Preview of Round 7 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship as We Head to the Peoria TT

The 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season amps it up another notch tomorrow as The Rolling Thunder Show heads to Thunder Valley for the Peoria Motorcycle Club-hosted round 7 at the Peoria TT.

In what is gearing up to be another great day of racing at the long-time event on the series' calendar, 8-Time Peoria TT winner Henry Wiles, the '09-'10 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Singles Series Champion, leads the field into Peoria with a big 'X' on his back as he tries to make it a record-setting ninth win in-a-row.  With six different winners for each of the first six events of the season in the Expert-ranked class, Hammerin' Hank could possibly be another winner for the season.  With his current 3rd-place in the overall standings, Henry could make a big jump up the standings with another win tomorrow.

Needless to say, there are a big handful of riders that are hoping to break that string of eight-straight wins established last year by The Hammer, which tied him with Chris 'The Prince of Peoria' Carr for the most wins in-a-row at the fabled facility.

Among them include defending 2012 AMA Grand National Champion Jared Mees, who comes off a monster 2nd-place finish at last weekend's Castle Rock TT after earlier in the evening pitching his #1 Montgomeryville Cycle Honda into the ground and knocking his shoulder out of socket.  The Jammer made a superman recovery after popping it back into place and fighting for the podium in what can only be viewed as a ride that champions are made of after nearly suffering another blow to the defense of his title, after earlier in the season breaking his arm and missing the Hagerstown round due to those injuries.  Mees has long wanted to knock the reigning Peoria champ off of the top rung of the podium at Peoria, and if his physical ability allows him, will be looking to make that happen tomorrow afternoon.

Bryan Smith, who along with his Crosley/Howerton Honda team, got his best-ever finish in a Grand National TT event last week at Castle Rock with a superb 6th-place finish, which also allowed him to move into the 2nd-place overall spot in the championship hunt, 27 points behind series leader Brad Baker (111-84.)  Baker, who is having a career year with a win at Hagerstown on the Dodge Brothers XR and a finish of no worse than 5th-place in the first six rounds of the season, will also be looking to step atop the top rung of the podium and increase his lead in the series standings.  And The Bullet and his Specialty Fabrication Honda are always in the running during the Singles Series events on the circuit's calendar as shown by his monster rides earlier in the season at Daytona I&II and last week's 5th-place effort in his home state.

Sammy Halbert, who has owned the Castle Rock event the previous three seasons and has always run strong at Peoria, had an off-night last weekend in his home state.  But knowing The Slammer that won't make his efforts tomorrow any different than what he has produced the last three years at Peoria, having posted finishes of 3rd, 3rd and 5th-place the last three seasons in Thunder Valley.  Look for Sammy and his Fredericktown Yamaha to be in the mix for the podium spots.

Local favorite Rob Pearson finally broke through to win on his home track last month during the Steve Nace Racing All-Star round, and has always run strong during the Grand National events, but will he have what it takes to bring the Iowa-based Weirbach Racing Honda team it's first AMA Grand National win at Peoria tomorrow?

Jeffrey Carver, Jr., took the win at Castle Rock last Saturday, and the third year Expert now knows the taste of victory as a top-ranked rider in The Rolling Thunder Show and also could be considered among those to knock The Hammer off of his record-setting quest.  Will the 2010 Pro Singles Champion have what it takes for the second week in-a-row?

New Zanotti Racing signee and former AMA Pro Flat Track Rookie of the Year, Steve Bonsey, should also be considered a threat after taking a hard-fought 3rd-place last weekend at Castle Rock and putting on a text book pass during his heat race that was also a move that racing legends are made of.  Bonsey has proved in the last couple of off-seasons he has what it takes on the 450s as well as the Twins rides (#80 has two AMA Grand National wins under his belt at Calistoga and Tucson) while riding Zanotti-prepped bikes in the Gene Romero WCFTS events. 

Also look for early-season points leader and Daytona Short Track II winner Brandon Robinson to turn it around on his TJ Burnett Farms Kawasaki.  Although admittedly the TT events have never been his strong suit, missing the event at Castle Rock last weekend was a big blow to his title hopes and dropped him a couple more spots in the overall standings.

And although there are several other riders that could make their mark tomorrow at Peoria (including second year Expert, Briar Bauman, who had 2nd-place all but locked up and was going for the win when he crashed out at Castle Rock), or at least run very strongly, the one at the top of that list is former Zanotti rider and '10-'11 AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson.

After announcing just before last weekend's event at Castle Rock that he was splitting from the powerhouse Zanotti Racing team, Johnson took part in the TT event in Washington while riding a Brown's Cycle Honda.  Scheduled to take part in tomorrow's Peoria event aboard a Parkinson Brothers ride, the real big news is Jake's signing with the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports team for the remainder of the series schedule as a team mate to Henry Wiles on the potent Ducati.  Of course, Jake has some great finishes at Peoria, so before he gets to try out that new ride on the slick red Ducs at Indy in another week's time, he will also be looking to be in the mix again tomorrow after a lackluster (for him!) finish of 17th in Washington State.

In the shot above from round 14 of the 2011 season at the Peoria TT, the Grand National main event is ready to go as front row gets their last minute adjustments before heading out on a sighting lap to get ready for the 25-lap National main in Thunder Valley.

(L-R) Bryan Smith gets some help from his Dad, Barry on his #42 Fasthog.com Honda CRF450R, Sammy Halbert snugs on his helmet straps as his brother and tuner Andy holds the #7 Fredericktown Yamaha YZ450F, Rob Pearson gets a grip on his #27 Matt Reecy Racing Yamaha, Jake Johnson is his usual picture of calm on the #1 Zanotti Racing Honda, Jared Mees (just out of picture) has his #9 Montgomeryville Cycle Honda steadied and readied by his then-tuner Brent Armbruster, and Henry Wiles concentrates heavily on the #17 Don's Kawasaki KX450F while Will Fulford of The Fast and Dirty.com makes some last second adjustments to his video equipment.

With the weather only calling for a 20% chance of showers tomorrow, hopefully the early season Midwest rain outs and postponements are behind us.

If you are in the area, the Peoria TT is a must-see event on the season and one that should surely be on any racing fan's bucket list.  But if you can't make it, follow along with AMA Pro Flat Track's Live Timing & Scoring and Live Streaming, and also be sure to tune into Miriam Deitcher's always excellent event coverage on her Flat Track Live page to stay in the know throughout the day's events.

Be sure and check out AMA Pro Flat Track's official preview release below for tomorrow's event, as first practice is scheduled to roll off at 11:30 ET/10:30 CT in Peoria.  You don't want to miss a thing as the greatest racing series on two wheels in the world heads to the Peoria TT for round 7 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season.

AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Visits Peoria for Round 7

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 8, 2013) - Following a quick swing up the west coast, AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles heads into the second half of the 2013 season. The return to the Midwest and the venerable Peoria TT will mark race seven of the 13 race series. The Peoria Motorcycle Club has hosted Grand National motorcycle races on their club grounds, PMC Race Park, since 1947.

 

 

Last week's winner at the Castle Rock TT, Jeffrey Carver, Jr. #23 takes the outside line with 8-Time Peoria TT winner Henry Wiles #17, Luke Gough #62 and Sammy Halbert #7 fight it out coming out of turn one during heat race #1 in last year's annual running of the Peoria TT.  Wiles is considered the hands-on favorite to set an all-time record of nine-straight wins in tomorrow's running of round 7 of the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles Grand National Championship season as the stars of The Rolling Thunder Show head to Thunder Valley at the Peoria Motorcycle Club-hosted event in Peoria, Il.  AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.

 

 

 

To say Winn, Michigan's Henry Wiles has taken a liking to the .6 mile track would be a serious understatement, as the 27-year-old Don's Kawasaki rider has won the last eight races in dominating fashion at the historic venue. Wiles comes into the event sitting third in the overall point standings and will look to improve on that lead with another big performance at PMC Race Park.

 

Though Wiles is the clear-cut favorite to nine-peat this weekend, winning will be no easy task. 

 

Dryad, Washington's Brad Baker has been in rare form all season long and looks to be a man on a mission in 2013. Baker, who hasn't finished outside the top five in any of the season's first six main events, will be looking to build on his already strong lead in the point standings at Peoria.

 

Baker won't be the only rider aiming to knock Wiles off of his impressive streak of victories, as Clio, Michigan native and defending Grand National Champion Jared Mees looked very stout on his 450cc Honda CRF450R last weekend at Castle Rock. Mees comes into the weekend with back-to-back podium finishes after starting off the season fairly slow and will be looking to give Wiles all he can handle.

 

Another intriguing storyline heading into this weekend's event is Coatesville, New Jersey's Jake Johnson's recent signing with Lloyd Brothers Racing. Johnson, who won two Grand National Championships with Zanotti Racing, parted ways with the team just before the Castle Rock TT last weekend where he finished 17th on Salinas, Califnornia's Briar Bauman's backup bike. Johnson currently sits sixth in the overall point standings and could use a strong effort at Peoria to get him back into championship contention.

 

Quite possibly the most unpredictable rider thus far in 2013 has to be Oxford, Pennsylvania's Brandon Robinson. The 23-year-old has shown us glimpses of tremendous ability and talent - for example, when he won at Daytona and was the current points leader for the first three rounds. 

 

However, Robinson has also bewildered us on several occasions - for example, when he failed to qualify for the Castle Rock TT main event last weekend. It will be interesting to see which Brandon Robinson will show up this Saturday at Peoria as his current fourth place position in the overall points is certainly within striking distance of Baker's grip of first.

 

AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles

 

The AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles class is led by Mead, Washington's Wyatt Maguire (Kirkland Racing/Yamaha YZ 450F). Maguire, who finished sixth in the points last season, will be looking to build on his 12 point lead in the standings at Peoria after not having raced in the main event here last year.

 

Coming off a big win at the Castle Rock TT, Brisbane, Califnornia's Dominic Colindres is primed for another strong effort at Peoria this year after having won the Pro Singles race here a year ago. After getting off to a slow start, Colindres has gotten hot as of late and looks to roll over that momentum into this weekend's showdown at Peoria. Another rider who got off to a slow start but is beginning to heat up again is Davison, Michigan native and defending AMA Pro J&P Cycles Pro Singles Champion Stephen Vanderkuur.Vanderkuur has finished in the top five in three of the last four races and with a second-place finish here a year ago, the 21-year-old looks to be hitting his stride at just the right time.

 

About AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles

AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles is a national motorcycle racing series in North America and is considered one of the oldest forms of motorcycle racing. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, the Series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track racing in the world. The 2013 schedule consists of rounds on the country's finest flat track courses. For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles, please visit www.amaproracing.com/ft.

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

AMA Flat Track: Henry Wiles Expects to Return to the Track at Peoria TT After Knee Surgery

Something you don't see very often at any round of the AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series is Henry Wiles sitting down.  Nor do you often see his #17 Monster Energy/Don's Kawasaki/Shift Racing/Jones Bros.-sponsored KX450F laying over on it's side-whether that would be ON or OFF the track.  The man who normally dominates the majority of the Singles Series stops on the AMA Flat Track Series trail suffered a left leg injury in one of the restarts of his heat race at round 3 at DuQuoin, as well as equipment issues with his high-flying Jones Brothers mount.  Henry can be seen in the back of the shot trying to relax before the main event as his team goes about changing out the clutch on his mount, while Will Fulford of The Fast and Dirty.com records the goings on in the Wiles/Jones Brothers pit area.
The man that won the last two AMA Pro Flat Track Singles Series Championships, and who has also won the last six Peoria TT rounds in a row, is unfortunately doing more sitting as of the last 12 days after suffering a knee injury during round 3 of the series' stops at the DuQuoin Indoor Short Track on April 16.  And after two seperate times of seeing his #17 KX450F on it's side in his pits at DuQuoin after suffering from what appeared to be clutch-related issues earlier in the day, the sight of this was good for a double-dose of head turning after having followed this fine young man and racer for the last 7+ years.  Not only has Hammerin Hank been lucky AND good in the racing department, but so have his Jones Brothers machines in terms of lack of no major mechanical issues to speak of in some time. 
The good news is that Henry is on the road to a complete recovery after going under the knife courtesy of the surgeon to the racing stars, Dr. Arthur Ting in California, after winning round 5 of the series two weeks ago at the Salinas Short Track, and after the day before scoring a second-place finish in the Salinas TT behind defending AMA Grand National Champion and event winner Jake Johnson on his #1 Zanotti Racing Honda.  For a man whose left leg swelled to almost twice it's normal size after the debacle at DuQuoin, Henry did what racers do and went out the next weekend at the Salinas rounds and tore everyone a new one in scoring the most points on the weekend before heading to the surgeon's table the day after to have his leg repaired.  It was another classic example of determination from this personable and tough racer to be able to get through the weekend at all, let alone with the stellar results he achieved, all on a bum leg. 
As it stands now, Henry is hoping and expecting to return to action at the Peoria TT round in August (thanks to Tyler Porter's Fight For Dirt Track.com for this update!) and is planning on attending rounds 6 & 7 at Springfield over Memorial Day Weekend in three weeks to talk with the fans and help to support his team and the sport over the big weekend.  With the events of the last several weeks putting Henry out of action for awhile, obviously his strong run of great finishes on his Kawasaki will have to take a back seat to healing his leg........for now.  But don't expect to see Henry out of action for too long, in what some are calling a 'normal eight month recovery time' from this type of surgery.  Henry is far from normal (as are most racers suffering from almost any type of injury) and he is hoping to cut that time in two in order to keep his winning streak alive at one of the oldest stops on the AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series. 
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After suffering what could only be considered dismal results by any standards in the first three rounds of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series, 2-Time and defending AMA Flat Track Singles Series Champion Henry Wiles went out and put it on the field in rounds 4 & 5 at the Salinas Motorsports Complex over Easter Weekend.  Scoring 47 points over the doubleheader weekend in California, Hammerin Hank made a big leap into 6th place into the overall point standings after the first five rounds of the scheduled 21 race season for the 2011 year by coming home second in the TT and winning the next day on the short track, the day before going under the knife for his damaged left leg.

The Clio, MI. resident knew going into the Salinas Doubleheader Weekend that he would be having surgery performed on his left leg after the weekend of racing was over, and wanted to do all he could to add to his recovery time in terms of adjustment by going out on a winning note.  And boy did he!  Showing why he is the current Single Series Champion, Wiles rode his Monster Energy/Jones Brothers Kawasaki like a man possessed, let alone in control, in both races over Easter Weekend.  At one point in the TT final after a front row start, Wiles had slipped to the 12th spot in the 18 rider main before blasting back to within 2.473 seconds of event winner Jake Johnson.  And then after mulling whether he would even ride the short track event the next day, he went out and lead all 25 laps of the short track event to beat out runner up (and first time AMA Grand National podium finisher and West Coast flat track specialist) Jimmy Wood by .169 seconds.

On Monday, April 25 Henry was on the operating table in reknowned surgeon Dr. Arthur Ting's clinic in California, having his left leg repaired after the damage incurred during his heat race at DuQuoin some nine days earlier.  Looking at what is normally considered close to an eight month recovery, Henry told Tyler Porter from Fight For Dirt Track.com this last week that he is looking to return to the track by the Peoria TT event in August, working to cut the 'normal' recovery time in half, with his hopes of getting back on track mid season.  Remembering back a few years when he suffered two broken wrists from what was called a 'roofing accident' at the time, Henry came back with a bang that year to keep his Peoria TT win streak alive, which now stands at six events in a row.

Time can only tell if Hammerin Hank Wiles will be able to return to action in the span of four months after recoverinng from his surgery, however, looking back at what he has done in the past and coupled with the return rate of riders to the track that Dr. Ting has had in the past, don't be surprised to see the defending 2-Time AMA Pro Flat Track Singles Series Champion fill that guesstimate.  Until then, it not only will give the rest of the stars of The Rolling Thunder Show a chance to win a Singles Series event at Springfield in three weeks time, but it will also leave a big, green hole on the track where the racy #17 would normally occupy a very dominant spot on the grid. 

Here's wishing one of the great racers on the AMA Pro Flat Track Series schedule a quick, successful and short recovery from his surgery.  Although ultimately you will be missed ON the track by the fans (Henry has said he will be at Springfield to see and talk with the fans in three weeks), the competition might now be able to hold their collective breath for one Singles Series event in knowing that The Man on the Green #17 won't be there to snag a most-probable win on your second stomping ground.  After winning the last four short track races and last three TT races at Springfield, someone else will finally get a chance to break up that record, although with one of the sport's big stars absent while on leave!

Good luck and get well soon Henry!
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Thanks to Will Fulford and Yve Assad from the super The Fast and Dirty.com for this great interview with Henry featuring some pics from his great win at the Salinas Short Track round 5 two weeks ago:

http://thefastanddirty.com/flat-track-racing/news/wiles-trades-title-defense-to-pursue-couch-racing/

Another big thanks goes out to Tyler Porter, from the excellent Fight For Dirt Track.com, for this video interview with Henry after his win at Salinas and talking about undergoing surgery the day after his win:

http://www.youtube.com/user/FightForDirtTrack#p/u/3/3ze5aXDIYXQ

AMA Pro Flat Track has the Salinas Short Track review here:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/news/index.cfm?cid=42492

Here is a link to The Inslide Line weekly report from Tyler Porter's Fight For Dirt Track.com that mentions Henry's surgery and his timeline for his return to the track:

http://www.fightfordt.com/runscript.cfm?page=inslideline18.cfm

Kawasaki Racing also has their version of the Salinas Short Track results with a few pictures of Henry hammering the competition in round 5 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series:

http://www.kawasaki.com/Racing_News/Article.aspx?id=1598
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AMA Flat Track Salinas TT & Short Track Rounds 4 & 5 Preview & Race Guide for Easter Weekend

The intensity is in the air and can be seen in the riders' eyes as the main event gets ready to roll off in round 3 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series inside the confines of the Southern Illinois Center at DuQuoin, IL. on Saturday, April 16.  With the first indoor short track on the series' schedule in over six years getting ready for 'go time' for the 30 lap main, riders take their position and get their last breath before fighting it out on the bullring track that proved to be fast, furious and exciting.
With experience triumphing over youth at DuQuoin, round 3 showed that it's not always the fast and the young that get it done, but that veteran leadership all-to-often plays out when it comes to making it to the end.  The top three finishers on the bullring at DuQuoin had a combined 115 + wins amongst them, as well as over 14 total AMA Flat Track Championships on their resumes.  End results of the event were far from what many had thought and predicted, only to show that at any given time, anything can and likely will happen in the Rolling Thunder Show.
Riders chomping on the bit on the front row of the DuQuoin Indoor Short Track above are #37 Jimmy Wood on his Southland Racing Honda CRF450R, #45 Jesse Janisch on his #45 Weirbach Racing Honda, #49 Chad Cose on his M.E.H. Corp. Honda, followed by #9 Jared Mees on his Montgomeryville Cycle Center Honda, #4 Chris Carr on his DFW Honda, and event winner Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. on his #2 Chaplin Kawasaki KX450F.  Carr followed The King of Cool home in second (.606 seconds shy of the top spot on the box) for his best finish on a short track in over five years, with defending GN Champ Jake Johnson coming home third on his Zanotti Racing Honda 1.625 seconds back from Coolbeth.  Mees and Slammin' Sammy Halbert on his #7 Woody Kyle Yamaha rounded out the top five.  Will Fulford from The Fast and Dirty.com can be seen on the right side of the shot getting final adjustments made to on-board cameras for the event.
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Salinas Preview: Rounds 4 and 5 of the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Flat Track Championship

DAYTONA BEACH, FL (April 21, 2011) - The AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Flat Track Championship is set to invade the West Coast for the first time in 2011 over the Easter weekend, as Salinas, California's Salinas Sports Complex plays host to Rounds 4 and 5 on April 23-24. Saturday will feature a TT Steeplechase, followed by a Short Track on Easter Sunday, all adding up to one can't-miss event.

For the history buffs out there, this isn't the first Grand National to be held in Salinas ... a Half Mile National was staged in the Monterey Country city back in 1968, a race in which none other than former Grand National Champion Mert Lawwill took victory. Amateur and Pro-AM TT racing at the Sports Complex dates back to the early 1960s.

Fast forward to 2011, and the all-new cast of characters that makes up the AMA Pro Racing "Rolling Thunder Show" is getting set to continue the tight, handlebar-banging action that's typified the 2011 season. Three-time Grand National Champion Kenny Coolbeth is fresh off his first Short Track National win (at last weekend's DuQuoin event) and will be looking to notch his first TT win on his Chaplin Kawasaki-backed Kawasaki.

Current points-leader Sammy Halbert (Fredericktown Yamaha/Woody Kyle Racing) backed up his pair of Daytona wins with a come-from-behind fifth-place result at Round 3, but he's looking to expand on his 16-point lead in a big way. Meanwhile, Coolbeth is tied for second in the points chase with defending Grand National Champion Jake Johnson. And though Johnson's a Pennsylvanian, Salinas will be something of a of a hometown event for his crew, as the Zanotti Racing Team is based in California.

Henry Wiles, who's dominated Grand National Singles racing over the last few years, will be trying to straighten out what's been a trying year for the Monster Energy Kawasaki/Don's Kawasaki-backed effort. After getting banged around at last weekend's DuQuoin event---- and coming away with a dismal 19th-place finish---- Wiles is twelfth in points, but that deficit probably won't last long.

Salinas's own Stevie Bonsey will be looking to keep the victories local as he brings his potent Mack Daddy Racing Honda out with a chance to perform in front of friends and family. (Watch for an upcoming "Notes From the Blue Groove" column on Bonsey, who doubles as a quick road racer, and check out Mark Gardiner's DuQuoin-to-Salinas column right here:

http://www.amaproracing.com/ft/news/index.cfm?cid=42468

And here:

http://www.amaproracing.com/ft/news/index.cfm?cid=42412

South Dakota's Gerit Callies has taken possession of the Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles points standings after his dominant performance in DuQuoin. California's Mikey Avila had been tied with Callies, but his ninth-place finish at Round 3 leaves him 14 points back, in second. Another Californian, Mikey Martin, rests third in the points.

For information and tickets to Rounds 4 and 5 of the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Flat Track Championship at the Salinas Sports Complex, April 23-24, click here. To see the entire 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track schedule, please visit www.amaproracing.com/ft.

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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The AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series returns to the west coast for Easter Weekend for rounds 4 & 5 of the 2011 schedule.  The first National to be held in Salinas (the home to such motorcycle racing notables as the late Ricky Graham, 3-Time AMA Superbike Champion Doug Chandler and 3-Time 500CC GP World Champion & '83 AMA Superbike Champion Wayne Rainey) since the late 60s, should provide a high level of excitement on the TT and short track at the Salinas Sports Complex.

With practice scheduled to roll off at 1300 EDT/1000 PDT today, it's time to strap on that steel shoe and get ready for the best racing on wheels anywhere in the world.  Everything you need to know to follow this weekend's exciting line-up of racing on the left coast can be found below.  So sit back, hang on and get ready for AMA Pro Flat Track Series action as it gets ready to hit the track for Easter Weekend.  Let's go racing!
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(NOTE on all links below: If you are like me and can't be AT the races, you want every advantage you can have to keep up with the action.  All links below will keep you up to date with on AND off-track action, and all can be opened into a seperate window-so you don't have to navigate back and forth.  If you are using Windows XP or 7 and at least IE8, all links can be right-clicked and opened into either 'new tab' or 'new window' for easier viewing.  If you're like me, you'll have several open to better navigate the action!)

AMA Pro Flat Track Live Timing and Scoring here:

http://live.amaproracing.com/ft/

Miriam Deitcher, Ms. AMA Pro Flat Track Live, will be reporting all weekend from the Salinas Sports Complex via her Flat Track Live Facebook page.  She's already got some pics up to get you fired up for today and tomorrow's action:

http://www.facebook.com/FlatTrackLive

AMA Pro Flat Track Facebook here:

http://www.facebook.com/AMAProFlatTrackSeries

AMA Pro Flat Track Twitter here:

http://twitter.com/#!/AMAProFlatTrack

AMA Pro Flat Track Salinas round 4 TT event info here:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/events/results.cfm?year=2011&eid=2011021115

AMA Pro Flat Track Salinas round 5 Short Track event info here:

http://amaproracing.com/ft/events/event.cfm?year=2011&eid=2011021116

AMA Pro Flat Track results and info (PDF versions/updated within minutes) for round 4 at the TT in Salinas can be found here:

http://results.amaproracing.com/live/results/pdfresults/ft/2011/F1115/default.aspx

AMA Pro Flat Track results and info (PDF versions) for round 5 at the Short Track in Salinas can be found here:

http://results.amaproracing.com/live/results/pdfresults/ft/2011/F1116/default.aspx
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Info can be found here on the Salinas Sports Complex' Easter Weekend TT & Short Track events, rounds 4 & 5 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series:

http://www.salinasflattrack.com/

Salinas, CA. weather courtesy of The Weather Underground:

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=93906
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