AMA Pro Flat Track: Brad 'The Bullet' Baker Talks Racing, Rain & His Romp at the Hagerstown Half-Mile

The monkey is officially off of his back after Brad 'The Bullet' Baker took his first-ever AMA Grand National Championship Expert-ranked win last Saturday night at the Hagerstown Half-Mile in round 4 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season.

After bringing home a trio of 2nd-place finishes in the first three rounds of the season, the Washington State resident was virtually knocking on the door to make that extra step up on the podium, and Baker made a leap of it in his romp at Hagerstown on July 6 by winning his heat race, dominating the Dash for Cash and running away with the 25-lap National main and taking the win over first-time runner-up Jake Shoemaker by over 6.7 seconds.

And it's not like The Bullet didn't have this one coming, the writing was on the wall long ago but the ink just didn't want to dry for the popular rider.  Several times in his rookie year not only in the Singles Series, but while riding for the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Ducati team in the Twins Series Baker had shown his hand, and even during his 2012 season which saw him race for no fewer then four different teams throughout the year, you knew it was coming and when it did, POW.

Overall, this is undoubtedly one of the most popular wins all around for the whole series and fans of The Rolling Thunder Show, as everyone involved has voiced their pleasure in one way or another in seeing this now and future star of the sport grab his first, of what will surely will be many!  And not too mention, he took over the overall points lead in the series with a 20-point gap over a three-way tie between early-season points leader Brandon Robinson, Henry Wiles and 2-Time AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson, with 10 races yet to roar in anger left in the season.

In the shot above, Baker can be seen talking with Cycle News and Rider Files.com's Larry Lawrence at round 5 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the Lima Half-Mile on June 30.

For those that don't remember, Lima was the first race after Kenny Tolbert Racing mothballed his Kawasakis after planned sponsorship failed to materialize, and Brad was forced to scramble at the last minute to come up with the #12 Columbia Avionics/Mark Cheza/K&K Motorcycle Supply-sponsored XR750 shown resting in his pit area.

After qualifying the unfamiliar mount in an incredible 3rd-place out of the 43 riders that took a timed run, Baker rode to a 3rd-place finish in his heat, but was forced to settle for a very uncharacteristic 17th-place in the main later in the evening.

What a difference a year makes!

A big tip of the helmet and an especially raucous 'hoorah' for The Bullet, congrats man, you really worked for this and deserved it man!  BRAVO!

Check out Brad's great press release below to hear about all of the fireworks from Brad's trip to Maryland and his Independence Day Weekend celebration.


Press release courtesy of Brad 'The Bullet' Baker, the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year and the new overall points standings leader in the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season.

Brad "The Bullet" Baker May Recap And Hagerstown Maryland Race Report

July 8, 2013

Hello Everyone, I hope you all had an amazing 4^th of July weekend!!

 

First off, I want to apologize for not sending you a race report promptly after the month of June. I swear this year has been the worst year in my career of racing for cancellations due to rain!

 

The first weekend of June started off with just a small local short track right outside Indianapolis Indiana that I went to mainly to do some tire testing for my new tire sponsor, Mitas Tires, Developed and handled by Micah Racing Services. The weekend was a success while learning important information on the new tires and winning everything and having fun on the cool little short track called Mid-America Speedway.

 

The second weekend of June took me to Peoria, Illinois. The weekend started off at Spoon River Speedway on a sweet red clay banked half-mile. The night went pretty well, I won my heat which was an intense battle with JD Beach, got second in the Dash behind Jeffery Carver and ended up third in the main behind Jd Beach and the GNC Champ, Jared Mees.

 

The next night followed with a really fun short track in Pekin, Illinois. All day we were threatened by rain and it actually rained the majority of the morning. This actually helped the track out a lot, even though Mother Nature can ruin a lot of races she definitely is the best water truck!

 

The Program had to be rushed from the time it got started because there was a huge storm fast approaching. We got our open pro heats in and it wasn’t long after that they were calling us back up because it was starting to sprinkle and they really wanted to get the open pro main finished. I nailed the hole shot and led the majority of the race but national number 27 Rob Pearson was glued to my rear tire! With two laps to go he ran it hard into turn 1 and ran me way up the race track until we about ran out of room. I got right back on him but ran out of time to retaliate; it was a super fun race though. Following immediately after the race it started to downpour and continued to rain into the night.

 

This really threatened the Peoria TT that was supposed to start early the next morning. Unfortunately, when I woke up the next morning the pavement was still wet and I knew the chances of racing were slim. I wasn’t at the track for 10 minutes and it was already called, the track was just too wet! Fortunately, the race was rescheduled for this Sunday and they added a race at the Peoria Speedway on Friday night and a race in Macomb Illinois on Saturday night.

 

The following weekend I actually flew home for the first time in 2 ½ months to get some time on the completely remodeled Castle Rock TT that is holding a National on August 3^rd. The track was 100 times more racy and fun compared to what is use to be. I ended up winning the 20 lap open pro main event and came in a close second in the short pro am race behind national number 80 Stevey Bonsey.

 

I'm feeling really confident for the race coming up in August, my plan is take away the Expert singles points lead that I should have had leaving Daytona! The last weekend of June was supposed to be round 4 of the AMA Pro Racing Grand National Championship held on the cushion lime stone half-mile in Lima, Ohio. It wasnt to our surprise when mother nature came back and dropped water on us pretty much all through Saturday and Sunday! This was a huge bummer because I hadn’t raced a national since early May and the promoter had no open dates to reschedule so he was forced to cancel the event completely. After that weekend, traveling to all these races to just get rained out was getting pretty old I tell you what!

Now this finally leads up to this last weekend in Hagerstown, Maryland.

 

The smooth, banked, red clay half mile was the new round 4 of the AMA Pro Racing Grand National Championship after the Lima cancelation. I alway love coming to Hagerstown because it is so close to our nation’s capital and not to mention I always seem to do well there. By the end of the night I would come to love the place even more!

 

 

 

 

Brad Baker takes the checkers after leading all 25 laps at the Hagerstown Half-Mile on the #12 Dodge Brothers Racing/Sefnco Communications/Specialty Fabrication-sponsored Harley-Davidson XR750.  The Bullet took his first career AMA Grand National Championship win at round 4 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season.  Photo courtesy of Brad Baker by Dave Hoenig/Flat Trak Fotos.com.

 

 

 

 

The day started off decent in qualifying. I felt a lot better on the race track then my times showed but a 7^th place in combined qualifying would give me a nice spot on the front row for the heat races! When the heats strolled around this is when my night really kicked off! I nailed the hole shot and put my head down! I felt like I was pretty fast and I couldn’t here anyone’s engine noise behind me. About halfway through the race the red lights came out when National Number 17, Henry Wiles, went down hard going into turn three! I finally took a look behind me and the nearest rider was a straight away behind me so I guess I was turning some good laps. The restart would mess me up for setting pole for the main event but that was alright. I nailed the restart again and stretched out another commanding lead and took home the win earning myself a spot in the Dash for Cash and a front row start in the main event.

 

The Dash went very similar to the heat race! I nailed the hole shot once again and in only 4 laps I won my 3^rd dash for cash of my short career by almost a straightaway.

 

Last but not least is the GNC Main event. I guess I should of felt a little nervous walking out on the track since this was my best shot to win my very first GNC Expert National main event. I was the complete opposite though, I have been so comfortable on all my bikes lately and my team and I get along so well that there’s no reason to feel nervous.

 

I made the racing that night a little boring as I pretty much repeated what I did in the dash and heat race. The bike was working so good and I felt so comfortable that the win just came natural. I went by the checkered flags with a 7 second lead and a first time GNC Expert Winner! To add to the win I took over the overall GNC points lead and I now sit 20 points out front even after getting one of my second place finishes taken away from me in Daytona.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year Brad Baker #12 takes the victory lap after taking his first Expert-ranked win at the Hagerstown Half-Mile on Saturday, July 6.  Photo courtesy of Brad Baker by Dave Hoenig/Flat Trak Fotos.com.

 

 

 

 

I can’t explain how it felt, I have dedicated my whole life to racing motorcycles and it feels amazing to accomplish another one of my goals! I’m more excited than ever for the next National that will be held in my home state at Grays Harbor Speedway in Elma, Washington.

I can’t thank my crew, friends, family, fans, and sponsors for all their love and support!

 

Stay tuned for another report very soon.

 

Sincerely, Brad Baker #12

 

Special thanks to:

 

Dodge Bros Racing, Sefnco Communications, Specialty Fabrication Incorporation, Schenk Racing Enterprises, Silkolene Lubricants, Boughner Racing Suspension, Saddlemen, Perry’s Harley Davidson,  Cometic Gaskets, EBC Brakes, Sparkplugs.com, Barnett, Checkered Flag Productions,  Millennium Technologies, D&D Exhaust, Motion Pro, K&N Filters, Arai Helmets, KIbblewhite, Brother Powersports, CP Carrillo, Fusion Graphix, Mitas Tires, YSR, Crank Works Incorporation, Gene and Gail Cummings, Micro Blue Racing, MVR, Jack MIlls, Defy All Odds, Light Shoe, 100%, Oneal USA, Atlas Brace Technologies, Matrix Concepts, Alpinestars, Micah Racing Services, Spencer Aircraft, Paint By Smokey, Rockstar Powder Coating, Renthal, PMP Sprockets, Eddie Mulder 12, Devol Engineering, Mototassinari, Loudmouth MX, DandW Racing, Boysen, Acerbis, Moto Hose, Bam it All,  Pacific Auto Trim

 

 

AMA Pro Flat Track: Brad 'The Bullet' Baker Checks In With May Race Report

2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year Brad Baker is one of many of the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series racers who races constantly throughout the year, and takes advantage of several series that race all across the continental 48 states.

The young man from the State of Washington probably puts up more miles traveling in one season then the average person drives in 8-10 years, criss-crossing the country in search of the next race and adrenaline buzz!

The month of May was no exception, as 'The Bullet' campaigned races on the west coast in California, in the Eddie Mulder West Coast Dirt Track Series, as well as round 3 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season at the Stockton Half-Mile, and also ran a local flat track in central Illinois after one of the Steve Nace All-Star events in Little Rock, AR. was rained out.

Brad filed his monthly race report, and you can check it out below, thanks to The Bullet!

In the shot above from round 13 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the Springfield Mile II, Baker and rider/coach and former AMA Grand National #23 Kevin Atherton get ready to roll the #12 Dodge Brothers Racing/Perry's H-D/Atherton Family-sponsored XR750 out for rider intros on September 16.


Press release courtesy of Brad 'The Bullet' Baker, AMA Grand National #12 and the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year.

Brad Baker #12 May 2013 Race Report

Hey guys, hope everything is going well for you! Things on this end are coming along pretty well. While the month of April was very uneventful with not a single race to attend other than the San Jose indoor, the month of May was a very busy month!

It started off on May 5^th in California at Willow Springs Raceway for the season opener of Eddie Mulder’s West Coast Dirt Track Series.  Eddie and his sponsors, along with Digger Helm and Mark and Randy Zimmerman from Specialty Fabrications Incorporation do a great job at raising a big purse for this race .  It’s always nice to make the trip out to make a pay check and have a good time. The 3/8 cushion track just happens to be one of my favorites so that makes it nice too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brad Baker #12 is shown in action at Willow Springs Raceway during the Eddie Mulder West Coast Dirt Track Series round on May 5, 2013.  Photo courtesy of Brad 'The Bullet' Baker by Tom Hnatiw/Tom Hnatiw Photography.

 

I ended up pulling off two second place finishes behind the Grand National Champ, Jared Mees, in both the dash for cash and the main event.  I definitely got the hard charger award for the weekend though since Jared was on a GNC illegal Harley Davidson XR 750 and I was just on a very strong 450 dirt track framer.  Willow is a track where you can use your horse power so I felt good about finishing just a couple bike lengths off of him in both races being way underpowered.

The next race would follow just the week after in Stockton, California for round 3 of the AMA Pro Racing Grand National Flat Track Series.  This would mark the first Expert Twins round of the season so I was really excited to get back on my Harley and keep the momentum going I had been carrying on my 450’s. Carrying on the momentum is exactly what I did!

I started out the day by qualifying 3^rd, so I had the pole starting position in the 3^rd heat race.  I ended up getting second behind Henry Wiles in the heat.  The bike wasn’t working as well as it was in qualifying so we made several slight adjustments for the dash for cash.  I got a pretty good start in the dash behind Jared Mees and Sammy Halbert..  The bike was working a lot better entering the corners and through the middle but this time I was struggling getting off the corner.   I would get a great run on both of them through the center but then they would gap me a bike or two down the straightaway.   Then Henry Wiles went blasting past me down the back stretch on the last lap, I knew something was wrong but I still managed to finish 4^th.  Luckily for us it was just a simple fix.  I guess I had broken the grip glue loose and the grip was slipping on the throttle tube.  I was literally “twisting the grip” lol. 

 

 

 

Brad Baker #12 battles with Sammy Halbert #7 during round 3 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season at the Stockton Half-Mile.  Photo courtesy of Brad 'The Bullet' Baker by Dave Hoenig/Flat Trak Fotos.com.

 

 

The bike felt great though and the moisture was coming up on the race track so it was go time for the main event!  I made up my mind before the race even started that I was going to commit to trying out the high line for the first couple of laps because I could see that it looked pretty tacky.  I didn’t get off the line the greatest but I was definitely right about the high line being tacky!  In three laps I had passed from 5^th to the lead all on the outside.  Sammy Halbert wasn’t going down without a fight though!  We swapped the lead several times until about lap 7 or 8 until I finally broke free of him and pulled a couple bike length lead.  It wasn’t until about lap 20 when I really started to feel the pressure again.   My line I had been running was starting to go away and I was struggling to pick the pace back up.  Then on lap 22 Sammy slid underneath me going into turn one.  He had figured out a line between 3 and 4 that was just a little faster than mine.  It was unfortunate that I fell short of my first win once again but I couldn’t feel bad because it was such a good race!  Even better, I had moved myself up to second place in Grand National points, just several points out of the lead behind Brandon Robinson.

From California we packed up and hit the road for Little Rock, Arkansas.  Every year Paul Covert promotes a really strong race that is part of the Steve Nace All Star Series.  The race usually brings in a near sold out crowd at the small facility and a lot of the top riders show up to try and take home the $12000 purse.  Unfortunately, this year Mother Nature had ideas of its own for the race.   Some of the after math from terrible weather going on in Oklahoma and Texas blew into Arkansas and pretty much wiped out the track.  Since the track has a lot of banking it pretty much turned the infield of the track into a pond and there was no way it was going to dry out before the weekend, especially with more rain on the forecast.   I was in Texas when I heard the bad news.

I immediately changed my destination from Little Rock to Macomb, Illinois where I knew a sweet little short track was going on Saturday night.  I knew there wasn’t much money up for grabs but at least I was going to get seat time.  Local Grand National Expert rider #27 Rob Pearson showed up as the competition.  I was a good race between him and I all night long.  We swapped the lead in the main event pretty much every lap of the 20 lap main event.  He ended up getting the best of me though only beating me by a couple inches, if that at our drag race to the finish line!

Next on the schedule was Springfield, Illinois for the next round on the Steve Nace All Star Series on the Springfield TT and the 4th round of the AMA Pro Racing Grand National Series held on the legendary Springfield Mile.  It wasn’t a surprise when Mother Nature decided to ruin another great weekend of racing.   Pretty much from the time I woke up on Saturday to Monday morning it did nothing but rain.  Another All-star Race was canceled completely and the Springfield Mile was re-scheduled to the Labor Day weekend race where there will be a doubleheader mile on Saturday and Sunday with an All Star Series short track on Friday night. 

It was bad enough with the AMA Pro Racing weekend being canceled but the American Motorcycle Association Dirt Track Amateur Nationals was scheduled to start the week after.  Mother Nature still didn’t feel like going away and the AMA was forced to cancel the week of racing completely.  I feel really bad for the Amateur riders and Families.  Most Families save all year for that one event and some riders even came from England and Australia.  They rescheduled the week of racing for June 24^th-27^th but it will be interesting to see how many racing families can make it back again.

The last weekend of racing on the schedule for the month of May was held in Plymouth, Wisconsin for the 29^th annual Dairyland Classic.  This is always a fun race because it has a big crowd, a big purse and it happens on the Friday night before the Road America weekend.  The only bad thing about the race is that it is always dry slick and hard to pass on.  For some reason I had something for the #4 that night!  I qualified 4^th, started the main event 4^th, and ended up 4^th overall.  I guess it’s a good thing to stay consistent!

Well that was it for the month of May.  Summer is fast approaching and I couldn’t be more excited!  Unfortunately there is only one Grand National at the end of June but there are plenty of All Star Races and other races in between. 

I cannot thank all of my amazing sponsors for making my racing program possible. Without you I wouldn’t be able to do this!

Thanks again and stay tuned for an update coming soon for the month of June!

I would love to thank all my great sponsors that make it possible for me to achieve my goals!

Schenk Racing Enterprises, Sefnco Communications, Specialty Fabrication Incorporation, Silkolene Lubricants, Boughner Racing Suspension, EBC Brakes, Brother Powersports, Dodge Bros Racing, Motion Pro, CP Carrillo, D&D Exhaust, Fusion Graphix, Saddlemen, K&N Air Filters, Arai Helmets, YSR, Crank Works Incorporation, Micro Blue Racing, Cometic Gaskets, Perrys Harley Davidson, MVR, Jack MIlls, Defy All Odds, Light Shoe, 100%, Oneal USA, Sparkplugs.com, Atlas Brace Technologies, Matrix Concepts, Alpinestars, Micah Racing Services, KIbblewhite, Major League Motorsports, Spencer Aircraft, Paint By Smokey, Rockstar Powder Coating, Renthal, PMP Sprockets, Eddie Mulder 12, Devol Engineering, Mototassinari, Loudmouth MX, DandW Racing, Boysen, Acerbis, PMP Sprockets, Moto Hose, Bam it All and Pacific Auto Trim.

http://www.bradthebulletbaker.com/

AMA Pro Flat Track: Brad 'The Bullet' Baker Fills Us In on the Season-Opening Doubleheader Rounds at Daytona

2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year Brad Baker runs it in hard during the final qualifying session at round 12 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the Springfield Short Track in route to a 2nd-place qualifying position behind 2-Time and defending AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson.

The Washington State resident went on to take his #12 Brothers Powersports/D&D Exhaust/Schenk Racing Enterprise/Boughner Racing Suspension-sponsored Honda CRF450R to the win in his heat race and a pair of 2nd-place finishes in the Dash for Cash and the 25-lap National main, behind winner Henry Wiles after leading the majority of the main event.

'The Bullet' had an excellent start to the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season at rounds 1 & 2 in Daytona in mid-March, finishing 2nd in both Nationals held at the Daytona International Speedway short track.  However, after round 2 he was demoted to a 'DNF' status after a misinterpretation of the rules concerning his forks on his 2013 Honda.

Check out the full press release below to get filled in from 'The Bullet' as to what transpired in Daytona and how the first two races of the season went for the former rookie of the year.


Press release courtesy of Brad 'The Bullet' Baker, AMA Grand National #12 and the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year.

Daytona Short Track 2013 Round 1&2 AMA Pro Flat Track

The beginning of the year excitement is one of my favorite feelings.  When you hit the track in Daytona you have a clean slate from the seasons past and it’s just the beginning of the next 7 months of great racing!  I always look forward to the Daytona rounds, it is a track that has always seemed to treat me well as I have not finished outside the top-5 there since I began my Pro career in 2009.

This year was no different.  I had some pretty good momentum going into the series this year.  I raced almost every weekend throughout the off-season and trained as much as I could in between getting everything ready.  Not to mention, I had just come off a second place at the Savannah, Georgia half-mile and a win at the Volusia Speedway short track in the AMA All Star Series previous that week.

Round 1 started off a little shaky when I qualified outside the top 10.  I quickly turned it up a notch by having an awesome battle with Jake Johnson #5 in the heat race, earning myself a spot in the Dash for Cash and a front row start for the main event.  In the Dash we were all stacked on top of each other like we were dominos!  I got shuffled around a little and ended up 5th in the short 4-lap race, earning my first championship point of the year.

When the main rolled around it was go time!  I nailed an awesome start getting to turn one second right behind the Grand National Champion, Jared Mees.  I followed him down the back stretch and then squared him up coming off turn 4 rocketing past him for the lead going past the start/finish line.  For the next 17 laps I just tried to stay consistent and hit my marks and I guess I had a pretty good sized lead for a while.

That changed when my good friend and fierce competitor Mikey Rush #54 started applying the heat on my rear wheel pretty hard.  Mikey is an awesome rider and when I slipped just a little wide going into turn 3 on lap 18 he was there to take the spot.  I stayed pretty much even with Mikey for the remaining laps he was riding great and I ended up second. Although, I fell short of my first win once again it was a great way to start off the year and I went into the next day in 3rd-place in championship points!

On the morning of round 2 I was a man on a mission!  I knew exactly what I had to do and I was ready to succeed in my goal.  In qualifying I set fast time in all three rounds and set pole for the heat races.  In the heats, I lined up right next to my biggest competitor from the previous night, Mikey Rush!

Unfortunately, Mikey went down going into turn one also taking Jake Johnson with him.  We all found out that the track was way slicker then it had ever been throughout both nights of racing and we were going to have to adjust our riding a little.  I nailed the hole shot on the restart and went on to win heat 1 and also set pole for the Dash for Cash and the main event!

In the Dash, I again nailed the hole shot but I had Brandon Robinson #44 right behind applying the pressure.  I put in four solid laps and earned my second Dash for Cash win of my career and an extra 5 points in the championship hunt!

Come main event time as you can imagine I was more determined than ever!  I decided to switch up my starting position from the pole position to complete outside position.  I thought this was a smart call because there was a lot of rubber being laid down on the outside and Jared Mees had nailed the hole shot from the outside on the previous night.

I ended up getting off the line about third but I was on the outside.  Another rider came up the inside of Henry Wiles and rammed into him hard!  I was on the outside of Henry so this sent both of us way up the race track.  I crossed the start/finish on the first lap in about 6th-place I believe.  By lap 3 or 4 I had already moved up to second place and I had my sights set on the leader which was #44 Brandon Robinson.  I closed the gap at the beginning of the race but about midway through we were about dead even on our lap times.  He would make a little slip and I would gain some ground but then I would make a mistake and he would gain it right back.  Eventually, I just ran out of laps and I came home in another second place position!  I never got my first win like I wanted but I got to witness another great friend get their first win, so that was cool.  I was also very happy and proud of myself because I had realized that I had the championship point’s lead moving on to round 3 of the AMA Pro Flat Track GNC Series!

As they say though, great things always come to an end!  When I got back to the pits I was informed by the AMA Pro Racing staff that a protest was posted against me for a non-homologated coating that I was running on my fork tubes.  At first, I thought I was okay because I had spoken to Al Ludington (AMA Pro Racing’s technical director) about possibly using a set of forks that had D.L.C.-coated fork tubes at Daytona.

The reason why I decided to use the forks in the first place was because they were an older conventional/spring set of forks that I had for a back up in case I encountered a problem with the new air forks that come on the 2013 Honda CRF450.  The only problem with this situation was that the only extra set of older forks I had available to me had D.L.C.-coated fork tubes, which violates rule 5.5. B in the rule book.  It wasn’t that I encountered a major problem with the air forks but with how the track conditions were shaping up at Daytona and I knew I would feel more safe and comfortable running the older spring/conventional forks, so I switched to them throughout the program of round 2.

What I understood during the conversation between Al Ludington and myself was that I could switch to the forks that had the D.L.C coating at any time whatever the reason may be and I would be safe from any protest.  Al recalls telling me that the only circumstance that I could use the forks was if I had a mechanical failure and I had to contact him before I used them.  Regardless of it being a misunderstanding between myself and AMA Pro Racing, I was still stripped of all my championship points from round two’s main event.  I have decided to file an appeal to AMA Pro Racing.  The appeal wasn’t to bash on AMA Pro Racing at all, I appreciate all their hard work they put in to further our sport!  I just think that since it was a misunderstanding between both of us and that D.L.C. coating is a minimal-to-no-performance advantage that I don’t deserve that severe of a punishment.  As we all know, one point can determine a championship, let alone 19!

In Conclusion, whether the appeal falls in my favor and my punishment is dropped to a less-severe punishment and I get my points back I am proud of myself and my team and all the hard work we put in to start off the year with a bang like we did!

This just in Tuesday, April 2, 2013 @ 8:30 EDT:

Brad Baker #12 AMA Pro Racing Daytona Short Track II Protest/Appeal Conclusion

After further ado, the appeal that I filed to AMA Pro Racing to fight the protest that was made against me during round 2 of the Daytona Beach short track has come to rest.  I actually found this out late last week but I figured it would be more proper to give you the first half of the story that I had planned to release on April 1^st.

It’s unfortunate that they still thought I deserved that severe of a punishment but I guess it is all part of racing.   I have learned a big lesson during this whole situation!  I should get all clarifications and interpretations submitted in writing, not just with AMA Pro Racing but with everyone.  On the bright side, I am still inside the top-5 in points and the championship is still close within grasp!  I am just going to use this as fuel to feed my fire and put my head down come May.  Thank you again for all your help and support.  Take care, talk to you soon.

I would love to thank all my great sponsors that make it possible for me to achieve my goals!

Schenk Racing Enterprises, Sefnco Communications, Specialty Fabrication Incorporation, Silkolene Lubricants, Boughner Racing Suspension, EBC Brakes, Brother Powersports, Dodge Bros Racing, Motion Pro, CP Carrillo, D&D Exhaust, Fusion Graphix, Saddlemen, K&N Air Filters, Arai Helmets, YSR, Crank Works Incorporation, Micro Blue Racing, Cometic Gaskets, Perrys Harley Davidson, MVR, Jack MIlls, Defy All Odds, Light Shoe, 100%, Oneal USA, Sparkplugs.com, Atlas Brace Technologies, Matrix Concepts, Alpinestars, Micah Racing Services, KIbblewhite, Major League Motorsports, Spencer Aircraft, Paint By Smokey, Rockstar Powder Coating, Renthal, PMP Sprockets, Eddie Mulder 12, Devol Engineering, Mototassinari, Loudmouth MX, DandW Racing, Boysen, Acerbis, PMP Sprockets, Moto Hose, Bam it All and Pacific Auto Trim.

http://www.bradthebulletbaker.com/

Saddlemen Returns in '12 as AMA Pro Racing's Rookie of the Year Sponsor for AMA Road Racing & AMA Flat Track

'09 AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles Champion Brad Baker hammers the throttle on his #12 Brother Powersports/MVR/Schenk Racing/Magor League Moto-sponsored Honda CRF450R during practice for round 14 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com at the Peoria TT on August 21.  The Bullet overcame a practice off-track excursion and a nasty pile-up on lap one of his heat race to fight his way back into the National main event with a solid 12th place finish after starting from the back row.

Baker, who hails from Washington State, grabbed the '11 Saddlemen AMA Pro Flat Track Rookie of the Year honors at the season-ending round at Pomona with a 6th place finish in the overall point standings, including top finishes on the year of 3rd place at the Daytona Short Track II round and 2nd place at the Pomona Half-Mile season-ender.  In his first ride with the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Ducati team at the Springfield Mile I round over Memorial Day weekend, Baker also set fast time, won his heat and finished 5th with an ill-handling wobble on the straightaways.

The man with the million dollar smile will be changing it up for the 2012 season, as he will be riding Kawasakis in both the Twins and Singles Series events under the tutelage of Grand National Championship-winning tuner Kenny Tolbert, along with some help from 13-Time AMA Grand National Championship tuner, Bill Werner.  The team has been testing in Texas since the Indy Dealer Expo over the February 17-19 weekend, as well as working out the fine-tuning of their machines in Wisconsin with seasoned veteran tuner Werner.

The team is expected to contest the first rounds of the Steve Nace/AMA All Star Series in Savannah, GA. (March 9) and at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida (March 11), before heading to rounds 1 & 2 at the Daytona Short Track on March 15-16 to kick-off the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season. 
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AMA Pro Racing Announces Saddlemen Rookie of the Year Program for AMA Pro Road Racing and AMA Pro Flat Track

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 29, 2012) - AMA Pro Racing is excited to announce the return of the Rookie of the Year program to AMA Pro Road Racing and AMA Pro Flat Track through an expanded multi-year partnership agreement with Saddlemen. The $5,000 Saddlemen Rookie of the Year Awards will be given to the eligible rider in each series who demonstrates exceptional performance on and off the track during their first season of competition in AMA Pro Road Racing's GoPro Daytona SportBike division or AMA Pro Flat Track's Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com Expert division.

"Highlighting the highly competitive up-and-coming talent which AMA Pro Racing has long been known for is something that we care dearly about," said David Atlas, Chief Operating Officer of AMA Pro Racing. "The Saddlemen Rookie of the Year award is one of the components that will help us continue to cultivate world-class motorcycle talent in our ranks. We are very happy that Saddlemen has chosen to show their support of the AMA Pro community through this program."

For the 2012 season, riders who are participating in their first rounds of AMA Pro Road Racing's GoPro Daytona SportBike division or AMA Pro Flat Track's Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com Expert division may apply for the Saddlemen Rookie of the Year award offered in their respective series. As a show of support for Saddlemen and in order to be eligible for the Saddlemen Rookie of the Year program and associated year-end award funds, riders mustdisplay a Saddlemen patch on their leathers and a decal on their motorcycle at each event.
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2011 Saddlemen AMA Pro Flat Track Rookie of the Year Brad Baker is awarded the ROY honors at the season-ending AMA Pro Flat Track banquet by Tom Seymour, President of Saddlemen, at Pomona on October 16, 2011.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.
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"Racing is part of our heritage," says Tom Seymour, President of Saddlemen. "We have supported many generations of up and coming racers through our Flat Track Program and now look to do the same with Road Racing. It is a great way to grow the sport and for Saddlemen to showcase our sport bike seat technology. I am very proud to see Daytona Sportbike teams racing on the very same seat an enthusiast can buy at their local dealer. Frankly, I can't wait to get things started at this year's Daytona 200!"

As part of the agreement, Saddlemen will also have exclusive in-market and promotional rights to AMA Pro Road Racing and AMA Pro Flat Track series marks in addition to on-site activation space within the paddock at each AMA Pro Road Racing and AMA Pro Flat Track event.

 

The 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing and AMA Pro Flat Track seasons will kick off with the historic Daytona 200 Week, scheduled for March 15 - 17, 2012 at Daytona International Speedway.

For tickets, please visit http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

About Saddlemen:

Saddlemen is celebrating 25 years of building cutting edge motorcycle products. During that time they have been major supporters of the motorcycle industry. Over the years Saddlemen products have helped many of racing's elite riders - names like Hayden, Bostrom, Carr, Kopp, Coolbeth, Wiles, Johnson and Mees. Saddlemen offers the industry's most diverse line of seats, saddles and luggage. Visit Saddlemen on the web at www.saddlemen.com or www.facebook.com/Saddlemen.

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com. For additional information contact:   AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com

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