With
last week's announcement that the penultimate round of the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship at the Calistoga Half-Mile had been canceled, fans, riders, teams and sponsors alike will now have to wait just over a month and-a-half for the season's championship battle outcome when the series will hit the Las Vegas Short Track on Friday, November 20.
With the loss of the event in wine country in California, that
leaves just three men with a mathematical chance at the 2015 AMA Grand National GNC1 Championship, Jared Mees, Bryan Smith and Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. And although most count The King of Cool out in terms of the title fight, he still has a chance to take the crown being down 20 points to title leader Jared Mees (188-168 points), with Smith seven points (181 points) in arrears of Mees, who has held his stranglehold on the series title since the Lima Half-Mile round in late June.
In the shot above, Mees puts the fire to the coals on his #1 Montgomeryville Cycle Center/Rogers Racing/National Cycle-sponsored Honda CRF450R during the National main at the Peoria TT on August 16 during what ended up being round 9 of the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship GNC1 Harley-Davidson presented by Vance & Hines series.
Mees season has been nearly flawless in defense of his 2014 AMA Grand National Championship title. With only two finishes out of the top-10, an 11th-place (Daytona ST II) and a 17th-place (Charlotte Half-Mile), The Jammer's only other 'bad' result was an 8th-place finish at the most recent event at the Delaware Half-Mile. Otherwise, Mees' results have all been top-4 finishes, including his win at the Black Hills Speedway in South Dakota in August, and his only 4th-place finish was at Lima in late June. Otherwise the defending title holder has landed on the podium a remarkable eight times this season.
The man who has been trying to wrestle the title away from Mees the last two seasons, 2013 AMA Grand National Champ Brad Baker three seasons ago, and Mees as well during the 2012 season, Bryan Smith has seemed to have been dealing with doing all of the chasing during the last five seasons in which he has been with the Howerton Motorsports/Villa-Esparza/Crosley Brands team since their first season together in 2012. But that hasn't been a totally bad thing, as Smith has managed to win more races and has also collected two AMA Grand National Twins Series titles along the way, and has seen the team grow from a mile track dominant winner to a title chase force, as well.
Last season's title would/could have gone Flyin' Bryan's way if not for a broken sight glass window that caused his Kawasaki to start spewing smoke, therefore being shown a black flag which at the end of the season saw him lose the title to Mees by a scant three points after losing the title to Baker by 17 points in the 2013 season.
This season's DNS at the Daytona ST II round (therefore scoring zero points), a 16th-place finish at Daytona I, an 11th-place finish at Peoria (to Mees runner-up finish behind Henry Wiles) and a rare 14th-place finish due to a broken shifter at the Delaware Half-Mile have caused this season's 5-time winner to fall behind in his pursuit of that elusive #1 plate. It's a testament to his and his team's abilities that he is still closely in the hunt, a hunt that will go down to the wire in Las Vegas on November 20.
In the shot above, Smith works his magic on the #42 Crosley Brands/Howerton Motorsports/Kawasaki-sponsored Honda CRF450R during his heat race at the Peoria TT on August 16, 2015.
If anyone got a bad break from the cancelation of Calistoga, let alone the rain-out at Hagerstown earlier in the season (after having won Kawasaki's first half-mile at H-town during the 2014 season) it would be the former Flint, MI. resident. But you won't hear him or any of the Howerton boys complaining about that, they'll let their rider do his talking ON the track.
Former 3-Time AMA Grand National Champ Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. still has it going on in his third decade of running in The Rolling Thunder Show, and most recently just won his 35th event at Delaware moving into the 5th-place spot on the all-time wins list after winning the Daytona II round in mid-March. And of note, Coolbeth is the last man to have won an indoor short track (DuQuoin April 2011), which even as the elder statesman of the sport could work in his favor heading to the bullring in Las Vegas in November.
One of the most popular riders in the sports' history, The King of Cool has been doing this for some time now, and in his second season riding for the powerhouse Zanotti Racing team is still showing a lot of the youngsters how to get it done in the greatest racing series on two wheels in the world. With finishes of 17th-place (Lima), 15th-place (Indy) and a DNS at Peoria, Coolbeth's worst finish of 7th-place (SF Mile I) leaves all of his other finishes in the top-5. Not bad for the old guy on the circuit!
In the shot above, Coolbeth heads out for practice on the #2 Zanotti Racing/Gator Harley-Davidson/Chaplin Honda-backed Honda CRF450R at the Peoria TT on August 16, 2015.
It's going to be a long wait for the final round of the season, but when it gets here everyone will be fired up and ready to go to see the greatest racers in the world do battle like bulls in a china shop on the indoor short track in Vegas, and when the dust, smoke and bar banging is done, the best man will walk away with the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship GNC1 Harley-Davidson presented by Vance & Hines crown, and the others will be right there celebrating along with him, because in this sport, everyone shares in the fun and the excitement.
A big thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track for the dual press releases below, outlining the title battle, and the new format that has been announced for the fight in the bullring at Vegas. So read on and before you know it, November will be here and the championship battle will hit the floor in Vegas baby!
Defending champion Jared Mees will enter AMA Pro Flat Track Season Finale in Las Vegas with seven point lead over Bryan Smith in premier Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines class
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 30, 2015) - The 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines championship will be decided in Las Vegas, on a purpose-built short track inside the dome of the Orleans Arena on Friday night, Nov. 20.
Defending champion Jared Mees has put together another monster year and he'll enter the season's final round with a seven point advantage over Bryan Smith and a 20 point edge over Kenny Coolbeth Jr. in the standings.
The rivalry between Mees and Smith this season has been nothing short of fascinating, and the two will duke it out one final time on a track that neither have competed on before, and under a modified format specifically tuned for the purpose-built short track, which measures in at just under a tenth of a mile. Mees will ride the No. 1 Montgomeryville Cycle Center Honda CRF450R in Las Vegas and Smith will pilot the No. 42 Crosley Radio Honda CRF450R in a last-ditch attempt to steal his first-career Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines championship with one round to go.
Mees and Smith's rivalry is evidenced by the fact that both have finished within one position of each other four times this season, including three occasions where they finished one-two at both Springfield Miles and the Du Quoin Mile, with Smith winning all three races over Mees. Though Smith has recorded five wins to Mees' one this season, Mees is the one who will be licking his chops come Nov. 20, as he has proven to be far more superior in Short Track races than Smith throughout the course of their prolific careers.
Mees finished second and 11th to begin the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track season on Daytona's Short Track, while Smith finished 16th and failed to make the second main event of the doubleheader that weekend. In the only other non-traditional Half-Mile or Mile event this season, Mees came up short in an attempt to break Henry Wiles' streak of 10 consecutive Peoria TT victories and had to settle with second. As for Smith, much like at Daytona, he was never able to gain any kind of momentum on his Honda and as a result, finished 11th at Peoria.
There is little doubt that on paper, Mees appears to be the clear-cut favorite to claim his third Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines championship in four years. He's in his prime and racing for everything on a short track with a seven-point lead against a competitor (Smith) whose Achilles heel has been these types of races.
Not so fast. Though he hasn't had the same kind of success that Mees has had on short tracks, Smith is still a GNC1 racer and a very skilled one at that, and seven points is not insurmountable by any means.
This will be the first time that anyone in the field has competed at the Orleans Arena, and with the newly-implemented event format specifically tuned for the evening, anything can happen.
The magic number for Smith is eight, as he will need to earn eight or more points than Mees in Las Vegas in order to earn the championship.
There have been two instances this season where Smith has gained eight or more points than Mees in a single race. The most recent occurrence happened at the Charlotte Half-Mile on Aug. 29, when Smith earned the victory, Dash for Cash win, and Lap Leader and was awarded 25 points while Mees suffered a mechanical and finished 17th, earning just two points.
If anything close to what occurred in Charlotte were to transpire in Las Vegas on Nov. 20, then Smith would be crowned champion.
There are multiple scenarios that could determine the fate of the two championship hopefuls at the season finale. If Smith wins at Las Vegas, and Mees finishes third or worse, then Smith would earn the championship over Mees, assuming neither competitor receives a Dash for Cash point or Lap Leader point. Furthermore, if Smith finishes second at Las Vegas, he would need Mees to finish seventh or worse, an unlikely scenario, in order to claim the No. 1 plate. If Mees finishes second or better, he will claim the championship regardless of Smith's finishing position. If both Mees and Smith were to end the season with the same amount of points, then Smith would earn the tiebreaker, which is based off of wins recorded in 2015, and win the championship.
The bottom line is that it's likely a 'win or bust' situation for Smith in Las Vegas, and considering the fact that he's won more races than any other rider on the circuit this season, he's probably up to the challenge.
Regardless of the outcome next round, Smith and Mees, along with the rest of the AMA Pro Flat Track competitors, have put on a remarkable show all season long, and the highly-anticipated Season Finale in Las Vegas will culminate the 2015 season perfectly.
The AMA Pro Flat Track Season Finale is part of a big doubleheader weekend, which will also feature the inaugural Superprestigio of the Americas on Saturday night Nov. 21, an event bringing together the leading AMA Pro Flat Track racers to compete against top domestic and international riders from other disciplines of motorcycle racing. For additional event details visit http://www.superprestigio.com/.
About AMA Pro Flat Track:
AMA Pro Flat Track is the world's premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track, please visit www.amaproracing.com/ft/, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or live stream the on-track action on FansChoice.tv.
About AMA Pro Racing:
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:
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Event Format Announced for AMA Pro Flat Track Season Finale at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas
Short Track to feature single-cylinder motorcycles, 12-rider grids and B Mains in both classes
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 28, 2015) - AMA Pro Racing officials announced today that the AMA Pro Flat Track season finale, scheduled for Friday, Nov. 20 at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, will feature a modified event format specifically tuned for the purpose-built short track. Riders will end the season on their single-cylinder machines and fans can expect to see an action-packed day with more racing than a typical Grand National Championship event due to the addition of B Mains for both Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines and GNC2.
The track created under the dome of the Orleans Arena will be designed by seven-time Grand National Champion Chris Carr. Measuring in at just under a tenth of a mile, the circuit will support a maximum grid size of 12 riders in each session as opposed to the standard 18 rider grid. Carr expects it to be like a "fist fight in a phone booth," with blazing-quick laptimes and non-stop action.
The modified grid sizes will result in more on-track drama and by the end of the night, fans will have seen 15 races. After the Heat races get the crowd fired up, the GNC2 riders will try their hand at a pair of Semis just like their counterparts in the elite Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines class. As a bonus, there will be B Mains for both classes to give riders one final shot at making the Main Events. If a rider has trouble early on, the B Main will be their chance to get back into the hunt, as the winner and runner-up will head to the night's main event.
Any Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines riders that elect to use a provisional start card will be granted a spot in the B Main, meaning they'll still have to race their way to a main event start. In order to provide an equal number of points-paying opportunities, championship points awarded to positions 13th through 18th in a typical event will be awarded to riders finishing third through eighth in the B Main.
For tickets and information on the AMA Pro Flat Track Season Finale, please visit http://www.orleansarena.com/event-calendar/ama-pro-flat-track. The AMA Pro Flat Track Season Finale is part of a big doubleheader weekend, which will also feature the inaugural Superprestigio of the Americas on Saturday night Nov. 21, an event bringing together the leading AMA Pro Flat Track racers to compete against top domestic and international riders from other disciplines of motorcycle racing.
About AMA Pro Flat Track:
AMA Pro Flat Track is the world's premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track, please visit www.amaproracing.com/ft/, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook or live stream the on-track action on FansChoice.tv.
About AMA Pro Racing:
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:
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