AMA Pro Flat Track Releases 2011 AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship Series Schedule

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The racing is hot and heavy in heat race action back in September of '75 in the Camel Pro Series AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship Series annual stop at the Syracuse Mile, located at the New York State Fairgrounds. One of the regular stops for The Rolling Thunder Show up until just a few years ago, the race seemed to be plagued with rain-outs in the last few years of it's running in the early '00s and hasn't been seen on the schedule for some time now.
Leading this pack of riders on the #82 is Ricky Campbell, followed by the #76X of Ken Springsteen on his Vista Sheen-sponsored machine, '81 AMA Flat Track Grand National Champion and current Flat Track Manager Mike Kidd on his Kruger Racing #72, the late Jay Ridgeway on the #9C, the late Randy Cleek on the Bel Ray/K&N-sponsored #29 (and the '76 AMA Road Racing Champion), Keith Ulicki on the #8K, Mike Caves on the #28, and bringing up the rear the #92 of HJ Products-sponsored Steve Droste. All riders are Harley-Davidson XR750 mounted in this shot.
Back in '75, the AMA Grand National Championship consisted of 20 total events broken into 17 flat track events and 3 road racing events. In '76, the Camel Pro Series AMA Grand National Championship Series ballooned into 28 total events, 24 flat track and 4 road racing events. After the AMA split the series in the mid-80s, each respective championship stood on it's own and to this day continues that way. Furthermore, the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series in itself has run anywhere from 15-22 events each year on it's calendar.
Good news hit the airwaves today as the current regime of AMA Pro Flat Track, headed up by previously mentioned Mike Kidd, his brother Gary, former GNC contender Steve Morehead and a team of great people too lengthy to name here, released the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series schedule. The upcoming season has 22 current events on the calendar, including (among others) the regular mix of great returning venues (Indy, Springfield, Yavapai Downs, Lake Odessa and Lima), a nice mix of new venues (Hartford, MI. and Billings, MT.) and some great venues not seen for awhile on the regular schedule (Sacramento and Castle Rock.)
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From a press release from AMA Pro Flat Track:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (December 17, 2010) – AMA Pro Racing announced today the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship schedule that features an increased number of races, plus new and former events back on the schedule.
The 2011 schedule features 22 dates in 17 markets across the country with a mixture of Short Track, TT, Half-Mile and Mile dirt tracks.
Once again the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship will consist of three series; Expert Singles, Expert Twins and the highly successful Pro Singles.
The season will open during Daytona Bike Week at the DAYTONA® Flat Track moved from the traditional mid-week double national, with a Short Track on Thursday, March 10th and Friday, March 11th.
Next on the schedule will be the only indoor National of the Series in Du Quoin, Ill. at the Southern Illinois Complex April 16th. The series will then move west to the Salinas Sports Complex for the first Tourist Trophy “TT” National of the season, then returns to Yavapai Downs in Prescott, Ariz. for the Mile May 1st.
Inaugural events will be held at the Southern Illinois Complex in Du Quoin, Ill.; The Salinas Sports Complex in Salinas, Calif.; Hartford Motor Speedway in Hartford, MI.; and after a long hiatus, the return of the Sacramento Mile in Sacramento, Calif.; Castle Rock TT in Castle Rock, Wash.; Metra Park Raceway Half-mile in Billings, Mont.
Annual events will continue at Yavapai Downs in Prescott Valley, Ariz.; Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill.; Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio; Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, Md.; I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Minn.; Peoria Race Park in Peoria, Ill.; Indiana State Fairgrounds in Indianapolis, Ind.; Canterbury Park in Minneapolis, Minn.; Calistoga Speedway in Calistoga, Calif.; and the highly anticipated rained-out event in 2010 at the Knoxville Raceway in Knoxville, Iowa.
“The expansion of the series is exciting news for our fans, riders and sponsors,” said Gary Kidd, Flat Track Manager of AMA Pro Racing. “We continue to work hard to showcase America’s traditional form of motorcycle racing in various parts of the country. Our goal is to continue to work with our existing promoters while going out to find aggressive promoters near key markets that will further benefit the series.”
2011 Confirmed Events
March 10 DAYTONA® Flat Track (Daytona Beach, Florida) Short Track
March 11 DAYTONA® Flat Track (Daytona Beach, Florida) Short Track
April 16 Southern Illinois Center (Du Quoin, Illinois) Short Track (Note Updated 1/19/11)April 23 Salinas Sports Complex (Salinas, California) TT
May 1 Yavapai Downs (Prescott Valley, Arizona) Mile
May 28 Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield, Illinois) TT
May 29 Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield, Illinois) Mile
June 11 Hartford Motor Speedway (Hartford, Michigan) Half-mile
June 25 Allen County Fairgrounds (Lima, Ohio) Half-mile
July 9 Hagerstown Speedway (Hagerstown, Maryland) Half-mile
July 16 I-96 Speedway (Lake Odessa, Michigan) Half-mile
July 23 Metra Park Raceway (Billings, Montana) Half-mile
July 30 Cal Expo Fair (Sacramento, California) Mile
August 6 Castle Rock Race Park (Castle Rock, Washington) TT
August 21 Peoria Race Park (Peoria, Illinois) TT
August 27 Indiana State Fairgrounds (Indianapolis, Indiana) Mile
September 3 Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield, Illinois) Short Track
September 4 Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield, Illinois) Mile
September 10 Knoxville Raceway (Knoxville, Iowa) Half-mile
September 24 Canterbury Park (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Mile
October 1 Calistoga Speedway (Calistoga, California) Half-mile
October 9 Yavapai Downs (Prescott Valley, Arizona) Mile
*Additional Dates TBD/TBA
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Great news from AMA Pro Flat Track today in the announcing of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series schedule. With numerous returning as well as long-standing events, and a great mix of west and east coast and midwest events, new venues and a return to venues not seen in some time, AMA Pro Flat Track has outdone itself again in providing the very best in entertainment, racing and the big wow that is always present in The Rolling Thunder Show. Hats off to AMA Flat Track Manager Mike Kidd and Team AMA Flat Track for putting this great calendar together for the upcoming season.
WOW! Stu's Shots thought this season was super, but 2011 is shaping up to be a barn burner of a year! Is it March yet?!
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Updated Wed. 1/19/11 1800 EST:
The original date for the DuQuoin Short Track has been updated from April 9 to reflect the new date of April 16.
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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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