AMA Flat Track: Cycle News.com's Larry Lawrence 'Archives' Captures the '76 AMA Grand National Championship Series Season Part 2

In the early-mid '70s, ABC-TV got involved with the AMA Grand National Championship and ran a year-end race at Louisville Downs called the 'Race of Champions.'  The ABC crew would come in, film the day's activities and interview riders, mechanics and team owners, and then put together a piece that would air on their 'Wide World of Sports' show on a Saturday afternoon several weeks after.  Comprised entirely of winners from that year's schedule, the race was a 'made for tv' effort that showcased the greats in the series on Louisville's competitive and popular limestone half mile track. 

During the '75 year-end race, the Expert final as well as the Expert 'Race of Champions' final were both comprised entirely of riders on XR-750s.  I can't remember the exact reason for this (other then the obvious 'to make all things equal for all riders'), but knowing this before the event took place, Kenny Roberts and his Yamaha team didn't bother to make the trip east from his base in Modesto, CA. since he was obviously under contract to strictly ride Yamahas (and he didn't attend the '76 event, either.)

Privateers or supported riders like Hank Scott, who at that time rode a Shell Thuett Yamaha and Gene Romero, who throughout the season had campaigned C&J-sponsored Yamahas, were forced to ride a Harley-Davidson XR-750 in order to compete in the program (again, I can't remember whose XR Romero ran, but Hank rode one of National #45 Dave Sehl's machines in the Expert final-which he won-and then rode one of his brother Gary's spare XRs in the ROC final, to finish second behind winner Mike Kidd.)

In '76 as pictured, riders were back to running whatever brand they normally ran (or chose to run, if that were the case, for the ROC event) for the October finale at the half mile horse track.  Riders getting ready to line up for the ROC final above include Gary Scott, the '75 AMA Grand National Champion, on his #1 XR-750 on the left side of the shot just getting ready to enter the track.  Just to his right/picture left in the red Bell Helmet jacket and white pants is Gary Van Voorhis, the former Cycle News East reporter who covered AMA Flat Track events back in those days. 

Scott had just tried to defend his championship after having left the H-D Factory team at the end of the '75 season, but came up just short in quest to do the double.  He had won the spring event at Louisville (as well as the Ascot TT in the summer) to qualify for the ROC event. 

Mike Kidd on his #72 XR-750 rolls up to the line to defend his '75 ROC win after having won the Saturday night Indy Mile in August (in what was a decades-long doubleheader event after that initial '76 double round) to qualify for his ROC berth.  Kidd of course would go on to win the '81 AMA Grand National Championship after over ten years of being a front-runner in the series and having come out of the same rookie class of '72 with Scott and Roberts.

Jay Springsteen wore the #25 for one year only-1976-as he won his first of three straight championships in his sophomore year in the AMA Grand National Championship, taking over the slot on the team vacated by Gary Scott.  Springer had won his first title over Scott, 301-280 points, with Roberts just behind in third with 265 points.  After having won two events in his rookie campaign in the '75 season, Springer went on a tear in '76 winning seven total events, including all four of the last dirt track events of the season, and four of five  of the last events on the calendar overall, in order to qualify for the ROC.

The late Rick Hocking on the #13 Rocky Cycle-sponsored XR had ridden a Yamaha in the season opener at Houston to win the TT event at the Astrodome in January some nine months earlier to qualify for the ROC, and ended up ranked the 9th rider in the Nation for the 1976 campaign.  Hocking was active in flat track events up to and including his premature death earlier this year and is highly missed in the flat track community.

And the late Rex Beauchamp on the Harley-Davidson Factory XR-750 looks over from his #31 as he prepares to take to the starting line.  Rocket Rex had won the spring San Jose Mile earlier in the year, and finished the '76 season in the 7th ranked position in the final point standings.
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The 1976 AMA Camel Pro Series Grand National Championship battle is to this day still considered one of, if not the most hotly contested battles in the long history of The Rolling Thunder Show, the greatest racing show on wheels.  Names like Roberts, Scott and Springer permeated the schedule of races over 35 seasons ago, and made for some of the most epic battles in racing anywhere in the world.

Larry Lawrence again brings us a great review thanks to his 'Archives' column in Cycle News.com in which he brings us part two of the 1976 AMA Camel Pro Series season review.

Read on and thanks to LL and CN for this super trip down memory lane:

http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20110524#pg74

Part one of Larry Lawrence's 'Archives' Column on the review of the '76 AMA Flat Track/Camel Pro Series Grand National Championship can be found here:

http://stusshots.blogspot.com/2011/05/ama-flat-track-cycle-newscoms-larry.html
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AMA Flat Track Tweeks 2011 Grand National Championship Series Schedule

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Canadian racer Dave Sehl on his #16 H-D XR750 leads a pack of riders during the main event finale at the Terre Haute Action Track round of the Camel Pro Series/AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship Series in August of 1975. Rookie Expert #80C Greg Sassaman out of Georgia (who had just won his first National main event at San Jose earlier in the year) tries to work the outside line on Sehl as the riders come onto the back straight out of turn two during the 25 lap main final. Eventual '75 AMA Flat Track Grand National Champion Gary Scott keeps the gap close on the duo while riding his H-D Factory, Bill Werner-tuned #64 mount, while Rookie Expert Jay Springsteen tries to keep the trio close on his #65X Vista Sheen-sponsored mount. Springer had also just won his first two main events earlier in the year at Louisville and Harrington, and would clinch the Rookie of the Year title for '75 before going on to win the AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship in the next three seasons, '76-'78.
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AMA Pro Flat Track Announces Changes to the 2011 Season Calendar

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 7, 2011) - The 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Series continues to undergo changes to the season calendar, a shift that sees dropped dates offset by expanded events and opportunities for greater series exposure. LTR Promotions Inc. has announced exciting plans to double the Salinas Grand National flat track experience, replacing the original one-day round with a stellar two-day event April 23 and 24. The inaugural 2011 Salinas TT will run Saturday at the Salinas Sports Complex, followed on Sunday by the series' hard-changing Short Track racing. Promoters at the Yavapi Downs venue in Prescott Valley, Arizona, have announced the unfortunate cancellation of the round originally scheduled for May 1, but are looking forward to hosting a successful October 9 event. And while the AMA Pro Flat Track Series was sad to see the withdrawal, due to economic factors, of Montana's MetraPark facility from the 2011 calendar, Michigan's I-96 Speedway was quick to note the suddenly availability of the prime July 23 date. Originally slated for July 16, promoters of the half-mile I-96 Speedway event now see an opportunity to run their AMA Pro Flat Track round in conjunction with the area's popular River City Bike Week, for which I-96 Speedway will be re-branded "DMX Nation" and play host to the DMX Motorsports Show, whose crew will film five days at the Speedway. The Letter of Intent AMA Pro Racing has received from I-96 Speedway for the July 23 date offers an exciting opportunity for further series exposure. For Salinas Sports Complex tickets and information, visit www.salinassportscomplex.com; for I-96 Speedway and Yavapi Downs information, visit www.i96speedway.com and www.yavapaidownsatpv.com, respectively. For all information related to the AMA Pro Flat Track Series, visit www.amaproracing.com.

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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Here's the full updated schedule over at AMA Pro Flat Track.com:



http://amaproracing.com/ft/events/
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AMA Flat Track: RRX.com's Mark Gardiner Follows-Up With Current AMA Flat Track Mgr & '81 AMA GNC Mike Kidd

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AMA Flat Track Syracuse Mile, September 1975: When men were men, and boys were scared (but still enamored with high speed flat track racing!)

Heat race action kicks off at the Syracuse Mile on the New York State Fairgrounds mile oval as the official AMA starter drops the flag and AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship Racing gets ready to thrill the thousands of fans who have packed into the grandstands to see the best of the best in flat track racing take it to the limit at 100 MPH speeds. Back in those days, people crowded and jammed into the stands to witness the high-speed art of AMA Flat Track Racing, and in many cases it was standing room only to get a seat to the great Rolling Thunder Show, the best show in racing in the world.

L-R: On the front row dropping the hammer are Rex Beauchamp #31 and Gary Scott #64 ('75 AMA Grand National Champion) on the Harley-Davidson Factory XR's, Dave 'Bones' Aldana #10 on a self-sponsored XR, multi-time Canadian flat track champion Doug Sehl on the #45 XR (I believe Sehl was sponsored by Poole's, one of his long-time Canadian sponsors), #36F Jim (?). On the back row you have Keith Ulicki on the #8K XR, and current AMA Flat Track Manager & '81 AMA Grand National Champion Mike Kidd on his Kruger Racing-sponsored XR750. Jim on the #36F and Mike Kidd on the #72 get some serious air as they rocket off their respective lines.

Today's program has evolved somewhat in comparison to 35 years ago. Even a few years ago, for that matter. The Expert Twins class now typically runs three 8 lap heats and two 8 lap semis, with spots 1-4 in the heats qualifying for the main, and spots 1-3 in the semis putting it into the show. In the old days, it was four heats, a couple of semi-races (all 10 lappers) and a LCQ (last chance qualifier) that gave the winner-only a spot in the show. (Remember Kenny Roberts' August '75 Indy Mile win on the TZ? He made it in the show by winning the LCQ, racing more laps that night then any other competitor, and then winning it by inches after 25 laps.) Main events still are comprised of 18 or 19 starters (today the rider's can use a 'provisional' to get into a race if necessary) as they were in the old days.

Track grooming would last for what at times seemed like days, and would be a constant in the delays in the show. Today, that is almost non-existent in the quick show that the new AMA Flat Track runs. Practice and qualifying took up a large part of the program in the old days-which was great for the competitors (in the seat time earned for an event trying to get the right set-up) but was a long, drawn out affair that now is whittled down to four 4-laps sessions that make the rider work for his place in the starting field, but much more timely in terms of the length of the day.

You can see the amount of fans on-hand for this classic event. Similar in numbers attendance-wise at what you see at the Springfield Mile and Lima Half-Mile today, typical and long-standing events in the series that have held and kept high attendance numbers. And in terms of today, new events held in Prescott Valley drew 'sold-out' numbers. Many other events held recently are also starting to show signs of good-to-great attendance levels, which is good for you, me AND the people that put on the show. Without, you don't have a show. And trying to keep those new AND old fans coming back is tantamount to growth, obviously, in the sport, but as well as getting the promoters of those events to not only re-up, but possibly sign-on to help promote OTHER possible events to add to the calendar.

Competition from different manufacturers was pretty constant in those days as well. Yes, Triumph was slowly going away, but still won a number of events on the TT courses up until the early-mid '80s even. Yes, the Yamaha parallel twin was on losing ground to the ever-conquering XR, but Yamaha shortly thereafter set it's precedent in the sport with it's release of the 500TT single-cylinder model, which went on to win numerous races in the series. Kawasaki at least had a presence until the end of the '75 season with Erv Kanemoto's H2-based triple two-strokes. No, they never won an AMA Grand National, but you always knew there was THAT chance whenever they showed up, especially at a mile event. Norton had all but gone away, too, but a man by the name of Ron Wood and a terrific rider by the name of Alex Jorgenson campaigned one into the early '80s, and regularly made races, and even won one or two along the journey.

Today's competition amongst manufacturers is probably better then it's ever been in the series, whether in the Twins or the Singles class. There are eight manufacturers that are represented by twelve models that are homologated to run the Twins class, and something like fourty-some models from numerous manufacturers homologated to run the Singles class. Sponsorship and television are the other areas that also seem to be helping to shine some light back on AMA Flat Track, and looking to improve in the year, or years to come.

There is still more work to do, but in terms of the sport overall, AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series Racing is definitely on the upswing. And we can thank the vision of AMA Flat Track Manager Mike Kidd and Team AMA Flat Track for helping to turn it around, and putting on a great show for the fans, let alone the competitors. After having gone to these things for 37 years now, I can firmly say this isn't your father's AMA Flat Track, and that is a very good thing.

I'll say it again, if you haven't seen the new and improved AMA Flat Track lately, you owe it to yourself, and a few of your friends, to go see at least one in 2011. You WON'T be disappointed, and if you are like me, you won't be able to wait to get back to another!
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In continuing to help bring you the best of the best in AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series Racing, we have part two of Road Racer X.com's Mark Gardiner's Backmarker interview with AMA Flat Track Manager and 1981 AMA Grand National Champion Mike Kidd. Mark made it out to Prescott Valley for the season ender and then further followed up with MK on the current state of AMA Flat Track. Last week we had part one, which we have also linked to below for those of you who haven't read it yet (or like me, want to read it again!)

Mark did a great job of talking with MK about what is (and hopefully what will be) happening in the great sport of AMA Flat Track. This is a very good read, even for casual fans, and if you are of the hard-core variety such as myself, it's a MUST READ!

Check it out, and thanks to Mark Gardiner and Mike Kidd for this insightful look at the best show on wheels in racing:

http://www.roadracerx.com/features/backmarker/backmarker-why-flat-track-aint-flat-lining%e2%80%94part-2-of-our-season-ending-interview-with-gnc-honcho-mike-kidd/
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This is part one of Mark Gardiner's great interview with AMA Flat Track Manager Mike Kidd from last week. Take it for a spin:

http://stusshots.blogspot.com/2010/11/ama-flat-track-mike-kidd-talks-about.html
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AMA Flat Track Rundown to The Arizona Mile: From Being The Show to Running the Show-Saluting Mike Kidd, Steve Morehead & Team AMA Flat Track

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Gary Scott #1 works the cushion outside while Mike Kidd #72 runs it low coming out of turn four at Louisville in the fall of 1976 during heat race action for the ABC Race of Champions year end finale. Bringing up the rear is the late Steve Eklund on the #74Z. All are Harley-Davidson XR750 mounted, back when the XR had taken hold and got a grip on being the winningest machine in AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship racing.
These three men all share a couple of major traits among themselves--besides being some of the best former greats of our sport. They all won the AMA Grand National Championship in the days when flat track and road racing were combined, and for the most part they all did it based solely on their results on the dirt. Of course in those days, there were only a handful of road races on the calendar, but nonetheless when your competition is comprised of people like Kenny Roberts, Skip Askland and the late Randy Cleek you needed to score in all disciplines in order to be in contention for the big #1 plate and trophy. If my memory is correct, only Scott scored any useful points in some select events on road race equipment. They are also enshrined in the AMA Hall of Fame, and were also members of the inaugural AMA Flat Track Hall of Fame that was set up by Dave Despain at the Springfield Mile in late summer of 1998.
Gary won his AMA Grand National Championship in 1975 riding for the Harley factory and with Master Tuner Bill Werner turning the wrenches for the #1 plate. After falling out with H-D and dirt track manager Dick O'Brien, he went on to form his own team using XRs, Yamaha two and four stroke singles for his short track and TT program, and then Triumph 650-based TT machines that absolutely ruled the TT tracks for several years straight. And an occasional ride on a Yamaha TZ750 road racer thrown into the mix. Oh, and he won the '72 Rookie of Year title beating out Kenny Roberts and Mike Kidd in the process, a pretty deep rookie class.
Eklund, who would win the '76 AMA Rookie of Year in AMA Flat Track, would go on to win the '79 AMA Grand National Championship with the Zanotti Racing team (Mario, the father put it all together with Eklund in '79 and Dave, the son is the man with the plan this year for #5 Jake Johnson, and the current points leader going into the final round in Arizona this Saturday.) He was also the first privateer to win the GNC since Dick Mann had won his first of two GNCs in 1963. Unfortunately, Steve was seriously injured at the Albuquerque Mile in June of '90 and succumbed to his injuries some 15 months later.
And then there is the current AMA Flat Track Manager, the '81 AMA Grand National Champion, and one of the men in this sport that has raced for several former factory teams back in the day when factory involvement in AMA Flat Track was a must for the major manufacturers. That man is Mike Kidd, who is the man that was the first notable racer to bring major outside the industry sponsorship to the table in AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship competition. Of course, Gene Romero and Gary Scott at one time or another in the mid-late '70s had been sponsored by Evel Knievel, but Mike Kidd brought the U.S. Army to the program in the late '70s, opening a door for sports-related sponsorship for a branch of the U.S. Military that still exists today with big money in NasCrash and NHRA. Kidd also rode for Triumph, H-D and Honda throughout his career and was part of the original program with Team Honda in the early '80s before hanging up his steel shoe at the end of the '83 season. He now mantles the helm of the AMA Pro Flat Track team and has helped turn the sport around in terms of popularity, action and timeliness and helping to promote AMA Flat Track and the entertainment value of the sport to the paying customers.

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AMA Flat Track Manager Mike Kidd takes a break during a break in the practice sessions at the AMA Pro Flat Track K&N Filters presented by Motorcycle Superstore.com Grand National Championship round at the Springfield Short Track on Saturday, September 4, 2010. Here MK is seen talking with The Rider Files.com's one and only Larry Lawrence, and another man who has helped to bring AMA Flat Track to the masses when he was covering the scene for the now-defunct print version of Cycle News. Larry was kind enough to let me tag along to some races this year and not only was it a blast hanging with the Sultan of Shots but getting back to more of the AMA Flat Track scene was the best thing that has happened to me in years. I had a blast and can't wait for the 2011 season of The Rolling Thunder Show.
Mike has helped put together a team consisting of Master Track Prep and former AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship competitor, Steve Morehead, Dave and Kathy Hoenig, Scotty Duebler, Rick Dorfmeyer and numerous others who work in the front and back lines at every AMA Flat Track event and make things happen at these super events. The AMA Pro Flat Track Team has worked together to not only speed up the program, milk the entertainment value of the sport, and put on a show that is like NO other in any type of two OR four wheel racing. Bar none!

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Steve Morehead runs the cushion on his #42 XR750 during action at the Louisville Downs Half Mile ABC Race of Champions in the fall of 1975. Having competed mostly on Triumphs during the '74-'75 AMA Grand National Championship seasons, The Findlay Flyer was forced to hop on a H-D XR for the tv show-themed championship and support race (and I don't remember the particulars from then, but the entire ROC field was comprised of XRs.)

Steve competed in the AMA Flat Track Series for 26 seasons, winning 23 Nationals along the way, including his home track in Lima, OH. He also finished his career with 17 top ten finishes in the AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship Series and was sponsored throughout his career by F&S Racing and KK Motorcycle Supply, two of the biggest names in AMA Flat Track Racing.

The consumate professional, Morehead is a master at grooming tracks for a great racing surface and now heads up the AMA Flat Track prep crew and associates who get the venues ready for the racers. It's been said that even Mike Kidd will hop on the grader every once in awhile to help get the tracks ready to roll on.

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Steve Morehead, AMA Flat Track Operations Manager, talks with Bryan Smith #42 and Brandan Bergen #26 just after the final qualifying session at Lima back in June of 2010. Bergen was questioning the track surface and Steve was trying to explain to him that the rest of the competitors had to and were dealing with the varying surface around the half mile pea gravel track.

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With less then 96 hours before the final green flag of the season in the AMA Pro Flat Track Series, Stu's Shots is starting it's rundown to the final checkers on the 2010 season finale at the Yavapai Downs track in Prescott Valley, AZ. The Budweiser Racing Arizona Mile kicks off on Saturday, October 9, and first practice action starts at 1:00 P.M. EDT.

The AMA Pro Flat Track K&N Filters presented by Motorcycle Superstore.com Grand National Championship season is about to wind down with the 16th round in Prescott Valley, and the racing will obviously be on the track itself (and maybe some in the pits to race against the clock to get ready to roll.) And as the week progresses, we will preview the four men who are still

mathematicallyin the hunt to take it all on Saturday: points leader Jake Johnson, second place man Joe Kopp, third in the standings Jared Mees, and the fourth man in the circle, Henry Wiles.

But to make the wheels roll, literally and figuratively, you have to have a team of people put together that works well together and is efficient. AMA Flat Track has that team now, headed up by former '81 AMA Grand National Champion Mike Kidd, and former AMA Flat Track competitor Steve Morehead. These two men oversee the operations and daily work needed to make The Rolling Thunder Show work, and have both led their team and AMA Flat Track in the Great Turn Around in the sport.

Slowly but surely the AMA Flat Track Team has helped speed up the program, bring the entertainment value into the sport, and make for a more lean and mean program that is starting to put butts back in the seats again. Working with more promoters to help keep those butts in the seat-ala IMDA in the way they run all of the series' races in Illinois. Not to mention putting on the best show on wheels anywhere.

Yes, they still have some issues to work out in terms of dealing with track and promoter cancelations for the series-the schedule did lose four rounds to cancelation this year, and suffered the rain-out cancellation at Knoxville as well. It's hard to deal with Mother Nature....

And many say that with the new rules package, making some 12 different brands and/or models available in the Grand National Championship and putting restrictors on the XR's, even though they are the only purpose-built mounts in the series, is not the way to go. And I am sure there are some afficionados of the sport that see other things that need to be worked out to make it better and more efficient.

But what I saw this year in the only five events I was fortunate to be a part of in person, and also hearing straight from some of the racers and crew about some of the other events, was a much better show overall than what the AMA had been bringing to the table for years, and possibly decades. This has been a gradual swing to bring the greatest sport on wheels back to the top, and in terms of how the show used to drag and delay, what I witnessed was a night and day difference in efficiency and great, close racing. Not to mention the multi-brand racing is like no other year I have seen in the 37 seasons I have been following the series.

That being said, I hope we see Mike Kidd and Steve Morehead running this great show in this great sport of ours for many years to come, and honing the finely tuned machine that is the AMA Pro Flat Track Team. The members of their team have helped to make it work, and work well for what they have attained up to this point.

Like the Oldsmobile television commercial from back in the late '70s/early '80s used to say.....'This isn't your father's AMA Flat Track anymore.' And thank the man upstairs for that. Amen!

Enjoy the links below on the two men in charge of the AMA Pro Flat Track team, and check back throughout the week and look in on the countdown to the Prescott Valley Mile on Saturday. It's almost time to go racing and we're ready to go WFO with AMA Flat Track and The Rolling Thunder Show.

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Mike Kidd's page at the AMA Hall of Fame:

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=100&lpos=0px&letter=K&txtFname=&rblFname=S&txtLname=&rblLname=S&discipline=0

Steve Morehead's page at the AMA Hall of Fame:

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=321&lpos=-1640px&letter=M&txtFname=&rblFname=S&txtLname=&rblLname=S&discipline=0

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AMA Flat Track's Mike Kidd Tells Double L at The Rider Files.com That the Grand National Championship Will be Combined for 2010!!!

Some of the best news to hit the world of flat track racing in some time was released yesterday to Larry Lawrence over at http://www.theriderfiles.com/. Mike Kidd, the AMA Director of Flat Track Racing, and the former '81 AMA Flat Track Grand National Champion, announced that beginning this season that the Grand National Championship will be combined again for the 2010 season and beyond.

For what has been viewed as breaking from tradition with the split championships for the twins and the singles class, this will bring the whole championship scene back into play as it was originally designed--minus the road racing of course--for the first time since the '05 season. This is great news for not only the long time fans but for the new fans that are trickling into the sport. Bringing the championship together again is another great step that the AMA has taken in trying to gain more people in the seats, more rider and brand identification and more overall support of the series itself. The fact that they added a few more races to the schedule in itself is huge to the throngs of flat track fans, and we can only say 'bravo' for the effort involved by Mike and all of his staff out of Pickerington, OH. Unlike what has been happening with AMA Road Racing, the people in charge with AMA Flat Track put a man in charge with his eye on the road and his ability to run a solid show and also put fans in the seats. With Mike at the helm since the start of the '09 season, AMA Flat Track has seen some slow, BUT marked improvement within the series. His background in promotional efforts and running a solid series go back decades and that ability is now starting to shine in what he is helping to bring back to the flat track series that he was the overall champion in back in 1981.

Thanks to not only Mike and the AMA for making this move, and thanks to Larry Lawrence at http://www.theriderfiles.com/ for being on the cutting edge with this news release. You can check out Lare's super site as well as the 'unofficial'--you'll see why I say that--right here:

http://www.theriderfiles.com/?p=2861

To help celebrate this super news--or I should say at least what I consider super news for flat track--I dug into the archives vault of Stu's Shots to better signify what type of racing we have involved here in the four different forms of racing that make up AMA Flat Track. I picked an action shot each from half-mile, TT, short track and mile racing to showcase this super series that if you haven't seen live yet for yourself, well, you better get ready to check out the greatest form of motorsports there is. You'll have 21 chances this year, and just to refresh and put it out there, here is the updated schedule for the '10 season that kicks off in less then four weeks in Daytona:

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2010 Confirmed Events

March 3 DAYTONA® Flat Track (Daytona Beach, Florida) Short Track
March 4 DAYTONA® Flat Track (Daytona Beach, Florida) Short Track
May 1 Yavapai Downs (Prescott, Arizona) Mile
May 29 Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield, Illinois) TT
May 30 Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield, Illinois) Mile
June 5 Gas City I-69 Speedway (Gas City, Indiana) Short Track
June 19 The Red Mile (Lexington, Kentucky) Mile
June 26 Allen County Fairgrounds (Lima, Ohio) Half-Mile
July 10 I-96 Speedway (Lake Odessa, Michigan) Half-Mile
July 25 Castle Rock Fairgrounds (Castle Rock, Washington) TT
July 31 Calistoga Fairgrounds (Calistoga, California) Half-Mile
August 7 Hagerstown Speedway (Hagerstown, Maryland) Half-Mile
August 14 Beulah Park (Grove City, Ohio) Mile
August 22 Peoria Race Park (Peoria, Illinois) TT
August 28 Indiana State Fairgrounds (Indianapolis, Indiana) Mile
September 4 Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield, Illinois) Short Track
September 5 Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield, Illinois) Mile
September 11 Canterbury Park (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Mile
September 18 Knoxville Speedway (Knoxville, IA) Half-Mile
October 9 Yavapai Downs (Prescott, Arizona) Short Track
October 10 Yavapai Downs (Prescott, Arizona) Mile

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Since Mike Kidd has been one of the racers who I have followed since I got hooked on this flat track thing back in the summer of '74, and since he is in charge of the Starship Flat Track, I started off this wonderful post with a shot of Mike taking the checkered flag for a spin after he won the Terre Haute Half Mile back in August of '75 on his Kruger Racing-sponsored XR750.

Next up is a race location that was a one-and-done deal at the Pontiac Silverdome back in the summer of '76. They ran a double header that weekend of TT and short track racing--ala the Houston Astrodome events that were so strongly attended by fans and racers alike in the late '60s to mid '70s. Unfortunately Pontiac didn't pack 'em in the stands so, thusly, the one-and-done. However, the AMA Grand National regulars put on one heck of a show for those of us that did attend, as we see from some TT action over the infield jump involving future 3-Time Champ #25 Jay Springsteen, #1 Gary Scott and also the '75 Grand National Champion, and #29, the late Randy Cleek. Springer was on his tried and true 300 lb. XR while Scott and Cleek opted for the then-just released TT500 Yamaha singles that were soon to take over the class. And were at least 80-90 lbs. lighter then the XR's. No more wrestling a 300 lb. beast over those TT jumps for too much longer after this. That HAD to be a good thing!

I stuck the center shot in just because of the relevance and history that the men pictured have had on AMA Flat Track racing, from the early-mid '70s to the present. This shot was taken at the Inaugural AMA Flat Track Hall of Fame Race at Sprinfield over Labor Day Weekend in 1998. For the history lesson on this one, let's start with 19 AMA Grand National Championships, over 215 AMA Grand National Championship race wins, and over 100 years of AMA Flat Track racing experience in the lot, to boot. And that doesn't even count what Dave Despain, the man who organized this event, who hosted it and announced it--as he had done for years up to this point--let alone the man's enthusiasm about flat track racing.

Okay, in case you aren't sure here's a rundown on who's who in this shot and some of their accomplishments. From left the all-time winner of races and championships--over 90 race wins and 9 Grand National Championships. Number 1 in this shot and in the sport as a whole, Scotty Parker. Then you have Jay 'Springer' Springsteen, National #9 and 3-time former champ, with over 40 race wins. Speaking with Jay and partially obscured is former National #42, with 23 Grand National wins over the course of a 26 year professional racing career. And then you have Mr. Chris Carr, now the fastest man on two wheels in the world thanks to his run at Bonneville last fall to bring the crown back to the States with a run of over 367 mph! National #4, with 7 Grand National Championships, an F-USA Flat Track Championship, 7 600 Series Flat Track Championships, and over 70 Grand National Championship race wins. And he will be going in to his 26th year of professional flat track racing this upcoming year. Quite a roster of talent, eh?!

And don't forget the man who has stood for, spoken out for, and raved about the level of racing even now as he works for the folks at http://www.speedtv.com/. Dave Despain--in the white hat, blue and white shirt with the microphone at hand--has been and probably still is the official and unofficial rep and spokesperson for flat track even as he now largely covers the four wheel stuff for the folks at Speed. Dave Despain was the man who put together the Hall of Fame races at Springfield and who got the riders big money for those race purses.

We then see a shot of the field as they dive into turn one at Springfield during the Labor Day weekend running of this classic in '06. In no particular order you have #31 and soon to be when this shot was taken 3-Time Grand National Champion Kenny Coolbeth, #4 Chris Carr, #80 Rich King, #14 and the only Suzuki in this shot, Jake Johnson, #3 and 2000 Grand National Champion Joe Kopp, #28 Shaun Russell, and #42 Bryan Smith.

Last but not least we take another trip to those glory days of yesteryear with a shot of some short track action at the old Sante Fe Raceway in Hinsdale, IL., back in the summer of '75. Steve Morehead on the #42 leads '70 GN Champ Gene Romero on the #3 Yamaha DT360-based C&J Framed and sponsored entry, followed by #62 and Harley Sprint 250-based and mounted Corky Keener. Bringing up the rear is The King, Kenneth Lee Roberts, the '73-'74 GN Champ, on the #1 Yamaha DT360-based factory mount. This was taken during practice for the evening's event.

So, with some great news, a little history and a trip or two down memory lane, we close out this evening's post with a tip of the helmet and hearty thanks to Mike Kidd and the folks at AMA Flat Track, a thanks to racers and champions all for bringing us this wonderful sport of flat tracking, and an even bigger thanks to you for taking the time to come by and hang with us here at Stu's Shots. We hope you have enjoyed the trip and look forward to seeing you again soon. Have a great weekend!

Hot Diggitty Dog! Folks, We Now Have an AMA Flat Track Schedule for the 2010 Season...

Thanks to a posting from the great folks at http://www.flattrack.com/ we have learned in the last

couple of days that the AMA has released a schedule for the '10 season for the flat track

series. Below is a cut and paste from that schedule as was obtained from that post.

Tracks returning are Peoria, Lima, Indy, Springfield-spring and end of summer events-and

of course kicking off the season at Daytona. This of course comes as great news for fans

and competitors alike, as the flat track series is some of, if not THE BEST racing going bar

none, and showcases some of the most exciting racing, let alone personalities in the sport.

For a sport that has been around in more or less it's current form for over 55 years is a

testament to the level of competition, thrills, and down right adrenaline that will encompass

you when you take it all in. And not too mention what the riders go through.....

While you are planning your calendar for the coming season, and doing some bench racing

to get you through the long winter--especially here in the midwest--you can also check out the

shots I have thrown in for this post tonight to celebrate the upcoming year of competition for

the greatest racing on two wheels--or any, for that matter. And for the record, I'll see you at

Peoria, Springfield, Lima, Indy--that's a no brainer since it's less then 10 miles--and Gas City.

It's gonna be a fun year! Can't wait to go racin' again!

Starting off at the top is a shot of one of Ricky Graham's old RS750 Honda mounts that he ran

for Johnny Goad and USC Racing in the mid '90s. I didn't find out who, but someone had this on

display in the vendor's area of the Inaugaral Springfield Hall of Fame Race back in '98 over the Labor Day weekend. Sweet piece, and I have been a BIG Ricky Graham fan since I saw him win

his first national at Indy back in the summer of '80. RIP RG! You are missed....

I then tossed in a shot of various riders during practice for the June 2006 Lima, Ohio half mile.

This shot says it all for the different and varying lines available at the great pee gravel-based

track. And the folks that run this race do it right. As I have mentioned before, if you can get to

Lima the last w/e in June, you won't be dissapointed. Super racing and great little facility.

Next we have Chris 'Air' Carr flying off the jump at Peoria on his #1 Wood Rotax in August of 2000 during one of his many marathon run-from-the-field romps he put in at the home of the

natural amphi-theater track. Another great place to see some action, and the IMDA is the best

at putting on great events.

We then have a shot of Carr, again, but this time on the #4 Kenny Tolbert-tuned H-D XR750

leading a pack of riders into turn 1 at Springfield during the Labor Day running of this great

race in '01. Keeping in touch are #23 Kevin 'Cupcake' Atherton, #26 Steve Beattie, the great

Jay Springsteen, former 3-Time Grand National Champion on the Bartels #9, and #67 Mike

Hacker. I'm a big fan of mile racing, at it doesn't get any better then Springfield. You can

almost always get a seat, but you won't get to use it much as the 140mph action will keep you

on your toes all afternoon.

Last but not least we have a shot that has been a favorite of mine for quite a few years now.

I took this one at Louisville--back in the good ole days when you didn't have to put up with

the b.s. antics of the too-rowdy crowds. This was in June of '75 during the practice sessions

for that night's half mile national. This is coming off the back stretch and into turn 3 with

Corky Keener #62, Randy Scott #50, and '75 Grand National Champ Gary Scott on the

Bill Werner-tuned XR-750 #64. This shot pretty much says it all for style and grace for

running a half mile, and these guys had it nailed on this one. I just felt lucky to be there to

get it and see it. Stuff like this drew me in on flat track and I have been craving it ever

since. Great stuff!

Thanks again for coming by and checking us out, thanks to Wayne Hosaka and his folks

over at http://www.flattrack.com/ for the post and their tireless efforts to seek and keep the truth

and faith in flat track, and thanks to the Good Lord above for allowing us to be able to take in

this great sport of flat track racing. Take care and please come back and see us again!

2010 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Schedule

-- Confirmed Events --

1)March 3 DAYTONA® Flat Track (Daytona Beach, Florida) TT

2)March 4 DAYTONA® Flat Track (Daytona Beach, Florida) Short Track

3)May 1 Yavapai Downs (Prescott, Arizona) Mile

4)May 29 Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield, Illinois) TT

5)May 30 Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield, Illinois) Mile

6)June 5 Gas City I-69 Speedway (Gas City, Indiana) Short Track

7)June 19 The Red Mile (Lexington, Kentucky) Mile

8)June 26 Allen County Fairgrounds (Lima, Ohio) Half-Mile

9)July 10 I-96 Speedway (Lake Odessa, Michigan) Half-Mile

10)July 31 Calistoga Fairgrounds (Calistoga, California) Half-Mile

11)August 7 Hagerstown Speedway (Hagerstown, Maryland) Half-Mile

12)August 14 Beulah Park (Grove City, Ohio) Mile

13)August 22 Peoria Race Park (Peoria, Illinois) TT

14)August 28 Indiana State Fairgrounds (Indianapolis, Indiana) Mile

15)September 4 Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield, Illinois) Short Track

16)September 5 Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield, Illinois) Mile

17)September 11 Canterbury Park (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Mile

18)October 9 Yavapai Downs (Prescott, Arizona) Short Track

19)October 10 Yavapai Downs (Prescott, Arizona) Mile

Additional dates are expected to be added.

3-TT's4-Short Track's

4-Half-Mile's

8-Mile's

We Continue Our Salute to Mike Kidd and Gene Romero as Pomona is Almost Here....

As the season ending race at Pomona for the AMA Flat Track series is less then

44 hours away, we wanted to take the time to salute the other head of racing tonight.

The other night, we saluted Gene Romero, former GNC and now head of the West

Coast Flat Track Series (www.wcfts.com) and some of his past accomplishments over

the years.

Tonight, we tip the proverbial helmet to Mike Kidd, '81 AMA Grand National Champion,

former National #7--and 72 before he won the championship--and the man who is currently

heading up the AMA/DMG run Flat Track Series. Having been around the racing and

promoting scenes for over 4 decades now, Mike has some great insight as to how to run

a professional race series, how to promote it, keep the fans AND racers happy, and

how to be able to do so and make money at the same time. Thankfully the folks at

DMG decided to give the helm to Mike in running things in this series, as he has more then

proved he can run and promote a series with the utmost of success and respect. We're only

one full season in on this deal and so far Mike is hanging in there. I think that is a good sign

in that they are letting him do what needs to be done to get things organized and lined

out to be able to build the product of flat track racing. And to hopefully bring some new blood

in and try to get more fans back at the races in the process. And of course as we all know with

the current state of the economy, people have a lot fewer dollars around for racing or

entertainment in general so it IS a monumental task. But enough of that.

When I first started getting into this flat track thing in early '74, Mike had already ridden

for the Triumph Factory team, and was out injured the mid part of the year. It was in

the summer of '75 when I started noticing he was 'back' and was obviously healthy and

winning races again. Some of the shots above are of one of his race wins at Terre Haute

in August '75. He got hurt there in '77 and broke his wrist if I remember right, and 6 days

later we ran into him at an old Linder's Ice Cream store on the west side of Indy and he was

on his way to the mile about 8 miles down the road--ready to race. Oh, and he won....the night

race and if I remember correctly, that was the 2nd year of the Indy Mile Doubleheader

Nationals, and he came in close to the top on Sunday afternoon as well. Several years

later while running his own team with Army sponsorship, which at the time was a major

godsend in having a sponsor like that in flat track in itself, he won the '81 Championship.

Going on to ride for Team Honda when they came out with the original twin, CX500-based

NS750, he was one of the original riders that helped to develop Team Honda into a non-stop

powerhouse that re-wrote the books on kickin' a.. and taking names in dirt track racing through

the '80s and really ending several years after with Ricky Graham's last championship in '93 on

a Johnny Goad-prepped privateer RS750.

After retiring from riding, Mike got involved big time with the ArenaCross program, built it,

sold it, promoted it, and turned it into one of the best run AND attended motorsports racing

of ANY kind. Then he sold it off to Clear Channel, and went to work for them as a consultant

and promoted them further. The man KNOWS the game! And if he can help to do SOME of

the same for our beloved sport of flat track, we all have a chance. This will be a pivotal w/e

at Pomona with Mike overseeing the AMA-side of things and Gene Romero overseeing the

WCFTS-side of things. These two guys individually exude class, respect, and the ability to

know how to have a good time and put on a great show. It should be fun!

Here is the link to my previous post earlier in the week with my salute to Gene, where I

posted all the links you should need to be able to keep up with the races at Pomona on

Saturday afternoon and evening:

http://stusshots.blogspot.com/2009/10/ama-flat-track-goes-to-pomona-to-close.html

Here are a few links of some info about Mike Kidd, as well, including his
AMA Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame page, as well as his bio and basic background from

the AMA as well:

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/hofbiopage.asp?id=100

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/classics/bike.asp?id=32

http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/PersonDetail.aspx?PersonID=2539723

And this is the official link from the California Bike Week folks on all of the festivities:

http://californiabikeweek.com/cbw09/2009/10/10/ama-pro-grand-national-flat-track-series-still-happening/

The shots above I threw in tonight to celebrate Mike's great racing past are mostly from

the Terre Haute August '75 race he won.

First off is a shot of Mike in action between 1-2, taking the checkered flag for the National

win, one of him 'throwing it down' on the cases going into 1, and a shot of him leading the late,

great Rex Beauchamp #31 as they come into 1 during the National.

The last shot is from the Louisville early summer race in '76. Mike's running it up the inside

of Gary Scott on the #1 K & K-sponsored bike and bringing up the rear is rookie of the year

and future '79 Grand National Champion Steve Eklund on the #74z bike. I'm pretty sure this

was a heat race shot.

Enjoy the shots, enjoy the read, and if you get a chance to follow the races from here this w/e,

enjoy! And if you make the trip and want to fill us in, we're all ears! Take care.

A Tip of the Hat to TriumphFlatTrack.com!

http://www.triumphflattrack.com/2009/08/1983-peoria-tt-final-gnc-main-for.html

Thanks go out to the super TriumphFlatTrack.com website for the nod and picture post theyput on their site the other day.

They had e-mailed me about a week and a half ago about some shots I had of 1975 Grand National Champion Gary Scott's Triumph that I had taken at Springfield during the inaugaral HOF race. The bike was in the vendor display area, as they had some displays that w/e ofpast flat track bikes. Gary's always interested me in that he won the Castle Rock TT five years in a row on a bike that was very similar, if not the bike itself. Sweet looking piece in the middle of the above link and I have added another here of it as well.

Take the time to check out their website--it's way cool!!

http://www.triumphflattrack.com/