AMA Flat Track: Today's Cycle Coverage Builds a Pro Singles Honda

Round 7 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com saw the Weirbach Racing team out of Ottumwa, Iowa getting ready in the pits before the first practice session at the Springfield TT for the Pro Singles riders on May 30.  After having survived the loss of some of their equipment the day before from a fire involving their transporter, the team was doubly busy in getting their machines ready for riders Mikey Labelle #20T and Mikey Martin #91Y.

Martin, who would go on to win the 2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship on his Weirbach Racing/General Engineering/Barnett Clutches/Spectro-sponsored Honda CRF450R, made the best of a bad situation over the Memorial Day weekend rounds in finishing 2nd in both the TT and mile events.  Labelle would fare worse, but still pulled out a 7th place finish on the mile on his Weirbach Racing/General Engineering/Jerry Wilhelmy/Barnett Clutches-backed Honda.

Weirbach Racing finally got their championship after a tough start to the season, and have shown regularly that they have a good hand in picking talent and setting up competitive equipment.  Labelle had a rough season in finishing in the 19th spot in the Pro Singles standings with a best finish of 4th at the I-96 Speedway round, after a great year in 2010 where he finished in the 5th spot with four top-5 finishes and a win at the season-ending event in Arizona.  And Martin, who was handed the #1 Pro Singles plate at the season-ending round in Pomona, won three rounds on the season and had 14 top-5 finishes for 2011, after a 6th place finish in '10 with three top-5s and two podium finishes.



The Pro Singles Series has shown some exceptionally good, close and competitive racing in it's three seasons of existence.  The amount of talent that comes up through the ranks is deep, with now all three previous Pro Singles Champions having moved onto the Expert rankings ('09 Champ Brad Baker, '10 Champ Jeffrey Carver, Jr. and now '11 Champ Mikey Martin who will ride for Bonneville Triumph in the 2012 season.)  Probably it's biggest downfall is setting these young riders lose on these machines on a mile track, where the close action at over 130 mph can be eventful at the very least.

Just as where many long-time fans of the sport would rather see not only the Pro Singles but Expert Singles series go back to a full-framer racing class, you can't doubt or overlook the cost of putting together one of these 'DTX'-spec bikes as opposed to building a full-framer flat track machine.  And the original intention of going to the 'DTX'-spec machines was and is to help draw in more industry, if not manufacturer sponsorship and backing.  Although factory involvement in flat track is still lacking from what it was decades ago, the formula for going racing and being able to put a machine on track has been made somewhat less costly (if anything racing COULD be less costly!) and has made it easier for people and teams to get involved.

Having been a long-time flat track fan/fanatic/lunatic/junkie for over four decades myself, I appreciate both sides of the argument.  Yes, I would love to see full-framer flat track bikes out banging bars at my favorite events.  But at the same time I applaud the fact that now more people CAN get involved because of the platform available to enter a Pro Singles or Expert Singles event and the comparitive ease of being able to do so with the 'DTX' formula.  And bottom line, at least we still have those willing to do so for the betterment of the sport, and it's fans new and old alike.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today's Cycle Coverage.com's Dan Jacobson, Sr. put together a nice read on what it could or would take in order to put a competitive Pro Singles machine together in order to go racing in the Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship Series.  Now whether or not you have the success that the Weirbach team has had is another story altogether, however this is a good snapshot of setting up a Honda CRF450R to be race-ready in the Pro Singles ranks.  Just add rider.

Read on:

http://www.todayscyclecoverage.com/wordpress/2011/12/04/so-you-want-to-be-a-flat-track-racer/

Keep up with the 2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship-winning team of Weirbach Racing here:

http://weirbachracing.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AMA Flat Track: Pro Singles Class Proves It's Worth With Champs Brad Baker & Jeffrey Carver

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

While 2nd place finisher Chaz Springsteen looks on and event winner Brad Baker takes a swig of water, 3rd place finisher Mikey Labelle is interviewed by AMA Flat Track race announcer Scottie Duebler on the victory podium for the AMA Pro Motorcycle Superstore Pro Singles main event at Lima, OH. in June of 2010. After 12 hard-fought laps, Bad Brad took a convincing win on the half mile of just over 3.4 seconds from Springsteen, who came home just .313 seconds ahead of Labelle, who likewise finished just .050 seconds ahead of 4th place finisher James Rispoli. Baker is sponsored on his #1 Honda CRF450 by Rod Lake/Mike Velasco/Brothers Powersports, and was the defending and inaugural '09 AMA Pro Singles Champion.
The Pro Singles Class was originally established during the 2009 season as a showcase and ladder class for the younger and/or less experienced riders in flat track to get track time in competitive environments and to hone their talents in hopes of moving up to the premier class in flat track, the AMA Grand National Champion Series. It has proven to be an ultra-competitive series, and with the riders showcasing their talent on single cylinder-based machines, the costs are somewhat kept in-check as opposed to running a competitive Twins-based machine. Some of the best racing at any given event, whether on a short track, TT, half mile or mile course, has been seen in the Pro Singles Championship Series and close racing and finishes are the norm at any given event.
While Baker has moved on and up to the AMA Flat Track Grand National Champion Expert division for the 2011 season, both Springsteen and Labelle will be competing again during the upcoming season in the Pro Singles Series. Springsteen wasn't in attendance at Daytona, and Labelle had a rough start to his season in finishing last in the first race and not qualifying for the main in the second earlier this month.
After finishing in the 5th spot in the 2010 Pro Singles standings, look for Labelle to improve steadily throughout the upcoming season. And with a 7th place finish in last year's standings to his credit, Chaz should have a good year in 2011 as well. With Baker and '10 Pro Singles Champ Jeffrey Carver, Jr. making the move to the Expert class for this year, look for someone to step up to fill the void left by the departure of these fine young men in representing the sport and showcasing the talent level in this feeder class.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With just over two weeks to go for round three in the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series and AMA Pro Singles Series, a little reflection on the first two years of the AMA Pro Singles Flat Track Championship Series is due. With both '09 Pro Singles Champ Brad Baker and '10 Champ Jeffrey Carver, Jr. making the move to the 'bigs' in the AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship Series, there is a wide-open range of riders coming up in the feeder series that could take over the top spots vacated by these fine young men. And with the level of competition seen in the first two years of the series, nothing less then the best should or will be expected as the season gets rolling full swing come late spring. Mikey Avila on his #33E Honda CRF450 is the front runner after the first two rounds at Daytona with 1/2 finishes to his credit in the openers. Gerit Callies on his #76L Honda also carded 2/1 finishes and looks to give Avila a run for his money in 2011. Who else do you expect to see step up in the 2011 season?

When AMA Pro Flat Track came up with the overall formula for the Pro Singles Championship Series to replace the Expert Twins Series for 2009 and beyond, the idea was to have a level playing field to showcase the talent of the up-and-comers on single cylinder-based machines, in order to draw the competition level closer together, and as much as possible under racing scenarios, lower the costs to go racing. Costs of maintaining a single cylinder machine should/could prove to be less then maintaining a twin cylinder machine, and also all major manufacturers produce a 450CC machine that can be set up as a flat tracker with 'minimal' work, to make a more level playing ground. Whether you can use words like 'lower costs' and 'minimal' in discussing racing in general is another subject all together, obviously, and not the aim of this discussion.

Three years into the running of the series now, Honda has without a doubt established itself as the 'machine of choice' in the Pro Singles Class with it's CRF450 machine. Two out of three riders entered in the class at Daytona were Honda mounted, and those numbers are also similar in the Expert Singles Class as well. With Henry Wiles' and Kawasaki's dominance in the Expert Singles Series the last couple of years, they have gained a few spots in terms of machines being entered by riders for 2011.

Mark Cernicky, who writes for Cycle World.com, put together a competitive Honda CRF450 for the Pro Singles Class in '10 and made the main at Prescott Valley for the season-ender back in October. He also did some racing near his home in California at Perris Speedway and managed to win some races along the way, too. Along the way, he put together a great story of putting his effort together. You can read about it here:

http://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle_news/racing_articles/11q1/what_i_did_last_summer_-_racing
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While you are waiting for round three of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series and AMA Pro Singles Championship Series to kick off in a little over 17 days in DuQuoin, IL. on April 16, you can check out the rules packages here:

http://www.amaproracing.com/competition/index.cfm?cid=20459
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

AMA Flat Track: 2010 AMA Pro Singles Year-End Review and Awards

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

AMA Pro Motorcycle Superstore.com Pro Singles podium celebrations are just getting started at the Gas City/I-69 Speedway stop of the tour back on June 19. AMA track announcer Scotty Duebler interviews 3rd place finisher Brian Tapp, rider of the #37C Honda CR450 backed by WKR/West Coast Hot Shoes. Tapp finished 24th in the 2010 AMA Flat Track Pro Singles Championship with 31 points, with Gas City being his best result on the year.
2010 AMA Pro Flat Track Motorcycle Superstores.com Pro Singles Champion Jeff Carver stands behind his event-and series-winning #24P YZ450 Yamaha, which is backed by Vans/Yamaha Motor Corp/GYTP/Carvers BBQ. Carver won five events, came home 2nd four times, and also carded two 3rd place finishes on the year to have the championship sealed before the season ending race in Arizona, where he finished 4th (his second of the year) and totaled 293 points to win the title over 2009 Pro Singles Champion Brad Baker, with 267 points.
James Rispoli can be seen talking with Carver after a fine 2nd place finish at Gas City, and 4th place in the Pro Singles Championship on the year with 160 points while riding the #71B Honda sponsored by Cycle Dynamics/ANT-Racing/Vadnais Machine. Rispoli also split time in the AMA Pro Road Racing Series running in the AMA SuperSport East Series where he finished 5th in the year end standings.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Rider intros are underway at the Springfield Mile round of the 2010 AMA Pro Motorcycle Superstore.com Pro Singles Series on September 5. Eventual event winner Michael Toon is being introduced to the the crowd by AMA track announcer Barry Boone as his #22L Honda sponsored by Price Truck Line/Kennedy Tires/Woody Kyle Racing is held at the ready for him.
Toon was victorious on the day, beating out #81C Zakk Palmer by .020 seconds with 2009 Pro Single Champ coming home 3rd on the day just .051 seconds back from Toon. Toon finished the year 9th in the Pro Singles Championship with 104 points.
Behind Toon is eventual 2010 AMA Pro Motorcycle Superstore.com Pro Singles Champion Jeff Carver alongside his #24P Van's Yamaha. Carver came home 5th at Springfield, just .335 seconds behind winner Toon. The Champ also had another 5th place finish on the year the night before on the Springfield Rodeo Arena Short Track. Carver was awarded his ceremonial #1 plate for winning the championship at the season ending banquet, and was also awarded National #23 from Kevin Atherton, which he will wear in the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series.
Rider #2oT is Mikey Labelle, alongside his Honda sponsored by WeirBach Racing/General Engineering/Barnett Clutches. Labelle finished 4th on the day at Springfield just .122 seconds back from winner Toon. He also won his first-ever AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles event at the season ending round in Prescott Valley, to finish the year 5th in the season ending standings with 139 points. He dedicated that win to rider Jesse Phibbs, who died the week before from injuries sustained at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile on August 28.
These Pro Singles events are serious business with multiple-bike battles and close racing at it's VERY best, doing a great job to highlight the up-and-comers into the great sport of AMA Flat Track Racing. You can tell from the time differences shown in the few shots I have posted and results shown that they are a pretty exciting affair, to say the least. AMA Flat Track has done a super job of using this series to showcase it's future in racing, and you always see the very best of racing with these young men wringing the heck out the 450s, especially on the mile tracks!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

Lima Half Mile round podium celebrations are underway in the AMA Pro Motorcycle Superstore.com Pro Singles class as AMA track announcer Scotty Duebler reads off 2nd place finisher Chaz Springsteen's list of sponsors. Chaz, the nephew of 3-Time AMA Flat Track Grand National Champion Jay Springsteen, rode his #29J Monster Energy/Kawasaki/Werner & Springsteen-sponsored Kawasaki EX450 to his only podium of the year at Lima, and finished out the season 7th in the Pro Singles Championship with 130 points. He also scored two 4th place finishes in the May Arizona Mile and at the Minnesota Mile for the year.
Lima winner, and 2009 AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles Champion Brad Baker is all smiles behind his #1 Honda, backed by Rod Lake/Mike Velasco/Brothers Powersports. Baker also scored three other wins on the year (Arizona Mile in May, Calistoga on the half mile, and Springfield on the short track) to finish 2nd in the year end standings behind Carver, 293-267 points. Baker also carded two 2nd place finishes and five 3rd place finished on the year for a super year. As part of AMA Flat Track's ladder program, Baker was also able to run three Grand National events in the Twins Class at Lake Odessa, Calistoga and the season ender at the Yavapai Downs Mile. Look for Brad in 2011 in the bigs, too, possibly alongside Carver. Having raced together for the championship in the Pro Singles Series now for two years, these guys are pretty familiar with one another and should also put on a super show as 'rookies' in the AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship Series. 3rd place finisher at Lima was #20T Mikey Labelle, who is mostly obscured in this shot, but has been talked about in the previous shot rundowns.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With the 2010 AMA Pro Motorcycle Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship having been decided before the season ending round at Yavapai Downs, Jeffrey Carver, Jr. ended up winning the title over 2009 Pro Single Champion Brad Baker by a margin of 26 points, 293-267 in the final tally. Both of these fine young men will be moving up to the Expert GNC Class for the 2011 season, showing that the current ladder/growing system for the sport is working quite well in bringing new talent into the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series. Between these two hard chargers, they won 9 of 16 events on the schedule (Carver's 5 to Baker's 4) and accounted for 22 podium spots on the year as well.

The AMA Pro Singles Class was brought in new for the 2009 season, taking the place of the old Pro Expert Twins Class that preceded it. Needless to say this change has been instrumental in bringing AMA Flat Track fans some of the most exciting race action that AMA Flat Track has had to offer over the years, and even decades. The racing is as close as you can get, and some of the most exciting that each event has to offer. All entrants race DTX production-based 450s so it makes for some VERY close action and thrills.
Personally, one of THE best races of the year was watching eventual champ Jeff Carver start on the back row (due to a false start) in his heat race at Indy in August to power his way around the outside of everyone to win in only six laps. And then to come off the back row again to finish the main in 3rd place, only because I think not only he was worn out, but so was the rear tire on his #24P Van's Yamaha.

Some of the best racing on the year came out of the Pro Singles races I witnessed. And the talent pool looked great this year, and very promising for the 2011 season as well.

You can catch up on a couple of interviews and photos in the links below. And we congratulate 2010 AMA Pro Motorcycle Superstore.com Pro Singles Champion Jeff Carver for a great year, as well as all of the participants in the 2010 Pro Singles season. What a ride and what a great year for these young men. Great job to all and thanks for the memories of a super season in AMA Flat Track!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2010 AMA Pro Flat Track Motorcycle Superstore.com Pro Singles Year End Top 10 Point Standings:

1. Jeffrey Carver, Jr. 293 points (5 wins, four 2nd place finishes, two 3rd place finishes)
2. Brad Baker 267 points (4 wins, two 2nd place finishes, five 3rd place finishes)
3. Michael Avila 194 points
4. James Rispoli 160 points
5. Mikey Labelle 139 points
6. Michael Martin 137 points
7. Chaz Springsteen 130 points
8. J.D. Beach 118 points (four wins on the year, moved to Expert GNC Class at Springfield)
9. Michael Toon 104 points
10. Jake Shoemaker 90 points
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is AMA Pro Flat Track's official release on the year end banquet awards. 2010 AMA Pro Motorcycle Superstore.com Pro Singles Champion Jeff Carver is featured as he gets his ceremonial #1 plate, and also is awarded National #23 for 2011 in the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series. Kevin Atherton was on hand to award him his 'old' number. Carver will get to wear a 'solid' National number due to the AMA awarding those to previous champions in the feeder/
growing series of the Pro Singles Championship:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/news/index.cfm?cid=40247

Ultimate Motorcycling.com has this version of the AMA PR on the Pro Singles awards at the year end banquet in Prescott Valley, along with a couple of good pics as well:

http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com/2010/ama-flat-track-carver-gets-his-no-1-plate

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

Tyler Porter over at Fight For Dirt Track has this great interview with 2010 AMA Pro Motorcycle Superstore.com Pro Singles Champion Jeff Carver, Jr. from after the season ending race in Prescott Valley:

http://www.fightfordt.com/runscript.cfm?page=carverarizona.cfm

Tyler also has this interview with Mikey Labelle, who got his break out first-time win as an AMA Pro Singles rider at Prescott Valley. Labelle, who finished 5th in the 2010 AMA Pro Motorcycle Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship with 139 points, dedicated his Yavapai Downs Mile win to Jesse Phibbs. Jesse was the Pro Singles rider from Canada (who less than a few hours before the crash had won his first pole at the Lucas Oil Indy Mile event) that was severely injured on the first lap of the first Pro Singles heat race at Indy on August 28, and who several weeks later succumbed to his numerous injuries:

http://www.fightfordt.com/runscript.cfm?page=labelleaz.cfm
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here are some great shots over at Poppa Wheelie's super site of first-time Pro Singles winner Mikey Labelle at the Yavapai Downs Mile on October 9:

http://pwheelie.blogspot.com/2010_10_01_archive.html#1887631098252223774
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------