AMA Pro Racing Announces Signing of Thom Duma Fine Jewelers as Official Jeweler of AMA Pro Flat Track for 2014 Season

As was announced today in Daytona Beach, AMA Pro Racing is stepping up their efforts to bring more sponsorship to AMA Pro Flat Track by signing Warren, Ohio's Thom Duma Fine Jewelers as the official jeweler of the 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship. The signing will see the 2014 AMA Grand National Champion earn a Rolex Daytona Cosmograph watch for his/her efforts in winning the overall championship at the end of the 16-race season.

With a lack of a title sponsor for the 2013 season, this effort in bringing in it's first top line quality sponsor for the upcoming season can only be viewed as a major plus for The Rolling Thunder Show, and shows the efforts that are being put forth by the folks on Fentress Blvd. in Daytona are going all out to try and help turn the state of the sport in terms of sponsorship dollars around for the new year.

With just 29 days left until the season kicks off in Daytona Beach on March 13-14, it's great to see that the powers that be in Florida are still working hard to try and bring in more sponsorship to the greatest racing show in the world on two wheels, and we applaud them for making this happen!

In the shot above, heat race action roars off the line in heat race #1 in round 12 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the Springfield Short Track. Jake Mataya on the #29 Donahue Sports Center Kawasaki KX450F, Cory Texter on his #65 Engelhart R&T Honda CRF450R, Rob Pearson on the #27 Memphis Shades Yamaha YZ450F, JD Beach on the #95 Burnett Farms Kawasaki, Brandon Robinson on the #44 Action Motorsports Honda and Jake Johnson on the #1 Zanotti Racing Honda roar off the line in what was the last National event at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Multipurpose Arena on September 15, 2012.

A big tip of the helmet to AMA Pro Racing for today's announcement as we all get ready for this longggggggggggggg, coldddddddddddddddddd winter to get over with in the Midwest and get ready for the action to hit the track and the wheels to start spinning again in The Rolling Thunder Show come next month. You can check out the full press release below from AMA Pro Racing as we work on getting the cold out and moving the racing forward in the next few weeks!

Thom Duma Fine Jewelers Named Official Jeweler of AMA Pro Flat Track

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 12, 2014) - AMA Pro Racing and Thom Duma Fine Jewelers announced today an exclusive agreement naming the jewelry store as the official jeweler of AMA Pro Flat Track for the 2014 season. Thom Duma Fine Jewelers, which is located in Warren, Ohio and has been in operation for more than a century, will award the 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Champion a Rolex Daytona Cosmograph valued at over $10,000.

 

"Thom Duma Fine Jewelers has developed a great reputation for cutting-edge jewelry, and we are very excited to have them as a partner," said Michael Gentry, Chief Operating Officer of AMA Pro Racing. "Several of our riders have longstanding, quality relationships with Thom Duma Fine Jewelers. This new award for the Grand National Champion demonstrates that the company shares our desire to give back to the paddock."

 

Tommy Duma's inspiration to become the official jeweler of AMA Pro Flat Track came from his days competing in the Grand National Championship from 1976-1981. Duma sported two national numbers throughout his career - No. 62 and No. 26 - and although he is over 30 years removed from competing in the series, he has not lost any love for the sport.

 

Brad Baker on the #12 Specialty Fabrication Inc. Honda CRF450R leads eventual winner Mikey Rush on the #54 Machete Energy Honda early in round 1 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the Daytona Short Track I event. AMA Pro Racing today announced the signing of Thom Duma Fine Jewelers as the official jeweler of the 2014 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship, which will see the 2014 AMA Grand National Champion outfitted with a $10K Rolex Daytona Cosmograph watch for his/her efforts. Photo courtesy of AMA Pro Flat Track by Dave Hoenig.

 

 

 

"I'm aware that several of these riders are at an age where they are thinking about getting engaged and I would like to use this opportunity to establish new relationships with them and maintain the solid relationships that I already have with multiple riders in the series," said Duma. "Just last year, Jared Mees bought his engagement ring and wedding band from me. Henry Wiles also purchased his wedding ring from Thom Duma Fine Jewelers a while back. Being a former competitor in the series, I would like to use this opportunity to give back to the sport that I've grown so fond of."

 

Duma's love for flat track racing is what inspired him to create a custom jewelry line specifically catered to the flat track community. The line, called Racer Series, contains customized number plates and checkered flag pendants, steel shoe pendants, Pandora style beads for bracelets and much more.

 

Next up: DAYTONA Flat Track will once again play host to the AMA Pro Flat Track season opener on March 13-14, 2014 as the series kicks off the 2014 season with a doubleheader on the quarter-mile lime rock track located outside Daytona International Speedway's west banking. For tickets and information, please visit http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.

 

About Thom Duma Fine Jewelers: Thom Duma Jewelers, a family owned and operated jewelry store located in Warren, Ohio has thrived on building relationships within its community and celebrating trust with its customers. As a former racer and current partner of the GNC family, TDFJ CEO Tommy Duma has a special place in his heart for the sport of motorcycle racing, & tries at 'every turn' to give back to the sport. Check them out online at tdfj.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

AMA Pro Flat Track Reviews the Season-Opening Rounds from the Daytona Short Track

Heat race action rolls off the line at round 12 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the Springfield Short Track on September 15 as the front row blasts off the line, with what appears to be an even advantage for the six riders leading the pack, for the start of what was the final National main event at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Multipurpose Arena.

(L-R) Jake Mataya on the #29 Donahue Sports Center Kawasaki KX450F, Cory Texter on the #65 RLT Racing Honda CRF450R, Rob Pearson on the #27 Memphis Shades Yamaha YZ450F, JD Beach on the #95 USC Racing Kawasaki, Brandon Robinson on the #44 Big Dawg Racing Honda, and 2-Time AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson on the #1 Zanotti Racing Honda go at it to start the evening's Expert Singles program off with a roar.

Last week the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship kicked-off the new season in fine fashion, with one new winner in the series (Brandon Robinson #44 along with his new-for-2013 team the T.J. Burnett Farms Kawasaki) and one returning winner (Mikey Rush #54 on his Machete Energy Drink Honda.)  Rush, who won his first National at the old Daytona Memorial Stadium track in 2007, led off the season with his second-ever win in the series by taking round 1 on Thursday, March 14.  Robinson, the former '08 Expert Twins Champion, followed up with his cherry-breaking win in the series on Friday, March 15 at round two.

Full results from rounds 1&2 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season can be found here.

Larry Lawrence was in the house covering the action for Cycle News, and you can read all about it here!

The official photographer for AMA Pro Flat Track, Dave Hoenig, took these shots from round 1.

And here are some round 2 shots, thanks again to Dave Hoenig and AMA Pro Flat Track.

The series now takes a two-month break before returning to action at the Stockton Half-Mile in May.

Thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track for the wrap-up press release below to keep you filled-in on what happened at Daytona last week!

Rush, Robinson Come Away with Victories in AMA Pro Grand National Championship Expert Singles Classes at Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 19, 2013) - Round one of AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles heated up on a chilly night on Thursday, March 14, 2013 at DAYTONA Flat Track. Defending Grand National Champion Jared Mees (Montgomeryville Cycle / National Cycle / Rogers Racing) got out front early in the main event only to surrender his lead to Brad Baker (Specialty Fabrication Inc. / Schenk Racing) on lap two.   Baker looked well on his way to his first GNC victory as he pulled out to nearly a one second lead. However, there was a melee of riders transpiring behind Baker that included a charging Mikey Rush (Machete Energy Drink / Cascio-Rush Racing). Rush, a winner at Daytona back in 2007, came from the back-end of the pack and systematically knifed his way up to a competitive position with the race hanging in the balance.  Rush passed Mees on lap eight for second place and began cutting into Baker's lead. The young Californian was able to make his move for the lead on lap 18 and made it work. "Brad made it extremely difficult for me tonight but I was lucky to make that pass late in the race and eventually stick it for the win," said Rush. "The feeling I have right now is incredible and I love competing against these guys."                             Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. #2, Henry Wiles #17 and Brad Baker #12 lead the field during action in the season-opening rounds of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship at the Daytona Short Track last week.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.     Baker tried in vain to counter attack. "About three quarters of the way through the race I felt someone coming up behind me. As rough as the track was I didn't dare look back," said Baker. "Mikey finally came by and it was there wasn't much I could do at that point."   Rush passed Baker on lap 18 and never looked back, claiming his first ever professional victory.  "I got hurt pretty bad at the Springfield Short Track last year," said Rush. "Now I'm on top of the box. I'm stoked. I was just trying to pick up the throttle way earlier than them. That's what it took to do it tonight. I just want to say that I love Daytona, this place is extremely special to me."   Final results 1-10: 1st - Mikey Rush, 2nd - Brad Baker, 3rd - Jared Mees, 4th - Henry Wiles, 5th - Brandon Robinson, 6th - Matt Weidman, 7th - Jake Johnson, 8th - Johnny Lewis, 9th - Stevie Bonsey, 10th - Jethro Halbert   AMA Pro Grand National Championship Expert Singles - Round 2   Day number two of AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles action was filled with intense racing action that included more surprises.  The start of the 25 lap AMA Pro Grand National Championship Expert Singles race saw Kenny Coolbeth Jr. shoot his Chaplin Kawasaki / Cometic Gasket backed Kawasaki into the lead over the 18 rider field.   Fellow Kawasaki pilot, Brandon Robinson, pushed his TJ Burnett Farms / USC Racing / Hart Racing Kawasaki to the front on lap two, wasting no time establishing himself as the man to beat. After 24 nearly perfect laps, Robinson earned his first Grand National victory.  "This is a dream come true," said Robinson, who overcame career threatening injuries in 2009 at the Indianapolis Mile. "Ever since I was a kid I've dreamed about winning a National. All the hard work I put in this winter paid off. The end of the race seemed to last forever. I saw the five-lap board and couldn't believe there was that much still to go."   Brad Baker (Specialty Fabrication Inc / Schenk Racing) was looking to improve on Thursdays night's second place finish and closed repeatedly on Robinson, but to no avail.  "Every time Brandon made a little mistake I'd gain on him," Baker said. "I thought I might have a chance to go for the lead at one point, but then with about five to go I made a mistake. If you make one slip here it takes five laps to make up for it. Even though I didn't get a win, it feels good to leave with the series lead."   Coolbeth held on to third for a long time, but Bryan Smith had his Crosley Radio / Howerton Racing backed Honda on the move. Smith had a good start, dropped to eighth, and then started a slow climb to the front, grabbing third on lap 14.  "I came up and made a lot of passes," Smith said. "The way people were riding; you could make up or lose four or five positions in one corner. Once I got in third I just could not seem to close the gap, but we'll take it."   When the double checkers came out, Robinson's lead had grown to over a second and was his largest lead of the night. "My entire team just worked extremely hard to make this happen for me and I can't be more thankful for their support," said Robinson.  "We got the setup as close to perfect as possible and everything went as smooth as we could have asked for all night. I got out front early in the main event, put in a hard 25 laps and it all paid off. My team and I have had an awesome week in general and it feels incredible to win here."   Though Baker finished in an impressive second place in Friday night's main event, a post-race protest by an opposing competitor led to a technical inspection of Baker's motorcycle. The inspection revealed that Baker's Honda had suspension parts that were in violation of AMA Pro Flat Track's guidelines. Though Baker retained his second place finish and money earned, he had to forfeit the 19 points granted to him for his effort.   This mistake on Baker's behalf leaves Robinson as the point leader after leaving the Sunshine State. Robinson holds a four point advantage over Rush with 2011 Grand National Champion Johnson just eleven off the lead.   Final results 1-10: 1st - Brandon Robinson, 2nd - Brad Baker, 3rd - Bryan Smith, 4th - Jake Johnson, 5th -Mikey Rush, 6th - Kenny Coolbeth Jr., 7th - Matt Weidman, 8th - Jethro Halbert, 9th - Robert Pearson, 10th - Jeffrey Carver Jr.

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

Jake Mataya Takes 2013 ICE Speedway Manufacturers Cup Championship in Grand Finale at Evansville's Ford Center

Jake Mataya on the #29 Kawasaki KX450F takes the outside line during heat race #3 at the ICE Speedway Championship Manufacturers Cup round at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington, IL. on January 21, 2012, and went on to win his heat and take the 3rd-place spot on the evening behind eventual winner Jared Mees and runner-up Kevin Anderson.  Holding firm on the inside line is Bryan McKenna on the #19 Honda CRF450R, with Mark Cheza #16 on his Honda just behind, with Brandan Bergen on the #26 Honda just behind Mataya.

With the mostly absent Mees not running the full schedule during the off-season after capturing the 2012 title, Mataya dominated the ICE Speedway Cup Series in 2013 and won the championship for the first time over runner-up Kirk Cheney by 32 points (330-298 total points) in the eight-race ICE Speedway Championship.

Last weekend's final event of the season, held in Evansville, Indiana's Ford Center, saw the 2013 title decided in front of a packed house for the 37th Annual World Championship ICE Racing Series.

You can check out the full press release below thanks to the great folks from the ICE Speedway Championship, and be sure to mark this one on your calendar for next winter, as the action is hot and heavy and well worth the price of admission!

2013World Championship ICE Racing Series
37TH ANNUAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ICE RACING SERIES GRAND FINALE FEBRUARY 23, 2013 THE FORD CENTER EVANSVILLE, INDIANA MATAYA & CROUCH TAKE HOME WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GOLD!! A packed house was on hand at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana to see the Grand Finale of the 37th Annual World Championship ICE Racing Series. You could cut the tension with a knife as everyone in the building knew there were two World Championships on the line. The racing was very exciting with plenty of thrills and spills to wow the fans. Cup Bike Heat Races started the night's action off. The first was a wild one that ended with contact and tempers heated. "Sideways" Sammy Wiggins-Coatesville, PA made the last lap pass as he dashed to the finish line over Shea Knuth-Bloomington, IL and Tom "Freight Train" McGrane-Gap, PA. Knuth took exception to the "Freight Train's" aggressive riding style and let his opinion be heard throughout the pits. Fortunately cooler heads prevailed. Other Round-1 Heat winners were "Fly'n" Brian McKenna-Boston, MA and Jake "The Snake" Mataya-Blaine, MN. Round-2 Heats were won by Wiggins; McKenna and "Captain" Kirk Cheney-Hastings, MI keeping his World Championship hopes alive. Both Cheney and Mataya had a win and a second in their Heats so there was no change in their 32 WC Point spread led by "The Snake". With 40 WC Points up for grabs to win the Main Event it was still wide open on who would be the 2013 Champion. Tom McGrane with 3rd and 4th place Heat finishes was now mathematically out of the WC Title Chase. Next up was the Bike LCQ to decide who would make up the back row starting positions of the Main Event. Hard charging Austin Greenland-Spring Mills, PA dominated this race start to finish followed by Jay "The Jackhammer" Maloney-Oakland,NJ; Tom McGrane and Darren Carter-Bloomington, IL all transferring on to the Main. Done for the night in respective order were Knuth; Kyle McGrane-Gap, PA; first timers on the ice Nick McFadden-Owensboro, KY & Greg Childers-Evansville, IN followed by Brittany Powell-Bloomington, IL who is improving every start she makes. The Main Event was now set and ready to go. All the marbles were on the line - the 2013 World Championship and the first ever Evansville Ice Racing Champion was about to be decided. Cheney shot out from the gate to take the early lead. He desperately needed to win for a chance at the Title. But on the second lap Greenland amazingly forced his way to the front from a second row starting spot to lead Cheney and Mataya. On the 4th lap of this 8 lapper "The Snake" struck once again to take second from Cheney setting his sights on Greenland. Going in to the final lap it looked like Jake was going to have a shot at the win but Greenland gutted it out to hang on for his first major league ice racing victory. He was followed closely by Mataya; Cheney; McGrane; McKenna; Carter; Maloney and Wiggins respectively. 2013 was an awesome competitive season of racing for the ICE Manufacturers World Cup Motorcycles crowning a great new World Champion in Jake "The Snake" Mataya. Cheney kept things close through the last night of racing. Greenland promises to be a strong contender for the future. ICE Rookie-of-the-Year honors went to young Kyle McGrane. Special ICE MVP Awards were given to Tom McGrane and Kirk Cheney for extraordinary efforts on and off the track. Congratulations to all the racers for a great season! The ICE Unlimited Outlaw Quads had their own World Championship battle on the line tonight with three racers still in the hunt at the Grand Finale. Dusty Crouch-Topeka, KS with a 32 WC Point lead over Kevin "Cool Hand" Smith-Overbrook, KS and Mandy "Wild Child" Brodil-Poplar Branch, NC with an outside chance to win her 6th WC Title. The First Round Heat Race winners were Brian Sommers-Burlington, WI; Jeff Brodil-Grandy, NC and Crouch. Round-2 winners were Jeff Brodil; Ken "Stuntman" Remer-Burlington, WI and Chuck "The Ice Man" Calvert-Madison, WI. In this last Heat Race of the night Mandy Brodil and Smith got tangled up going into turn one sending her #1 Quad to the infield. In the process she looped her machine backwards throwing the "Wild Child" to the ice surface. She landed on her back hitting her head violently on the ice. After several minutes Mandy decided to compete in the re-start finishing second. A short time later Mandy became ill in the pits and sought out help from the attending medical crew. She was diagnosed with a concussion, her second in two seasons, and subsequently transported to the hospital for further observation. Her hopes for a 6th World Championship Title were over. The Outlaw Quad LCQ was all Sommers taking the lead from the Pole and never looking back. The three other riders transferring to the Main in order of their finish were Ryan "Hit Man" Kaufman-Table Grove, IL; Anthony Demeo-Woodland Park, NJ and Smith. Just missing the cut was Brandon Davis-Danvers, IL on the Harley powered Thunder Quad and Cody Norton-Cooksville, IL. The Outlaw Main was a wild one that would determine this year's World Champion. When the starting gate was released by ICE Official Referee Robert Arms Jeff Brodil, Mandy's Dad, shot off the Pole staring position with front wheels in the air! By the time he reached the first turn he was being pushed hard from the outside into the infield. Brodil wasn't able to recover as the rest of the field raced on. Crouch had excellent position on the track racing away in the lead followed by Calvert and Remer. On lap two of this six lapper Remer forced the issue and got by Calvert for second followed through by Demeo and Smith. Then suddenly, on lap three, Demeo cuts under the turn 1-2 pole markers causing his disqualification. The very next lap saw Kaufman get by Calvert for 4th and that's how it all ended up as they crossed the finish line. Crouch had won the race convincingly and his first World Championship! Remer finished second, his career best, with Smith taking the last Podium spot locking down 2nd overall in this year's WC Title Chase. The rest of the field as they scored were Kaufman; Calvert; Sommers; Jeff Brodil (DNF) and Demeo (DQ'd). All the Special Awards and WC Points Fund checks and trophies were presented at the private banquet immediately following tonight's event. ICE Rookie-of-the-Year honors went to Eric Jennings-Otisville, NY; co-ICE MVP's were Ken Remer and Chuck Calvert. The prestigious Bob Hetrick Memorial Sportsman Award was presented to Mandy Brodil for outstanding achievements and goodwill, on and off the track, supporting and promoting the sport of World Championship Ice Racing. Unfortunately Mandy and her family were unable to be present to accept the award due to Mandy's injury. The last word was Mandy is improving and was cleared to travel home to North Carolina. I know I'm speaking for all her friends and fans in ice racing wishing her a speedy and complete recovery. On a special night of racing a very special moment took place on the ice. Shortly after his third successful attempt this year at the Ring of Fire Quad Jump in Evansville, under the spotlights and on the house PA system, Ken Remer proposed to his long time girlfriend Kristie Knack. Totally surprised she accepted! On that happy note we'll sign off for another great season of World Championship ICE Racing. Congratulations to the new World Champions Jake Mataya and Dusty Crouch! Get well soon Mandy! SEE YOU ALL NEXT WINTER FOR #38!!!   (FOR COMPLETE RESULTS AND STORY CLICK HERE)   THE GREATEST SPECTACLE ON ICE!TM   37TH ANNUAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ICE RACING SERIES SCHEDULE: (Click Link for Tickets)   Fri-Dec 14th 7:30 PM - Showare Center - Kent, WA Sat-Dec 15th 7:00PM - Comcast Arena - Everett, WA Fri-Jan 4th 7:00PM - Maverik Center - Salt Lake, UT Sat-Jan 5th 7:00PM - Maverik Center - Salt Lake, UT Sat-Jan 12th 7:30PM - US Cellular Coliseum - Bloomington, IL Sat-Jan 19th 7:30PM - Hampton Coliseum - Hampton, VA Fri-Feb 15th 7:30PM - Sun National Bank Center - Trenton, NJ Sat-Feb 23rd 7:00PM - The Ford Center - Evansville, IN     I.C.E. World Headquarters, P.O. Box 8648, Myrtle Beach, SC 29578 P: (843) 750-0741; E:info@icespeedway.com ; www.icespeedway.com     THE GREATEST SPECTACLE ON ICE!TM -Celebrating 37 years of arena motorsports entertainment excellence-	Photos From Evansville (CLICK TO ENLARGE) International Championship Events, LLC. PO Box 8648 Myrtle Beach, SC 29578 EMAIL I.C.E. HERE
Copyright International Championship Events, LLC. & Icespeedway.com 2011-2012

AMA Flat Track: Memorial Day Weekend Springfield TT Review

Round 3 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davisdson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season is about to get ready to roll as the 19-rider main event lines up to do battle in what could be the last of the TT events held at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Multipurpose Arena.  With Kenny Sargent and the MavTV cameras talking to 2-Time defending AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson (and defending Springfield TT winner), the rest of the front row makes their final adjustments before the drop of the green flag.

In what was his best start of his young career, Jake Mataya lines up on the outside pole on the #29 Donahue Sports Center/Highpoint Sales/Go Moto/Mid-America Auctions-sponsored Kawasaki KX450F.  Mataya also qualified for the Dash event for the first time in his career, finishing in the 6th spot.  He would end the evening in 12th-place after the 25-lap National main.

Brad Baker on the #12 Big Ed Beckley/Kenny Tolbert Racing-sponsored Kawasaki KX450F gets ready to go (with tuner and team owner Tolbert walking off the line just behind The Bullet) before taking the #12 machine to a solid 6th-place finish in the main.

Eventual 8th-place finisher Steve Bonsey appears to be mulling the moment before taking sail on the #80 Alpinestars/MDR/Pacific Tub & Tile/Confused Clothing-backed Honda.  Bonsey also finished 2nd in his heat behind winner Johnson to qualify for the Dash where he would come home in the 5th spot.

Jammin' Jared Mees gets the #9 Montgomeryville Cycle/National Cycle-sponsored Honda ready for the launch after winning heat 2 on the evening.  His battle for the 2nd and 3rd place in the National with Johnson was one of the hottest contests over the course of the just-over 10 minute final event, with Johnson getting the nod.

In what would be another record-setting evening for the 2-Time AMA Grand National Singles Series Champion, Henry Wiles makes his own final adjustments before running away from the field on the #17 Don's Kawasaki/DPC Racing/Nick Nazzisi/Schiller's Tree Service-sponsored Kawasaki KX450F.  Wiles would take the win by 3.693 seconds over runner-up Johnson, although at times it actually seemed like he had established even more of a gap on the rest of the field's battle.  Hammerin' Hank's night was all but perfect in winning his heat and the Dash for Cash event, and would mark the fourth win in five events for Wiles at the Springfield TT after missing last year's event due to recovering from knee injuries and surgery.  Between the two events at Springfield and the Peoria TT, he has now won 16 of his 21 National main event wins in the State of Illinois.

And finally, Jersey Jake talks with Kenny Sargent as the MavTV cameras film the evening's events just prior to showing everyone on-hand that he hasn't forgotten to ride a motorcycle.  After a slow start to the season at Daytona, Johnson came back in full-attack mode at Springfield and showed everyone in the house you never count out the guy with the #1 plate on the front of their motorcycle and on the back of their jerseys or leathers. 

Johnson was the next-best on the night behind winner Wiles, taking the #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D-backed Honda CRF450R to the runner-up spot after what was probably the best battle of the evening with Mees in the 25-lap National main.  Remember this man in another 10 races towards the end of the season as he will undoubtedly be looking to add to his '10-'11 AMA Grand National Championships and will most assuredly be right in the thick of things, and just as cool and calm as ever.

Daytona round 2 first-time winner Matt Weidman straps up just prior to the first practice session in the Expert Singles Series class at the Springfield TT on Saturday, May 26.  Weidman would take the #20 DFW Honda/SNIP/Fiorio Investments/Shoei-sponsored Honda CRF450R home to a strong 7th-place finish in the National main at Springfield after getting a spot in the 25-lap final via a 4th-place finish in his heat behind Wiles, Johnson and Mees.  By the end of the evening, he was still clinging to his overall point standings lead, tied with Mees at 60 points apiece.

The battle for the place and show spots in the 25-lap National main at the Springfield TT was a hotly contested battle between last season's title rivals Jake Johnson and Jared Mees.  Johnson would come out on top in the race-long duel on the #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D/Boughner Racing/Arai-sponsored Honda CRF450R by just .625 seconds over Mees on the #9 Montgomeryville Cycle/National Cycle/Lucas Oil/Rogers Racing-backed Honda.  Both won their respective heats to qualify for the Dash event, finishing in the same 2-3 spots behind Wiles, just as they did in the final.

Tuner to the stars Kenny Tolbert works on getting the #12 Big Ed Beckley/Kenny Tolbert Racing/Wiseco/Kawasaki-sponsored KX450F ready for '11 AMA Flat Track Rookie of the Year Brad Baker just prior to the start of the National main at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.  Baker took the #12 machine home to a solid 6th-place finish in the main after finishing 4th earlier in the evening in the Dash for Cash event, which he was able to qualify for after a very strong 2nd-place finish in his heat behind Henry Wiles.

Tolbert appeared to be excited with his new role of team owner, builder and tuner to one of the up-and-coming stars in rider Baker, and is thrilled to be working on the Kawasakis these days after being associated with the Harley-Davidson XR750s for so long in the Twins Series class and the Hondas in the Singles Series class in The Rolling Thunder Show.

The battle for fourth place in the National main at the Springfield TT was a closely contested battle between the top finishing Yamahas, including eventual 4th-place finisher Sammy Halbert on his #7 The South Ass/Fredericktown Yamaha/GYTR/Van's Yamaha-sponsored YZ450F and '10 AMA Pro Singles Champ Jeffrey Carver, Jr. on the #23 Carver's BBQ/Twigg Cycles/WKR/Kiesow Racing-backed YZ450F.  Slammin' Sammy and fast-qualifier Carver were never much further apart during the 25-lap National main then this slight gap.  Halbert would best Carver by just .294 seconds .

Kawasaki takes a look at the record-breaking fourth Springfield TT win by Henry Wiles in this pictorial of round 3 of the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com season:

http://www.kawasaki.com/Racing_News/Article.aspx?id=1847

And as always, a big thanks to my friend Larry Lawrence for his write-up on the Springfield TT in Cycle News:

http://cyclenews.coverleaf.com/cyclenews/20120529?#pg82

Jared Mees Goes 4-For-4 in Winning 2012 ICE Speedway Series Round at Bloomington, IL on January 21

Jared Mees talks with the ICE Speedway Series announcer after winning his fourth main event of the 2012 season at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington, IL. on Saturday, January 21.  The 3-Time and defending ICE Series Champ took his #1 Honda to the win in front of an enthusiastic crowd at round 4 of the ICE Speedway Series season in the Manufacturers Cup Bike class ahead of runner-up Kevin Anderson #11 on his Honda and 3rd place finisher Jake Mataya #29 on his Kawasaki. 

The Jammer won both of his heat races to go along with his main event win in a field filled with several AMA Pro Flat Track regulars, including Rob Pearson, Justin Hittle and Brandon Robinson, to further his grip on the 2012 Manufacturers Cup Championship.  Anderson, the '09 ICE Series Champion, had a good night as well in winning his first heat and coming in second to fellow-Minnesota resident Mataya in his other heat.  Mataya also won both of his heats on the evening.

Eighteen riders showed up at the downtown Bloomington arena to take in the action on the ice in front of a crowd estimated at 3500 in attendance.  In a tightly run program and an exciting show, ICE President Brent Densford and his wife Tiffany helped to put together a great night for everyone to enjoy, and few delays were seen throughout the evening.  This is one show that doesn't give you much time to lounge around or take a break, as other then an occassional Zamboni break to work on the ice, would see racing run back-to-back throughout the evening's event.
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One of the heat races on the evening shows eventual main event runner-up Kevin Anderson #11 leading Kirk Cheney #15, with AMA Flat Track regular Justin Hittle #81 and former AMA Grand National competitor and Clermont, IN.'s Dan Ingram #22 trying to keep them honest.  Ingram made the trip over with his father, Sam, also a former flat track competitor from back in the '70s.

Ingram is in the process of trying to gain enough points in the AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles Series and also in Steve Nace's DuQuoin indoor series to get his Expert license again.  He's hoping to be able to hit the track at the first Expert Twins Series event of the season at the Memorial Day Weekend Springfield Mile. 

Dan had a rough go of it in Bloomington, though.  Finishing 4th in his first heat, he was forced to borrow a competitor's bike to run his second heat when his mount wouldn't fire.  He ended up 4th in that second heat and failed to make the main event.

Believe it or not tidbit for the night--Ingram is still wearing the same leathers he wore when competing in the AMA Grand National Championship Series in the early '90s when he was injured at the Springfield Mile.
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Another one of the evening's exciting heat races has Brandon Robinson #44 battling with Tom McGrane #99, Jay Maloney #21 and Austin Greenland #31.  BRobb44 had a night he would just as soon forget, falling behind to 4th in this and his other heat, failing to make the main.  Hopefully luck will turn around for the personable Pennsylvania resident and '08 AMA Pro Expert Twins Champ when the series hits his home state on February 4 for the final round of the season at Johnstown, PA.
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Bryan McKenna #19 leads Jake Mataya #29, Mark Cheza #16 and another AMA Pro Flat Track regular, Brandan Bergen #26 during this heat race.
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Morton, IL. resident Rob 'Bugs' Pearson #27 made the short jaunt from his home to take in some of the night's racing at Bloomington.  Here he tried to get the jump on eventual winner Mees #1 in their heat race, with Derek Hersh #18 keeping them in sight.  The new Memphis Shades-signee for the 2012 GN season carded a 3rd and a 2nd place in his heat races, and went on to make the main with a 3rd place finish in the LCQ race.  He eventually finished 5th in the main event for the Manufacturers Cup Bikes.
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The atmosphere is much more casual in the pit area of the ICE Series races then what you would see at an AMA Grand National race.  Here Mark Cheza, Jared Mees and Tom McGrane wait for their next race to get some more sliding in on the ice.  The #15 machine of Kirk Cheney sits on the far left side of the shot.
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The eight-man LCQ race looked pretty wild as the riders entered turn one for their last chance to make the final.  Rob Pearson #27 takes the outside line around a field that included Austin Greenland #31 (LCQ winner), Jay Maloney #21 (LCQ runner-up), Tom McGrane #99, Bryan McKenna #19, Sammy Wiggins #56, Derek Hersh #18 and Jason Mott #75.
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Saturday 1/21/12

Results compiled by: Dustin Speed

US Cellular Coliseum – Bloomington, IL

Round 4 - 36^th Annual World Championship ICE Racing Series Results

Manufacturers Cup Bikes:

Heat 1:

1-Tom McGrane #99

2-Austin Greenland #31

3-Jay Maloney #21

4-Brandon Robinson #44

Heat 2:

1-Kevin Anderson #11

2-Kirk Cheney #15

3-Justin Hittle #81

4-Dan Ingram #22

Heat 3:

1-Jake Mataya #29

2-Bryan McKenna #19

3-Mark Cheza #16

4-Brandon Bergen #44

Heat 4:

1-Sammy Wiggins #56

2-Jason Mott #75

3-Ben Knight #85

Heat 5:

1-Jared Mees #1

2-Derek Hersh #18

3-Rob Pearson #27

Heat 6:

1-Jay Maloney #21

2-Jason Mott #75

3-Justin Hittle #81

4-Mark Cheza #16

Heat 7:

1-Austin Greenland #31

2-Sammy Wiggins #56

3-Tom McGrane #99

4-Ben Knight #85

Heat 8:

1-Jake Mataya #29

2-Kevin Anderson #11

3-Bryan McKenna #19

4-Brandon Robinson #44

Heat 9:

1-Kirk Cheney #15

2-Rob Pearson #27

3-Derek Hersh #18

Heat 10:

1-Jared Mees #1

2-Brandon Bergen #44

3-Dan Ingram #22 (ran #16 due to bike non-start)

LCQ:

1-Austin Greenland #31

2-Jay Maloney #21

3-Rob Pearson #27

4-Tom McGrane #99

5-Bryan McKenna #19

6-Sammy Wiggins #56

7-Derek Hersh #18

8-Jason Mott #75

Main Event:

1-Jared Mees #1

2-Kevin Anderson #11

3-Jake Mataya #29

4-Tom McGrane #99

5-Rob Pearson #27

6-Jay Maloney #21

7-Kirk Cheney #15

8-Austin Greenland #31

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In the final event of the evening, eight riders jet off  the line at the drop of the flag in the Manufacturers Cup Bike main event.  Austin Greenland #31, Jake Mataya #29 and Kirk Cheney #15 get the jump on eventual winner Jared Mees #1 as Rob Pearson #27, Tom McGrane #99, Jay Maloney #21 and Kevin Anderson #11 launch off of the second row.
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Jared Mees #1 gets the inside line going into turn one with Kirk Cheney #15 and Austin Greenland #31 spreading out and leading the rest of the pack in the Manufacturers Cup Bike final.
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By the time the pack is coming out of turn two, Mees has the edge on the rest of the field and went on to sail to the victory.  Racing is much tighter on the indoor track then what it appears from the shot and the adrenaline level is high with not only the racers, but the crowd on hand as well.
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Later this week we will be doing another story on our trip over to Bloomington that will include some of the action in the Outlaw Quads class featured in the ICE Series.  Stay tuned, but in the meantime you can check out some other info on the ICE Speedway Series.  I highly recommend putting one of these events on your calendar, you will NOT be disappointed!

And a tip of the helmet and a big thanks go out to Brent and Tiffany Densford for putting on a super show in Bloomington and for letting Stu's Shots be a part of a great night!


You can keep up with ICE Speedway events here via their official site below.  Round 5 of the season wraps up the shortened 2012 schedule on February 4 at the Cambria War Memorial Arena in Johnstown, PA. at 7:30 P.M. EST. 

http://icespeedway.com/cgi-bin/newsv/eventsv.cgi

Follow ICE Speedway via Twitter:

http://twitter.com/icespeedway

And check out some past video action from ICE Speedway at the U.S. Cellular Arena in Bloomington, IL. here thanks to MXPTV.com:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQY4yW7Zl20
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