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 Pro Racing Moves Former AMA Flat Track Grand National Champion Mike Kidd Into Sponsorship Sales

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Mike Kidd throws his #72 Kruger Racing Harley-Davidson XR750 into turn one in route to his heat race win (and eventual main event win) during the Terre Haute Action Track round of the Camel Pro Series/AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship Series in August of 1975. Kidd, who would go on to win the '81 AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship and help to usher in Big Red Honda into the sport of AMA Flat Track in the early-mid '80s, was named the Director of Sales for AMA Pro Racing yesterday. The man who led the resurgence of The Rolling Thunder show for the last two years as Director of Flat Track Racing, will now oversee sponsorship sales in AMA Pro Racing for both of it's Flat Track and Road Racing brands.
Dan Johnsen was named the new Director of Flat Track Racing several weeks back, and will now oversee operations for AMA Flat Track, while Kidd works on building the entertainment and sales operations that the sport has suffered from of late. After retiring in the mid '80s, the man who one time held the nickname of Mr. Hardluck, Mike went on to operate and run the ArenaCross Series in the sport, later selling it off to Clear Channel Entertainment and then running it for them. Mike knows racing, and better yet, racing fans and has been doing this for years!
Kidd was brought into the new DMG/AMA Pro Racing ranks in late 2008 to oversee the turnaround in the Greatest Show on Wheels in AMA Flat Track after the Nascar group purchased the rights to the racing side of things from the AMA group out of Pickerington, OH. His ability to sell the entertainment side of the sport and to promote the brands, makes and sponsors within and around the sport is legendary in all forms of racing since his retirement. AMA Flat Track will be losing a great leader, but AMA Pro Racing overall should see an upsurgence in the sport with Kidd at the helm. The man knows the fans, the sport and the demographics to get it done, and his contacts and ability to sell the sport should lead to great things, especially with the economy of late at least looking like it is starting to level out and move forward somewhat.
Stu's Shots wishes one of his long-time heroes (let alone a new and great friendship gained throughout the 2010 season) the very best in this new endeavor. After having being around this sport since the early-mid '70s,I can't think of anyone within the industry that has a better grip on how and what the sport needs and the fans want, let alone how to go about bringing it to fruition in growing the sport and fan base. Just my honest opinion, for what it's worth.
Congrats to MK and Bravo to AMA Pro Racing! If Mr. Johnsen can continue to grow and progress with AMA Flat Track while following in the steps of Mike Kidd, the sport should see an even better year in 2011 after the great turnaround of 2010.
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AMA Pro Racing Announces New Sales Position for Industry Veteran Mike Kidd

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 11, 2011) - AMA Pro Racing is pleased to announce the appointment of longtime AMA Pro Flat Track participant, champion, and administrator Mike Kidd to the post of Director of Sales for AMA Pro Racing. The winner of twelve AMA Pro Flat Track races and the 1981 AMA Pro Grand National Championship, Kidd is an AMA Hall of Fame inductee who also acted as Director of AMA Pro Flat Track from 2009 through 2010. He'll now utilize his considerable talents, relationships, and experience in the industry to sell sponsorships of both the AMA Pro Road Racing and Flat Track series. "We are delighted that Mike can continue to benefit AMA Pro Racing," said David Atlas, C.O.O. and Managing Member of AMA Pro Racing. "His experience in this sport is unrivaled, and he has a proven record of putting together strong sponsorship packages." "I have held several roles throughout my career in the motorcycle industry," said Kidd, "and it's an honor and privilege to be appointed AMA Pro Racing Director of Sales for our flat track and road race properties." Kidd has already begun his new assignment, and is currently working to finalize a number of dynamic 2011 sponsorship programs for AMA Pro Road Racing and Flat Track. Visit www.amaproracing.com for more information on all of AMA Pro Racing's exciting championship series.

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 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mike Kidd Helped Lead AMA Flat Track Back Into the Limelight and People Are Starting to Notice

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Mike Kidd on the #72 Kruger Racing XR750 leads Rex Beauchamp on the #31 Harley-Davidson Factory XR during main event action at the Terre Haute Action Track Half Mile on August 17, 1975, in what was one of the all-time classic battles in racing. Kidd, the former contender for Rookie of the Year, who came into the AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship Series with a loaded class of top-talent riders several years earlier (Kenny Roberts and Gary Scott also made their debut in the '72 season) would go on to pull away from Beauchamp later in the main to win his first main event since returning from injuries suffered in the '74 season. The rider who at one time had held the nickname of 'Mr. Hard Luck' would return on fire to the series, and would eventually win the elusive #1 plate, that had remained out of his grasp for what seemed like decades, at the end of the 1981 season.
After riding for teams that included the Triumph factory and the Harley-Davidson factory during his career, he also helped to develop Honda into a major powerhouse in the series. Probably one of his biggest accomplishments was bringing the U.S. Army into the sport in the late '70s as his primary sponsor. At that time, outside the industry sponsorship was very rare in AMA Flat Track, and to this day the U.S. Army still sponsors teams in Nascar and NHRA. Whether he was ever recognized for it or not, MK probably helped open the door (if not down right kicking it in) for many other outside the industry sponsors to show up in AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship Series racing.
After retiring as an active rider at the end of the '83 season, MK stuck around in AMA Flat Track for several years, and along the way also worked with/for Kenny Roberts, Mert Lawwill and Dick Mann with the Yamaha Virago project of the day. But in spite of his greatness as a talented rider AND knowing talent IN riders, Kidd's strength and legacy could and very well should be his ability to know the show and recognize the entertainment value of the sport. Owning and operating AMA Arenacross, he saw the value of motocross racing in smaller, out of the way venues to attract the paying customers and fans of motocross racing. Eventually selling his brand to Clear Channel (and then working for them on his baby for several years after), he later was involved with the Formula USA Flat Track Series of the late '90s.
Which brings us to today. The current AMA Director of Flat Track Racing was brought in by the Daytona Motorsports Group when their purchase of the AMA Pro Racing properties came about during the 2008 season. Knowing that Kidd knew the product, the fan base, the background and especially the entertainment value, the DMG folks gave him full rein to help turn around the Titanic of racing, AMA Pro Flat Track.
With dwindling crowds, a falling out of participants, and sponsorship dollars going the way of the Great Recession, AMA Flat Track was all but headed for it's own iceberg before Mike and Gary Kidd (MK's brother and long-time partner in racing) came in and took the helm. While also retaining former AMA GNC competitor Steve Morehead to help head up the team (who in all fairness was doing a great job with what he had to work with before the DMG takeover), Team Kidd and Company headed up a current AMA Flat Track team that has done a superb job of leading the series into a new, and revived decade. Concentrating on track preparation, obtainable racing equipment and the entertainment value of The Rolling Thunder Show, AMA Flat Track came out pouring the coals on during the 2010 season.
Ushering in new markets and venues, working on the timeliness/entertainment value of the series, and tweaking the rules to make multi-brand racing a headliner for the season, AMA Flat Track saw a season of positives all along the way, and also getting paying butts back into the seats at the race track and bringing in much-needed title sponsorship to the series in the way of K&N Filters and the Motorcycle Superstore.com folks. And 2o11 looks to be even better, if that is possible after the stellar year the series had.
With Mike Kidd heading up the team, anything is possible. And in this writer's eyes that is very positive as well! Go MK and Team AMA Flat Track!
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In what I would like to call an 'it's about time' moment, Motorcycle-USA.com posted a super video today reviewing what they consider to be the 'bests' of the 2010 motorcycle season. And the best thing about it is they kicked it off by finally giving kudos to the man that headed up the great turn around in AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship Series Racing.

Mike Kidd, the current AMA Director of Flat Track Racing, was honored by the Motorcycle-USA.com folks for being the "Industry Leader" in motorcycle racing for heading up and turning the great sport of AMA Flat Track around during the 2010 year. Although I've been bragging on him for quite awhile now, I think it's super that someone that is a Nationally known site (compared to my little window of viewers here) took the time to brag on him as well!

With The Rolling Thunder Show adding more venues and new and returning markets for the 2011 season, this year looks to be even better then the break-out year achieved by the NEW and IMPROVED AMA Flat Track that we saw and loved in 2010. And you better get your ticket now cause when this train pulls out of the station, it's going to be hitting a fast pitch that will be hard to grab ahold of until the end of the year. AMA Pro Flat Track Racing is on a roll!
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Thanks to the great folks at Motorcycle-USA.com for this great video saluting the 'bests' of the 2010 season. And of course they showed the best first in honoring Mike Kidd for his work in spearheading the turnaround in the great sport of AMA Pro Flat Track. I also have to take the time to thank them for using a few of my shots in this great honor to Mike Kidd (who is and has been one of my long-time heroes in the sport) when they put this together.

Just into the intro of the video when they list MK as the Industry Leader is one of my shots of Mike in his blue AMA shirt when he came over to shoot the sh*t with Larry Lawrence (The Rider Files.com and Cycle News.com) and myself during the Springfield Short Track on Saturday Sept. 4, 2010. And just a little further they also used two of my black & white 'back in the day' shots of MK in action at the Syracuse Mile on his #72 Kruger Racing XR750. They come by fast, but you'll see them both just after the 22 second mark of the video.

Thanks guys, I appreciate seeing my stuff used for something so cool as this, let along giving credit where credit is due to the 1981 AMA Grand National Champion, Mike Kidd for helming the ship at AMA Flat Track Racing!

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/1016/Motorcycle-Video/Motorcycle-USA-Best-of-2010-Dirt-Video.aspx?WT.i_e_dcsvid=197374949
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Dan Jacobson, Sr. wrote this great article that just appeared at Todays Cycle Coverage.com the day before yesterday, recognizing the great turn around in the sport and the team that helped to make it happen. Check out his spin here:

http://www.todayscyclecoverage.com/wordpress/2011/01/04/guest-editorial-rushing-the-gate-with-greatness/
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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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AMA Flat Track: Mike Kidd Talks About Turning it Around in the 2010 Season

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AMA Flat Track Manager Mike Kidd, the '81 AMA Flat Track Grand National Champion, can be seen talking with members of Jared Mees' Rogers Lake/Blue Springs H-D team just prior to rider intros for the Springfield Mile Grand National on September 5. Mees can be seen kneeling alongside and behind his bike and crew. Behind him standing to the side is Willie McCoy, rider of the #59 H-D of Wausau/Independence H-D XR.
Further back, Tuner to the Stars Bill Werner holds Bryan Smith's #42 Werner Springsteen Monster Energy Kawasaki (the eventual winner of this event), and then (partially hidden) Kenny Tolbert holds Chris Carr's #4 Lancaster H-D/DFW Honda-sponsored XR.
With what he calls his '5-Year plan' to resurrect AMA Flat Track, Kidd and Company (including AMA Flat Track Operations Manager and former National #42 Steve Morehead) are ahead of the game plan in terms of turning the sport around. With new venues on board that also have promoters that have been capable of selling the show and putting paying butts in the seats, and with several long-time returning venues that have been capable of promoting AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship competition, the series is well on it's way to breathing new life into not only the sport, but the motorcycle industry as well.
Kidd made his mark on the series originally back in the early-mid '70s, riding for several factory efforts including Triumph and Harley-Davidson, among others. After finally grabbing hold of the coveted AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship #1 plate in the '81 season, Kidd signed on with Team Honda to help further develop what would end up being a very lethal RS750 that all but re-wrote the record books in AMA GNC competition, until they pulled their factory representation out of the sport in the late '80s. The Honda RS750 went on to live strong and stay at the top for several years, including Ricky Graham's miracle season in winning it all in '93. The RS750 won it's last AMA National event at Joliet in August of 1998 at the hands of former National #80 Rich King, but forever lives on in many (and this!) fans eyes and memories as a result of efforts put forth in the early development years by one of the flat track masters of all time, Mike Kidd, who retired from active competition at the end of the '83 season.
Taking the time to speak with me briefly at Springfield over the Labor Day Weekend, one of the main things he mentioned about the 'old' AMA was that they 'didn't understand the entertainment value' of the sport, thusly the programs would drag along and sometimes take hours to run due to the disorganization. And if there is one thing (among MANY others when it comes to racing!) that MK knows is entertainment, as his record and prowess of running the Arenacross Series is for one a showcase of HOW to promote a sport and it's many venues. Mike's brother Gary has also worked with him over the years, and currently takes care of all credentials (among other duties) at all AMA Flat Track events.
The two of them, along with the VERY long list of people (besides Morehead) who they have surrounded themselves with to run the show, have done a VERY remarkable job of turning it around. And I am saying that having followed this sport for over three-and-a-half decades. Never has the program been tighter, well choreographed and safety-minded since Team Kidd and Company started
to oversee The Rolling Thunder Show in the 2009 season. And in terms of the '5-Year plan,' they still have three years to hone the program to what is already looking like a VERY finely-tuned machine to a series that was struggling, except for a few long-time venues (anything run by the IMDA would fit here.)
With new tracks and a new rules package introduced to open up the level of competition against the series-standard H-D XR750, this year saw some of the best and most exciting racing in some time. I've been saying almost all year now, that if you haven't been to an AMA Flat Track event in some time, 2011 would be the time to do so again. This isn't your father's AMA Flat Track anymore, and the future could never look better for the best and most exciting form of racing in the world.
Make your plans now, because 2011 should be EVEN BETTER then what we have seen this year!
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Road Racer X's own Backmarker himself, Mark Gardiner, was on-hand at the season-ending AMA Pro Flat Track K&N Filters presented by Motorcycle Superstore.com Grand National Championship round in Prescott Valley, AZ., to take in all of the action at the Budweiser Racing Arizona Mile on the Yavapai Downs mile oval. Mark is one of the good guys in the business, and does a super job of helping to cover AMA Flat Track Series racing, especially considering he writes for a road racing magazine.

While on-hand to check out all the great action at round 16 of the series, he also got a chance to talk with former '81 AMA Flat Track Grand National Champion Mike Kidd, who has overseen the series since coming on board for the 2009 season. Kidd, his brother Gary, former National #42 Steve Morehead and a VERY long list of fine and hard working people have been running the new show since the beginning of the '09 season, and are responsible for turning around a series that was in desperate need of help. Since that time, with new venues, new rules and new blood being introduced to The Rolling Thunder Show, the series is breathing on it's own and starting to look better then it has in decades. And the competition level has stepped up a notch to add to what has always been the most exciting form of racing in the world.

You can check out Mark's great interview with one of the long-time stars of the sport, and also one of the saviours of AMA Flat Track, right here. Part one is this week, and we will add part two next week when Mark files his follow-up interview and review.

Great job Mark! And Mike Kidd and Company, we bow to you for saving the best sport on wheels and breathing life into the great sport of AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship Racing!

Backmarker Column by Mark Gardiner, with AMA Flat Track Manager Mike Kidd, part one:

http://www.roadracerx.com/features/backmarker/backmarker-ama-pro-flat-track-boss-mike-kidd-looks-back-over-a-positive-season-and-forward-to-what%e2%80%99s-ahead/
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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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Henry Wiles Romps Dash, Main and Clinches Singles Championship at AMA Flat Track Springfield Short Track Round

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Henry Wiles continued his domination of the AMA Pro Flat Track Singles Series tonight at the Springfield Arena by winning the dash to clinch his second Singles Championship in a row in the series and adding to his overall win record at the famous Illinois State Fairgrounds. Including wins in the spring TT race, Hammerin Hank has now won seven events in a row at the Arena and after garnering the #1 plate (with AMA Flat Track Manager Mike Kidd presenting above) from his win in the dash, went on to run away from the field in the Grand National Singles main event. Wiles event took his sponsor, former GNC competitor Ronnie Jones on his victory lap after the main event.
Jake Johnson came home second and J.D. Beach, in his inaugaral ride after moving up from the Pro Singles Series, brought it home in third place to round out the podium. With Sammy Halbert finishing out the evening in the 11th spot after having to take a provisional to make the main, the overall points took another turn with four events left in the 2010 season. Series leader Joe Kopp came home fourth and still leads with 240 points, Johnson vaulted past Slammin Sammy to now hold second in the overall championship with 229, and Sammy still managed to hold onto the third spot with 217 points. Wiles moved up to fourth overall with his win tonight with 216 points.
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The front row for the final event in the AMA Pro Flat Track K&N Filters presented by Motorcycle Superstore.com Singles Series gets ready for the main to go green at Springfield with fastest heat winner, dash winner, and eventual main event winner Henry Wiles on the #1 Monster Energy/Jones Bros/Shift Racing-sponsored Kawasaki on the pole. Second fastest in qualifying Chad Cose on the #49 Digger Helm/Lightshoe/Arlen Ness-sponsored Honda, Joe Kopp on the #3 Latus H-D/Moto Concepts/Jones Powersports-backed Honda, Matt Weidman on the #20 MDR/SNIP/Silkolene-sponsored Honda and Mick Kirkness on the #87 Dave Burks Motorsports/Yeager Cycles/F&S H-D-sponsored Suzuki round out the front row starters.
Fast qualifier and former 7-Time Grand National Champion Chris Carr on his #4 Chris Carr Racing/DFW Honda/Lancaster H-D-backed Honda won his heat but had to start from the back row in the main when his primary mount failed to fire and he had to resort to running his back up in the main event. The former winner of the Springfield Short Track managed to bring it home in the 5th spot with a great ride through the field during the 25 lap final.
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Henry Wiles continued his domination of the AMA Pro Flat Track Singles Series tonight by running away from the field to win his seventh event in a row at Springfield, and his fourth short track win in a row at the Arena on the grounds of the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Wiles won by 5.279 over second place man and 2-Time former Singles Champion Jake Johnson on his #5 Zanotti Racing Honda.

Stu's Shots will be on the scene for tomorrow's running of the legendary Springfield Mile, and we will have more on tonight's exciting short track event as well as coverage of the Twins race tomorrow after the weekend is over. Stay tuned
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AMA Pro Flat Track Singles Series Springfield Short Track main event results are here:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/events/results.cfm?eid=2010021070

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AMA Pro Flat Track Overall Championship Points Standings can be found here:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/events/standings.cfm?class=gn&c=gc

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And here is Larry Lawrence's report on this great night of racing at Springfield over at his bitchin' site TheRiderFiles.com:

http://www.theriderfiles.com/?p=5880

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Mean Green is On The Scene as Bryan Smith Takes Werner/Springsteen Monster Energy Kawasaki to Record Breaking AMA Flat Track GN Twins Indy Mile Win

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Bill Werner talks with AMA Technical Director Al Ludington about 45 minutes after Bryan Smith took the Werner Springsteen Monster Energy/Wossner Pistons/Millenium Technologies/Redline Oil-sponsored Kawasaki to the top of the box at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile on Saturday evening. In background-center can be seen AMA Flat Track Manager Mike Kidd talking with Kenny Tolbert, who wrenched Chris Carr's #4 Lancaster XR to second place and his 200th podium appearance in AMA Pro Flat Track competition.
Besides winning the main event and giving Kawasaki it's first-ever win in AMA Flat Track Grand National Twins competition, Flyin Bryan also topped the charts in qualifying and won the fastest heat of the night to start from the pole in the main event.
Bill was his usual more-than-gracious self in celebratory congratulations, pointing out, again, that it was a combination of rider as well as team that took the team and the Kawasaki to their historic Grand National Twins first-ever win. His smile was priceless, just like the win by Bryan was. One of THE best battles in AMA Flat Track competition I have ever seen in 37 years of watching this series.
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Chris Carr's Lancaster H-D/DFW Honda/Arai/Wiseco Pistons/Cometic Gaskets-backed XRs sit under the awning during the afternoon break at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile round of the AMA Pro Flat Track K&N Filters presented by Motorcycle Superstore.com GNC Twins stop. Kenny Tolbert wrenched Carr to his 200th podium appearance in 26 years of competition. Carr and Smith had an epic battle throughout the 25 lap main event, trading the lead back and forth all over the track, and until they crossed the line to take the checkers there was no telling who was going to be leading in the end. Smith had the nod by .140 seconds over Chris, who looked as strong as I have ever seen him in my years of following this great 7-Time former Grand National Champion in this great sport. Chris also won the dash earlier in the evening to collect the winner's check, the five bonus points and a super nice Tissot Nicky Hayden-replica watch. Not bad for a guy who professes to be 'living his mid-life crisis.'
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The 'King of Cool' managed a solid third place for the evening on his H-D Motor Corp/Screamin Eagle/Arai/Fox/Motion Pro-sponsored factory XR750. Kenny Coolbeth, Jr., the '06-'08 AMA Grand National Twins Champion, had a good, solid night on the #2 machine to keep himself a solid 6th in the overall Grand National Championship. Coolbeth was the defending winner of the Lucas Oil Indy Mile and placed second to winner Chris Carr in the event's return to Indy in September of 2008. Pretty good average out of this seasoned veteran who has been campaigning the AMA Pro Flat Track Series since '94 when he was named AMA Flat Track Rookie of the Year.

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One of Jake Johnson's #5 Zanotti Racing/Leo Vince/Arai/Tucker Rocky/S Designs-backed XRs sits in the pits during the break before all the action begins at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile. The former GN Singles Champ ran a race to bring it home in the fourth spot, 3.057 seconds back from winner Smith. But most important, he gained four solid points over points leader Smokin Joe Kopp to close his third place in the overall standings to within 14 points, 221-207. With Jersey Jake's mastery on the mile tracks, the remaining schedule could play very well into this veteran's hands. And having won the last two Springfield Miles, you know he must be looking forward to the upcoming weekend at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, where he has also has a win at the arena on the Singles bikes. Don't count this man out with three miles, one half mile and one short track yet to go in the season.

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The Kings Kustoms/KK Motorcycle Supply/Nelson Racing/Motion Pro/Cometic-sponsored XRs of brothers Jethro Halbert #69 and Sammy Halbert #7 sit in the pits at Indy as they talk with the fans and the team goes about various duties before the racing action begins. Jethro had a round night and looked to have suffered oil pan failure just half-way into the night's main. Sammy ran his usual fierce race to come home fifth in the main and closing to within 12 points in the overall AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship over points leader Joe Kopp, 221-209. He also came up just .026 seconds short of winning the dash, and the five valuable points that go with it, to winner Chris Carr. This young man is slowly inching his way towards the top and could have the best chance of the top three over the course of the last events of the season.

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Honorable mention goes out to Matt Weidman for his mastery of the outside line in Saturday night's Lucas Oil Indy Mile main event. Qualifying in the 13th spot for the evening and also placing fourth in heat one to get a direct transfer to the main, he rode the high, wide and handsome outside line in the final event, and looked like a cat with it's tail on fire in swooping around the other competitors while running right up next to the airfence in the corners to help advance his position. At one point in the early part of the race, Matt was battling for third and fourth before either the outside line went away or his tire did. But he put on one of the best shows in the main from this person's viewing and it was extremely thrilling to watch. After falling off the pace Matt ended up 9th in the final standings, and now sits in 10th place in the points with 81 points, one point back of 9th place in the points Johnny Lewis.

Matt can be seen sitting just behind his #20 machine as it gets the final touches before the night's racing commences at Indy. His team is sponsored by White's H-D/SNIP/Silkolene/

Shoei/K&N and Motion Pro. Matt was a busy man over the weekend making an appearance for his sponsor SNIP (Spay Neuter Indiana Pets) at a local fund raiser, as well as making a stop at one of the local H-D dealers on the southside of town to sign some autographs for the fans. Great show by this young man who carded the the '08 AMA Flat Track Rookie of the Year award and was the District 3 50CC Champion in his home state of New York in 1997.

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Shawn Baer talks with some fans while signing autographs at Indy during the break in the day's program. His #32 Bonneville Performance/Marines/Wiseco Pistons/Motion Pro/K&N-backed Triumph machines set at the reay behind him in the Bonneville Performance pit area.

Shawn took his Triumph to the win in the first semi by .077 seconds over Jethro Halbert to put it into the main for his third AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Twins event of the year, putting on a heck of a show in the process.

After overcoming some electrical maladies earlier in the season, the team looked good and ended up 16th in the main event. Shawn's win in his semi was a first by a Triumph on an oval track in close to three decades if my memory serves me correctly and he rode like a seasoned veteran. Hats and helmets off to Shawn and the whole Bonneville Performance team for a fine showing at Indy.

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History was made Saturday night at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile, round 12 of the AMA Pro Flat Track K&N Filters sponsored by Motorcycle Superstore.com Series, when Bryan Smith wheeled his #42 Werner Springsteen Monster Energy Kawasaki to the win over 7-Time Grand National Champion Chris Carr, and putting Kawasaki on the top of the box for it's first-ever Twins Series win. Battling with Carr throughout the 25 lap main, Flyin Bryan traded the lead numerous times all over the track to lead the most laps and secure his and his team's place in AMA Grand National history. In doing so, he is the second man this year to win over the venerable H-D XR750's after series championship overall points leader Joe Kopp won on the mile in Arizona back on the first of May after winning every GN Twins event since August of 1998.

The evening was full of delights and thrills as former flat track competitor, '02 AMA Superbike Champion and '06 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden not only announced his re-signing with the Marlboro Ducati team for 2011-2012, but saw him spin some laps on a specially prepared Lloyd Brothers Ducati 1098 to the thrills of the screaming crowd. Spinning it up in the corners like the flat track racer he is at heart, The Kentucky Kid thrilled the crowd with his demo ride and promised after removing his helmet that he 'would be back' one day to contest the AMA Flat Track Series. He also had a smile the width of the Mississippi River after his thrilling ride. It was a pure joy to see the Grand Marshall of the Lucas Oil Indy Mile put on such a great show for a few of his legions of fans, this one included. It wasn't quite as thrilling as Kenny Roberts laps on the TZ last year, but it was pretty darn close. Thanks Nick!

Also of note for the evening was Shawn Baer's performance in the first semi on the Bonneville Performance Triumph who won by .077 seconds on Jethro Halbert, taking a Triumph to an oval track win in at least three decades by this writer's memory. Great job!

The win by Bryan Smith is just another great story on the return of AMA Flat Track to the prominence it has deserved for some time. With the multi-brand racing, the closeness in competition, and expert work by AMA Flat Track Manager Mike Kidd and Company in making the track the best I have seen it in my 37 years of watching AMA Flat Track Grand National racing (I don't remember seeing any track prep being done once the green flag flew for the evening's first event, and other then a couple of short red flag delays, the program clicked all night. My first Indy Mile was in August of 1974 when Gene Romero took his #3 Team Yamaha parralel twin to the XS-based motor's last mile win. Kudos to Mike and brother Gary and Steve Morehead and the rest of the AMA team for making this a premier event and for bringing AMA Flat Track back to the fore front of two wheeled competition. I'm telling you, this isn't your father's AMA Flat Track anymore.

Series overall points leader Joe Kopp came home in the sixth spot after suffering some sort of mechanical problems in the dash on his Lloyd Bros. Ducati, that forced him to miss out on the four lap race and a shot at the very valuable five points that go to the winner. And Henry 'Hammerin Hank' Wiles missed the main after having to race his way out of the semi and coming up just .315 seconds back of third-placed semi two finisher Brandon Bergen. Wiles still sits in the 5th spot in the overall championship standings with 188 points, and should clinch the Singles Championship this Saturday at the Springfield short track, barring any mechanical or injury-related problems.

Kopp's lead in the overall did shrink to 12 overall to second place man Sammy Halbert, 221-209. Halbert carded a fifth in the main at Indy, and third place in the overall points man Jake Johnson, who finished fourth at Indy, now has 207 points, just 14 back on Smokin Joe. Jared Mees, the defending Twins Champ, carded eighth in the Indy main to stay in the fourth spot overall in points at 198.

The series resumes Saturday night in the arena at the Illinois State Fairgrounds running of the Springfield short track, and hits the fastest mile on the circuit on Sunday. It's go time for all competitors in the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship and the overall title is still very much up for grabs with five total races to run in the 2010 season.

You can read on below about this historic evening of competition and the thrills that are the best show on two wheels below!

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Check out Larry Lawrence's story on this historic evening for AMA Flat Track over at his site TheRiderFiles.com:

http://www.theriderfiles.com/?p=5744

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This is the official story of the evening along with complete results and standings courtesy of AMA Pro Flat Track:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/news/index.cfm?cid=39429

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And from the staff scribes over at the bible of motorcycle racing news, CycleNews.com, you can read their take on this great evening at the Indiana State Fairgrounds running of the Lucas Oil Indy Mile:

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/flat-track/2010/08/30/smith-victorious-at-indy-mile

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And also from the AMA Pro Flat Track site is this great gallery from the AMA's offcial photog, Dave Hoenig:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/multimedia/gallery.cfm?gid=4005

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And from Dave's great site, FlatTrakFotos.com, comes this link to the full list of results, sponsors and photos (soon to be posted as of this writing-usually online within 2-3 days of each event) from this most historic of wins by Bryan Smith and the Werner Springsteen Monster Energy Kawasaki on and at the legendary Indy Mile:

http://www.flattrakfotos.com/2010%20Results/RESULTS%208-28-10.html

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And here is a great album of shots from the great lens of Jim Grant at JGPhotowerx on SmugMug:

http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/13550297_dZ2Rw#987584339_ZFRfL

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Dean Adams does a super job on his SuperBikePlanet.com website, and he has some of the infamous Brian J. Nelson's shots from Saturday night at Indy:

http://superbikeplanet.com/image/2010/motogp/indy/briansat/

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David Emmett runs one of THE best websites in the racing business over at MotoMatters.com. As is pretty obvious from the title, the majority of his coverage is of MotoGP, but his ace photographer, Scott Jones, was on-hand at the Indy Mile the night before last and they have these fine shots up from this great race:

http://motomatters.com/report/2010/08/29/the_heart_of_racing_the_2010_indy_mile.html

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Here is the link to AMA Pro Flat Track's event PDF results with complete breakdown for each race and for both the Pro Singles side of the show as well as the GN Twins side of the show from Indy:

http://results.amaproracing.com/pdfresults/ft/2010/13-indiana/

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Motorcycle-USA.com has been doing a super job of covering the AMA Pro Flat Track Series this year, and for those of you that were at Indy, they were the one's giving out the free mags at each of the entrances Saturday night. Matt Davidson has his spin on Saturday night's race events right here:

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/504/7825/Motorcycle-Article/2010-AMA-Flat-Track-Indianapolis-Results.aspx

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AMA Pro Flat Track Lucas Oil Indy Mile MotoGP Weekend Preview

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Former AMA Flat Track winner and National #23 Kevin Atherton (L) makes an adjustment on the Latus/Lloyd Bros/American Agip Ducati of Joe Kopp, the 2000 AMA Grand National Champion, as one of the Lloyd Bros. team members looks on. Kopp took the big twin Ducati to the mile win at Arizona back on May 1st, and hopes to do so again at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile on Saturday night. Per the entry list as of this writing he is entered on the Ducati. Larry Pegram will be making an appearance as well and you can read more on that below.
On the right side of the shot, which was taken at Lima in June, is defending Twins Champion Jared Mees #1 Rogers Lake/Blue Springs-sponsored XR750 as it is being brought up for race time from the pit area. Look for both Jammin' Jared and Smokin' Joe Kopp to be in the mix all night this coming Saturday. It's going to be fast and fun!
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One of the all-time legendary figures in AMA Flat Track is 7-Time AMA Flat Track Grand National Champion tuner Kenny Tolbert. Behind the infamous Bill Werner, Kenny has wrenched
for more AMA Flat Track Grand National Championships and main event wins then any other tuner to have ever walked the hallowed grounds of an AMA Flat Track event. Of course, those multiple championships and wins have come with the pairing of Tolbert with 7-Time AMA Grand National Champion, and the Prince of Peoria, Chris Carr, whose #4 Lancaster H-D/DFW Honda/Arai Helmets-backed XR750's sit in the foreground of this shot at Lima earlier this summer. Of course, Carr won the return to the Lucas Oil Indy Mile in September of 2008, and the pair will be looking to repeat that success in just less then 48 hours from this writing.
I was very fortunate to be able to officially meet both Chris and Kenny earlier this summer and can say it was a pure delight to be able to meet, talk and get to hang out with them. There is nothing like having watched your heroes for over two-and-a-half decades to finally get to meet them and learn they still have the enthusiasm and the drive that you always thought they would and did, as well as learn that they were two of the funniest and warmest individuals to talk with in general. These guys have always had an ultra-strong mile track program, so look for the pairing to put Chris' #4 up at the front Saturday night at the Indy Mile.
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When you talk legends in AMA Flat Track racing, the names Jay Springsteen and Bill Werner always come to the top of the heap. The pairing of the '76-'78 AMA Grand National Champion Springer with super-tuner to the stars Bill Werner in the Harley-Davidson Factory Wrecking Crew was a match and friendship made in heaven. Springer went on to win 40-some odd races along with his three GN Championships, and Bill Werner went on to win some 150 Grand National races as well as 13 Championships as a tuner to the stars. Besides his three with Springer, Bill got his first in '75 with then-champ Gary Scott, and went on to collect nine more with the all-time winner in AMA Flat Track racing, Scott Parker, as the two paired for over a decade-and-a-half to win over 90 races and nine championships together. Can you say history re-written?!
Werner and Springsteen paired up after the '09 season was over and formed Werner Springsteen Kawasaki Racing, and put National #42 Bryan Smith in the seat of the team's Ninja 650-based twins racers. With sponsorship from Monster Energy/Kawasaki/Wossner Pistons/Supertrapp and a list that would cover this page, the team has had some bright spots in a growing year, one of which was when Smith put the #42 machine on the podium in the spring running of the Springfield Mile. Teething and growing the first-year team being what it is, going into the Lucas Oil Indy Mile, the team sits eighth in the AMA Pro K&N Filters Grand National Overall Championship. Saturday night could be a big building block, and with Indy and three other mile tracks left in the season, could finish strong to wrap up the season. Never count these men out as there is way too much experience between them to rule them out.
In the picture Springer can be seen speaking with AMA Flat Track's Ken Saillant while Bill Werner looks over the machines in final prep before the running of the Lima Half Mile earlier this year.
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3-Time AMA Grand National Champion, and now #2-plate wearer Kenny Coolbeth, Jr., looks on during rider intros at Lima in June. Sponsored by the Screamin' Eagle/H-D Motor Corp/Arai and Fox, Coolbeth won the '09 running of the Lucas Oil Indy Mile, and with a factory motor, you can never rule him out on the big tracks. Or anywhere, for that matter, as the 18 year veteran is older, wiser and much more cunning then his youthful looks make him out to be.
Just in front of the King of Cool is GN rookie PJ Jacobsen and his #99B Moroney's 1-800-FASTHOG/Weiss Racing/Shoei-sponsored XR750 and crew.
Contesting the AMA Road Racing Series this year for Celtic Racing, PJ has been taking some time off from the pavement races to run some AMA Pro Flat Track events, winning a semi in Lima and also putting it into the field at the spring mile at Springfield. He'll be at Indy trying to make the field again before he heads to New Jersey for the penultimate round of the AMA Road Racing Series during Labor Day Weekend. You can read his team's press release below and find out more PJ.
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Current AMA Flat Track Manager Mike Kidd, former National #72 and then #7 after winning the 1981 AMA Grand National Championship, rolls through the pits at Indy during the double-header round in August of 1977. Just a week before, MK had crashed at the terrible Terre Haute track, breaking his wrist/forearm-if you look closely, you can see his cast on his left arm. He came back to podium and win this very weekend, and won a total of two Indy Miles in his long and illustrious AMA Flat Track career. A multiple factory team rider, Mike rode for the factory Triumph and Harley-Davidson teams and was one of the first riders to sign up with Honda when they came into AMA Flat Track in the early '80s. Winning the '81 AMA Grand National Championship by five points in the final round at Ascot over Hank Scott, Mike was also the first rider to bring outside-the-sport sponsorship to the table in running his own program. His Army sponsorship for his AMA Flat Track program in the late '70s/early '80s was unprecedented for it's day and set the bar for future outside-the-sport sponsorships to come into the great sport of flat track racing.

Since retiring from racing, he and his brother Gary started the Arenacross series, ran it successfully and then sold it to Clear Channel and ran the program for them for some years, with also a high level of success in doing so with his and his brother's knowledge of the sport, the fans and the racers. Mike and Gary have brought the same level of enthusiasm and professionalism to AMA Flat Track in running the program for them the last couple of years, and both are largely responsible, along with former Grand National competitor Steve Morehead, of bringing the sport of AMA Flat Track back to the forefront in terms of excitement and high speed thrills. Their knowledge of the sport, the owners, fans, promoters and track preparation have turned the sport around where the show now goes off on time-in most cases-and is efficient and fun to be a part of again. And he still has his youthful smile that he had some 36 years ago when I first started watching him win races in this great arena of high speed motorcycle racing.

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Brandon Robinson, National #44, sits in his pits while being interviewed by Larry Lawrence of The Rider Files.com during the Gas City Short Track earlier in the summer. Sponsored by Lancaster H-D/Action Motorsports/Ruckus 44 and his parents and grand parents, Brandon may best be remembered at this point in time for two things. One, winning the 2008 AMA Flat Track Expert Twins Championship, and two, flying out of the park at the Indy Mile during the August 2009 running of the main event in turn one. Coming back from devastating leg, hip and rib injuries at the very least, the young man looked good at Gas City and finished seventh in the short track Expert Singles event in June.

Since he is still in the healing process, and admitted in June that his movement 'is very limited at this time' from all of his operations from his injury, Brandon didn't run last weekend's Peoria event in order to rest up for Indy this weekend. We can't wait to see the enthusiastic young man back out in the mix on the big tracks again and wish him the very best of luck-and safe racing-for his future!

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Larry Pegram rolls his #72F Lloyd Bros/American Agip Ducati into place in the pits at Indy during August of 2009 in preparation for the evening's events. Larry didn't make the main last year, but came back on the bike-now running the #99 number plate-to get 10th at the spring running of the Springfield Mile. With Joe Kopp having won at Arizona now, Larry is ready to equal that result after the work he has helped the team with in getting the big twin Ducati up to speed in AMA Pro Flat Track competition.

This weekend should help as Larry has the weekend off from his Foremost/Ducati/Pegram Racing AMA Road Racing duties, and will be looking to put it in the show and finish up front on the Hypermotard 1100-based machine. We'll be ready to see him put it together. Larry has been competing in AMA Flat Track for over 20 years now.

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With less than 48 hours until the running of the 2010 edition of the Lucas Oil Indy Mile AMA Pro Flat Track event, Stu's Shots wanted to bring this little preview out since we will be at both IMS and the Indiana State Fairgrounds over the course of the next three days for this monumental weekend here in the World Capital of Racing.

Since being paired up with the Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP round, AMA Pro Flat Track's return to the popular Indy Mile track has seen a resurgence in fans, action, race teams and the program as an overall whole. With AMA Flat Track Manager Mike Kidd at the helm, with the help of his brother Gary, along with track-prep specialist and former Grand National competitor Steve Morehead, the series is hitting on all cylinders and at a pretty good clip as well.

With title sponsorship being announced in late May in the terms of the series new name--AMA Pro K&N Filters presented by Motorcycle Superstore.com Grand National Championship--Mike and Company have really helped to turn the greatest show on wheels around in very little time. Considering the dwindling numbers in the ranks of racers, venues and fans from just six or so years ago, the series has and is once again proving to all why the Rolling Thunder show is the best show on two wheels again.

With this being the third year back since returning to Indy since the late '90s, the action should be fast and very furious for the first of six remaining events on the AMA Pro Flat Track schedule. Including Indy, with four miles, one half mile and one short track left in the 2010 season, round 12 at Indy could very well prove to be pivotal in many ways. And with the crowd that is expected to be on hand, this will be a great showcase to kick in the run to the 2010 AMA Grand National Championship, where the eventual champion will be crowned in Arizona the second weekend in October. With the overall championship having Joe Kopp out front with 208 points over second place Sammy Halbert with 191 points, Jake Johnson in third with 190, defending Singles Champion Henry Wiles in fourth with 188, and defending Twins Champion Jared Mees in fifth with 187 points, the race for the crown is far from over. And is most likely to get pretty heated starting about 7:30 PM EDT Saturday evening.

Believe me, you don't want to miss it as the AMA Pro Flat Track Rolling Thunder Show storms into the Indiana State Fairgrounds and shows the fans where, and what, the real racing is all about. Be there or be square, as it's gonna fly by you at about 140 MPH in a pack that make fighter pilots look like youngsters.

Read some of the releases and whether you are there, or not, you can follow the action below with the links provided. Stu's Shots will be there and will have some extra coverage after the weekend is over to showcase this great two wheeled sport that is re-inventing itself and showing the fans that everything else is just a race.

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Here's a press report from defending GN Twins Champ Jared Mees as he talks about the last two races and the lead up to Saturday night's legendary Indy Mile pairing with the Red Bull Indianapolis MotoGP round:

http://www.theriderfiles.com/?p=5671

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AMA road racer P.J. Jacobsen has been running some AMA Flat Track events, and he has the Indy Mile on his calendar this weekend before he heads to New Jersey Motorsports Park for the Labor Day weekend running of the AMA Road Racing Series. Here's his press release courtesy of his sponsor Moroney's 1-800-FASTHOG as posted over at RoadRacingWorld.com:

http://roadracingworld.com/news/article/?article=41714

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Here is the official event page for round 12 at Indy (they still have it listed as round 13 forgetting about the canceled Grove City event) as posted over at the AMA Pro Flat Track site:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/events/event.cfm?eid=2010021065

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Nicky Hayden will be at the Indy Mile, but unfortunately not to throw a leg over one of the Lloyd Bros. Ducatis. Instead, he will be the Grand Marshall for the event and you can read the press release here as posted over at SpeedTV.com's Moto Racing News site:

http://nascar.speedtv.com/article/motogp-hayden-to-be-indy-mile-grand-marshall/

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Here's the weather info for the Indiana State Fairgrounds running of the AMA Pro Flat Track Indy Mile event thanks to The Weather Underground folks:

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/hdfForecast?query=46205&searchType=WEATHER

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And thanks to Google Maps here is the link to the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Just zoom in to the grandstand area and/or the infield area to get where you need to go once on the premises. The place is real easy to get around in, and around on!

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=indiana+state+fairgrounds&hl=en&cd=1&ei=0wl3TLfOJp-sNe3OkNMP&sig2=xc-HZA516IANKrnA-eWYoQ&ie=UTF8&view=map&cid=9401432956597038257&ved=0CHwQpQY&hq=indiana+state+fairgrounds&hnear=&ll=39.826995,-86.134443&spn=0.007399,0.019205&t=h&z=16&iwloc=A

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SpeedTV.com's Moto Racing News has the rundown from last year's Lucas Oil Indy Mile which was won by 3-Time Grand National Champion Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. on the Screamin' Eagle H-D XR750. You can read about it here:

http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/ama-flat-track-coolbeth-takes-indy-mile/

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And thanks to SuperBikePlanet.com we have some review shots of the return of AMA Pro Flat Track to the Indy Mile at the 2008 Lucas Oil Indy Mile in September of 2008, which was won by 7-Time AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr on his Kenny Tolbert tuned H-D XR750. Check them out here as you get ready for Saturday night's action on the fast and furious Indiana State Fairgrounds track:

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/image/2008/mgp/indy/mile/index.htm

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Note--I didn't post a link for the AMA Flat Track Live Timing and Scoring since they don't put the fresh and updated link up until the day of the race itself. I have updated the link on the left side column, which should prove to be correct with the way they have been changing the paths for the link to each race. However, on race day you should be able for sure to get it by going to the link below, which is the AMA Pro Racing opening page, and they should have a link for it at the top of the page highlighted in green, again, come race day:

http://amaproracing.com/
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And you can get your very own Legends of The Indy Mile shirts right here-pretty cool!

http://legendsofflattrack.com/index.html

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