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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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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