AMA Flat Track: Word Has It Rob Pearson & Babe DeMay Teaming Up for 2012 Grand National Championship Series Season

2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Saddlemen Rookie of the Year Brad Baker looks over the track while waiting on his #12 Lloyd Brothers Motorsports/TeamHurtByAccident.com/Foremost Insurance/ENI USA-sponsored Ducati 1098 for the final round of qualifying to take place in the Expert Twins Series stop at the I-96 Speedway on July 23.  Round 11 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series in Lake Odessa, MI. saw The Bullet take fast-time and win his heat, in route to a 9th place finish in the National main event.

Possibly discussing the heavy machinery sitting just outside the pit area before heading out to qualify are Chris Carr on his #4 American Motorcyclist Assoc/Classic H-D/DFW Honda/Arai-sponsored XR750 with Rob 'Bugs' Pearson on his #27 American H-D/Matt Reecy Racing/Movin' Mike/Yoho Ent-backed XR.  Carr would finish 3rd in his heat and an eventual 5th-place in the main, while Pearson would miss the main after finishes of 6th in his heat and 18th in his semi race.

Illinois resident Pearson turned Pro in the 2002 season, and has been one of the regular riders in the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series since.  Each year the since 2006 season the Morton-based rider has peformed strongly in putting together top 10-13 finishes in the overall standings while racing for his own team, Snedeker Racing and USC Racing.  At the end of the 2011 season, Bugs finished 11th in the overall series standings with best finishes of 5th at Peoria, and 7th-place finishes at Lima and the Salinas TT. 
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AMA Hall of Fame tuner Babe DeMay sits alongside of his Memphis Shades/DeMay Racing/WKR/Arai-sponsored H-D XR750s of rider #69 Jethro Halbert during a break in the on-track action at round 11 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series in Lake Odessa in late July.  The man that has tuned for riders including Mark Brelsford, Rex Beauchamp, Corky Keener, Kevin Varnes, Kenny Roberts, and many others has been around the AMA Flat Track Series since getting his novice license back in 1952, and has ridden and tuned BSAs, Yamahas and Harley-Davidsons throughout his lengthy career.

The former Harley-Davidson and Yamaha factory wrench, who was voted into the AMA Hall of Fame in 2001, formed his own team in 2002 after wrenching factory machines for the likes of Roberts and Brelsford in AMA Flat Track.  Backed by the Memphis Shades-brand, the Moline, IL. resident has also won National main events with Johnny Murphree and JR Schnabel, Jr.  2011 rider Jethro Halbert only ran a partial schedule during the season, finishing 14th in the overall standings while riding DeMay-prepped equipment.
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No official releases out yet, but I picked up off of one of the Twitter feeds this week that Rob 'Bugs' Pearson and fellow-Illinois resident Babe DeMay will be teaming up for the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series.  Pearson, who resides just east of Peoria, and Quad Cities resident DeMay won't have to travel too far without one another being less than 100 mile apart.

When we get more official word on this, we'll post more.  In the mean time, this is great news for solid-finisher Pearson and long-time tuner-to-the-stars and AMA Hall of Famer DeMay.  This could make a great pairing in the series and help both out in getting the Memphis Shades XR back on the box!
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AMA Flat Track: Jake Johnson & Johnny Lewis Get Ready for RIDE Academy in Virginia With Some Stunt Video

Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D/Boughner Racing/Arai-sponsored Jake Johnson shows some style and finesse while qualifying his #1 Honda CRF450R for round 14 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series at the Peoria TT on August 21.  Johnson would set 3rd-fast time for the day, .201 seconds behind fast qualifier Henry Wiles, with Jared Mees in the 2nd spot.  Jersey Jake would race to his heat 3 race win, and go on to also take 3rd in the Dash event behind winner Mees and 2nd-place Wiles.  His 4th place finish in the National main would be one of only seven rounds this season where the defending and repeating AMA Grand National Champion would not stand on the podium.

Johnson, who is planning on getting married next month to Johnny Lewis' sister, is one of a handful of racers who gives back to the sport of flat tracking.  The Pennsylvania resident has been one of the rider instructors at some of the off-season rider camps, with Mike Hacker's RIDE Academy being one of his regular stints.  The RIDE Academy is hosted by former AMA Grand National Championship contender Hacker to help teach riders at any and all level of skill-sets to better utilize those on the track.

You can check out some training video with Johnson and Lewis below as the prepare to take on the stunting world, all the while getting ready for the RIDE Academy event in Virginia next weekend, which you can also find more about below.
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Johnny Lewis takes his #10 Scott Powersports/Dubach Racing Developments/Saddlemen/Triple J Racing-backed Honda CRF450R through it's paces during practice for the Peoria TT round of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series on August 21.  Lewis would qualify in the 12th spot for the day, .580 seconds behind fast-qualifier Henry Wiles, and would race to a 3rd-place finish in his heat behind heat and event-winner Wiles and Rob Pearson to qualify for the National main event, where he would end up finishing 10th on the day.

Lewis is sporting one of the Gary Nixon tribute jerseys that Metro Racing supplied to the riders for the Peoria weekend, after the untimely passing of the former 2-Time AMA Grand National Champion in early August.  The former SuperMoto rider and Champion had an off-day by his standards at the famed Peoria track, after placing in the top 5 the last two seasons at the August TT round. 

One of the more colorful riders on and off the track, JL10 and Johnson spend some of their off-season time away from the AMA Grand National Championship Series in teaching students at the Mike Hacker-helmed RIDE Academy rounds, as well as some other riding ventures.

You can check out Lewis' and Johnson's hilarious stunting video below as they ready themselves for a shot at the stunting-end of riding and the upcoming RIDE Academy session in Virginia for next weekend.  Lord help us if you are a stunting fan!
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Here is more information about the RIDE Academy coming to Virginia on November 19-20.  Guest intructors expected include former AMA Grand National #67 Mike Hacker, 2-Time AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson, 2-Time AMA Grand National Twins Champion Jared Mees, and former AMA Supermoto Champion and current AMA Grand National Championship rider #10, Johnny Lewis:

http://www.rideacademy.com/registration.html
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And if this video doesn't have you doubled over laughing your a.. off, then you definitely don't have a pulse.  Johnson and Lewis got together recently for some play-time riding, and broke out their mini-bikes to do so stunt riding.  This is too much!

http://vimeo.com/31464168
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Ducati MotoGP Team Hopes to Prosper From 2012 Testing Restrictions Being Lifted

The Ducati garage is abuzz with the team's technicians working to get the GP11s of 7-Time MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi and '06 MotoGP Champion Nicky Hayden ready for the 4th Annual RedBull Indianapolis MotoGP round in August 2011.  Having suffered from a rough weekend (and year) while developing the Italian team's present machine and it's 2012 1000cc-version, the GP12, Hayden had managed to qualify 8th, with 2008 Indy MotoGP winner Rossi back in the 14th spot after crashing out earlier in the weekend's events.  Rossi would go on to soldier home to a 10th place finish in the world championship round on Sunday, with Hayden experiencing severe tire overheating problems, relegating him to a 14th place finish after being forced to pit for a new tires.

With the MotoGP/Dorna testing restrictions in place the last few years, it has somewhat-helped the MotoGP teams in terms of extreme dollars being spent in excess testing sessions, but has hindered development and some forward movement to Ducati, especially in terms of Rossi being able to become comfortable on the team's machines after having been on the dominant Yamaha M-1 for so long.  In his first season on the Italian machines, Rossi ended the season ranked in the 7th spot, with Hayden 8th in the final 2011 MotoGP World Championship standings, and only one podium each throughout the course of the 17 event schedule.

With less restrictions on test dates now being put in place for the 2012 season, and a set maximum number of Bridgestone tires being alloted to use put in place instead, the buzz seems mixed overall as to what the 2012 season holds for how much testing is too much, at least from some of the riders's standpoints.  However, Ducati looks at this as a great opportunity to be able to utilize known test-master Rossi to further and more quickly develop the team's machines, instead of having a set 'test rider-only' try to develop the machines going into the new 1000cc era.  Which makes the development curve less steep for the smaller team.

With an overall test ban in place until after the first of the year, the 2012 MotoGP World Championship season is still months off.  The first round at Qatar is scheduled for April 15, 2012, but will surely be preceded by many days and many miles of testing for all teams.  But this can't not help Ducati going forward, especially coupled with the team's move to an aluminum chassis after developing the carbon fiber chassis for the last five seasons, which seemed to be an enigma to all riders, except for recently departed Casey Stoner, who won over 30 events throughout his four years with the team.  To anyone else, except for Hayden who has at least improved somewhat on the stiff machines, it has seemed to all but have been a career-killer.  Former rider Marco Melandri being the almost-lone exception in re-starting his career in World Superbike this year with the Yamaha WSBK team. 

Although the outlook now could be said to be 'bleak' for Ducati after finishing final-season testing at Valencia on Wednesday (Hayden was forced to sit-out after fracturing his wrist in the turn one incident during Sunday's final race, and Rossi finishing the two-day test still 1.5 seconds back from the front), hopes are still high going into the holiday break that the Italian marque and it's high-profile team riders will be able to turn things around for the 2012 season.  Time will tell, but if you are a fan of Ducati's MotoGP efforts, it's going to be a very long off-season in waiting.
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Thanks to Motorcycle News.com's Matthew Birt on this article about Ducati's outlook on the testing restrictions being lifted for the 2012 MotoGP World Championship Series season and being able to close the gap to the front of the MotoGP grid again:

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/MotoGP/2011/November/nov1111-ducati-happy-with-testing-rule-boost/
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AMA Flat Track: Jared Mees, Blue Springs H-D & The Fast and Dirty.com Bring You Pomona Half-Mile Season Finale Video

Rogers Lake Racing team crew chief and head wrench Brent Armbruster discusses one of the team's three machines on hand with another crewman during a break in the on-track action at round 11 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series at the I-96 Speedway on July 23.  Team rider Jared Mees went on to win his 3rd of 5 wins on the season later in the evening on the #9 Rogers Lake/Blue Springs H-D/Screamin' Eagle/Lucas Oil-sponsored H-D XR750, leading Bryan Smith and Jake Johnson to the podium ceremonies in Lake Odessa, MI. 

Mees and Armbruster had a super year together, winning Brent's first AMA Grand National Championship Series event together at the Springfield Mile I event, and going on to capture the 2011 AMA Grand National Twins Championship at the end of the season, based on their fine efforts on and off the track.  Along with Mees' other wins at Hartford, Knoxville and Brainerd, Jammin' Jared racked up an amazing run of top 5s that saw only three finishes on the year where he didn't score double-figure points in a National main event, and at the end of the season led all competitors with the most wins. 

Mees also won the '09 AMA Grand National Twins Championship, but based on solid finishes, as before his Springfield win back in late May, had not stood on the top of the podium in an AMA Grand National Championship Series event since July '07.  After finishing 3rd in the 2010 AMA Grand National Championship Series standings, he also moved up a spot in finishing 2nd to repeating and now 2011 AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson.

Look for Mees to come back strong as ever for the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series season.  And don't be surprised to see him competing in the ICE Speedway Series over the off-season, and maybe even repeating as the champion in the ICE Series again. 


Check out the great season-finale wrap-up video from Will Fulford & Yve Assad of The Fast and Dirty.com below, as Blue Springs H-D and Jared Mees finish off the season in grand style at the Pomona Half-Mile!
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Thanks go out to Will & Yve from The Fast and Dirty.com, Blue Springs H-D and Jared Mees for this great season-ending video from the Pomona Half-Mile:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccjwJV8GsNA
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AMA Road Racing: AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series to See XR Showdown in '12 Season with $60K Point Fund

Steve Rapp's #5 Parts Unlimited/Vance & Hines-sponsored H-D XR1200 gets attended to by one of the team's techs while sitting with the tire warmers on ready for the afternoon's fourth and final test session at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 19.  AMA Pro Road Racing was able to get in a scheduled practice at the legendary facility a week before the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series was scheduled to share the weekend with the MotoGP World Championship over the course of the 4th Annual RedBull Indianapolis MotoGP round, race 12 on the 2011 World Championship Series schedule.  Michael Barnes' #34 Drag Specialties/Vance & Hines/RS Taichi-sponsored XR1200 sits alongside, although Barnes did not take part in the fourth test session.

Rapp carded 2-2 finishes the next weekend, with Barnes bringing home a pair of 4th place finishes in what were arguably the best motorcycle road races ever held at the century old track.  The first event on Saturday afternoon saw lead swaps all over the track in what was a very fine display of racing in the two-year old series.  Tyler O'Hara and eventual 2011 AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series Champion Chris Fillmore won the events that were held as part of the undercard with the MotoGP circus. 

Hopefully AMA Pro Road Racing and the powers that be with MotoGP/Dorna are able to work out bringing the XR12s back to Indy for the 5th Annual RedBull MotoGP in August '12 to help add some excitement to the already-brimming weekend.  The event this year drew 33 entries with 28 and 29 riders taking part in the finals, amongst a field that included former 2010 European XR1200 Champion Jeremy McWilliams, Jason DiSalvo, Rapp, Barnes and former/current WERA and AMA racer and hometown 'boy' Gene Burcham.
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AMA Pro Racing Announces $60,000 Year-End Points Fund for AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series in 2012

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (November 7, 2011) - AMA Pro Racing is proud to announce the introduction of the XR Showdown, a $60,000 year-end points fund that riders in the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series will be competing for during the 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing season. The XR Showdown, which is supported by Vance & Hines and the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, will be offered in addition to the $10,000 purse plus posted contingency available each weekend, meaning that well over $100,000 will be up for grabs over the course of the season.

The XR Showdown will begin when there are five races remaining on the 2012 schedule. The top ten riders in the XR1200 Series point standings at that time will be eligible for XR Showdown points, which will be paid for each of the five remaining events on the schedule. The rider with the most XR Showdown points at the end will take home $30,000 in prize money, with the remaining $30,000 in the points fund to be paid out to second through tenth in the final XR Showdown point standings.

"This further emphasizes the commitment from AMA Pro Racing, Vance & Hines and Harley-Davidson," said David Atlas, Chief Operating Officer of AMA Pro Racing. "We want to send a strong message to our teams and riders that we will reward them for their efforts. The addition of the XR Showdown is sure to produce even more world-class racing action."

The AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series, which was added to the AMA Pro Road Racing class structure alongside AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike, AMA Pro Daytona SportBike and AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport at the Road America round of the 2010 season, features Harley-Davidson XR1200s modified with a specially-prepared parts-and-accessories kit from famed motorcycle performance tuner Vance & Hines. The big twins are showcased in a single-race format during each AMA Pro Road Racing event weekend except for the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

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AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series race two action at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in August 2011 sees race one winner Tyler O'Hara #29 leading race two winner Chris Fillmore #55 and double runner-up Steve Rapp #5 in the infield part of the track during the 4th Annual RedBull Indianapolis MotoGP weekend.  AMA Pro Road Racing photo by Brian J. Nelson.
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The XR1200 Series produced fast, intense and competitive racing at each round during the 2011 season. Bruce Rossmeyer's Daytona Racing/GEICO/RMR's Chris Fillmore was engaged in a season-long battle with Parts Unlimited rider Steve Rapp, and the 2011 championship came down to the season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park. Fillmore led the Sunday final event flag-to-flag on the way to his fifth win of the season and the coveted No. 1 Plate.

AMA Pro Racing has announced contract renewals for seven tracks on the 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing schedule. Of the seven events announced so far, the incredible footpeg-dragging action of the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series will be featured at six: Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. on March 15-17, Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Ca. on May 4 - 6, Miller Motorsports Park in Toole, Utah on May 25 - 28, Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. on June 1 - 3, Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Ala. on June 22 - 24 and New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, N.J. on September 7 - 9. The remainder of the 2012 calendar, including events conducted in conjunction with promotion by M1 Powersports, will be announced shortly.

The inclusion of the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series makes AMA Pro Road Racing one of the most cost-effective platforms for racing on the national stage. During the 2011 season, a total of 22 Harley-Davidson dealerships supported XR1200 Series teams and riders through sponsorship. The continuing support from the strong network of Harley-Davidson dealers across the country ensures that thousands of new fans from the Harley-Davidson street riding community will get to experience the non-stop action of AMA Pro Road Racing in 2012.

Keep up with all the latest on the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series by going to www.amaproracing.com, www.vanceandhines.com/xr1200 and www.harley-davidson.com.

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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AMA Road Racing Adds Barber Motorsports Park to 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing Schedule

AMA Superbike Championship Series action is seen at Barber Motorsports Park in Leeds, AL. as a field of riders heads into the turn four area during the Honda Superbike Classic weekend in April 2007.  The second round of the season, it was the fifth year that AMA Pro Road Racing had held an event at the track, and the late June 2012 stop will see the series' 10th annual trek to the flowing track outside of Birmingham.  Make sure you take an extra day to visit George Barber's fabulous museum while you are there!
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Barber Motorsports Park Announced as Seventh Contract Renewal for the 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing Schedule

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (November 7, 2011) - AMA Pro Racing announced today that Barber Motorsports Park will once again play host to the stars of AMA Pro Road Racing, becoming the seventh track to renew for the 2012 season. The event, scheduled for June 22 - 24, 2012, will mark the tenth consecutive year that the series will visit the picturesque 2.38-mile natural road course in Birmingham, Ala. since the facility opened in 2003.

Last year's Barber SuperBike Classic proved to be a pivotal and exciting event for the 2011 championships. M4 Suzuki's Martin Cardenas scored his breakout AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike victory on Saturday while Rockstar Makita Suzuki's Blake Young narrowed eventual 2011 SuperBike Champion Josh Hayes' points lead with a Sunday win.

Just like in 2011, fans will witness thrilling doubleheader action in AMA Pro National Guard SuperBike, AMA Pro Daytona SportBike and AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com SuperSport, while the AMA Pro Vance & Hines XR1200 Series will battle it out in a single race format.

In October, AMA Pro Racing announced six contract renewals for the 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing season. With the addition of the event at Barber Motorsports Park, the partial schedule is as follows:

March 15 - 17, 2012

Daytona 200

Daytona International Speedway

Daytona Beach, Fla.

May 4 - 6, 2012

Infineon Raceway

Sonoma, Calif.

May 25 - 28, 2012

Miller Motorsports Park

Tooele, Utah

June 1 - 3, 2012

Road America

Elkhart Lake, Wis.

June 22 - 24, 2012

Barber Motorsports Park

Birmingham, Ala.

July 27 - 29, 2012

Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca

Monterey, Calif.

September 7 - 9, 2012

New Jersey Motorsports Park

Millville, N.J.

AMA Pro Racing is currently working with additional tracks to finalize the 2012 AMA Pro Road Racing schedule. Details about those events, including events which AMA Pro Racing will be conducting in conjunction with promotion by M1 Powersports, will be announced as soon as they are available.

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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Steve Nace Racing to Promote 2012 AMA Indoor Dirt Track National Championship Series at DuQuoin-First Round November 12

JD Beach lays down a fast lap on his #95 USC Motorsports/Top 1 Oil/Alpinestars/Arai-sponsored Honda CRF450R during the final qualifying session for round 3 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series inside the Southern Illinois Center at DuQuoin, IL. on April 16.  Beach went on to qualify with a time of 11.215 seconds on the indoor short track, .178 seconds behind fast-qualifier Kenny Coolbeth, Jr.

Beach is one of a handful of AMA Pro Flat Track riders who have taken advantage of the off-season schedule of events inside the confines of the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds facility over the last couple of seasons.  With Steve Nace's group heading up the program in Southern Illinois of late, his team has produced some great racing with a tightly-run program.  Sammy Halbert, Chris Carr (who kicked off his 2011 Farewell to Flat Track Tour at DuQuoin back on January 1) and Rob Pearson are a few of the riders who have entered events at DuQuoin to stay in shape during the long winter months. 

Steve Nace and Kelly Bell, who head up the SNR group of folks, are a couple of great people who bleed flat track racing.  Working with the AMA Pro Flat Track folks at the Nationals, both of these folks know how to put on a good show for the paying butts in the seat.  They also promoted round 3 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series at the Southern Illinois Center and did an outstanding job of putting on one fine show.

This is great news that they will be bringing the Indoor Nationals back, with the amateurs-only eligible for the Indoor National Series.  The series will also see some Pro/Expert classes as part of the schedule that may see some of the National-ranked riders participate in, depending on their schedules.  Sammy Halbert had posted on his Sammy Halbert Racing Facebook page that he may attend the January 1, 2012 round to help ring in the New Year!

You can read the official release below and check out the dates...first round kicks off next Saturday, November 12.  If you are in or near the area you owe it to yourself to check out some great action in DuQuoin, and to keep the adrenaline flowing during the off-season!
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(NEWS RELEASE)


PICKERINGTON, Ohio — American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) amateur dirt-trackers can keep their skills sharp this winter at the eight-round AMA Indoor Dirt Track National Championship Series. Promoted by Steve Nace Racing Promotions, the series will feature short-track and TT competition from Nov. 12, 2011, through March 31, 2012, at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds’ Southern Illinois Center in Du Quoin, Ill.

Youth, amateur and vet/senior riders will race for AMA national No. 1 plates.

“We’re pleased to count these events as an AMA National Championship Series,” said AMA Director of Racing Joe Bromley. “The indoor Du Quoin, Ill., facility is an outstanding location, with ample space for spectators and staging, as well as the flexibility for both a short-track and TT configuration. I invite all of our riders to come out and demonstrate why there is no off-season in AMA-sanctioned competition.”

Promoter Steve Nace of Steve Nace Racing Promotions said he is excited to organize this series of national-caliber events.

“AMA-sanctioned competition is the gold standard of amateur racing in this country, and I’m thrilled to bring national recognition to our dedicated competitors,” Nace said. “I’m looking forward to laying the foundation for what will be a long and successful partnership that will help elevate this country’s dirt-track community.”

Gates open at 2 p.m., with practice beginning at 5 p.m. A pit pass is $15, while children 5 years old and younger get in free. Friday night practice is available from 6-9 p.m. for $20. The Nov. 27 event will run an earlier schedule, with gates open at 8 a.m. and practice starting at 9:30 a.m.


For more information about the AMA Indoor Dirt Track National Championship Series, call Steve Nace Racing Productions at (270) 442-7532.


2012 AMA Indoor Dirt Track National Championship Series

All rounds feature short-track and TT, and take place at Southern Illinois Center, Du Quoin, Ill.


Round 1: Nov. 12, 2011

Round 2: Nov. 27, 2011

Round 3: Dec. 10, 2011

Round 4: Jan. 1, 2012

Round 5: Jan. 21, 2012

Round 6: Feb. 11, 2012

Round 7: Feb. 25, 2012

Round 8: March 31, 2012



About the American Motorcyclist Association

Since 1924, the AMA has protected the future of motorcycling and promoted the motorcycle lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life, and they navigate many different routes on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world’s largest motorcycling rights organization, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists’ interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations, and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition and motorcycle recreational events than any other organization in the world. AMA members receive money-saving discounts from dozens of well-known suppliers of motorcycle services, gear and apparel, bike rental, transport, hotel stays and more. Through its support of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations. For more information, please visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com.
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Here's more from Steve Nace Racing's official website on the upcoming rounds scheduled for the Southern Illinois Center at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds.

First round kicks off next Saturday, November 12:

http://www.stevenaceracing.com/mcatv.html
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Official Steve Nace Racing/AMA Pro Racing event flyer for the first two rounds of the 2012 AMA Dirt Track Indoor National Championship Series rounds on November 12 and November 27 (Thanksgiving weekend):

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Team Rizla Suzuki Looks to Be Returning for 2012 MotoGP World Championship

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP team manager Paul Denning (back of garage left) talks with another team member while the team's GSV-R is being readied for rider Alvaro Bautista for the RedBull Indianapolis MotoGP's 4th annual event in August 2011.  Bautista had just earlier qualified in the 9th position on the grid at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway event, and went on to finish in a very solid 6th place the next day.  Struggling with being a one-man team, Bautista and the Suzuki MotoGP are to be commended for their great efforts this year to gain good results, when he is not out due to injuries. 

Bautista looked good in leading the free practice session yesterday afternoon in the wet at Valencia, and was 7th in the dry session this morning.  He went on to qualify 5th today, only .568 seconds behind Repsol Honda pilot Dani Pedrosa.  The only bad thing-Casey Stoner was over 1 second faster then Pedrosa in taking the pole at the Spanish circuit on one of the other lightning-fast Repsol Honda RC212Vs.

For a team that hasn't won in over four years and struggled mightily over the course of the last few, they have done a whirlwind job of getting top 10 results in the GPs that they have finished.  And the grids for the premier road racing series in the world look to remain with a blue machine filling a slot come the 2012 season.

With expectations since late last season that Suzuki would not return for the 2012 season in the MotoGP World Championship, it looks as if that has changed--for the better.  The loss of their presence at the GP rounds in the garage or on the grid would be devastating to MotoGP, leaving only Honda, Ducati and Yamaha to field factory-backed efforts.  With Suzuki cutting back for the 2011 season to one rider, it seems to have helped in terms of concentration of working on getting the 800-based GSV-R more competitive.  And with the word of their return a possibility exists they may re-expand to two riders for 2012, which many are hoping will go to former Suzuki MotoGP pilot and 2011 British Superbike Championship runner-up John Hopkins.

What may be the only struggle in the early part of the season is Suzuki is still planning to run the 800-based GSV-R while the rest of the factory and satellite-backed teams run the new full-blown 1000-based prototypes.  The new 'CRT' teams will help to fill the grids with production-based rules with some variances in suspension set-up, which is Dorna and MotoGP's way of trying to spread the wealth, but more importantly, fill the grids to something more than the 16 or 17 riders that have contested the series for the last few years. 

There are still a lot of cards to play out in the off-season, even with the tragic passing of Marco Simoncelli and the seat on the San Carlo Gresini Honda now open and up-for-grabs.  Bautista is assured the #1 spot for his efforts this year, but anything beyond that is still up in the air--especially until Suzuki says 'officially.'  Off-season testing starts on Tuesday at Valencia, and it is confirmed Suzuki will take part--good news in itself.  

Read on below.
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Here's the story from the good folks at Motorcycle News.com from across the pond, that revealed the great news about Team Suzuki most probably staying with their MotoGP efforts into the 2012 season:

http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/sport/sportresults/MotoGP/2011/November/nov0411-suzuki-poised-confirm-2012-motogp-deal/
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AMA Flat Track: Chris Carr Tribute Video From The Fans In The Stands at Flat Track.com

In a scene that could be interpreted as a prophetic gathering of the top finishers at the end of the day, Springfield Mile II winner Willie McCoy consults with former team mate and 7-Time AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr and his long-time tuner, Kenny Tolbert during a break in the on-track action at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on September 4.  Round 16 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series would see the two finish 1-2 in the National main event, with McCoy edging the #4 American Motorcyclist Assoc/Classic H-D/DFW Honda/Arai-sponsored XR750 rider by just .012 seconds on his #59 H-D of Wausau XR.

Having been long-time friends since McCoy joined the circuit in the late '80s, the few Nationals that Willie still does attend, he is usually seen pitted very close to the Carr/Tolbert pairing.  And as the scene in the shot above shows, spends time with The Masters of the Mile before, during and after each event and takes in everything he hears and sees.  Carr and Tolbert were two of the first people to greet McCoy at the podium after his break-out win on the Springfield Mile oval over Labor Day weekend, and other than McCoy no one looked happier to see it happen.  It has been said that KT taught McCoy everything he could and/or knew about how to build an XR, and McCoy builds all of his equipment, which in itself is as or as-close-to-as sanitary and fast as Carr's mounts.  This day it was 'just this much' faster than the former Grand National Champ's, and he grabbed his first Grand National win in 23 years of trying.

This is but an example of the type of ambassador to the sport that Chris Carr has been over the decades he has been involved in the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series.  Other then the couple of years he was away racing the H-D VR1000 effort in the AMA Superbike Championship (winning the '95 AMA Superbike Rookie of the Year Award), The Prince of Peoria has been a pro-level and Expert-ranked competitor in the series since he won the '85 AMA Pro Flat Track Rookie of the Year Award.  His 78 wins in the AMA Grand National Championship Series is second only to 9-Time AMA Grand National Champion Scott Parker, as are his 7 AMA Grand National Championships. 

Polished and professional, Carr and Tolbert have made an impression on the series and the sport that will be forever lasting, and with plans to keep moving forward with a young up-and-coming rider, should keep doing so, albeit with Carr no longer in the saddle.  Nonetheless, the level of support in terms of the sport, fans and sponsors and what the duo has done in terms of overall wins and championships is something that will continue to help AMA Pro Flat Track grow forward in the months and years to come.  And we will also get to keep seeing a couple of neat and fun guys around the series for some time to come. 

Chris Carr's 2011 Farewell to Flat Track Tour is now behind us, as the now-retired #4 wrapped up the season at Pomona last month with a 7th place finish, and a 5th place finish in the final standings of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series.  After competing in 20 AMA Grand National events and 15 other AMA or 'outlaw' events during the 2011 season, The Prince of Peoria has called it a day and the fans of the sport are definitely sadder for it, but relish what the future holds.

Mia Moore and Chew Larcom from Flat Track.com put together a nostalgic look back at the former champ, as we salute the moving on of one of the all-time greats of the AMA Grand National Championship Series. 

Check it out below, and thanks again to Chew and Mia, the Fans in The Stands from www.FlatTrack.com!
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A big thanks to Chew and Mia, The Fans In The Stands from FlatTrack.com for putting together this very fitting tribute to recently retired 7-Time AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzUHuxvyYp8
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AMA Flat Track: Looking Back at the '11 GNC Season with The Fast and Dirty Video Highlights

With the 2011 version of the AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series rolling into the Illinois State Fairgrounds mile oval over the Labor Day weekend, the riders and teams were ready to get on the track for the first practice session in the series' third (and final) mile event of the year.  Under warm and windy conditions, one man would finish the day on the podium after his 50th-and-final trip to the venue, and another would also finish in the top 3 to further add to what would be another championship-winning season. 

Possibly discussing the day's outcome above are Chris Carr, Jake Johnson and Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. awaiting the 'go' sign from AMA Pro Flat Track officials just prior to what would be a very exciting day-as usual-at the Springfield Mile II, round 16 of the 20-race season.

After 12 wins on the historic venue, California transplant and current Pennsylvania resident Chris Carr would come within .012 seconds of adding to that total on his #4 American Motorcyclist Assoc/Classic H-D/DFW Honda/Arai-sponsored XR750, only to see former team mate and long-time friend Willie McCoy edge out the 7-Time AMA Grand National Champion.  Carr would be one of the first to greet the first-time winner as he rode onto the podium after his victory lap and other than McCoy's, had the biggest smile during the ceremonies.

It would be the last time he would race the Springfield Mile as his Farewell to Flat Track Tour 2011 was starting to wind down after over a quarter century of professional motorcycle racing.  Closing his final season out with gusto, Carr would end the season ranked in the 5th spot and would be only one of five men on the season to make all 20 main events (Johnson, Jared Mees, Sammy Halbert and Coolbeth are the others.)

And Jake Johnson would ride his #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D/Boughner Racing/Arai-sponsored XR to the 3rd spot on the rostrum at the end of the day by .064 seconds behind winner McCoy.  Cool-as-a-cucumber Johnson had a pretty big grin on his face and was also very congratulatory towards McCoy.  He also was happy to finish on the box for the second time at Springfield (2nd in the May race) and possibly pondering the big picture in retaining his 2010 AMA Grand National Championship with now only four rounds left on the season.

Just less than six weeks later Johnson was the first repeat AMA Grand National Champion since Carr in '04-'05, when he closed the season out with a double dose of wins at Calistoga and Pomona.  (Of note, Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. won the AMA Grand National Twins Series Championship from '06-'08.)  And he has a busy off-season going on with some of the track day schools he's doing with Mike Hacker, not to mention getting married to Johnny Lewis' sister in December!

Coolbeth (seen almost obscured to Johnson's right) ended the day in the 4th spot (.112 seconds behind McCoy) and just shy of a spot on the box with his #2 Harley-Davidson Motor Co/Screamin' Eagle/Spectro Oils/Fox-backed factory H-D XR750.  After wins at DuQuoin and Hagerstown earlier in the season, The King of Cool had a another super year in finishing 4th in the overall standings behind defending GN Champ Johnson, Mees and Halbert. 

Also mostly hidden in this shot in the background is Jared Mees next to his #9 Rogers Lake Racing/Screamin' Eagle/Blue Springs H-D/Lucas Oil-sponsored XR, sporting his Gary Nixon tribute leathers.  Mees would end the day 5th, .261 seconds down, and wrapped the season's end with five wins on the year (the most by all competitors) and ranked 2nd overall.  Mees also added to his '09 AMA Grand National Twins Championship by claiming the 2011 Twins Championship at Pomona.



Helping to celebrate a great year, Will Fulford and Yve Assad from The Fast and Dirty.com have put together another bitchin video to wrap up the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series season.  You don't want to miss that below!
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Thanks again to Will & Yve from The Fast and Dirty.com for this season review video from the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series.  Great stuff as always guys, you rock!

http://vimeo.com/31017598
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MotoGP Circus Heads to Valencia Season-Finale With Heavy Hearts

Defending MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo rolls down the pitlane on his #1 Team Yamaha Factory YZF-M1 during the free practice 3 session at the 4th Annual RedBull Indianapolis MotoGP.  The defending champ is guaranteed a runner-up finish to the 2011 MotoGP World Championship even though he is not scheduled to race at the season-finale at the Valencia circuit starting tomorrow.  The champ lost parts of his fingers during a crash at the Phillip Island round three weeks ago and will be forced to miss the season's 17th and final round.

In what was a great season of MotoGP racing, with the swan song being sung for the '800' machines as MotoGP ushers in the '1000'-era for 2012 and beyond, the riders, teams and fans and sponsors alike are all still numb from the loss of former 250GP World Champion Marco Simoncelli during the previous round's second lap crash at Malaysia, where Super Sic was tragically killed in a racing accident in the premier final.  The event was canceled as a result of his death.

With Lorenzo out of action, joining Tech 3's Colin Edwards on the sidelines, who was also involved along with 9-Time World Champion Valentino Rossi in the Simoncelli incident, the fill-in riders will include, among others, '10-'11 AMA Superbike Champion Josh Hayes, who will be riding for the Tech 3 Monster Energy team.  Japanese Yamaha test rider Katsuyuki Nakasuga will fill-in on the Team Yamaha M1 in place of Lorenzo.
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You can follow all the action this weekend at the Valencia, Spain circuit below thanks to MotoGP.com and MotoMatters.com.

www.motogp.com

www.motomatters.com
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Julian Ryder has this spin on the heavy hearts at the season-ending Valencia round, thanks to SuperBikePlanet.com:

http://superbikeplanet.com/2011/Nov/111103ryderntes.htm
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AMA Flat Track: Pomona Half-Mile Season-Finale Video From Dirt Illustrated

Round 6 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series kicks off the Twins Series part of the schedule for the season at the Springfield Mile with heat one in the rain-delayed program getting ready to roll for the day.  In what would normally have been a top-4 go to the main event race, the top-6 were guaranteed a spot in the National on this sunny Memorial Day weekend afternoon due to the revamping of the program, with AMA Pro Flat Track dropping the semi races in order to get the show in for the day. 

In what would end up being the fastest heat of the day, eventual-Saddlemen Rookie of the Year Brad Baker took the #12 Lloyd Brothers Motorsports/TeamHurtByAccident.com/Foremost Insurance/ENI USA-sponsored Ducati 1098 to the win over defending and eventual-repeat AMA Grand National Champion Jake Johnson on the #1 Zanotti Racing/Schaeffer's H-D/Boughner Racing/Arai-sponsored H-D XR750.  Johnson would finish the day in 3rd, while Baker fought a handling problem that saw him fight for a very strong 5th place finish.

The duo finished the season at Pomona 1-2 in the main, with Johnson taking his 4th win of the season and second-in-a-row to end the season, while Baker would hound The Champ as much as he could in the final to come home 2nd, his best finish of the season and his very young Expert career.  Even with the two re-starts, there was no touching Johnson on his day.

Rob 'Bugs' Pearson would bring his #27 American H-D/Matt Reecy/RPM/WKR-sponsored XR home in 3rd in heat one, and would eventually go on to finish 10th in the main.  The Morton, IL. resident took another turn on the USC/Universal City Kawasaki at Pomona and took the 650R-based machine to a 6th place and very promising finish in the season-finale, and ended the season ranked in the 11th overall spot in the championship.

Johnny Lewis' year saw the #10 Scott Powersports/Dubach Racing Development/Triple J Racing/Saddlemen-backed and Kawasaki 650R-mounted rider move up three spots in the championship chase in a year that started with his 4th-place finish in heat one back in May and an eventual 8th place finish in the National main.  The Pennsylvania rider garnered his first AMA Grand National Twins podium at Hagerstown and also led his first laps in a Twins event at the Springfield Mile II round over Labor Day weekend.  JL10 wrapped up his excellent year with a 4th place finish at Pomona that also saw him finish 7th in the overall championship for the year.

Californian Jimmy Wood (behind Lewis) debuted his new #37 Southland Racing/M.E.H. Corp/Race Tech/Hostility Clothing-backed Kawasaki 650R-based Twins machine at Springfield, and although he missed the main still showed promise on the machine with two top-10 results at Hartford and Brainerd.  Wood missed several rounds due to his Peoria crash, but still finished the season ranked in the 13th spot after finishing 14th at the Pomona round.

Luke Gough played double-duty all year in the Twins class, debuting the #62 Digger/Dick Ford/KK Cycle/Eaken Racing-backed Kawasaki 650R at Springfield in late May.  Swapping back and forth between the Ricky Howerton-built and Danny Ingram-tested Kawasaki and the team's XR, Gough finally made the main with the team's new mount at Sacramento (9th) and again at Springfield II (15th.)  But a 4th place finish at the penultimate round at Calistoga was his and the bike's best-ever finish to date.  The former Australian flat track champion finished the season ranked in the 16th spot and swapped-back to the XR at Pomona to finish 13th in the season-finale.

JR Schnabel, Jr. in all likelihood had a year he would probably like to forget (except for his fine 3rd place finish at the Springfield TT after also winning the Dash event.)  But the rider of the #33 Werner-Springsteen Racing/Monster Energy Kawasaki/Cedar Creek Motorsports/Wossner Pistons-sponsored Kawasaki 650R-based mount never seemed to 'get the feel' so-to-speak for the little Twin, and by the Peoria round in late August was out from under the Werner-Springsteen camp and the rest of the season.  Missing the first  Twins race of the season, the long-time contender in the AMA Grand National Championship only scored points at the Lima round afterwards, and ended the season ranked 21st.

Brandon Robinson ended the first Twins event by finishing 5th in heat one, and taking his #44 Action Motorsports/Big Dawg Racing/Arai/Power Bar-sponsored XR home in the 13th spot of the National main at Springfield I.  Only contesting a partial schedule this season, BRob44 ended the season ranked 20th after having an off-year while still recovering from several surgeries early in the year from his Lucas Oil Indy Mile crash in August of '09.

Chad Cose and the #49 Waters Auto Body/Bell Helmets/Arlen Ness Products/D&D Power Sports-sponsored KTM/Suzuki team struggled to get the team's KTM into the field during the Twins events this year, although they did score a 16th place on the Suzuki at Lima.  Gerit Callies used his Pro Singles provisional to put the KTM in the Pomona main, and finished 16th in the season's final outing.  Cose finished the year ranked in the 18th overall position.

And after having his bike burned from the team's transporter fire earlier in the day, Jesse Janisch on the #45 Weirbach Racing/General Engineering/Jerry Wilhelmy/Arai Helmets-sponsored Suzuki failed to make the main at Springfield.  Janisch and the Weirbach team did a remarkable job even getting the bike ready for the heat earlier in the day from when this shot was taken.  Janisch finished the season ranked in the 30th position.


So take another look at the season's final round from the Pomona Half-Mile as we all get ready for the long lay-off until the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series season kicks off in mid-March at Daytona.  A big thanks to Dirt Ilustrated.com for some outstanding footage of round 20 at the Pomona round!
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Take a look at this high-speed video from the great folks at Dirt Illustrated.com (thanks guys!), where we see season-finale highlights from round 20 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship Series presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com at the Pomona Fairplex:

http://www.dirtillustrated.com/content.php?contentID=155
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AMA Flat Track: Mikey Martin, 2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Flat Track Champion

Three of the top 7 contenders for the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship get ready to roll out for the first practice session of the day during round 7 of the 2011 Pro Singles Series events at the Springfield TT on May 30.  Two of these three men would not only end the day on the podium, but would fight it out to the end of the season for the 2011 Pro Singles Championship.

Mikey Avila on the #33E SDI Insulation/M.E.H. Corp/Boughner Racing/Arai-sponsored Honda CRF450R adjusts his helmet prior to heading out for the first of two practice sessions at the Springfield Rodeo/Multipurpose Arena.  Avila would be the champ at the end of the day by just .290 seconds over season-ending champ, Mikey Martin, but Martin would end up winning the war at season's end.  Avila did win six events on the year (to Martin, Briar Bauman's and Gerit Callies three wins each), but his overall results came in just eight points shy of taking the title over Martin.  Avila would end the season with nine top 5s and nine podiums in the Pro Singles Championship, and looks to join Martin and Callies for the 2012 season in the Expert Grand National ranks.

Martin's #91Y Weirbach Racing Honda was virtually flawless all season, and for the most part his and the Iowa-based Weirbach Racing team seemed to only suffer two hiccups throughout the season that were, or could have been substantial.  Just before the previous day's events for the Springfield Mile I round, the team's transporter was partially destroyed by a fire in the parking lot of the hotel where they were staying.  When they showed up later that morning for the rain-delayed event, the team's bikes were discolored from the heat, smelled of heavy smoke and had to be patched together in order to even make it on the track.  Like strong teams do, and with the AMA Flat Track family helping out, they overcame the devastating losses incurred to come back and finish 2nd on the mile and the TT for the weekend.

That could have been the turning point that would have lost the championship to lesser teams and riders, but they endured and went on to take the lion's share of the payouts when the season wrapped.  At the penultimate round of the season, Martin's Honda blew up during the final, but fortunately for he and the Weirbach team, was able to re-start on his back-up machine since it happened before the five laps-in mark.  Martin came home in the 8th spot (his second-worst finish of the year after his 10th at Lima) in another instance of overcoming near-defeat on what ended up being his championship season.  Bravo to Mikey and the Weirbach team for getting it done!

And the man who finished 7th in the 2011 Pro Singles Championship, William Cato on the #35C Shoe Racing/Sportland Motorsports Urbana, IL/Bob Berry Racing/Woody Kyle Racing-sponsored Honda, also took home a win during the season at the Salinas TT.  Cato missed seven events on the year which caused him to drop in the season-ending standings.  He also finished 2nd at the Springfield Short Track over Labor Day Weekend, and should be a strong contender for the 2012 AMA Pro Singles Championship.
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Mikey Martin gets introduced to the crowd after winning the I-96 Speedway Half-Mile round of the 2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles main event at the Lake Odessa, MI. facility on July 23.  Martin had just taken his second win of the season (by just over four seconds to runner-up Conner Anderson) and took his third-in-a-row on the Sacramento Mile the next weekend.  Martin's win at the Lake Odessa round would vault him into the lead of the championship just past the half-way point of the season, a lead he would never surrender throughout the final nine rounds of the year.

The #91Y Weirbach Racing/General Engineering/Barnett Clutches/Spectro Oils-sponsored and Honda CRF450R-mounted rider had a stellar year in being only one of two men contesting the Pro Singles Series to qualify for all 20 events (runner-up Mikey Avila being the second man.)  Martin not only won three events on the season (Hagerstown being the other win for the California rider), but also scored eight podiums and 14 top-5s on the season in route to being the 3rd AMA Pro Singles Champion since the series' inception in 2009.

Martin will join previous AMA Pro Singles Flat Track Champions Brad Baker and Jeffrey Carver, Jr. for the 2012 AMA Grand National Championship Series season when he moves up to the Expert ranks while wearing his new #91 Expert number plate.

Hats and helmets off to the Ottumwa, IA.-based Weirbach Honda Racing team and 2011 Pro Singles Champion Mikey Martin.  A very well deserved year, that saw them fight through and overcome adversity on their championship winning season!
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Gerit Callies is shown during practice for round 15 of the 2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship Series season at the Peoria TT on August 21.  Callies would end the day in the runner-up position after Mikey Avila was declared the winner due to Briar Bauman's DQ (see below.) 

The #76L Twenty Six Suspension/G2 Ergonomics/Vortex Sprockets/O'Neal-backed Honda CRF450R-mounted rider would end the season as the 3rd ranked rider in the year's standings, after winning three rounds on the year (Daytona Short Track II, DuQuoin, Castle Rock) and would finish the season 25 points down on Martin and 17 down on Avila (316-308-291.)

Look for Callies to move up in the ranks to Expert status for the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Series season after running the final round of the 2011 season under a provisional for Pro Singles riders, where he made the main at Pomona on the Waters Auto Body KTM and finished the night in the 16th spot.  Super job Gerit!
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Briar Bauman all but spoiled the latter part of the 2011 Pro Singles Championship Series for the rest of the contenders.  Turning pro mid-season, the Salinas, CA. resident then burst onto the scene to take what would have been four wins on the year.  However, due to a fuel test that was bad after the Peoria TT, he was disqualifed and the win was given to Mikey Avila after all of the podium ceremonies had passed and the paying crowd had left the house. 

Returning to action above on his #10Z Rod Lake Racing/Browns Cycle/Lazer Racing/Gene & Gail Cummings-sponsored Honda CRF450R, the 'rookie' and former AMA Horizon Award winner would go on to get that first win two weeks later at the Springfield Short Track on September 3 over William Cato and 3rd place finisher Callies.

Bauman went on to win the last two rounds of the season at Calistoga and Pomona, and put in an inspiring ride to second place behind first-time winner Shayna Texter at the Knoxville round, to finish the season ranked as the 6th place man in the Pro Singles Championship.  Contesting only eight rounds in the season, he wrapped the season with those three wins, two 2nd-place finishes and one 3rd-place finish at the Springfield Mile II round.  If you throw out his DQ from Peoria, his worst finish in seven rounds was a 4th place finish at the Sacramento Mile, his very first Pro event. 

Talk is he could be moving up to the Expert ranks to join the big show in 2012, and if so, the competition has some work to do to keep this kid off the box.  Great job BB!
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Rodney Rutherford was on-hand at the season-finale round of the 2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Championship at the Pomona Fairplex and filed this race report for Today's Cycle Coverage.com:

http://www.todayscyclecoverage.com/wordpress/2011/10/22/bauman-wows-em-while-smart-martin-takes-the-title/


Weirbach Racing and 2011 AMA Pro Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Champion Mikey Martin filed this race report after the Pomona season-finale on taking the 2011 championship:

http://www.todayscyclecoverage.com/wordpress/2011/10/22/race-report-from-pomona/
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Thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track for this link to the complete results for round 20 of the 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track Harley-Davidson Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Serie season-finale from the Pomona Half-Mile:

http://results.amaproracing.com/live/results/pdfresults/ft/2011/F1198/default.aspx
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2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden Sees His 150th MotoGP and Looks to the Future

Mat Mladin on his #1 American Suzuki/Yoshimura/Dunlop/Motorex-sponsored GSX-R750 leads early race two action in the Wiseco 100 AMA Superbike Championship Series round at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, OH. in July 2001.  Mladin would go on to win his 3rd of three-straight AMA Superbike Championships, and would retire at the end of the '09 AMA Pro Road Racing season after winning his record 7th championship.  Eventual event winner Nicky Hayden keeps the reigning champ honest on the #69 American Honda/Universal Studios/Dunlop/Jardine-backed RC51, while Eric Bostrom looks to close the gap on the #32 Kawasaki/Lockhart Phillips/Akrapovic/Yuasa-sponsored factory Kawasaki ZX-7R.


Hayden would go on to win the '02 AMA Superbike Championship while riding the American Honda RC51, and then would bolt to the MotoGP World Championship for the '03 season while riding for the Repsol Honda team, claiming the MotoGP Rookie of the Year in the process.  By the end of the 2006 season, America had seen it's first world champion in six seasons (Kenny Roberts, Jr./2000 500CC World Champion) when The Kentucky Kid claimed the championship at the season ending round on the team's RC211V, defeating multi-time World Champion Valentino Rossi in route to the title.

Five years later, and with 150 grand prix races in his back pocket after nine seasons of contesting the premier road racing series in the world, and the landscape has changed some for the Owensboro resident.  Now riding for his second factory team in MotoGP, the Ducati pilot has struggled mightily in the series with the Italian marque's carbon fiber chassis, yet he still should finish ranked 8th in the season-ending standings after next weekend's final round in Valencia.  Should any problems befall 7-Time MotoGP Champion Valentino Rossi next weekend (Hayden's team mate), The Kid could actually finish ranked in the 7th spot of the season-ending standings.

Although finishing 7th or 8th is not the cup of Kentucky tea that Hayden would hope for, the former champ stands resolute in helping to bring the Italian marque back to the top in MotoGP, and is looking forward to the switch to the '1000' platform in the 2012 season after five years of running the '800s' in the series.  Hayden's contract is up with Ducati at the end of the 2012 season and the question on a lot of minds is 'will he be on a red Italian bike after the 2012 season?'  Time will tell.


Whatever may come of the future for Nicky, one place he DOES have a guaranteed ride in the future is in AMA Pro Flat Track.  Lloyd Brothers Motorsports, who sponsored Nicky's demo laps at the 2010 Lucas Oil Indy Mile, told us here at Stu's Shots back towards the end of the summer that no matter what that Nicky always had a ride with the LBM Ducati team.  The Kentucky Kid kicked in a wad of dough in early August to help the team in rebuilding their motor after losing one at the Sacramento Mile at the end of July.  Team co-owner Dave Lloyd is (needless to say) a big fan of the middle Hayden brother (as is the entire LBM bunch), so he would in most cases have a ride ready for The Kid should he decide to come back to AMA Flat Track Series racing (not that that is likely to happen anytime soon-unfortunately for flat track fans!)  And Nicky made it VERY well known after those 2010 demo laps at Indy that he 'would be back' at some time or another in AMA Pro Flat Track.
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Read on about Nicky's nine seasons in the MotoGP World Championship as Cycle News.com's Henny Ray Abrams was on-hand at the Australian MotoGP round a couple of weeks ago, when Hayden competed in his 150th Grand Prix event since joining the series for the 2003 season.  You can read his story and interview with The Kentucky Kid here:

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/road-racing/2011/10/26/nicky-hayden-150-gps-later/
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