victories.   Jake Johnson has been the model of consistency this year, standing on the podium six times to keep the title within grasp. The Ramspur Winery rider has also found speed on four different bikes this year, including the Kawasaki he rode to third in Virginia. Johnson is third in points, 18 behind Smith and 12 back of Mees.   Henry Wiles shot up the points standings with wins in both TT events. The fifth place Don's Kawasaki rider took his No. 17 machine to sixth in the last Springfield Mile and has now been in the top 10 in the last four events. Wiles is five points ahead of defending GNC champion Brad Baker (154-149). Baker has been solid during the latter part of the season, finishing no worse than sixth in each of the last six races. He was fifth in Springfield in May, and was riding in third until a last-lap mechanical in Virginia.   Sammy Halbert will look to rebound from a string of bad luck. The South East Harley-Davidson pilot missed the main in Virginia following a crash in his heat race and was 15th and 19th the two races prior. But the rider of the No. 7 machine has five top fives this year, including the Sacramento Mile, where he was the fast qualifier. Halbert is still seventh in points with 139. Brandon Robinson (USC Kawasaki), Stevie Bonsey (Zanotti Racing) and Briar Bauman (Monster Energy Kawasaki) round out the top 10 in points heading into Springfield.   At Springfield, the Pro class will run the twins for just the second time this year. When the up-and-comers visiting the track in May, Jarod Vanderkooi had his coming out party.   The Ohio Johnny's Vintage Motorcycles rider dominated every time he was on-track even though it was the 16-year-old's first ever AMA Pro Flat Track race. Vanderkooi, who turned 16 after the season-opener in Daytona, cruised to a 6.656-second victory over T. J. Burnett Farms' Davis Fisher.   Vanderkooi and Sylvester Farms' Brandon Wilhelm were the only two Pro Twins riders to clock a lap in the 35-second range in the main event. Wilhelm was fourth while Jamison Minor (Roy Miller Racing) was third. J.R. Addison will also be a rider to watch in the Pro Twins. The Parkinson Brothers Racing pilot was injured in a crash at Springfield in May, but returned this past weekend at Virginia and took the checkered flag, showing he's already back up to speed and knows how to get around a bigger circuit fast.   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.    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 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

Bryan Smith Takes Over AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Points Lead with Win in Round 13 at the Virginia Mega Mile

With four wins on the season to lead all comers in the 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship, Bryan Smith and the #42 Villa-Esparza/Crosley Radio/Howerton Products-backed Kawasaki EX650 are just adding to all of the records that the team started out to rewrite during their initial season together in 2012 under the Howerton Motorsports banner.

Having reset the bar in AMA Grand National mile racing, all but a few of the contenders have been forced to play 'follow the leader' when it comes to the big tracks, unless of course you are on another Kawasaki, Ducati or one of the top-tier Harley-Davidson XR750s that still manage to get the job done on any given, albeit less frequent day. And even the two KTM teams have gotten to where they are at least knocking on the door, winning a couple of heat races this season and a semi earlier in the year to make another step towards the front.

But the lone Kawasaki team with one man on board is getting much closer to doing what the team had originally set out to do some three seasons ago--namely winning the AMA Grand National Championship outright over the rest of the now-equal in terms of fuel restrictions contenders. And with just three rounds left in the season (Springfield Mile II this coming Sunday, Calistoga Half-Mile in one month and Pomona Half-Mile season finale on October 11), that time and possibility is growing closer and more probable, especially after breaking through earlier in the season to win it's first half-mile event at the Hagerstown Half-Mile.

In the shot above, Smith's #42 Villa-Esparza/Crosley Radio/Howerton Products/Dreyer Motorsports-backed Kawasaki sits at the ready before the first heat race of the evening at round 11 of the 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship at the Indy Mile on August 8.

With a six point lead heading into Sunday's Springfield Mile II, nothing is written in stone, but considering the results Flyin' Bryan and the two variations of his team have had since the start of the 2012 season at the Springfield Mile, you'd be crazy to not bet on him to close out the season with a double at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, but then again, that's why we race so after we talk all the talk, we still have to walk the walk. And if history has anything to do with it, let alone Smith's overall winning ability on just about any AMA Grand National Championship Twins machine in the last few seasons, then by late Sunday afternoon he and his Villa-Esparza team will be that much closer to finally being able to bolt that #1 plate on the front of the black and red rocket Kawi.

Smith leaves the Virginia Mega Mile with the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Points Lead

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla (Aug. 26, 2014)  - Bryan Smith and his Villa-Esparza/Crosley Radio team were able to pack up the bike and leave the track as winners for the fourth time this season, but as they rode away from Colonial Downs on Saturday, they were doing so as the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship points leaders for the first time in 2014.   Smith, by virtue of his last-to-first win at the Virginia Mega Mile, owns a six-point lead over Rogers Racing's Jared Mees, who was fifth on the 1.25-mile track. Ramspur Winery's Jake Johnson kept himself in series title contention as well, with a third place showing and now sits 18 points back of Smith.   Smith was fastest all day in Virginia, and his Kawasaki was holding up while other competitors' bikes had troubles with the demanding flat-out oval. But after he was ruled to have anticipated the start, Smith was forced to start the main event from the fourth row, alongside Mees on a backup bike and Johnson using a provisional and on his third bike.   Bryan Smith on the #42 Villa-Esparza/Crosley Radio Kawasaki picked up his series' leading fourth win of the season last Saturday at the Virginia Mega Mile with just three events remaining in the 2014 season. AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.     Four laps and every tearoff later, Smith was in front and pulling away. He eventually cruised to 2.559-second victory, which, coupled with his Dash for Cash win, vaulted him to the top of the standings.   Smith has to like his position with the series rolling back to Springfield for the second 2014 running of the Springfield Mile on Sunday. Smith won the first time AMA Pro Flat Track stopped in Springfield this year, but Mees isn't going to stop fighting. "I knew (Saturday) was going to be tough, we had some bike troubles," Mees said. "We worked through them. It was actually a really bad day and we still ended up fifth. Bryan definitely made max points winning that Dash and leading all the laps, so he did what he needed to do. Springfield, of course, has favored him a little bit, more than me, but it can go either way. I'm pretty excited to go to Springfield."   While the top three, with a combined 20 podiums on the year, have built some separation from the rest of the pack, there is a solid battle forming behind them from fourth back to ninth. Less than 50 points stand between fourth place Kenny Coolbeth of Zanotti Racing and his teammate, Stevie Bonsey. Henry Wiles (Don's Kawasaki), Brad Baker (Factory Harley-Davidson) and Sammy Halbert (South East Harley-Davidson) are fifth through eight in points, respectively.   Baker's fourth place finish drew cheers from the crowd and a fist pump from the defending champion as he took the checkered flag with no power. He kicked his way across the finish line as he coasted down the final straightaway. "I held on to the bitter end, and the thing ended up having a mechanical at the end and lost all power coming off of (turn) four and I ended up Fred Flintstone-ing across the finish line to end up fourth," Baker said. "Considering all things, it could have been worse. I'm happy with it. I made up some points in the championship. It would have been nice to get that first podium on a twin, I was looking forward to that, but it was good, I'm happy. Things could have been a lot worse, it could have done that the lap before and I could have not finished the race. It was a hard day, I had to ride the motorcycle as hard as I could."   AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles   Kyle Johnson had a solid bounce-back effort, battling his Parkinson Brothers Racing teammate J.R. Addison to the finish line. It was Addison, racing for the first time since suffering an injury at Springfield in May, who took the checkered flag, but Johnson now has a strong lead in the points.   Johnson, with 170, leads second place Ryan Wells by 20 points after Wells finished sixth in Virginia. Davis Fisher sits third, 28 back of Johnson. Fisher missed both the Peoria TT and Virginia Mega Mile with injuries, but expects to be back on the bike at Springfield. Still recovering from injuries suffered in a couple crashes at Peoria, Johnson was happy with his race in Virginia. "We were looking forward to this place, we knew we would run good," Johnson said. "It definitely was a bummer going to Peoria, coming out a little banged up because I definitely think we could have run a little better - not that I'm saying we didn't leave everything on the table - but it would have been nice to be 100 percent today."   Addison, who said he rode some away from the track to try to get back up to speed before the race, was looking forward to returning to AMA Pro Flat Track action, winning made it that much sweeter for him. "I knew I could do decent coming here, but I didn't expect to win," Addison said. "This is my kind of track, so I was kind of excited for it."   Jeffery Lowery (Englehart Racing) rounded out the podium in Virginia. Bronson Bauman (Rod Lake Racing) and Jarod Vanderkooi (Johnny's Vintage Motorcycle) are fourth and fifth, respectively in points. Vanderkooi was fourth at the Mega Mile while Bauman crossed the line in fifth for his fifth straight top 10 finish. Bauman's streak of top 10s is the longest current run among Pro Singles competitors, and he'll look to keep it going at Springfield this weekend.   AMA Pro Flat Track Expert Main Top 10 Finishers 1. Bryan Smith (Kawasaki) 2. Jake Shoemaker (Kawasaki) 3. Jake Johnson (Kawasaki) 4. Brad Baker (Harley-Davidson) 5. Jared Mees (Harley-Davidson) 6. Brandon Robinson (Kawasaki) 7. Jeremy Higgins (KTM) 8. Kenny Coolbeth (Harley-Davidson) 9. Henry Wiles (Kawasaki) 10. Shawn Baer (KTM)   AMA Pro Flat Track Expert Top 10 In Points 1. Bryan Smith 224 2. Jared Mees 218 3. Jake Johnson 206 4. Kenny Coolbeth 171 5. Henry Wiles 154 6. Brad Baker 149 7. Sammy Halbert 139 8. Brandon Robinson 131 9. Stevie Bonsey 124 10. Briar Bauman 97   AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles Main Top 10 Finishers 1. J.R. Addison (Honda) 2. Kyle Johnson (Honda) 3. Jeffery Lowery (Honda) 4. Jarod Vanderkooi (Honda) 5. Bronson Bauman (Honda) 6. Ryan Wells (KTM) 7. Justin Jones (Honda) 8. Kolby Carlile (KTM) 9. Brandon Wilhelm (Honda) 10. Andrew Butler (Honda)   AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles Top 10 In Points 1. Kyle Johnson 170 2. Ryan Wells 150 3. Davis Fisher 142 4. Bronson Bauman 133 5. Jarod Vanderkooi 115 6. Dan Bromley 112 7. Brandon Wilhelm 109 8. Dylan Morin 70 9. Dominic Colindres 69 10. Justin Jones 68   Up next:  The stars of AMA Pro Flat Track will race at the legendary Springfield Mile in Springfield, Ill., on Aug. 31. Bryan Smith took the checkered flag the first time this season and will go for the sweep on Sunday. On-track action begins at 10:15 a.m. CT (11:15 a.m. ET, 8:15 a.m. PT) with the Pro Twins main scheduled for 3:40 p.m. CT (4:40 p.m. ET, 1:40 p.m. PT) and the Expert main is set for 4:10 p.m. CT (5:10 p.m. ET, 2:10 p.m. PT).   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.  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.

Virginia Mega Mile    Virginia Mega Mile Track Walk with Brad Baker and Mikey Martin Virginia Mega Mile Dash for Cash and Semi-Final Races  Virginia Mega Mile Heat Races Virginia Mega Mile Pro Singles Main Event  Virginia Mega Mile  GNC Main Event

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

Bryan Smith Makes it 4 on the Season by Winning AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Round 13 at the Virginia Mega Mile

Round 13 of the 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship at the Virginia Mega Mile at Colonial Downs saw Bryan Smith on the #42 Villa-Esparza/Crosley Radio/Howerton Products Kawasaki take his fourth win of the season and 16th of his career in a day full of drama, lightning fast racing and a field full of diverse talent and machinery.

All three men in the title fight, Smith, Jared Mees and Jake Johnson all suffered from some sort of malady, whether mechanical or otherwise, were forced to start on the back row of the 19-rider National main, and when it was all over, all had overcome the near impossible odds of bringing their machines home in the top-5. Smith, fairing the best of the three and taking back the series points lead in the process (224 points)after being forced to the rear after a bad start, Mees taking the 5th-place spot (118 points) after suffering transmission-related issues on his Rogers Racing primary machine,  and Johnson bringing it home in the 3rd-place spot (206 points) after breaking both of his primary machines in his heat and semi and being forced into taking a provisional start on the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Kawasaki.

The runner-up spot in the shortened (due to possible rain in the area) 15-lap National main was second year Expert Jake Shoemaker on his Montgomeryville Cycle Center Kawasaki, making it another clean sweep for Kawasaki on the podium. Defending AMA Grand National Champion Brad Baker had his #1 Harley-Davidson Motor Company XR750 break just before the checkers flew and with luck on his side was able to get his mount across the line to finish in the 4th-place spot.

Three KTMs made the field on the day, with only five of the long-running Harley-Davidson XR750s doing so. Of note, Jeremy Higgins on one of Shawn Baer's Baer Racing Products KTM LC8 950s brought it home in the 7th-place spot after winning his first-ever heat race in AMA Grand National competition for the best finish of his career, while team mate on the day Baer finished in the 10th-place spot and Waters Autobody KTM rider Johnny Lewis also winning his heat, but finishing in the 16th-place after breaking just past the 12th-lap of the final.

In the shot above, Smith puts the #42 Villa-Esparza/Crosley Radio/Howerton Products Kawasaki through the first turn at the Indy Mile during the final round of qualifying during round 11 of the 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship on August 8, to take the fast time on the day at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Other great happenings on the day included both Cory Texter on the #65 Racing Unlimited Kawasaki and his sister Shayna Texter on the #25A Latus Motors Triumph being the first brother and sister combination to make an AMA Grand National Championship main event together, and Shayna Texter's team mate and team manager, 2000 AMA Grand National Champion Joe Kopp making the main on the #3 Latus Motors Triumph as well as the Dash for Cash and leading two laps to finish in the 12th-place spot.

You can check out the full results here thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track, and the links to all of the racing videos are posted below so you can take in all of the dusty and fast action at the New Kent, VA. facility from last Saturday.

And ace reporter Larry Lawrence filed this action-filled report for Cycle News that will keep you on the edge of your seat while you follow the action.

The series heads to the mecca of speed at the Illinois State Fairgrounds this Sunday, August 31 for round 14 of the 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship at the Springfield Mile II, where the action will be as hot as ever as the season starts to wind down and the battle for the 2014 AMA Grand National Championship is really starting to sizzle!

2014 Virginia Mega Mile Track Walk with Brad Baker and Mikey Martin Defending AMA Pro Grand National Champion Brad Baker (Harley-Davidson) and Bonneville Performance Triumph's Mikey Martin talk us through the Virginia Mega Mile at Colonial Downs. Back for its second year on the circuit, Colonial Downs features a 1.25-mile race course that is sure to make for exciting racing.

Virginia Mega Mile Opening Ceremonies We kick off the 2014 Virginia Mega Mile at Colonial Downs with opening ceremonies. Announcers Scottie Deubler and Barry Boone interview riders, series and event sponsors

Virginia Mega Mile Heat Races Due to impending weather, the Virginia Mega Mile began with the Grand National Championship class heat races instead of the Pro Singles. Fans were greeted with instant action and bar-to-bar competition among the best dirt track riders in the USA.

Virginia Mega Mile Dash for Cash and Semi-Final Races The top two finishers out of each Grand National Championship (GNC) heat race battle it out in the Dash for Cash - a four lap sprint race where the winner scores $1,000. Following that, the starting lineup for the GNC main event gets filled by semi-final races. The top-three finishers from each semi-final race advance into the main event.

Virginia Mega Mile Pro Main Event AMA Pro Flat Track's stars of tomorrow contested the final race of the 2014 Virginia Mega Mile at Colonial Downs. After a three-month hiatus due to a hard crash at Springfield Mile I, J.R. Addison looked to get back on the podium while Kyle Johnson, healing from his Peoria TT crash, wanted to keep up his front-running race performances. See who comes out the victor!

Virginia Mega Mile Grand National Championship Main Event Check out the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Expert Main event from Colonial Downs, the highlight of the 2014 Virginia Mega Mile. After missing out on the inaugural win due to a mechanical failure in 2013, Bryan Smith looks to make a comeback victory.

NEXT ROUND: Springfield Mile II AMA Pro Flat Track heads to the Illinois State Fairgrounds for Springfield Mile II. Expected to capitalize after his win in Virginia, current points leader Bryan Smith looks to pull off back-to-back 2014 Springfield Mile victories. This won't be easy, as he faced heavy competition back in May.

Bryan Smith battles from the back to win the AMA Pro Flat Track Virginia Mega Mile

NEW KENT, Va. (Aug. 23, 2014) - Bryan Smith rode with a head full of steam and a face full of dirt through the entire field to win the Virginia Mega Mile, Round 13 of the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season, in front of a raucous packed house at Colonial Downs on Saturday.   Smith was forced to start from the back row on his No. 42 Villa-Esparza/Crosley Radio Kawasaki after anticipating the start of the 15-lap Expert main, but skillfully carved through the field and took the lead on lap 4 before checking out and eventually winning by 2.559 seconds over second place Jake Shoemaker. Jake Johnson, who also started from the back row, was third.   "I needed to get to the lead in a hurry, so I was on the gas for sure," Smith said. "The first couple laps were a blackout, I used all my tearoffs. I finally got into third and my bike was kind of getting hot, but I just put my head down and tried to stay out of the roost. And once I got in the lead, I could kind of ride my line, and, obviously, check out. That was not the way I wanted to do that. I think I had more dirt inside of my helmet than on the outside."           Bryan Smith on the #42 Villa-Esparza Kawasaki came from the penalty line after a reported jump-start to win his fourth race of the season at the Virginia Mega Mile on Saturday, August 23. It was Smith's 16th AMA Grand National career victory. AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.           Smith, who came into the day second, leaves Virginia with a six-point lead over Jared Mees (224-218). Johnson is third with 206. Smith also won the Dash for Cash.   Shoemaker was simply methodical on his No. 55 Montgomeryville Cycle Center Kawasaki, riding calm and staying free of trouble, mechanical or otherwise. He started 10th, on the second row, but was in the lead group until Smith joined it, then left it in his rooster tail. "It feels great," Shoemaker said. "My best finish this year was a third at Hagerstown, and to come here with a second and beat that on a track that I honestly wasn't that comfortable with, just knowing I'm on a 700cc bike, I'm down on horsepower, to put it up in second, on the box with all these guys, with what I feel is lesser equipment, it really means a lot. It's just awesome."   Johnson was riding his third No. 5 Ramspur Winery machine of the day in the main event. After his first two bikes, both Ducatis, fell victim to the demands of the only 1.25-mile circuit on the AMA Pro Flat Track schedule, Johnson pulled out a Kawasaki and used a provisional start to race in the main.   While he didn't move through the pack as quickly as Smith, he still knifed through with precision before battling Brad Baker on the No. 1 Factory Harley-Davidson, for third. Baker's bike finally had enough on the final straight, allowing Johnson to slide into third and forcing Baker to settle for fourth. "Coming from the fourth row, Bryan won the thing, so I can't complain too bad about being back there," Johnson said. "It was one hell of a race. The first five laps, I couldn't see a thing. ... Finally, things fanned out a little bit and I was able to start picking them off and work my way up through. A lot of 'coulda, shoulda, wouldas.' For how the day went, to come out with a podium, I'm pretty happy."   Baker, who actually helped his bike across the finish line with a few kicks, was solidly in fourth while points leader Jared Mees finished fifth on his No. 9 Rogers Racing Harley-Davidson. Mees, using a backup bike, also started in the back, meaning the top three in the championship battle lined up alongside one another at the rear of the field to start the race.   Brandon Robinson (No. 44 USC Kawasaki) was sixth while Jeremy Higgins rode his No. 82 Baer Racing KTM to seventh after claiming his first-career heat race victory earlier in the day. Kenny Coolbeth (No. 2 Zanotti Racing Harley-Davidson), Henry Wiles (No. 17 Don's Kawasaki) and Shawn Baer (No. 32 Baer Racing KTM) rounded out the top 10, respectively.   AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles   J.R. Addison made the most of this return to the track. After missing three months due to a back injury suffered at Springfield, Addison, on his No. 24F Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda came back at Virginia and used a last-lap pass to get by Kyle Johnson and claim his first victory of the season. "This is my kind of track, so I was pretty excited for it," Addison said. "I just wanted to come and have some fun. I was just hoping to do like a top 10, top 5 maybe. Pulling out the win, it's so great."   Johnson, on the No. 77J Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda, wasn't on the top spot, but was happy to bounce back with a podium finish after crashing out of the Peoria TT. He was also nursing a bad right hand. "It was definitely tough, we knew the track was going to rough, so we just had to fight through it," Johnson said. "It felt good to get a good start, get out front and run my own line. Coming down to the end, J.R. was able to get us. I tried to draft him back to the start, but it was just a little bit too late. But it feels good to get second, definitely battling a bum hand."   Jeffery Lowery rounded out the podium, recording the best finish of his career on his No. 23F Englehart Racing Honda. "It feels great, I love his track," Lowery said. "Everything was just great today."   AMA Pro Flat Track Expert Main Top 10 Finishers 1. Bryan Smith (Kawasaki) 2. Jake Shoemaker (Kawasaki) 3. Jake Johnson (Kawasaki) 4. Brad Baker (Harley-Davidson) 5. Jared Mees (Harley-Davidson) 6. Brandon Robinson (Kawasaki) 7. Jeremy Higgins (KTM) 8. Kenny Coolbeth (Harley-Davidson) 9. Henry Wiles (Kawasaki) 10. Shawn Baer (KTM)   AMA Pro Flat Track Expert Top 10 In Points 1. Bryan Smith 224 2. Jared Mees 218 3. Jake Johnson 206 4. Kenny Coolbeth 171 5. Henry Wiles 154 6. Brad Baker 149 7. Sammy Halbert 139 8. Brandon Robinson 131 9. Stevie Bonsey 124 10. Briar Bauman 97   AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles Main Top 10 Finishers 1. J.R. Addison (Honda) 2. Kyle Johnson (Honda) 3. Jeffery Lowery (Honda) 4. Jarod Vanderkooi (Honda) 5. Bronson Bauman (Honda) 6. Ryan Wells (KTM) 7. Justin Jones (Honda) 8. Kolby Carlile (KTM) 9. Brandon Wilhelm (Honda) 10. Andrew Butler (Honda)   AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles Top 10 In Points 1. Kyle Johnson 170 2. Ryan Wells 150 3. Davis Fisher 142 4. Bronson Bauman 133 5. Jarod Vanderkooi 115 6. Dan Bromley 112 7. Brandon Wilhelm 109 8. Dylan Morin 70 9. Dominic Colindres 69 10. Justin Jones 68   Up next: The stars of AMA Pro Flat Track will race at the legendary Springfield Mile in Springfield, Ill., on Aug. 31. Bryan Smith took the checkered flag the first time this season and will go for the sweep on Sunday. On-track action begins at 10:15 a.m. CT (11:15 a.m. ET, 8:15 a.m. PT) with the Pro Twins main scheduled for 3:40 p.m. CT (4:40 p.m. ET, 1:40 p.m. PT) and the Expert main is set for 4:10 p.m. CT (5:10 p.m. ET, 2:10 p.m. PT). 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. 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 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