Weirbach Racing & 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Rookie of the Year Jake Shoemaker to Team Up for 2017 American Flat Track Series (formerly AMA Pro Flat Track)

2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles Championship-winning team Weirbach Racing announced last week that they would be partnering with former 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year Jake Shoemaker for the upcoming 2017 American Flat Track Series (formerly AMA Pro Flat Track.)

The Ottumwa, Iowa-based team will see another rider change in their operation after having Briar Bauman on their Kawasaki mounts during the 2016 season, and Shoemaker having ridden for the Bonneville Performance Triumph team the last couple of years. With Shoemaker's experience on Kawasakis and the Weirbach's coming into their third full season with a Kawasaki-based team both should see improved results once the season hits full stride in late spring of 2017.

In the shot above, team co-owners Ted and Richard Weirbach ready their Weirbach Racing/Racing Unlimited/Kawasaki/Barnett-sponsored Kawasaki EX650 for rider Briar Bauman #14 prior to the start of the 25-lap National main round of the 2016 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines Series at the Springfield Mile I on May 29.

Hopefully for both the Weirbach Racing team and newly-acquired rider Shoemaker this new pairing announced last week will prove to be the fit that works for all in the upcoming season. We're looking forward to seeing them jive as the season approaches in 2017.

Check out the press release below thanks to Weirbach Racing, and we wish the best of luck to Richard, Ted and Jake in the season ahead. Go get 'em guys!

Jake Shoemaker to pilot Weirbach Racing Kawasaki’s in 2017

For Immediate Release:
December 2, 2016 -- Ottumwa, Iowa– Weirbach Racing is pleased to announce the sponsorship support of Jake Shoemaker, National #55, for the upcoming 2017 American Flat Track Twins series.

23-year-old Shoemaker has accomplished much in his young career, earning Rookie of the Year honors in 2013. A pair of podium finishes in 2014 helped him finish the year in the top ten of the class as a privateer. He also had the opportunity to ride the factory-backed Bonneville Triumph for the last two seasons.

Jake’s thoughts on the upcoming season,  “I’m excited to join a program that is built around the same motorcycle that I had early success on in my Expert Twins career. Weirbach Racing has always had top notch equipment and with my understanding of dialing in my preferences in bike set up for changing track conditions, I am confident we will do very well. I have a very positive outlook for 2017 and I cannot wait for the season to get started.”

 

Jake Shoemaker's National #55 adorns the Weirbach Racing
transporter. The Iowa-based team announced earlier last
week that they would be partnering with the former Rookie of
the Year in AMA Pro Flat Track for the upcoming 2017
American Flat Track season. Photo courtesy of
Weirbach Racing.

 Ted Weirbach added, “Jake is a great fit for our team. He works extremely hard on and off the track. We have had a good relationship for years and I am pleased that we finally have the opportunity to work together.”

               The team is busy building, preparing and testing motorcycles over the short off-season, aimed at a successful 2017 campaign. Dick Weirbach stated, “We know Jake has had success on Kawasakis in the past and we really look forward to working with him. Jake is always focused and will bring a high level of talent to our program. “ 

About Weirbach Racing-

Weirbach Racing is run, owned and operated by Ted Weirbach and his father Dick Weirbach.  Dick is a veteran of the flat track scene for better than 35 years.  He ran as a novice in the late '60’s and owned a Bultaco motorcycle shop for eight years. Weirbach Racing was founded in 2000.  In 2009, the inaugural year of the AMA Pro Singles Championship, Weirbach Racing’s James “the Rocket” Rispoli took second-place overall and in 2011 Mikey Martin won the Pro Singles Championship. Other notables to ride for Dick & Ted are Briar Bauman, Henry Wiles, Sammy Halbert, Aaron King, Jesse Janisch, Davey Durelle and Rob Pearson.  

 

Check their web site for more information http://www.weirbachracing.com

WERA & American Motorcyclist Association Team Up as Co-Sanctioning Bodies in Road Racing for 2017

The American Motorcyclist Association out of Pickerington, OH. and WERA (Western Eastern Road Racing Association) out of Canton, GA. yesterday announced a partnership for the upcoming 2017 road racing season that will see the two long-standing sanctioning bodies teaming up to offer more possibilities for racers for the future ahead.

The two series (long before AMA/Ohio sold off Pro Racing sanctioning rights to AMA Pro/Daytona/DMG) have long seen riders and teams crossover from one series to the other, so this should see some nice dovetailing for current teams and riders for the road racing series. AMA/Ohio holds the FIM sanctions that the now reworked AMA Superbike Series operates under with the MotoAmerica racing series.

In the shot above, the late Donald Jacks on the #59 Roadracing World/Team Hammer/Valvoline Suzuki and Chris D'Aluisio on the #2 Southwest Motorsports/Dunlop/Red Line Oil Yamaha TZ250 battle during a WERA Pro Series Formula USA race at Indianapolis Raceway Park in Clermont, IN. in July 1992. The former Formula USA Series saw many crossovers from both AMA and WERA competition that would pit the Formula 2 250's against the big-bore 4-strokes of the day providing fans, teams and all in attendance with a wonderfully exciting racing platform.

Check out the press release below thanks to the American Motorcyclist Association and we wish the best to AMA and Evelyne Clarke's WERA associations for the great news and great racing assuredly ahead!

American Motorcyclist Association partners with WERA Motorcycle Roadracing

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- December 9, 2016 -- The American Motorcyclist Association and WERA Motorcycle Roadracing have partnered to advance the sport of motorcycle road racing in America. Beginning with the start of WERA's 2017 season, all WERA events will be co-sanctioned with the AMA.

"WERA has produced a long line of impressive winners, and many of them have gone on to great success in the AMA Superbike Championship and beyond," said AMA Track Racing Manager Ken Saillant. "The professionalism and fairness demonstrated by WERA's leadership has always been exceptional, and the organization is an important partner for the AMA as we work to grow both amateur and professional road racing in this country."

With this partnership, WERA has access to AMA-approved insurance, AMA ratification and recognition of results, and the opportunity to develop a clear path to professional licensing for those riders who aspire to race with MotoAmerica, the home of the AMA Superbike Championship.

"AMA and MotoAmerica have worked hard and are succeeding in bringing growth to professional motorcycle road racing in the United States," said Evelyne Clarke, WERA owner and president. "Many WERA racers have a dream to compete on a professional level, so it is important to provide them the path to accomplish this, which is one of the things this partnership will do. The many benefits of an AMA membership are valuable to all WERA racers."

Clarke, whose history with WERA dates to 1976, added that the AMA's role as the country's premier motorcycling advocate also was important to the decision to sanction with the AMA.

"The AMA has long defended our freedoms to ride and race," Clarke said. "This includes uniting AMA members to help defeat the lead law ban on youth dirt bikes as well as stopping the more recent effort by the Environmental Protection Agency to prohibit the conversion of emissions-certified motorcycles into race bikes."

WERA, based in Canton, Ga., is one of the oldest and largest national sanctioning bodies conducting motorcycle races at road courses across the United States. Since 1974 WERA has enabled thousands of racers at all levels the opportunity to compete across the country. WERA offers a Rider's School with entry-level racing, pro-am racing and vintage racing for anyone with a motorcycle.

For more information on WERA, as well as the 2017 schedule of events, see www.wera.com.

About the American Motorcyclist Association

 

Founded in 1924, the AMA is a not-for-profit member-based association whose mission is to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling. As the world's largest motorcycling rights and event sanctioning organization, the AMA advocates for riders' interests at all levels of government and sanctions thousands of competition and recreational events every year. The AMA also provides money-saving discounts on products and services for its members. Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA honors the heroes and heritage of motorcycling.

 

 

For more information, visit www.americanmotorcyclist.com.

 

Not a member? Join the AMA today: www.americanmotorcyclist.com/membership/join 

Media contact: James Holter
Phone: (614) 856-1900, ext. 1280
E-mail: jholter@ama-cycle.org