AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Penultimate Round of the 2014 Season Set to Roll Off at the Ramspur Winery Calistoga Half-Mile

The racing gods have been silent for the better part of the last four weeks in the fight for the 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship, but that is getting ready to change as The Rolling Thunder Show is getting ready to unleash the beasts in the penultimate round of the season at the Ramspur Winery Calistoga Half-Mile today.

With Bryan Smith leading the charge heading into today's race over title contender Jared Mees (247-238 points) and Jake Johnson sitting just a little further back ready to pounce (224 points), today's race will better help to decide who will be going into the season finale at Pomona on October 11 with the advantage and the chance to wear the coveted #1 plate for claiming the lion's share of what is known as the 2014 AMA Grand National Championship.

Other than Johnson, Smith and Mees have traded wins and podium spots throughout the season this year, and Johnson has remained in the hunt based on his ability to persevere and gather valuable Dash points and podium finishes aboard a vast array of equipment that the great crew of his Lloyd Brothers Motorsports team has made available for him. Mees has had the advantage of having multi-championship winning tuner Kenny Tolbert in his corner, and Smith has kept things out in or near the front by winning four races this season, and earlier in the year breaking through to win Kawasaki's first half-mile race of it's very short career.

The mix and possibilities of what could and should transpire today go way beyond that, however, and the only safe bet is that the action on track and the rolling of the dice in each team's pit will help to decide which of these worthy men are going to come out on top not only during today's race, but in the season ender just two weeks away.

In the shot above, the boys and girls in the National main event at the Springfield Mile II roar off the line in what was a superb 25-lap battle on the Illinois State Fairgrounds mile oval in the last mile event of the season held over the Labor Day weekend on August 31.

On the front row (L-R), Jake Shoemaker on the #55 USC Kawasaki/Hot Shot/James Hart-sponsored Kawasaki, Henry Wiles on the #17 Don's Kawasaki/DPC Racing/EA Racing-sponsored Kawasaki, Kenny Coolbeth on the #2 Zanotti Racing/Moroney's H-D/Burt Ives Honda-sponsored Harley-Davidson XR750, and the three title contenders for the 2014 championship including Bryan Smith on the #42 Villa-Esparza/Crosley Radio/Howerton Products-backed Kawasaki, Jared Mees on the #9 Rogers Racing/Las Vegas H-D/Blue Springs H-D-backed XR750 and Jake Johnson on the #5 Ramspur Winery/Lloyd Brothers Motorsports/Parkinson Brothers Racing-sponsored Kawasaki.

Whatever you are doing today, make sure by 6:00 PM EDT/3:00 PM PDT you are done and ready to watch all of the action that will come down in the Ramspur Winery Calistoga Half-Mile as the best racing series on two wheels in the world takes to the track in anger in what will undoubtedly be another round of massive and exciting handlebar to handlebar racing in round 15 of the 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship.

Calistoga Half-Mile kicks off California showdown for AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship title contenders

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 24, 2014) - All that's left is California. It may sound like a song title, but for the four riders still alive in the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship chase, those words mean so much more than any lyric. After 14 rounds, Bryan Smith, Jared Mees, Jake Johnson and Kenny Coolbeth have emerged as the final four riders with a shot at the Expert title with two rounds, Calistoga and Pomona, left on the schedule. The championship hunt heats up this weekend with the Calistoga Half-Mile at Calistoga Speedway in California's Napa Valley. The season finale will take place 450 miles south down the Golden Coast with the Flat Track Finals at the LA County Fairplex Oct. 11. Right now, however, the riders are focused on Calistoga. On-track action begins at 3 p.m. local time (6 p.m. ET) with Opening Ceremonies scheduled for 6:30 p.m. (9:30 p.m. ET). The Pro Singles main is set for 9 p.m. (midnight ET) and the Expert main is scheduled to go green at 9:30 p.m. (12:30 a.m. ET). Every moment can be watched live in high definition at FansChoice.tv. The Dash For Cash is scheduled for 8:10 p.m. 11:10 p.m. ET) and has an additional $5,000 up for grabs thanks to Specialty Fabrications.  Smith, pilot of the No. 42 Villa Esparza/Crosley Radio Kawasaki, holds a nine-point lead over Mees and his No. 9 Rogers Racing Harley-Davidson. Ramspur Winery rider Johnson and his No. 5 machine are 14 points back of Mees. Coolbeth, on the No. 2 Zanotti Racing Harley-Davidson, is 53 points back, and would need some help in the form of bad luck from the top three to rise to the top of the standings. The beauty of this year's title chase is that no one rider has the hot hand as the season winds down. The last four races have seen four different winners, although Smith has taken command by virtue of a victory at Colonial Downs in Virginia followed by a runner-up showing at the Springfield Mile in Illinois. The Michigan rider is tied with Coolbeth for the most wins with four. Bryan Smith on the #42 Villa-Esparza/Crosley Radio/Howerton Products Kawasaki leads the points heading into today's penultimate round of the championship at the Calistoga Half-Mile over title contenders Jared Mees and Jake Johnson. AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig. Mees has been impressive for his consistency. Outside a 12th place showing in the second Daytona race to open the season, Mees, who, like his rival hails from Michigan, hasn't finished worse than fifth. One thing Mees does have in his corner over Smith is championship-winning experience. While Smith is searching for his first ever overall GNC title, Mees got the job done and claimed the No. 1 plate in 2012. Johnson, too, knows how it's done, having won back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011. His consistency has also been impressive as the Pennsylvanian is the only Expert to finish inside the top 10 in every race. He is, however, still searching for his first victory of 2014 despite six podiums. Coolbeth's shot at a title might be slim, but the Connecticut rider is certainly a favorite to take a couple of checkered flags to round out his up-and-down season. Coolbeth has proven he's still one of the best riders in the AMA Pro Flat Track paddock by winning four races this year, including one half-mile. He was dominating the Hagerstown Half-Mile in July, but a mechanical issue ended his race prematurely. Had his bike held on and Coolbeth taken the win in Maryland instead of Smith, the title chase would have a dramatically different look. Just because only four riders are still mathematically alive to claim the No. 1 plate, that doesn't mean the rest of the Expert field won't be contesting with the same fervor it has all season. Henry Wiles on the No. 17 Don's Kawasaki entry is trying to keep his spot in the top 5. Anchored by wins in both TT (Tourist Trophy) events this year, Wiles is riding a five-race top 10 streak. The Michigan rider holds an 11-point advantage for fifth over defending GNC champion Brad Baker on the No. 1 Factory Harley-Davidson. Baker, a Washington native, has been quietly consistent during the last two thirds of the season, finishing inside the top 10 in every race since the Lima Half-Mile in June. Sammy Halbert, riding the No. 7 South East Harley-Davidson, and Brandon Robinson on the No. 44 USC Kawasaki sit seventh and eighth, respectively in points and five points from each other. Stevie Bonsey sits ninth, another five points back of Robinson. The Californian has put his No. 80 Zanotti Racing Harley-Davidson in every main event this season, making him one of just four riders who can make that claim. Jake Shoemaker rounds out the top 10 heading into California. Thanks to two-straight top five finishes, including a runner-up showing in Virginia, the Glenmore, Pa., native has put himself and his No. 55 Hot Shot Motors Kawasaki in a spot to finish the season on a high note. For more information on the event, visit www.flattrackcalistoga.com. For information on the season finale in Pomona, visit www.flattrackfinals.com.  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

FansChoice.tv Tune-In Alert: High-Definition LIVE Streaming of Saturday's AMA Pro Flat Track Calistoga Half-Mile

CALISTOGA, Calif. (Sept. 26, 2014) - With Round 15 of the AMA Pro Flat Track season ready to begin tomorrow, Sept. 27, at Calistoga Speedway in Calistoga, Calif., fans who are unable to attend the event are encouraged to watch all of the racing action LIVE in high definition on FansChoice.tv. Even fans in attendance are encouraged to tune into FansChoice.tv on their smartphones and tablets. FansChoice.tv LIVE streaming of the Calistoga Half-Mile can be viewed Saturday by clicking HERE. Jared Mees #9, Kenny Coolbeth #2 and Jake Johnson #1 are shown in action at the Calistoga Half-Mile in 2011, the last time the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship visited the track in California. Today's penultimate round will better help to decide who among Mees, Johnson and points leader Bryan Smith will come out better prepared to grab the series championship and the coveted #1 plate in two weeks at the season ending round in Pomona. AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig. Flag-to-flag coverage of tomorrow's action will begin with practice and qualifying sessions scheduled to commence at 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET). Opening ceremonies are set for 6:30 p.m. PT (9:30 p.m. ET). 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