Mid-America Speedway in Indy Team to Host Frankfort, IN. Half-Mile at Clinton County Fairgrounds on September 12

Former AMA Pro Flat Track competitor Ben Knight, #85P, a long-time supporter and competitor at Mid-America Speedway in Indianapolis, will be hitting the road from his Danville, IL.-area home on September 12 to offer up his Knight Racing/American H-D-sponsored Harley-Davidson XR750 for Mid-America Speedway president Jim Terchila to ride during the Frankfort, IN. Half-Mile as part of the Hoosier Bike Rally at the Clinton County Fairgrounds. Terchila regularly competes in the Speedway class at Mid-American and just last month through a leg over a Bultaco Astro during the track's running of the AMA Vintage Dirt Track National event in early August.

Mid-America Speedway in Indianapolis is taking on a new endeavor in their eighth season of operation according to track president and promoter, Jim Terchila. The great team that brings you such super events like the Night Before the Indy Mile and the AMA Vintage Flat Track Nationals will be promoting a new event at the Clinton County Fairgrounds, in Frankfort, IN. on Saturday, September 12 in the running of the Frankfort Half-Mile on the limestone surface in conjunction with the Hoosier Bike Rally over the September 11-13 weekend.

Terchila, who has headed up a team that has been putting on some of the best racing events at their premier facility at the Marion County Fairgrounds in Indianapolis for eight years, noted that they hope after this initital run in Frankfort that they will be able to continue to operate at the Clinton County Fairgrounds and be able to grow the event. The September 12 event will also have a Twins Class, and Terchila also stated that in possible future dates that a larger purse will be able to make it so some of the top-tier talent in the AMA Pro Flat Track series can utilize the off-weekend to come out and run, much like they do when they bring their Singles Series bikes to Mid-America over the Indy Mile weekend.

A total of 21 classes will be run over the course of the day, gates open at 7:00 AM EDT and practice starts promptly at 10:00 AM on Saturday, September 12. Tickets are only $10/each so their isn't any reason why you shouldn't be able to bring the whole family out to see what will undoubtedly be a great day of racing at the Clinton County Fairgrounds.

Check out the full press release below and put this one on your calendar as it will be a good day to get out and enjoy some action at the Frankfort Half-Mile!

Indianapolis, IN. – August 25, 2015 – Mid-America Speedway in Indianapolis would like to remind everyone that our special race at the Clinton County Fairgrounds in Frankfort, IN. is approaching quickly. Partnering with the Hoosier Bike Rally, being held September 11-13, Mid-America will be hosting it's first-ever 1/2-mile race on the limestone surface at the Clinton County Fairgrounds on Saturday, September 12.

“This is our first hosting of a half-mile race in our eight year history of running events through Mid-America Speedway,” stated track president Jim Terchila, “and we have partnered with the Hoosier Bike Rally to bring our contestants and fans a great venue in hosting what will be a great day of racing at the Clinton County Fairgrounds half-mile in Frankfort.

“Gates will open at 7:00 AM ET and registration is set to take place between 7-8:00 AM at the track, all tickets and pit passes will be $10/each and adult entries are $30 for the first class and $25 for additional classes, and youth entries are $25 for the first class and $20 for additional classes. You can also pre-enter on our website. Practice is set to start at 10:00 AM and heat races will begin shortly after practice is over and we hope to have the day's events wrapped up by 6:00 PM in order to meet our curfew time of 7:00 PM,” continued Terchila. Classes will include Speedway, Super Senior (50+), Light & Heavy Vintage, and several others that will bring a total of 21 classes that will be run during this event.

“One of our long-time track supporters and competitors, Ben Knight, a former competitor on the AMA Pro Flat Track circuit, is bringing his Knight Racing/American H-D-sponsored Harley-Davidson XR750 to the event and has offered it to me to ride during the event for my first time on a XR750,” continued Terchila, who regularly contests the Speedway class and recently competed in the Bultaco race at Mid-America's AMA Vintage National on August 10. “I'm really looking forward to being able to ride Ben's XR and it should make for a fun time.”

The Clinton County Fairgrounds is located off of State Road 39 just south of central Frankfort, on the east side of SR39. You can access the track from Indianapolis via I-65N to State Road 47 East to State Road 39 North. From the Lafayette area, you can access the track via I-65S to State Road 28 East to State Road 39 South.

“We really hope our fans and many competitors will be able to make the trek to Frankfort for our hosting of this new venue for us,” said Terchila, “as it should be a neat and new undertaking for our great track crew and all of our great competitors and supporters of our operation. We're really looking forward to seeing everyone on Saturday, September 12 for this and hope that we can continue to offer this venue in the future as one of the big events on our schedule.”

Track contact:

Jim Terchila, Mid-America Speedway president

info@midamspeedway.com

Call or text: 317-871-4392
 

Press release prepared by:

Mike 'Stu' Stuhler

Stu's Shots

10826 Riverwood Blvd.

Indianapolis, IN. 46234-7686

317-299-2072 H

317-373-0522 C

stuman714@yahoo.com

http://stusshots.blogspot.com/

Bryan Smith Takes 4th Win of the Season & Tightens Battle for Championship at AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Charlotte Half-Mile

Bryan Smith made it a clean sweep at the Don Tilley Memorial Charlotte Half-Mile last night taking his #42 Crosley Brands/Howerton Motorsports/Kawasaki-sponsored EX650 to the win last night after setting fast time, fastest heat race win and taking the Dash for Cash win and extra bonus point. In the process, Flyin' Bryan also took Kawasaki to their third half-mile win and won his fourth National main of the season (Springfield Mile I, Sacto Mile, DuQuoin Mile).

Championship points leader Jared Mees was dealt a blow to his huge 29-point championship lead heading into round 10 of the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Harley-Davidson presented by Vance & Hines event when he suffered a mechanical on the penultimate lap of the main, dropping him to 17th-place in the final tally. Mees now leads Smith in the hunt for the 2015 AMA Grand National Championship battle 158-152 points, just six slim points separating the two Michigan rivals with just four round remaining on the season.

In the shot above, Smith puts the #42 Crosley Brands/Howerton Motorsports/Villa-Esparza/Kawasaki-backed EX650-based 750 through it's paces during the second qualifying round at the Lima Half-Mile on June 28, 2015.

Lima was where Mees had taken over the championship lead over early-season leader Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. and had most recently extended that lead at the Peoria TT two weeks ago with a stellar run to 2nd-place over 11-time Peoria champ Henry Wiles, while Smith was relegated to an 11th-place finish in Thunder Valley.

Coolbeth finished in 2nd-place on the night on the #2 Zanotti Racing XR750 at Charlotte, with Sammy Halbert, still wearing the #69 in honor of his recently departed brother, Jethro, rounding out the podium for 3rd-place on the BriggsAuto.com XR. Halbert kept his streak of being the only rider to finish inside the top-10 all season with his run from a 13th-place starting spot on the grid from the third row to his 3rd-place finish, and he stands third in the championship battle with 140 points, 12 in arrears of Smith.

Of note was Henry Wiles on the #17 Zanotti Racing entry. After finishing in the 5th-place spot in the first heat, The Hammer was forced to race semi race #1 in order to qualify for the main and keep his 8th-place spot in the championship standings intact. However, a finish of 6th-place in the semi would have kept him out of the main if not for use of his Twins provisional on the year. Starting from the fourth row in the 19th spot, Wiles carved his way through traffic during the 25-lap National main and wound up finishing in the 7th-place position on the evening, surely earning himself the MotoBatt Hard Charger Award and also putting on one heckuva show for the fans in attendance and watching online via FansChoice.TV. Great run Henry!

Brandon Robinson took the #44 Castrol/Triumph Bonneville to a 4th-place finish, his best effort since his near win and 2nd-place finish at the Sacto Mile in late May, and Rookie of the Year contender/lock Jarod Vanderkooi, riding the #17F Don's Kawasaki, rounded out the top-5 and also earned himself his best finish of the season at the Charlotte Motor Speedway facility with his second top-10 of the year.

For full results, you can click here thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track, and the points championship battle breakdown can be found here also thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track.

Next Sunday the series heads to the Illinois State Fairgrounds for the Labor Day Weekend running of the Springfield Mile II on September 6, the final Midwest round of the year before the series wraps up in Delaware, Calistoga and Las Vegas.

Check out the full press release below thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track, and be sure to keep tuned into the great action in The Rolling Thunder Show as the last four rounds of the year are guaranteed to make for a great horse race between the championship contenders. The greatest racing series on two wheels in the world never disappoints and it will surely only get hotter and faster in the coming rounds!

Bryan Smith revives championship aspirations, wins Don Tilley Memorial Charlotte Half-Mile

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Aug. 29, 2015) - Things got very interesting Saturday night at the Don Tilley Memorial Charlotte Half-Mile, Round 10 of the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track season, as Bryan Smith put together an extraordinary performance to earn his fourth Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines main event victory of the season. Smith's victory is compelling on many levels, as Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines points leader Jared Mees suffered a costly bike malfunction on the final lap as he was challenging Smith for the lead. The incident forced Mees from the race and left him watching in disgust as he witnessed his rival cross the finish line and swipe the elusive checkered flag.   Kenny Coolbeth was next in line after Mees went down at the beginning of lap 25, and the No. 2 Zanotti Racing Harley-Davidson pilot claimed his second runner-up finish in the last three rounds. Coolbeth's second-place finish was a nice rebound after his struggles last round at the Peoria TT, and the three-time Grand National Champion now sits fourth in the point standings.         Bryan Smith made it a clean sweep at the Charlotte Half-Mile on the #42 Crosley/Howerton Motorsports/Kawasaki-sponsored EX650 and in the process tightened up the championship battle after points leader Jared Mees suffered a mechanical on the last lap of the 25-lap National main at the Charlotte Motor Speedway half-mile. AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.           "That was some intense racing," said Smith. "That's about as fast as a motorcycle can go on a Half-Mile and I'm glad we could put on a great race for all of these Charlotte fans. That was everything my bike had, every ounce I had, that was everything. I didn't realize until after the checkered flag that I had gotten away from Kenny (Coolbeth) a little bit, I almost threw it away but I just kept charging and fortunately it was a good end result."   Smith's win and Mees' 17th-place finish created an earthquake in the Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines point standings, as Mees now sits only six markers ahead of the No. 42 Crosley Radio Kawasaki pilot in the standings, 158-152.   The victory was Smith's fourth of the season, and his first time back on the podium since his second-place Indy Mile finish on July 11.   Rounding out the podium with a third-place effort on Saturday night was Sammy Halbert, who now sits third in the points. Halbert started from 13th on the grid and deftly maneuvered his way through traffic aboard the No. 69 Briggs Auto Harley-Davidson to earn his third podium of the season.   Brandon Robinson, aboard the No. 44 Latus Motors Racing Triumph, finished fourth to earn his first top-five finish since the Sacramento Mile on May 30. Robinson sits fifth in the point standings as he heads into the homestretch of the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track season.  Saddlemen Rookie of the Year frontrunner, Jarod Vanderkooi, put together his finest performance of 2015 aboard the No. 17F Don's Kawasaki machine. Vanderkooi finished fifth at Charlotte and is turning heads during his rookie campaign in the elite Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines class. The rookie now sits 12th in the points. Jake Johnson finished eighth aboard the No. 5 Factory Harley-Davidson on Saturday night. The veteran put together an impressive Heat performance and finished third in the Dash for Cash.   GNC2   In the GNC2 main event, Bronson Bauman took advantage of a staggered restart with 10 laps to go to earn his first career AMA Pro Flat Track win. Bauman completed the stellar victory aboard his No. 30Z Lombardi's Harley-Davidson machine after starting from second on the grid, passing Andrew Luker on the eighth lap and finishing just in front of Davis Fisher. Luker, riding the No. 11Z Kennedy Racing Harley-Davidson, opened up a large lead on the first lap of the race before he saw the red flags fly on lap eight, allowing his competitors back into the race. Though Luker was able to get the holeshot following the restart, he never could gather his momentum back, and he slid all the way back to an eventual fourth place finish. "It feels awesome to get this win," said Bauman. "There was a lot of tough competition and Davis (Fisher) is always running up front. There's so many more, I got a bad start but I started working my way up. We got the red flag and fortunately I got a good start off of that. When I saw the white flag, I was just ear-to-ear saying 'don't mess up, don't mess up,' and then I came around and got the checkered flag for the first time ever." No. 67M Parkinson Brothers Racing Kawasaki competitor Fisher battled hard with the top five on the way to his runner-up result. He'll leave Charlotte with a stranglehold on the GNC2 points lead. Fisher sits 27 points ahead of Bauman in the standings, 157-125.      Rounding out the podium for his best performance of 2015 was Ryan Varnes. The No. 68A Varnes Racing Kawaskai pilot looked impressive all night and edged out a charging Luker on the final lap by .187 seconds. No. 27U Miller Motorsports pilot Jamison Minor rounded out the top five.   Next Up   The stars of AMA Pro Flat Track head to Springfield, Ill., for the Springfield Mile on Sept. 6 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. For tickets and information regarding Round 11, fans are encouraged to visit http://www.illinoismda.com/.  How to Watch:   FansChoice.tv is the official home for live streaming coverage of AMA Pro Flat Track events. The site also provides coverage of IMSA's development and single-make series, and NASCAR's touring and weekly series. Catch all the action at http://www.FansChoice.tv. About AMA Pro Flat Track: AMA Pro Flat Track is the world's premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track, please visit www.amaproracing.com/ft/, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or live stream the on-track action on FansChoice.tv.

About AMA Pro Racing:   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

Jared Mees Out if Front in Fight for the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Heading Into the Charlotte Half-Mile on August 29

Defending AMA Grand National Champion Jared Mees leads the charge in the title hunt for the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship as the series has the weekend off before heading to round 10 of the season at the Charlotte Half-Mile next Saturday, August 29. Mees has held his stranglehold on the championship chase since taking over from early-season points leader after the completion of the Lima Half-Mile in late June, and after his runner-up showing behind winner Henry Wiles last weekend at the Peoria TT, increased his lead in the championship to 29 points over title chaser Bryan Smith (156-127 points.)

Mees incredible season, that looks to take him to his third overall championship to add to his 2009 Twins Championship title, includes seven top-3 finishes in the nine rounds that have been run, including his first win of the season at the Black Hills Speedway in South Dakota on August 4. The Jammer's worst finish of the season, an 11th-place finish at Daytona II, is the lone dark spot on a championship run that also includes other finishes on the year of no worse then 4th-place (Lima Half-Mile.)

In the shot above, Mees on the #1 Las Vegas H-D/Rogers Racing/Harley-Davidson Motor Co.-sponsored XR750 runs with Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. on the #2 Zanotti Racing/H-D Motor Co./Gator H-D-backed XR750 during one of the qualifying rounds for the Lima Half-Mile on June 28 in round 5 of the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines class.

Charlotte was visited by The Rolling Thunder Show back in the early '00s for a three year string, and at one time was run alongside the World of Outlaws sprints. Jake Johnson and Coolbeth are two of the currently active riders that raced in Charlotte during one of more of the runs back in those days.

You can check out more on the upcoming race at Charlotte below thanks to SMI, the promoters of the Charlotte Half-Mile next Saturday, and if you are in the area the race should be a definite 'must see' on any race fan's list, let alone a fan of the greatest racing series on two wheels in the world!

Press release courtesy of SMI, the promoters of the Charlotte Half-Mile

Mees Leads Series Coming into the Aug. 29 Don Tilley Memorial Charlotte Half-Mile

 

CHARLOTTE, NC (Aug. 21, 2015) – Defending AMA Pro Grand National Champion Jared Mees is hoping to continue his strong surge to what he ultimately hopes will be another title, as the series thunders into Charlotte Motor Speedway’s The Dirt Track at Charlotte for the Don Tilley Memorial Charlotte Half-Mile on Saturday, August 29.

Mees, 29, from Clio, Michigan, sports the No.1 on his Rogers Racing Harley-Davidson after winning his third AMA Pro Grand National Championship last year. The always steady Mees brings a four-race podium finish (top three) streak coming into Charlotte that includes a victory at the Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota, earlier this month. The run of solid finishes has pushed Mees’ series lead to 29 points over fellow Michigan rider Bryan Smith. Sammy Halbert, of Graham, Washington, is also very much in the championship hunt as well in third, just three points behind Smith.

The Don Tilley Memorial could prove to be instrumental in this year’s title chase. Mees is aiming for another solid finish and hopes to expand on his lead, while those chasing him like Smith and Halbert are going to go all out on the red clay Half-Mile dirt oval to close the gap on the series leader.

“Things are heading in the right direction,” Mees said. “Even though I’ve got a pretty good lead in the championship you’re never satisfied. This is racing and we all know anything can happen. I’m looking forward to racing at Charlotte.”

All but a handful of veteran riders will be seeing The Dirt Track at Charlotte for the first time. This year’s Don Tilley Memorial Charlotte Half-Mile marks the return of national motorcycle racing to the facility, part of the Charlotte Motor Speedway complex in Concord, NC. The AMA Pro Flat Track Series last visited the facility in 2002. Among the current crop of riders who raced Charlotte before include former champs Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. and Jake Johnson. Both of those riders have fond memories of the track and are happy to return.

“I’m really looking forward to coming back to Charlotte,” Coolbeth said. “I remember it as one of the best Half-Mile tracks we ever visited. The thing that’s really nice about it is that it’s a racy track, there were a lot of different lines and a lot of good passing opportunities.”

Coolbeth twice finished runner-up at Charlotte and he hopes that in the return he can finally score the victory that he was so close to earning.

Johnson scored a podium finish (third) in the last race here in 2002. He was in semi-retirement this summer before being called up by the Harley-Davidson factory team to fill in for the injured Brad Baker. He’ll also be considered one of the pre-race favorites for next week’s national in Charlotte.

“I had some success there in my rookie season,” said Johnson, a two-time AMA Grand National Champion from Coatesville, Pennsylvania. “That kind of track is right up my alley. I’ve got a great team behind me and I’m really looking forward to it.”

In addition to the elite riders of the AMA Pro Grand National Championship, Charlotte fans will also get to watch the top up-and-coming flat track racers in the country competing in the GNC2 support class. There will also be a chance to meet and get autographs from three of the most famous riders who ever raced for Don Tilley. Jay Springsteen, Gene Church and Tripp Nobles will all be on hand to honor their former racing boss Don Tilley, the well-known tuner and Harley-Davidson dealer from Statesville, North Carolina, who died in an accident last year.

The AMA Pro Grand National Championship series is one of the longest running motorcycle racing championships in the world. Known by its fans as flat track racing, many consider this form of motorcycle racing the most exciting on the planet. Flat track racing has produced many of America’s Motorcycle Grand Prix Champions such as Kenny Roberts, Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, Kenny Roberts, Jr. and Nicky Hayden.

Practice for the Don Tilley Memorial Charlotte Half-Mile begins at on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 2:00 p.m. and opening ceremonies for the evening program kick off at 6:00 p.m.

Visit us at: http://www.charlottehalfmile.com/ Via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DonTilleyMemCharlotteHM Twitter: https://twitter.com/tilleymemorial info@charlottehalfmile.com

—

*** 2015 Ticket Information: Ticket information is available for the Aug. 29, 2015 Don Tilley Memorial Charlotte Half-Mile at www.charlottehalfmile.com

Fans can order tickets online at http://www.charlottehalfmile.com/tickets/, by calling the Toll Free Ticket Hotline 1-800-745-3000.

Tickets for groups of 20 or more also are available. Contact the Don Tilley Memorial Charlotte Half-Mile Group Sales Department at info@charlottehalfmile.com or call 1-844-722-6453 for more information.

---------------------

Larry Lawrence
c. (317) 332-3899
SMI Media Rep
Sacramento Mile - May 30
Charlotte Half Mile - Aug 29
Las Vegas Finals - Nov 20
lawrencemedia@hotmail.com

Henry Wiles Scores 11th-Straight Win at AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Round 10 at the Peoria TT

Henry Wiles made another mark in the history books yesterday by taking his 11th-straight win at the Peoria TT in round 10 of the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines Series. Although things didn't go completely his way throughout the day (Wiles qualifying effort of just over .2 second behind fast qualifier Jared Mees was pretty much his only missive), The Hammer did what he had to do the rest of the day to round out another golden day in Thunder Valley by winning the Dash and taking the win in the National main by just over 1.3 seconds over defending champ Mees.

Above, Wiles on the #17 Zanotti Racing/Motion Pro/Bell Helmets-sponsored Honda CRF450R got the jump on the field on the first lap and led all going into turn 1. From that point on, Mees never got closer then .054 seconds (lap 16 of the 25-lap main) and Wiles was able to stretch his lead through traffic to 1.342 seconds at the end of the day.

Also hot on Wiles' heels is Briar Bauman #14 (see more below), Mees #1 and Sammy Halbert #69 on his Fredericktown Yamaha/Van's Yamaha/Kibblewhite-sponsored YZ450F. Halbert (repping his late brother Jethro's National #69 instead of his usual #7) ended the day in 9th-place, still keeping a stranglehold on the 3rd-place spot in the championship and keeping his string of top-10s on the season intact. Also behind these riders is Jake Johnson #5 (also more below) and partially in the shot Mick Kirkness on the #87 Goeken Racing/Chisum Racing/Ipone Oil-sponsored Yamaha. Kirkness finished the day in 7th-place, the last rider to be lapped by the lead finishing duo of Wiles and Mees.

2010-2011 AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson returned to action for the first time since the Daytona doubleheader season-opening rounds, compliments of a ride on one of Mees' spare Montgomeryville Cycle Center Honda's. Johnson qualified 8th out of the 25 GNC1/Experts on hand, but made a rare mistake during his heat and dropped the bike and was forced to ride the semi in order to make the main.

Johnson got a slow start in the semi on the #5 Montgomerville Cycle Center/JM9/Ramspur Winery-backed Honda, but within a couple of laps had taken off to go on to take the win to punch his card to the National. Starting on the back row, Johnson got an incredible start and was in the top-7 by the time the field hit turn 1 in Thunder Valley (see shot above.) He went on to finish in the 6th-place spot, the last rider on the lead lap and will surely end up being the MotoBatt Hard Charger for the event.

JD Beach, fresh off clinching the MotoAmerica SuperSport title in Indianapolis the weekend before, came ready to race with his #95 Yamaha USA/Victory Circle Graphics/Team 95-backed Yamaha YZ450F and was on fire throughout the day running in the top-5. The part time dirt tracker brought it home in 4th-place. Above he battles with local boy Rob Pearson on the #27 R&R Racing/Country Saloon/Clipper Industries-backed Yamaha, defending champ Jared Mees on the #1 Montgomeryville Cycle Center/Rogers Racing/SDI-sponsored Honda and Jake Cunningham on the #94K Best Exteriors/Arai Helmets/Motion Pro-sponsored Yamaha during their heat race.

Briar Bauman extended his strong season run of top-5 finishes with another 5th-place on the #14 Rod Lake Racing/Drew-Massa Transportation/Arai-backed Honda. Bauman qualified 4th on the day and also brought home a 3rd-place finish in the Dash thanks to his solid 2nd-place run in his heat, and continues his move towards the top-5 in points. His 5th-place at Peoria was his fourth top-5 of the year, and his third top-5 in the last six races (Lima & Black Hills 3rd-place.)

Chad Cose has had some tough mechanical luck this year with the Myers Motorsports team Kawasakis, but not for lack of trying. With the Myers team getting ready for the next Twins round in Charlotte on August 29, Cose was at the ready in Thunder Valley on the #49 ERT/Rod Lake/Nazzissi Racing-sponsored Honda. Qualifying 10th out of the 25 GNC1 riders who took a timed lap, The Cali Kid fought hard for his 3rd-place finish in his heat, which put him in the Dash (with only two heats running on the day, the top-3 from each heat went to the Dash for Cash bonus race.) Finishing in 6th-place, the likeable Californian readied himself for the main, and ready he was, fighting it out throughout the day to bring home a very solid 8th-place finish, for his second top-10 on the year (9th-place Daytona II.)

 

The surprise and breakout performance of the day went to rookie Dominic Collindres on the #66Y Babe Demay/Memphis Shades/Yamaha-sponsored YZ450F. The former winner in the Pro Singles class in 2012 while riding for the Weirbach Racing team, Collindres, in only his third GNC1 event, won his heat over defending champ Mees (above battling it out again in the Dash) and then nailing down 4th-place in the Dash. In the main, the Californian had a clear advantage over 4th-place finisher Beach to get his very first podium spot in his young but bright career. A great show by this fine young man after earlier in the season being the first to put the new Yamaha FZ07 twin in a main at Lima. Great job!

Mees did all he could all day long to try and keep Wiles within striking distance, but after 25-laps not even the tough-as-nails Michigan resident could haul in his fellow Michigan man. Mees was fast qualifier on the day on the #1 Montgomeryville Cycle Center Honda, and tried his best to catch not only Collindres in their heat, but Wiles in the main. He was able to leave Peoria with some solace, however, as he extended his lead in the championship to 29 points over Bryan Smith (11th on the day) 156-127 points with five rounds remaining on the season.

In the end, it was all Henry on the #17 Zanotti Racing Honda, winning what could very likely be the last Singles Series race at the fabled facility, what with the talk of the Twins taking over completely for next season. Wiles moved into the all-time TT win list with his 16th win on a TT course (Chris Carr still lies in 2nd with 15 wins) and will need two more wins to equal Carr's overall win total of 13 on Cameron Lane in Peoria.

You can view the full results here thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track, and a big thanks goes to my traveling companion and host Larry Lawrence for this article in Cycle News about yesterday's romp in the Valley.

The series now takes a weekend break before heading to Charlotte, NC on August 29 for another new event on the 2015 series calendar.

Henry Wiles makes history with 11th straight Peoria TT victory

PEORIA, Ill. (Aug. 16, 2015) - Henry Wiles did exactly what everyone expected him to do on Sunday, Aug. 16 at the Peoria Motorcycle Club, and his 1.342-second win over Jared Mees stamped his name in the AMA Pro Flat Track record books, forever.   Wiles' 11th straight Peoria TT main event victory extends his consecutive win record at the Midwest venue, and his win also gave him 16 TT (Tourist Trophy) victories, the most by any rider to ever compete in the Grand National Championship.   Like he has done numerous times over the last decade, Wiles took the holeshot on lap one of the main event. However, unlike many Peoria TTs in the past, this one had to be earned. Wiles was shadowed by a hard charging Mees for the entire race. The two stars quickly gapped the field by more than 10 seconds, began lapping riders on Lap 12 and eventually lapped all but four of 16 other competitors in the race.   Mees, aboard the No. 1 Montgomeryville Cycle Center Honda, gave Wiles a good run, and even qualified faster than him earlier in the day, but when it came down to it, Wiles was just too fast.   Wiles' victory propelled him to eighth in the Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines point standings, while Mees' second-place finish helped him extend his lead in the standings to 29 points over Bryan Smith, who finished 11th in the race aboard his No. 42 Crosley Radio Kawasaki.   Closing out the podium for his best finish of 2015 was Dominic Colindres, and the No. 66Y Babe Demay Yamaha pilot let everyone know he was on top of his game early on when he took the Heat 1 victory over Mees and the rest of the field.   Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day was J.D. Beach's fourth-place finish in the Peoria TT main event. The 2015 Moto America Supersport champion made the most of his rare appearance in the flat track world on Sunday, and he looked sharp all day aboard the No. 95 Yamaha USA machine.   No. 14 Rod Lake Racing Honda rider, Briar Bauman, earned his second-consecutive top-five finish on Sunday with an impressive fifth-place finish.   Riding the backup bike of Jared Mees, Jake Johnson piloted the No. 5 Montgomeryville Cycle Center Honda to a sixth-place finish on Sunday in his first AMA Pro Flat Track race since the Daytona opener in March.   Sammy Halbert, sporting the No. 69 Vans Yamaha machine in honor of his late brother, Jethro Halbert, finished ninth on Sunday.   GNC2   In the GNC2 main event, Jesse Janisch earned a thrilling .038-second victory over second-place finisher and current points leader Davis Fisher. Janisch, piloting the No. 32L 34 Racing Honda, started from third on the grid and battled with Fisher on every lap. The two were neck-and-neck heading into the final turn and it looked as if either one could have claimed the victory at the end.   Fisher's runner-up effort aboard the No. 67M Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda keeps him sitting comfortably in the GNC2 points lead over Dan Bromley, while Janisch's win boosts him to 19th in the standings. Finishing third to close out the podium was No. 30Z Rod Lake Racing pilot Bronson Bauman. It was Bauman's second podium appearance in the last three rounds and he currently sits fourth in the points.   No. 19B RLJ Honda rider Justin Jones and No. 69C Bell Helmets Suzuki pilot Hayden Gillim rounded out the top five finishers, respectively. Like Beach, Gillim is a road racer with extensive flat track roots, and the two put together impressive performances for not having competed in AMA Pro Flat Track this season. Bromley, who sits second in the points behind Fisher, rode his No. 54A Bromley Brothers KTM to a sixth-place finish while Jamison Minor, who currently sits third in the standings, finished 12th in the main event.   Up Next   The stars of AMA Pro Flat Track head to Charlotte, N.C., for the Don Tilley Memorial Charlotte Half-Mile on Aug. 29 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. For tickets and information regarding the event, fans are encourage to visit http://www.charlottehalfmile.com/.  How to Watch:   FansChoice.tv is the official home for live streaming coverage of AMA Pro Flat Track events. The site also provides coverage of IMSA's development and single-make series, and NASCAR's touring and weekly series. Catch all the action at http://www.FansChoice.tv. About AMA Pro Flat Track:  AMA Pro Flat Track is the world's premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track, please visit www.amaproracing.com/ft/, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or live stream the on-track action on FansChoice.tv.

About AMA Pro Racing:   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

Second Half of 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Season to Kick Off Tuesday, August 4 at the Black Hills Half-Mile

After a little over a three week break from the season, the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship will resume it's season schedule with the annual running of the Black Hills Half-Mile in Rapid City, SD this Tuesday, August 4. An unusual but standard racing meet scheduled in the middle of the week, the event runs alongside the widely popular Sturgis Rally currently taking over the area in Southwest South Dakota.

With just 14 points separating the top-4 in the standings (Jared Mees 113 points, Bryan Smith 106, Sammy Halbert 100, Brad Baker 99), the time is now for those wanting to make their move to the top of the ladder in determining who will walk away at the end of the season with the 2015 AMA Grand National Championship crown.

With 2013 AMA Grand National Champion Brad Baker being the hot rider in the series as it reached it's midway point, Baker not only took the win at the Lima Half-Mile in convincing style, but also took the first mile win of his career at Indy back on July 11. And if not for a freak mechanical at DuQuoin over the July 4th weekend, could surely have taken the win there as well on his factory Harley-Davidson XR750.

But Mees, the defending AMA Grand National Champion who has lead the points since the Lima round on June 28, is not one to let his championship lead evaporate that easily. Although The Jammer has yet to stand on top of the box this season his string of top-4s since the Springfield Mile I in late May has kept him at or near the top of the standings and in itself shows the massive effort that the Rogers Racing crew has put into their efforts again to retain that #1 plate for the 2015 season.

With 3-time winner and Howerton Kawasaki rocket rider Smith as hot as could be expected this year, it could also be noted that Flyin' Bryan was also the big winner of the XGames event in early June, and has set claim to finally try and grab that elusive #1 that he and the Indy-based team have so deliberately gone after in the last four seasons. And you can't count out The Slammer, Sammy Halbert, who use of both his Johnny Goad-tuned Kawasaki and Harley XR have kept the Washington State resident in the mix with four top-5 finishes and a no-worse then 8th-place finish on the year.

In the shot above, riders blast off the line and spray their fellow compatriots at the start of the National main event in round 5 of the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines class at the Lima Half-Mile on Sunday, June 28.

(L-R) Eventual winner Brad Baker on the #6 Harley-Davidson Motor Co/Screaming Eagle Racing Products/Arai Helmets-backed factory XR750, Brandon Robinson on the #44 Latus Motorsports/Castrol Oil/Triumph America-backed Triumph Bonneville, Henry Wiles on the #17 Zanotti Racing/Motion Pro/Bell Helmets-backed H-D XR750, Sammy Halbert on the #7 Briggs Auto/Scott Powersports/Martin Trucking-backed H-D XR750, Jared Mees on the #1 Las Vegas H-D/Rogers Racing/Harley-Davidson Motor Co-sponsored XR750 and Bryan Smith on the #42 Howerton Motorsports/Crosley Brands/Villa-Esparza-backed Kawasaki EX650 spray the rest as they hammer off the line for the first time in the 25-lap main at the Allen County Fairgrounds delayed event.

Also seen in the background are Jake Shoemaker on the #55 Bonneville Performance/Castrol Oil/Triumph-sponsored Triumph Bonneville (just behind Wiles' left shoulder), Wyatt Maguire on the #16 Kirkland Racing/Racing Unlimited/Steve Pruczinski-backed H-D XR750 getting some massive air off the start line of row 2, Steve Bonsey on the #80 Dodge Brothers Racing/Classic Harley-Davidson/Alpinestars-backed XR750 (between Halbert and Mees on row 2), Dustin Crow on the #61 Greg Crow Racing/Gary O/Glen's Autobody-backed XR750 and Chad Cose on the #49 Myers Motorsports/ERT/Rod Lake-backed Kawasaki EX650 rounding out the second row. Coming off of row 3 Shawn Baer can be seen on his #32 Baer Racing Products/Straight Arrow Trucking/Blatts Pattern Shop-sponsored KTM LC8 950 (behind Crow.)

So if you are in the Sturgis area for the world's biggest bike rally, you owe it to yourself to make it to the Black Hills Speedway Tuesday night to catch the stars of The Rolling Thunder Show put on what they do best in the best racing series on two wheels in the world. If you don't make it, you're just another race fan-poser and may as well head to the bar to drown your sorry sorrows.

AMA Pro Flat Track riders set to compete in the Black Hills Half-Mile during the 75th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 30, 2015) - South Dakota is known for its celebrations of all things motorcycles, and on this special Tuesday night, Aug. 4, it will be a celebration of speed and fierce AMA Pro Flat Track racing action in Rapid City on the Half-Mile oval at Black Hills Speedway.   Current points leader and defending Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines champion Jared Mees will aim to reach the podium for the sixth time this season as the No. 1 Las Vegas Harley-Davidson pilot has been sharp all year, accounting for three second-place finishes.   No. 42 Crosley Radio Kawasaki rider Bryan Smith is another competitor who has thrived in the premier class so far in 2015. Smith has won three of the four Mile races this year and the Flint, Mich., native will look to put together another strong performance on the Half-Mile surface in Rapid City. Smith finished eighth in the only Half-Mile event so far this season at the Lima Half-Mile and he currently sits second in the points.   Sammy Halbert has yet to finish outside the top ten in any round so far in 2015 and he will look to continue that streak next Tuesday when the lights go green in Rapid City. The No. 7 Briggs Auto Harley-Davidson rider sits third in the point standings after seven rounds.   Perhaps no other rider on the AMA Pro Flat Track circuit is coming into Rapid City with more confidence and momentum than that of the No. 6 Factory Harley-Davidson pilot Brad Baker. The 2013 Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines champion has won two of the last three main events and he will look to keep rolling on Tuesday night. Baker currently sits fourth in the points.   Three-time champion Kenny Coolbeth Jr. has been in a bit of a funk as of late, as the No. 2 Zanotti Racing Harley-Davidson competitor has finished 17th and 15th in two of the last three main events. Despite sitting fifth in the points, Coolbeth still has his sights set on his fourth-career Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines championship.   Sitting sixth in the point standings entering Round 8 at Black Hills Speedway is Brandon Robinson. The No. 44 Latus Motors/Triumph Bonneville competitor has looked stellar at certain points during the 2015 season, particularly at the Sacramento Mile, where he finished a hair-length behind Smith for a second-place finish.   Briar Bauman, mounted on the No. 14 Hart Racing Kawasaki, recorded consecutive ninth-place finishes at Du Quoin and Indianapolis and he will strive for better results on Tuesday in an effort to improve on his seventh-place position in the Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines point standings.   GNC2   It's no surprise that Davis Fisher has asserted himself as one of the up-and-coming stars of AMA Pro Flat Track. The 17-year-old second-year rider missed the GNC2 championship by a single point in 2014 and he has come back with a vengeance in 2015. Fisher, pilot of the No. 67M Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda, is the current GNC2 points leader and he will look to build on his lead in Rapid City.   Fisher isn't the only young talent in AMA Pro Flat Track's feeder class, as Nick Armstrong, pilot of the No. 44E Southland Racing Honda is right on Fisher's tail in the point standings. Armstrong also has momentum in his favor after his Indy Mile win last round on July 11.   No. 27U Jamison Minor is another GNC2 competitor that has shown tremendous success in 2015 so far. Minor is responsible for three top-five finishes and currently sits third in the points. Dan Bromley, riding the Bromley Brothers KTM Racing machine, and J.R. Addison, pilot of the Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda, each sit fourth and fifth in the GNC2 point standings, respectively.   All of the AMA Pro Flat Track action from Rapid City can be viewed live, in high definition on http://www.FansChoice.tv.   For tickets and more information regarding the Black Hills Half-Mile, please visit https://www.sturgisharleydavidson.com/.     About AMA Pro Flat Track:   AMA Pro Flat Track is the world's premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track, please visit www.amaproracing.com/ft/, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or live stream the on-track action on FansChoice.tv.

About AMA Pro Racing: 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

Mikey Martin Takes Weirbach Racing Kawasaki to 4th-Place Finish at the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Indy Mile for Best-Ever Career Finish

2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles Champion Mikey Martin and the Iowa-based Weirbach Racing team came away from the last round of the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship at the legendary Indy Mile with their first top-5 finish and Martin's best-ever finish of his young career of 4th-place.

Indy was a mash-up of 'hurry up' all day, as storms working their way towards the Circle City from Eastern Illinois appeared to be imminent as the early evening program progressed. As a result, AMA Pro Flat Track put the show on in 'quick mode' doing away with one practice session altogether as well as the semi races part of the evening's races. Although all of those 'imminent' storms broke up completely before getting within 20 miles of the Indiana State Fairgrounds-hosted event, the shortened program proved to be advantageous to several riders and teams. Martin and the Weirbach team were one group of individuals who capitalized on the race's 'hurry up' mode.

After qualifying in the 'lucky 13' spot (shown above during one of the qualifying sessions at Indy on the #91 Weirbach Racing/Racing Unlimited/Flat Track Live/Barnett-sponsored Kawasaki EX650-based 750 effort), Martin was able to take advantage of his top-6 heat race finish (5th-place in GNC1 heat #1) and put the team's slick looking Kawasaki into the main right out of the gate.

With the three red flags brought on by crashes including Shawn Baer, Henry Wiles and Jeffrey Carver, Jr., Martin was able to work his magic on each of the resulting restarts to slowly work his way into the top-5, eventually taking his best-ever effort of 4th-place and moving himself into the 15th-place spot in the championship points standings, and giving himself and the team their third top-10 for the year on their freshly-rebuilt Kawasaki.

With Indy being the halfway point of the season, the team is looking to improve on their finish and hopes to be able to start off the second half of the racing season on a positive note on Tuesday night in Black Hills, SD at the Black Hills Half-Mile.

Congrats to Martin and the Weirbach team for a fine finish, these guys have worked hard to get where they are at and deserve this hard-fought finish. Check out their brief press release below and when you get to the races, make sure you stop by the Weirbach Racing pits and tell them 'hi' and wish them luck on their great team efforts!


Press release courtesy of Weirbach Racing

After a very disappointing outing at the DuQuoin Mile, we focused our effort on the Indy Mile to redeem ourselves. 

There was a big threat of storms in the Indianapolis area so a very short program was run by AMA Pro Racing. After qualifying 13th we took a short break and headed right into the heat races.

Mikey Martin on the #91 Weirbach Racing Kawasaki is shown during one of the qualifying rounds at the Indy Mile on July 11, 2015. Photo courtesy of Weirbach Racing by Brent Pierce/BTP Photography.








The pressure was really on to transfer direct to the main as there would be
no semi races today.  After a bad start Mikey managed to finish 5th and that
would put him on the 3rd row for the main event. There were three red flags that
led to three restarts, and with each one Mikey improved his overall position
on the track. He successfully worked his way into a very solid 4th-place when the
checkered flag waved.
 
We will be headed to Rapid City, SD for a half-mile Grand National on August
4th, so if you are at the Sturgis Rally please stop by our pit area so we can
thank you for all the support.


Weirbach Racing
11350 Dahlonega Road
Ottumwa, Iowa 52501


Martin and  the Weirbach Racing team wish to thank the following sponsors for their support:

Racing Unlimited, General Engineering, Barnett, Spectro, Shorai, DynoJet,
K&N, Saddlemen, Works Connection, PMP Sprockets, Motion Pro, Spider Grips,
Durelle Racing, Cheney Engineering, G2 Ergonomics, All Balls Racing,
Firecoat Custom Powderworks, CP Pistons and Carrillo Rods, Web Cams,
Foudree's Graphics, Sunoco, Supertrapp, TNT Harley Davidson, Yoyodyne, West
Coast Racing, Regina Chain, Pit Posse, Cosmetic Gaskets,
ProFactoryHoses.com, Engine Ice, Chicken Hawk Racing, White lightning
Retrievers, Lightshoe, Paint by Smokey, Ottumwa Honda, Boyesen HP360/Octane
Sports Management.