AMA Pro Flat Track Announces Yamaha to Provide Increased Contingency Awards for 2015 Grand National Championship Season

No, Kenny 'The King' Roberts isn't coming out of retirement to contest the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season, but his former team and sponsor, Yamaha, has announced that they will be providing over $100K in rider contingencies for the upcoming season in The Rolling Thunder Show for riders competing in both the GNC1/Expert Twins and Singles Series, as well as in the GNC2/Pro Series aboard the company's FZ07 and YZ450F machines.

Rumors have been spreading rampantly since late last fall that several teams had acquired the newly released FZ07 engines to set up for the Twins Series events in order to compete at the top level against the long standing XR750 and the XR-killer Kawasaki EX650 that has taken the sport by storm since Bryan Smith's inaugural win aboard a Werner-Springsteen Racing Kawasaki at the Indy Mile in August 2010. Cory Texter showed up for Bike Week aboard a Babe Demay (one of Roberts' former tuners back in the day) built and Memphis Shades sponsored FZ07-inspired mount.

Shown in the shot above, The King distances himself from the field on the #2 Yamaha Factory Racing/Goodyear Tire/Bell Helmets-sponsored Yamaha XS650-based mount at the Terre Haute Action Track in route to his win in August 1976. Notice the rear wheel on Roberts' bike showing visible air underneath due to the rough conditions seen at Terre Haute that eventually led to the series leaving the track due to unsafe conditions after former '81 AMA Grand National Champion Mike Kidd's huge crash during the '77 event that led to Kidd breaking his wrist.

This is top line news for The Rolling Thunder Show as it opens up more chances for riders to pocket extra bucks while riding the marque's new FZ07, which as a parallel twin motor closely resembles the Kawi EX that has taken the sport by storm over the course of the last five seasons, and adds to the competition level in terms of more involvement for the sport and more choices for the teams and riders to work with in campaigning the course of the season. Bravo to Yamaha for stepping up to the plate in order to increase the monie$ available and choices available to go fast and turn left. Thanks goes to Yamaha for getting back into the action even deeper!

Check out the full release below from AMA Pro Racing to read all about the particulars in this great announcement from late last week.

AMA Pro Flat Track riders receive increased contingency commitment from Yamaha

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 19, 2015) - AMA Pro Flat Track riders on Yamaha equipment will benefit from a dramatically increased contingency program by the manufacturer in 2015.   Yamaha has expanded its program to both the premier Harley-Davidson GNC1 class presented by Vance & Hines, and the GNC2 class, offering up to $1,500 for individual riders per race in the top class and $500 in GNC2. A total of $106,400 is up for grabs between both classes for eligible "bLU cRU" riders over the course of the season.   "We can't thank Yamaha enough for increasing their commitment to flat track racing," said Michael Gentry, Chief Operating Officer of AMA Pro Racing. "Strong involvement from the manufacturers is key to keeping our sport among the most competitive in the world. It will help drive future growth, and we are confident any relationship with manufacturers, such as Yamaha, truly is mutually beneficial."   The increased commitment coincides with the recent debut of Yamaha's FZ-07 motorcycle. A number of FZ-07 engines were made available for flat track teams and an FZ-07-powered machine could make its AMA Pro Flat Track debut May 24 at the historic Springfield Mile in Springfield, Ill.         JD Beach on the #95 Van's Yamaha YZ450F is shown in action during the season-opening rounds of the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship season at the Daytona Short Track earlier this month. Yamaha has announced an increased contingency program for riders in both the GNC1 & GNC2 ranks, both in the Twins and Singles Series, for the season ahead. Photo courtesy of AMA Pro Racing.         "I think AMA Pro is making a big effort to improve flat track racing, get it out there and get public awareness," said Keith McCarty, Racing Division Manager for Yamaha. "Now we have an FZ-07 engine that's going to be able to do well and compete in the twins class. We legitimately have a chance to win a twins championship now, which we really didn't have in the past. At Yamaha, racing is in our DNA, all forms of racing, and certainly dirt track is tied in. We want to be a part of it and show competitors we want to be a part of it by offering increased contingency."   For more information on Yamaha's contingency program, please visit: http://www.yamahamotorsports.com/sport/pages/2015-yamaha-off-road-racing-contingency-program   Every round of the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track season will be available live, in high definition and free of charge for fans to watch online at www.FansChoice.tv.

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.

Long Live The King-Happy Birthday to Kenny Roberts!!

As many of you already know, coming up through the ranks of watching flat track racing

in the early to mid 70s, I had the pleasure of seeing Kenny 'The King' Roberts win

his second AMA Grand National Championship at my very first flat track race at Terre Haute

back in August of '74. Corky Keener won the race on one of Bart Markel's XR's, shared in the

normal revelry in victory lane, and then watched as I did, a virgin to the sport, as the AMA

handed the #1 plate and standard laurels to The King for clinching his 2nd Grand National

Championship that day. From that day on, I was not only hooked, but realized I was seeing

history in the making. If not re-writing of the history books as they pertained to motorcycle

racing.

Today we wish that same man a VERY Happy Birthday, and celebrate his two AMA Grand

National Championships in '73-'74, his three 500cc World Championships in '78-'80, and his

clinching of three 500cc World Championships as a team owner with Wayne Rainey in '90-'92 as well as his 250cc World Championship in '90 with John Kocinski. Among many other highlights

throughout his career. If you would like a quick synopsis of that career, read on here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Roberts

We want to thank The King as well for all the years, all the memories, and all the kickin' a..

and taking names he has done over the course of the last four decades. It has been a great run, and after seeing you hot lap at Indy on the TZ replica some four months ago, we can't wait to see

you back on track as an owner, or even wowwing the fans doing demo laps again soon. If not

for you, motorcycle flat track and road racing wouldn't even be a shadow of what it is today!

God Bless, Happy Birthday, and Long Live The King!

The shots for this momentous post today were taken during the '75 season at Terre Haute and

at Louisville during practice and qualifying for those events. I hope you enjoy as we celebrate

the birth of The King. Thanks for stopping by and we'll see you all next year!

The World Is a Sadder Place As The King Announces He Will Not Return in 2010 As Planned....

Earlier this year when plans started falling into place on the world racing scene pertaining

to the end of the 250GP 2-stroke era, and the new 600cc Honda-based Moto2 class to come

for 2010, many well known people started to get involved. One of those names mentioned

and talked about was none other then The King himself, Kenny Roberts.

What was going to be deemed as his return to the world scene after a two year break, King

Kenny expressed a deep interest in firing up the Danbury, England race shop they had all

but closed down after the '07 season, and also maybe to return to the engineering end of things

in the way of designing their own chassis, as well, for the Honda 600-based engines that

will be used in the new series. However, with the economy being what it has been globally-

speaking, of all people involved in the motorcycle racing business, The King was not able

to secure sponsorship to be able to float the effort. At least for 2010. Maybe with things

starting to show the light of day as far as general economics are concerned, the trickle down

effect may actually hit or start to hit more towards the end of next year for a run at the

2011 season. We will see. It is the world's loss, and it also shows how rough things really are

out there when a man like Kenny Roberts isn't able to put together a sponsorship program

to run a motorcycle team on a global effort. And the man DOES know a few things about

how to run a motorcycle team.

While we mourn the fact that we will have to await the return of a Team Roberts bike to

a race track for awhile, we can at least take some solace in checking out The King in years

gone by, and highlighting what the man did best some three and a half decades ago. And

that was making a motorcycle go pretty darn fast on a dirt track. At least in these shots.

This is a mixture of shots taken at Terre Haute, IN., and Syracuse, NY., back in the '74-

'76 AMA Flat Track campaigns. By the time some of these were taken in '75, the

crown was all but out of hand to his long-time rival Gary Scott, and KR was for the first

time in several years wearing and finishing in the #2 spot on the Grand National Championship

trail. The Yamaha parallel XS-650-based motors were getting a little long in the tooth-at least

for the mile tracks-and over a third of the races were on miles, The juggernaut we know as

the Harley XR-750 was settling in mighty fine after years of the big H-D searching for that

'perfect' 750-based platform. Last I checked that plan worked pretty well for them.......

In no particular order, the shots above are of Kenny and Kel Carruthers walking a section of the

track at Syracuse discussing strategy in Sept. of '75. The shot of Kenny doing what I still say to

this day looks like him either doing a broom impression or explaining a pretty far out of control

slide on a 1/2 mile like Terre Haute I shot in August of '74. That was my very first flat track race and I was hooked from there on out. Especially after the race they handed KR his 2nd Grand National Championship and the #1 plate to be worn again by him in '75. Pretty friggin' cool!

The color shot is Kenny and Bud Askland and another of the team members at the time working

on his twin in the pits at Terre Haute in August of '75. Then #72y Skip Askland is sitting in a

chair just behind them and Mike Kidd---yes, THAT '81 Grand National Champ and ex #72

and retired #7 Mike Kidd--in the white Bel Ray shirt with the hat on the left side of the shot.

The shot I called 'Caught Ya' is Kenny in practice at Terre Haute in '75, and last but not

least the Terre Haute race in August '76, and The King leading another Yamaha parallel

ridden by Hank Scott. The Shell Thuett Racing Yamaha #14 was prepped and owned by

Kenny's former tuner from '74, Mr. Shell Thuett When Yamaha down sized at the end of '74 Kenny took over running the team and his mechanics, and Yamaha cut Shell loose. The guy

could build some motors and Hank and Shell went on to win several races together over the

next few years. Just not this day. Kenny took the checkers ahead of then #25 Jay Springsteen

in what would be Jay's run of '76-'78 championship winning years and Hank that day.

Enjoy the shots and the little trip down memory lane and thanks to the fine folks at

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/ and http://www.crash.net/ for the official links to the breaking news.

And besides, they had it posted on time.....I'm a little slow on the go in getting this out.

But deal with it.......Later! And thanks for stopping in. Ya All Come Back Now, Ya Hear!?

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/MotoGP/2009/November/nov0909-roberts-abandons-moto2-plan/?R=EPI-119910

http://www.crash.net/motogp/news/154478/1/updated_moto2_entry_list_-_pramac_roberts_gone.html

The King Talks About Riding the TZ Again...

Twas the night before Christmas.....hell, no, seeing this run again after all these years

was BETTER then Christmas man! This was like that long-yearned for toy or experience

or woman that you had briefly flirted with, wanted, or would just about die for. This was

history in the making. To a motorcycle racing fan, this was like being present when Lincoln

delivered the Emancipation Proclamation. This time would live on in infamy....

And to the hard core bike racing fan, like myself, being able to see, let alone hear and see

the man who made it famous, roll it out on that same track some 34+ years later, well, man,

this was like the planets had really aligned perfectly, and Santa Claus had left you the BEST

and BIGGEST present ever! And you were there for the original, and for the follow up to

ensue. This was karmic.

As you have deducted, I am talking, blabbering, drooling again about THE bike that made

history on August 24, 1975, and THE man who rode it to not only the winner's circle but to

history as we all know it. And who to fans of motorcycle racing all know as 'The King,' Mr.

Kenneth Lee Roberts. To see him bring out this very fine replica again that night, was a

very moving and rewarding experience. Like deja vu, but also knowing you REALLY were

there 34+ years ago, too.

But this was Kenny's night, in front of a world class flat track crowd, as well as some of the

world class riders on hand from the MotoGP race running just down the road at the Indianapolis

Motor Speedway. And he DID NOT dissapoint, as he rode out and immediately pinned it and

threw it into the corners on all 3 laps almost as hard has he had done so many years before.

Like Larry Lawrence said then on his http://www.theriderfiles.com/ site, it was TRULY a magical evening, one that will be planted in my mind for many years to come.

So if you were there as well, or even if you weren't, you must take the time as I do to thank

Dean Adams and his people at http://www.superbikeplanet.com/ for posting this link to YouTube of KR talking about that night. And with a pretty decent sound card and speakers, you can hear the sound of the nasty ole 2 stroke wailing in the wind like a chainsaw on steroids and acid. WOW!

The current color shots attached were all taken that w/e of the Indy round of the MotoGP

circus. Yamaha had (another) wonderful display in the vendors area of the infield with this

beauty set up out in front of one of their tents. It's a wonder they didn't have someone

standing by to wipe the saliva off of it because myself I know I made a mess just gawking at

it---and that was before I took these shots as well as the ones from a few weeks ago I posted

of it here on my blog. As Kenny mentioned, Ray Abrams with A&A Racing was the craftsman

that made this particular replica happen. There are suttle differences other then the tires as

KR mentions in the video that made it easy for someone like me who had been there know it

wasn't the original. But it's PRETTY DARN CLOSE! And I would bore you if I pointed those

differences out, anyway. So relish in the beauty of this fine piece. And remember, this IS

history! The other color shot is of KR that night holding court in the pits at the mile.

The original black and white shot above is the original shot I took on that original day of

infamy back in August of '75. It is the same shot as used on my blog header panel, and one

that thanks to so many people like Dean Adams with http://www.superbikeplanet.com/ and Mark Gardiner with http://www.roadracerx.com/ has made a few rounds on the internet and in print here and there as well. I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed taking them. And drooling all over it while doing so.......

http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2009/Oct/091005b.htm

Thanks for the memories Kenny! A great evening and a great steed for a great man and rider!

The King Suits Up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEQAnCL3e5Q&NR=1

The above shot I took of The King at Syracuse in 1975. The link is another borrowed clip from
YouTube of The King suiting up at Del Mar several years ago when he got on a replica of the
infamous TZ Miler. Listen carefully to the wonderful wail of chainsaws on acid......
Look for Gary Nixon to walk up and shake his hand before slinging a leg over the TZ.

The King in Deep Thought

I took this one of The King at Syracuse in '75. It was either a week or two after
the now infamous '75 Indy Mile. You could tell he was in deep thought as to the
way the season had and was going, and knowing the crown was all but out of reach
to Gary Scott at that point.
It wasn't a good day, either. The TZ wouldn't hook up on the greasy clay-like surface,
and he put the parallel twin into the bales and wall between 3 and 4 in practice and tore
the front end off the bike. It came back on the back of the truck in 3 pieces. Not pretty.