AMA Flat Track: The Peoria TT, Then and Now, As We Preview Round 14 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Series

As the hills and valley at the Peoria TT fill with throngs of race fans, the 1975 round of the Camel Pro Series/AMA Grand National Championship Series saw the grand old days of riders throwing 310 lb.+ v-twin and parallel-twin motorcycles off the jump at speeds that would make mere mortals cringe-let alone in the wonderment of the thrill.

In this heat race action shot from August 1975, then-Harley-Davidson Factory tuner Bill Werner (and now co-owner of the Werner Springsteen Monster Energy Kawasaki team) can be seen in his usual white overalls and orange H-D hat looking on from the left side of the shot.  Werner later that year won his first of 13 AMA Grand National Championships with his then-rider, '75 AMA Grand National Champion Gary Scott.

Leading those in the frame of this Stu's Shots vintage vault shot, is Rex Beauchamp on his #31 H-D Factory XR-750, with unknown rider #18(?) following.  Just coming off the jump on his #65X Vista Sheen XR is Jay Springsteen, followed by Corky Keener on the #62 Harley Factory XR-750.  Dan Gurney's All American Racers-sponsored Chuck Palmgren on the #38 Yamaha XS650-based machine brings up the rear of this pack.  Sonny Burres out of Portland, OR. went on to win the romp at Peoria that year on his #69 Triumph.


Read on below as AMA Pro Flat Track and Stu's Shots bring you more of a preview of what is to come when round 14 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series hits the track at the long-standing, and hugely attended Peoria TT.
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Peoria TT Trifecta: "Prince" Carr Celebrated and Nixon Remembered, While Championship Battles Rage


DAYTONA BEACH, FL (August 16, 2011) - The AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Flat Track Championship will again roll out in front of Peoria Race Park's thousands of fans this Sunday for Round 14 of the 21-race series. The massive crowd that traditionally fills the shaded hillsides around "Thunder Valley" will be treated not merely to the biggest and baddest TT race on the AMA Pro schedule, but to race action heightened by close championship battles raging in each class.

The Peoria Motorcycle Club has been hosting fans since 1947, and this weekend's August 21 event will mark the venue's 82nd Grand National, the early years featuring both "Heavyweight" and "Lightweight" nationals on the same day. Current machinery has since changed the way riders approach the half-mile-long track, and the 100-mph front straight and monstrous back-straight jump are not for the faint of heart.

The Chris Carr "Farewell Tour" has been a big attraction all season long, but Peoria will surely be the most emotional stop for the seven-time Grand National Champion, as Carr has proudly worn the "Prince of Peoria" title for many years. He won his first Grand National main in Peoria in 1985 -- his first of thirteen victories there, twelve of them consecutive -- and has contended twenty-four Peoria mains in all, picking up five podium finishes in addition to his thirteen wins.

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Henry Wiles leads the pack on his #1 Monster Energy Kawasaki into turn one at the Peoria TT during heat 1 race action in August 2010.  Following closely is Jake Johnson on his #5 Zanotti Racing Honda, who finished the day in the 4th spot of the National main event, and went on to win the 2010 AMA Grand National Championship.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.
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While Carr will certainly be a sentimental favorite, however, it appears the heir to the Peoria throne may have already arrived: Monster Energy Kawasaki's Henry Wiles has reeled off the last six straight wins at the TT. Thus far, the only entity able to stop Wiles at Peoria has been Mother Nature herself, as the 2007 event was rained out.

Thanks to thin margins in the 2011 Grand National Championship battle, Wiles will have some hot-blooded competitors to deal with on Sunday, starting with Woody Kyle Racing/Fredericktown Yamaha's Sammy Halbert, who's led the title hunt since the opening round. Behind Halbert are the ever-relentless Jared Mees (Montgomeryville Cycle Center/Lucas Oil) and defending Grand National Champion Jake Johnson (Zanotti Racing) -- but neither intends to stay behind much longer.

All three contenders have had some success on the brutal TT in years past. Mees and Halbert went second and third, respectively, in the 2010 event, while Johnson -- the most experienced Peoria rider of the three -- has racked up his own second and third. The trio will have company, however, as there will be several young-guns looking to make their mark.

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Henry Wiles soars off the jump at the Peoria TT on his #1 Monster Energy/Don's Kawasaki/Shift Racing/Jones Bros.-sponsored KX450F in route to winning his 6th National main event in a row in Peoria, IL. in August 2010.  The defending (and soon to be 2-Time) AMA Pro Flat Track Singles Champion led runner-up Jared Mees home by over 11.3 seconds, with Sammy Halbert rounding out the podium.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.
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JD Beach -- who won four of the eight Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles races he entered last year, even while picking up AMA Pro Road Racing's Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport East Division Championship -- will be returning from the road race wars to take his shot at the national. Beach, who earned a podium finish in his first Expert main, is no stranger to Peoria, having won its 2009 and 2010 Pro Singles races. A pair of Rookie of the Year contenders, Brad Baker and Jeff Carver, also helped to fill the Pro Singles podium both years, and the three young riders will give a fresh look to the 2011 field while giving more-veteran riders some likely trouble.

Carr's final Peoria stop won't be the only emotional event on Sunday, as many riders will be paying tribute to flat track and road race legend Gary Nixon, who passed away in early August. Those riders will wear Nixon replica jerseys for the day, paying tribute to the popular, beloved rider who won back-to-back Grand National titles before beginning his road race career. Between celebrations of flat track's proud history and the intensity of its present-day action, this year's Peoria TT promises to be a can't-miss event.

For Peoria TT tickets and information, visit www.peoriatt.net or call (309) 697-4981 or (309) 635-1662. To be a part of the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Flat Track Championship, visit www.amaproracing.com and join us on facebook.com/AMAProFlatTrackSeries and twitter.com/AMAProFlatTrack.

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

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Round 14 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series, the Peoria TT.  Info can be found below.

Event results and schedule:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/events/event.cfm?eid=2011021165

Complete event info, including rider entry lists, practice & qualifying info, and results can be found here (PDF versions--scroll down for Peoria Round 14 2011):

http://results.amaproracing.com/

Official website of the Peoria TT (includes driving directions from I-474 Loop around Peoria's west side, to the track):

http://www.peoriatt.net/

Weather for Peoria, IL., thanks to The Weather Underground:

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=zmw:61601.1.99999
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Three men who most likely will have a large bearing on what happens this coming Sunday, August 21 at the Peoria TT, are shown on the podium after the Springfield Short Track round of the 2010 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series.

JD Beach #95C (far left), had just done the near impossible (unless you know JD's racing ability) in bringing his RedBull/Top 1 Oil/Rockwall Performance/Craig Rogers-sponsored Honda CRF450R home in the 3rd spot, in what was his first-ever Expert main event at the Illinois State Fairgrounds Rodeo Arena.  Beach made use of the red-flag restart to work his way through the field from a second row, 9th place start and made the box in what was his first big foray into the Expert ranks.  Beach's previous two weekends before Springfield saw him win the Indy Mile and Peoria TT in his final races as an AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles rider.

JD is returning to the track at Peoria this weekend, having entered his #95 Universal City Kawasaki Motorsports-backed KX450F for the annual romp at the infamous TT event.  Having been contesting the AMA Pro Road Racing Series in the AMA Superbike Championship for the Cycle World Kawasaki team, Beach has the weekend off for the first time since this spring to come duke it out with the boys in the dirt.  Look for him to be part of the mix all day Sunday!

Henry Wiles had just taken his #1 Monster Energy/Don's Kawasaki/Shift Racing/Jones Bros.-backed KX450F to the win at the Rodeo Arena, and earlier in the evening had clinched his 2nd AMA Pro Flat Track Singles Series Championship by winning the Dash for Cash event.  Wiles has been all but unstoppable on the Singles bikes (especially in the State of Illinois) dating back to his first win at the Peoria TT in August 2004.

Coming off knee/leg surgery from an injury sustained at round 3 at the DuQuoin Indoor Short Track, Wiles went out with a bang in winning the Salinas Short Track round in late April.  Originally, Hammerin' Hank wasn't scheduled to return until this Sunday at Peoria, but was able to throw a leg over the #17 Greg Crow Racing XR at the Lake Odessa Half-Mile on July 23.  Looking as robust as ever, Henry qualified in the 6th position, and finished out the night's events in 12th in the main.  NOT a bad EARLY return.

Henry skipped the Sacto Mile the next weekend, but showed up for the return of the Castle Rock TT on August 6, and left little doubt that he is back.  After finishing 2nd in his heat and 3rd in the Dash, The Hammer brought it home 4th in the main, only 3.85 seconds behind winner Sammy Halbert, runner-up Jared Mees, and 3rd place finisher Brad Baker. 

As Tyler Porter pointed out last week in his InSlide Line column at Fight For Dirt Track.com, this IS the same Henry Wiles who came back several years ago after breaking his wrists in an off-track injury, to win at Peoria.  You NEVER count this man out, and at the end of the day on Sunday, he could be adding to his win list at Peoria.

Jake Johnson had just brought his #5 Zanotti Racing/Leo Vince/Arai/Tucker Rocky-sponsored Honda CRF450R home in 2nd at Springfield, as he gets interviewed during the podium festivities by Cycle News.com and The Rider Files.com's Larry Lawrence.  He eventually went on to finish the season with the coveted #1 plate in winning his first AMA Grand National Championship for the 2010 season, after having won the '06 and '08 Singles Series Championships. 

As was similar to last year, Jersey Jake already has some wins under his belt for the 2011 season, having won both the Salinas and Springfield TTs back in early and late Spring.  And Johnson's record at Peoria is extremely solid over the years, so expect to see him in the mix.  Johnson has historically come on strong at the end of the season over the course of the last few years, and this year should be no different with eight rounds left on the 2011 calendar.

Obviously, these three men only represent a small offering of who to keep an eye on this Sunday.  JR Schnabel on the #33 Monster Energy Werner Springsteen Kawasaki should be tough after his great run at the Springfield TT in May, in winning the Dash and coming home third in the main.  Jared Mees on his #9 Montgomeryville Cycle Honda will surely be in the mix (as always from Mr. Consistent!), as will Rookie of the Year shoe-in Brad Baker on his #12 Major League Moto/Baker Boys Honda.  Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. on his #2 Chaplin Kawasaki will be tough to beat, along with Chris Carr, in his final ride at the home of the Prince of Peoria, on his #4 American Motorcyclist Assoc. Honda.  Jimmy Wood on his #37 Southland Racing Honda will surely be in the mix, as should Shaun Russell on the #28 Werner Springsteen Kawasaki.  And you have many more that could be right there in the mix come Sunday afternoon!

And last but not least, you simply cannot overlook the current and season-long overall point leader, in Sammy Halbert on his #7 Woody Kyle/Fredericktown Yamaha.  Sammy tore everyone a new one at Castle Rock, and leads the series with four wins on the season, starting with the season-opening double rounds at the Daytona Short Track.  Don't forget his last-to-5th place finish at the Springfield TT in late May or his 5th place at the Salinas TT in late April.  The little man that lets his bike handling ability do the talk for him should be a force to be reckoned with come race time Sunday afternoon in the wondrous amphitheater setting outside of Peoria, IL.

Are you in, or are you out?  Time to get on board, as the men and women of The Rolling Thunder Show are getting ready to tear it up at Peoria as the stars hit the track at the annual return to the Budweiser Grand National Championship TT event.  Don't forget that another treat awaits you at Peoria-thanks to the great folks at Metro Racing, many in the field will be wearing Gary Nixon jerseys to help and honor the former 2-Time AMA Grand National Champion, who passed away on August 5.  This is a very neat gesture to honor the passing of one of the true heroes of the sport, and should make watching for your favorite rider look like an exercise of playing Where's Waldo. 

Buckle up, cuz this shows ready to roll on!
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Thanks to John Blackstock (from over at FlatTrack.com and Facebook) for posting the link to this great video, a brief review of the 2010 AMA Pro Flat Track Peoria TT event, where Henry Wiles won his 6th Peoria TT Grand National Championship event in a row (2007 was rained out):

http://www.grindtv.com/moto/video/henry_wiles_wins_his_6th_peoria_tt/#54114
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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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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 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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Happy Birthday to 3-Time Grand National Champion Jay Springsteen from Stu's Shots!!

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Jay Springsteen on the #65x Vista Sheen XR-750 leads Gary Scott on the #64 factory XR-750 in the middle of turns 1 and 2 at Terre Haute during the main event in August of '75. Springer went on to finish 3rd in the standings his rookie year behind Scott, who won the championship on a factory Harley tuned by Bill Werner, and Kenny Roberts on the factory Yamaha (and the '73-'74 AMA Grand National Champion). Springer was signed by Harley to fill the seat left by Scott (who bolted to run his own team after differences with former flat track manager Dick O'Brien) and went on to capture the '76-'78 Grand National Championships, and to become the first man in GNC history to win over 30 events in flat track competition. Of course Werner went on to amass 13 Grand National Championships overall with Scott, Springer and Scott Parker as well.
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Grand National #9 sits on the end of his transporter and talks shop with family, friends and fans in the pit area at the Indy Mile during MotoGP weekend of August 2009. Sitting out front just clean as a whistle was Jay's restored XR-750 that had at one time belonged to and was raced by former Grand National Champion Bart Markel. Jay was overheard to say it was what got him out of the house to be able to go have a beer, and that was how the project started in restoring it. Fine piece of equipment and there was a crowd around it checking it out and very appreciative of the effort put in by Ole No. 9! Great job! One of his own Bartel's XR's sat off to the side as well, but Jay was just spectating this event. Not too mention showing off his restoration abilities. Did I say great job!?
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Ken Springsteen #76x leads his brother Jay on the #65x XR-750 in between turns 1 and 2 at Terre Haute during practice in August of 1975. Vista Sheen was an outfit out of the Detroit-Flint, MI. area that manufactured custom t-shirt designs, i.e. racing team shirts and sponsor shirts. Ken and Jay came up through the old 'ladder' system in those days from the Amateur to the Novice class and then on to the Grand National class. I remember seeing them both unload along with Bart Markel and Corky Keener together at an indoor race at the old Market Square Arena here in Indy back in February of 1975, and pitting side-by-side in the pit area that was set up for the racers at the arena. The Michigan Mafia is still steeped in a very long line of hard-core racing talent from that area of the country. Must be in the water or the veggies...
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Cliff 'Corky' Keener on the #62 factory H-D XR-750 leads the field into turn one for the Expert Main Event in the October 1975 running of the AMA and ABC Race of Champions at Louisville Downs. Following are #31 Rex Beauchamp on another of the factory Harley's, Jay Springsteen on the #65x Vista Sheen XR, Scott Drake on the #91, #42 Steve Morehead, #45 Doug Sehl, #14 Hank Scott and the #92 of H-J Products-sponsored Steve Droste. Back in the mid-70's the AMA ran the 'race of champions' as a way of bringing together all winners of all the races , flat track AND road race, throughout the season into one big race or showdown. This was the expert main race-part of the program that was won by Hank Scott on the #14 XR that was actually Sehl's spare bike. Scott's Shell Thuett Yamaha broke earlier in the day. The main event Race of Champions itself was won by future '81 Grand National Champion and current AMA Flat Track Head Man Mike Kidd. Droste's sponsor H-J Products was based out of South Bend, IN., and used to have one of the regular ads in the classified section of Cycle News East that ran every week for several years back then. All competitors in the ROC and in this shot were on XR's, including '70 GNC Gene Romero who was in the event due to winning the Daytona 200 in March of '75 on a Team Yamaha-factory TZ750. Springer's first GN win came at Louisville in June of '75, and he went on to win two more in '75, including Harrington, DE. the next race weekend.
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Kevin Atherton on the #23 runs it into turn 1 at Springfield with Jay 'Springer' Springsteen alongside on the #9 Bartel's machine. Just behind on the #69 Earls' Racing Team XR is future AMA Superbike and MotoGP Champion Nicky Hayden, with 7-Time Grand National Champion #4 Chris Carr and #67 Ken 'The King of Cool' Coolbeth (and future 3-Time Grand National Champion) just behind. This was the AMA Hall of Fame race weekend Labor Day of 2001. Springer's last win came at Springfield in May of 2000, and I'm proud to say I saw his first and his last as well. The guy has been an ironman throughout his career, and if not for being temporarily derailed in the early 80's due to his stomach illness, he surely would have won many more races and championships. Other then some road racing the last few years, the 'ole gunslinger' is missed on the flat track scene. It never ceases to amaze me that when he does show up at a race, he still gets the loudest ovation of anyone on-hand. The guy is a great and likeable champion and person, and has a smile that would win the devil over with! A close friend of mine was spectating at the first MotoGP round here in Indy back in September of '08 and just happened to look over and see Springer spectating as well. He mentioned he had never met a nicer person and fun guy to talk to and with. Sounds just like Springer doesn't it?! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I remember showing up at the Louisville Half Mile in June of '75 and seeing this young guy everyone had been talking about for some time that was just flat tearing the track up.
In practice, feet-up slides and powering through the corners, everyone had their eyes on the #65x of Jay Springsteen on his Vista Sheen-sponsored H-D XR-750, and wondered what was to come. The quiet-in-speech but loud-on-the-track 18 year old youngster was making an impression. And the rooster tails he would lay out behind him were just part of it.
To another young 18 year old, myself, who was just starting to get in to the wonderful world of AMA Flat Track, I was amazed and thrilled to see what this young gun could do with the twist of his wrist and throwing the XR sideways into the corners. Little did I know at the time what a chapter in flat track history I was actually witnessing.
After having just seen my first two flat track races the summer before, I was bought and sold on the sport, and with Louisville being my third overall race to spectate at (and from inside the pits to boot!) I was getting a pretty good education. And when the teacher was done, I had witnessed-along with approximately 15K other people that night-the dawn of a new era in AMA Grand National Flat Track racing. The Springer Years were born on that night, as the ole gunslinger won the first of many of his long list of Grand National flat track races. And I was taken to school and loved every minute of it!
Springer will be celebrating his birthday on Thursday April 15th-tax day-and I for one will be sipping a cold glass of something in honor of the 'kid' who could flat hang it out on a flat track motorcycle. And after all these years, I still have the same-or even more, for that matter-level of enthusiasm I do for this great sport, and for the people who have made it what it is.
Jay Springsteen is one of those who made one heck of a dent in this sport in terms of good values, good racing, and good people. And he made quite the impression on another '18 year old kid' in the process. Let alone a life-long fan!
Hats and helmets off to Jay Springsteen, one of the best to ever throw a leg over a flat track bike, twist it sideways and rocket it down the 135mph front straight in a wild mile pack, Happy Birthday My Man! And thanks for all you have done to and for the fans and the sport of flat track, and for making at least one more green kid a little less greener.
Take a bow, Jay, you deserve it. Enjoy your day!!!
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Here's the AMA Hall of Fame page bio on Springer from his induction in 2003:
http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/hofbiopage.asp?id=307
The Motorsports Hall of Fame in Novi, MI. has a page on Jay written by ex-Cycle New scribe and flat track series contributor Scott Rousseau:
http://www.mshf.com/hof/springsteen_jay.htm
And Springer's long-time sponsor Bartel's H-D has a tribute page to him as well in the racing section of their website:
http://www.bartelsharley.com/racing/springsteen.shtml
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We Continue Our Salute to Mike Kidd and Gene Romero as Pomona is Almost Here....

As the season ending race at Pomona for the AMA Flat Track series is less then

44 hours away, we wanted to take the time to salute the other head of racing tonight.

The other night, we saluted Gene Romero, former GNC and now head of the West

Coast Flat Track Series (www.wcfts.com) and some of his past accomplishments over

the years.

Tonight, we tip the proverbial helmet to Mike Kidd, '81 AMA Grand National Champion,

former National #7--and 72 before he won the championship--and the man who is currently

heading up the AMA/DMG run Flat Track Series. Having been around the racing and

promoting scenes for over 4 decades now, Mike has some great insight as to how to run

a professional race series, how to promote it, keep the fans AND racers happy, and

how to be able to do so and make money at the same time. Thankfully the folks at

DMG decided to give the helm to Mike in running things in this series, as he has more then

proved he can run and promote a series with the utmost of success and respect. We're only

one full season in on this deal and so far Mike is hanging in there. I think that is a good sign

in that they are letting him do what needs to be done to get things organized and lined

out to be able to build the product of flat track racing. And to hopefully bring some new blood

in and try to get more fans back at the races in the process. And of course as we all know with

the current state of the economy, people have a lot fewer dollars around for racing or

entertainment in general so it IS a monumental task. But enough of that.

When I first started getting into this flat track thing in early '74, Mike had already ridden

for the Triumph Factory team, and was out injured the mid part of the year. It was in

the summer of '75 when I started noticing he was 'back' and was obviously healthy and

winning races again. Some of the shots above are of one of his race wins at Terre Haute

in August '75. He got hurt there in '77 and broke his wrist if I remember right, and 6 days

later we ran into him at an old Linder's Ice Cream store on the west side of Indy and he was

on his way to the mile about 8 miles down the road--ready to race. Oh, and he won....the night

race and if I remember correctly, that was the 2nd year of the Indy Mile Doubleheader

Nationals, and he came in close to the top on Sunday afternoon as well. Several years

later while running his own team with Army sponsorship, which at the time was a major

godsend in having a sponsor like that in flat track in itself, he won the '81 Championship.

Going on to ride for Team Honda when they came out with the original twin, CX500-based

NS750, he was one of the original riders that helped to develop Team Honda into a non-stop

powerhouse that re-wrote the books on kickin' a.. and taking names in dirt track racing through

the '80s and really ending several years after with Ricky Graham's last championship in '93 on

a Johnny Goad-prepped privateer RS750.

After retiring from riding, Mike got involved big time with the ArenaCross program, built it,

sold it, promoted it, and turned it into one of the best run AND attended motorsports racing

of ANY kind. Then he sold it off to Clear Channel, and went to work for them as a consultant

and promoted them further. The man KNOWS the game! And if he can help to do SOME of

the same for our beloved sport of flat track, we all have a chance. This will be a pivotal w/e

at Pomona with Mike overseeing the AMA-side of things and Gene Romero overseeing the

WCFTS-side of things. These two guys individually exude class, respect, and the ability to

know how to have a good time and put on a great show. It should be fun!

Here is the link to my previous post earlier in the week with my salute to Gene, where I

posted all the links you should need to be able to keep up with the races at Pomona on

Saturday afternoon and evening:

http://stusshots.blogspot.com/2009/10/ama-flat-track-goes-to-pomona-to-close.html

Here are a few links of some info about Mike Kidd, as well, including his
AMA Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame page, as well as his bio and basic background from

the AMA as well:

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/hofbiopage.asp?id=100

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/classics/bike.asp?id=32

http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/PersonDetail.aspx?PersonID=2539723

And this is the official link from the California Bike Week folks on all of the festivities:

http://californiabikeweek.com/cbw09/2009/10/10/ama-pro-grand-national-flat-track-series-still-happening/

The shots above I threw in tonight to celebrate Mike's great racing past are mostly from

the Terre Haute August '75 race he won.

First off is a shot of Mike in action between 1-2, taking the checkered flag for the National

win, one of him 'throwing it down' on the cases going into 1, and a shot of him leading the late,

great Rex Beauchamp #31 as they come into 1 during the National.

The last shot is from the Louisville early summer race in '76. Mike's running it up the inside

of Gary Scott on the #1 K & K-sponsored bike and bringing up the rear is rookie of the year

and future '79 Grand National Champion Steve Eklund on the #74z bike. I'm pretty sure this

was a heat race shot.

Enjoy the shots, enjoy the read, and if you get a chance to follow the races from here this w/e,

enjoy! And if you make the trip and want to fill us in, we're all ears! Take care.

Rex Beauchamp Natl #31 H-D Factory XR, Terre Haute 1975

The Late, Great Rex Beauchamp, Terre Haute 1975