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Defending Grand National champion Zanotti Racing’s Jake Johnson roared to victory at the inaugural AMA Pro Racing Harley-Davidson Insurance Flat Track Series‘ Salinas TT on Saturday afternoon, but that triumph didn’t come easily. Despite leading 24 of the 25-lap National, Johnson’s win was at times very much in doubt, as series rookie Brad Baker had his ENI USA-backed Honda parked on the champ’s rear wheel for much of the contest.

Johnson’s early lead slipped away after Baker disposed of Rogers Lake Racing’s Jared Mees on Lap 8 and set out after the lead. Baker appeared to be faster almost everywhere; everywhere, perhaps, save the all-important last turn to the finish line.

“I looked back and saw Brad,” said Johnson. “Not that I was less worried, but when I was young, I was kind of a hammer head. It was dry slick and you had to be careful not to spin the tire, but I was the one doing that and he was the one making up ground on me. He caught me and started poking a wheel in on me here and there. I kind of threw out the defense a little bit.”

Every time Baker looked to have a chance, the veteran Johnson would squirt away. The battle raged until Lap 23, when Baker took the lead at the line. Disaster hit Baker almost immediately, however, as he lost the front wheel in the tight, left-hand turn leading into the infield. Baker’s first win was not to be, but he was able to get the clutch pulled, remount, and forge on.

“I almost had it,” said Baker. “I almost kept it up down there, but it was the hardest corner of the race. That’s where I was making up the time on Jake for the whole race, [but it] was harder to lead in there than it was in second. The front-end got away from me. Fortunately, I pulled in the clutch and kept it going, [and] I almost held on to second. Winning the race would have been awesome.”

Baker lost first and second, but he was able to hold on to third and earn his second podium finish of 2011. Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Henry Wiles overcame a near-disastrous first lap to climb all the way from tenth to a solid second-place finish.

Mees, who had appeared to be in position to get his first podium finish of the year, ultimately lost ground to both Wiles and current points-leader Sammy Halbert. Mees was able to salvage fourth with a last-lap pass of Halbert.

Farewell Tour or not, American Motorcyclist Association/Dallas Fort Worth Honda’s Chris Carr continued his string of impressive showings, as he moved from fourteenth on the first lap to a closing sixth at the end. Southland Racing’s Jimmy Wood had won the Fastenal Dash for Cash (and the $1,000 and five points that went with it) earlier in the afternoon, but that proved the high point of Wood’s day, as he would limp home in the National itself, finishing two laps down in eighteenth.

Johnson’s win and Halbert’s fifth-place finish have tightened up the championship hunt considerably, as the top two are now separated by a single point, Halbert with 85 and Johnson holding 84. Brad Baker and Kenny Coolbeth sit nineteen and twenty points behind Halbert, respectively.

Earlier in the day, the Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles main was won by California’s Mikey Avila. “This is really great,” said Avila afterward. “I’m not really much of a TT rider.” The Boughner Racing/M.E.H. Corp-backed Avila had been pressed early in the race by points-leader Gerit Callies (Full Throttle/Gillespie Small Engines), but a late-race mistake cost Callies second, as Rod Lake/Hooper Motorsports’ Rod Spencer Jr. slipped by and earned his first podium appearance of 2011.

The Callies-Avila points race is once again tight. After the pair split Daytona wins at the opening round, Avila turned in a disappointing finish at last weekend’s DuQuoin round. That was nearly negated, however, by yesterday’s performance, and Avila currently sits just six points behind class-leader Callies.

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.

This isn’t the first Grand National to be held in Salinas. A Half Mile National was staged in the Monterey County city back in 1968; a race won by former Grand National Champion Mert Lawwill. Amateur and Pro-AM TT racing at the Sports Complex dates back to the early 1960s.

For 2011, Kenny Coolbeth makes the switch from Harley-Davidson to Kawasaki

For 2011, 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 a Kawasaki.

Current points leader Sammy Halbert 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. Another local boy fighting for points is Salinas native and former MotoGP 125 and 250 rider Stevie Bonsey, who won last August in Calistoga, just a few hours up the road.

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. After getting banged around at last weekend’s DuQuoin event and coming away with a dismal 19th-place finish, Wiles is 12th in points.

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.

2008 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup champion and current Rockwall Yamaha road racer J.D. Beach is no stranger to the dirt.  He began his flat track career at the ripe old age of four and has his fair share of race wins on the oval to go with those on the tarmac. For 2010, Beach will add three more flat track events to his race calendar.

J.D. Beach on his way to winning Supersport race 1 at VIR. Photo courtesy of Dan Lo, Corner Speed Photo.

Beach has already competed in four AMA Pro K&N Filters Grand National Championship events this year with wins at the new Daytona flat track and the Springfield TT.  In addition to his successful Flat Track activities, Beach recently clinched the AMA Pro SuperSport Young Gun East Divisional Championship by winning for the seventh time in 2010.

Beach will compete in the Pro Singles class at the Peoria TT on Sunday, August 22 and the Indy Mile on Saturday, August 28.  Beach won both of these races in 2009 and is looking forward to his return.  The next big step will be the move from Pro Singles to Expert at the GNC event at the Springfield Short Track and Mile on Labor Day Weekend, September 4-5.

“I would like to win Peoria and especially Indy in the Pro Singles,” said Beach “My goal at the Mile in Springfield is to make the main event and try to finish in the top ten, although a podium would be great.”

Along with 2009 AMA Pro Twins National Champion Jared Mees, Beach will be riding the Rogers-Lake-prepared XR750 Harley-Davidson at Springfield.

The AMA Pro K&N Filters Grand National Championship rolled into Maryland’s Hagerstown Speedway this past weekend, and series points leader Joe Kopp was determined to have a better night after a brutal get off on the west coast.

“It’s not like I was broke in half or anything, but I’m still pretty sore,” said Kopp. “This was a great race. It was a lot of fun dueling with Kenny (Coolbeth), we went back and forth for a long time.”

It was a lot more fun for Kopp as he pulled to nearly a one-second lead over Kenny Coolbeth. The two former Grand National Champions and former teammates kept the large crowd entertained after a couple of aborted starts.

The first attempt to get the 25-lap National under way only lasted to the first turn, where Jake Johnson crashed right in front of the pack.  Johnny Lewis and Mick Kirkness were collected in the mess. All three riders would make the restart, however Johnson was on his backup Harley-Davidson.

The next try lasted two laps before last week’s winner and this week’s fast qualifier Stevie Bonsey fell in turn three. Bonsey was uninjured, but unable to make the restart.

Coolbeth had gotten the hole shot every time, and the third time was no different. Kopp was close behind and looking for any kind of space to make a move.  Rob Pearson was having a great ride in third until the 10th lap, when defending Twins Champion Jared Mees pushed his Harley-Davidson onto the podium. Coolbeth and Kopp exchanged the lead at the line three times, but there was passing going on all around the track. Kopp finally took over for good on lap 20. Pearson’s fourth place came into jeopardy late in the race as Sammy Halbert and Bryan Smith closed to within a half second, but that would be the finish order. Johnson regrouped to finish a strong seventh over Henry Wiles, Kirkness and Brandon Robinson.

Earlier in the night, the all-important Dash for Cash ($1,000 and five points) had gone to Jared Mees in a wire-to-wire win. Kopp was second and Johnson third.

In the Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Grand National Championship, points leader Jeffery Carver solidified his lead with a come-from-behind win. Early leader James Rispoli would have to settle for second.

Defending Series Champion, Brad Baker was a distant third, barely holding off his traveling buddy Mike Avila. Carver now holds a 31-point lead over Baker.

Hagerstown Speedway, Hagerstown, Maryland
RESULTS: August 7, 2010

GNT DASH FOR CASH (4 laps; 6 riders):
1. Jared Mees (H-D); 2. Joe Kopp (H-D); 3. Jake Johnson (H-D); 4. Sammy Halbert (H-D); 5. Kenny Coolbeth (H-D); 6. Henry Wiles (H-D).

AMA PRO MOTORCYCLE-SUPERSTORE.COM PRO SINGLES MAIN (12 laps; 18 riders):
1. Jeffery Carver (Yam); 2. James Rispoli (Hon); 3. Brad Baker (Hon); 4. Mike Avila (Hon); 5. Jake Shoemaker (Suz); 6. Brian Vincent (Hon); 7. Wyatt Maguire (Yam); 8. Chaz Springsteen (Kaw); 9. Asa Irish (Hon); 10. William Cato (Hon); 11. Eric Stump (Hon); 12. Mike Martin (Hon); 13. Adam Bushman (Hon); 14. Jason Isennock (Hon); 15. Mike LaBelle (Hon); 16. Shayna Texter (Hon); 17. Austin Greenland (Hon); 18. Brian Tapp (Hon).
Time: 10:27.557 (RED FLAG).

AMA PRO MOTORCYCLE-SUPERSTORE.COM PRO SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 10 0f 18 rounds):
1. Jeffery carver (195 pts / 4 wins); 2, Brad Baker (164 / 3 wins); 3. James Rispoli (134); 4. Mike Avila (119); 5. Mike Martin (91); 6. Mike LaBelle (85); 7. Chaz Springsteen (79); 8. JD Beach (72); 9. Jake Shoemaker (52); 10. (TIE) Wyatt Maguire / Gerit Callies (42); 12. Michael Toon (38 / 1 win); 13. Jeremy Hamilton (37); 14. Zakk Palmer (36); 15. Shayna Texter (35); 16. Brandon Laursen (33); 17. Stephen Vanderkuur (31); 18. John Long (30); 19. Tyler O’Hara (29); 20. Brian Vincent (28).

AMA PRO K&N GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED by MOTORCYCLE-SUPERSTORE.COM MAIN (25 laps; 18 riders):
1. Joe Kopp (H-D); 2. Kenny Coolbeth (H-D); 3. Jared Mees (H-D); 4. Rob Pearson (H-D); 5. Sammy Halbert (H-D); 6. Bryan Smith (Kaw); 7. Jake Johnson (H-D); 8. Henry Wiles (H-D); 9. Mick Kirkness (H-D); 10. Brandon Robinson (H-D); 11. Doug Lawrence (H-D); 12. Chris Carr (H-D); 13. Adam Carpinello (H-D); 14. Matt Weidman (H-D); 15. Chad Cose (Suz); 16. Lucas Scherb (H-D); 17. Johnny Lewis (Kaw); 18. Stevie Bonsey (H-D);.
Time: 19:12.704 (RED FLAG).

AMA PRO K&N GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED by MOTORCYCLE-SUPERSTORE.COM POINT STANDINGS (After 10 of 18 rounds):
1. Joe Kopp (193 pts / 3 wins); 2. (TIE) Jake Johnson (2 wins) / Sammy Halbert (1 win) (175); 4. Jared Mees (164); 5. Henry Wiles (160 / 3 wins); 6. Kenny Coolbeth (152); 7. Chris Carr (102); 8. Bryan Smith (93); 9. Rob Pearson (77); 10. Johnny Lewis (67); 11. Matt Weidman (64); 12. Mick Kirkness (63); 13. Jethro Halbert (57); 14. Stevie Bonsey (45 / 1 win); 15. Brandon Robinson (35); 16. JR Schnabel (28); 17. Luke Gough (26) 18. Chad Cose (21); 19. (TIE) PJ Jacobsen / Brandan Bergen (19).

AMA Pro Flat Track will conduct a milestone event this weekend with the AMA Pro K&N Filters Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com Hub City Classic at Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, MD.  This will be the 1,100th Grand National event conducted by AMA Pro Racing.

Of the many different types of motorcycle racing disciplines sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, the oldest and most traditional is the Grand National Championship.  This is a uniquely American style of motorcycle racing that competes on four types of tracks: quarter-mile, half-mile and one-mile specially prepared dirt oval tracks as well as TT events that use a track configuration with right and left turns along with a jump.

Latus Motors Ducati's Joe Kopp holds a six-point lead heading to Hagerstown

Prior to 1954, the fast and smooth Springfield Mile determined the winner of the coveted AMA Pro National Dirt Track Championship.  In 1954, the 18 points-paying race season was introduced.  The series was made up of flat track and a number of road race nationals to showcase the versatility of the machines and their riders.  As the two disciplines grew, they were eventually split into two distinctly different series.

Leading this year’s AMA Pro K&N Filters GNC Twins Championship coming into the historic Hagerstown event is Ducati rider Joe Kopp, the 2000 AMA Pro Grand National Champion followed by 2006 and 2008 Grand National Singles Champion Jake Johnson and 2009 Grand National Champion Sammy Halbert.

On Saturday night, Joe Kopp overcame two restarts to take his #3 Harley-Davidson to a win during round eight of the AMA Pro Flat Track K&N Filters Grand National Championship at the I-96 Speedway Half Mile. The race was stopped after two laps by oil on the track, and again after lap 11 when Bryan Smith fell in turn two.

Zanotti Racing’s Jake Johnson won the hole shot in the first start, but could not duplicate the second time around. “I knew I had to get out front and not make any mistakes,” said Kopp. “I was the veteran, I should be able to keep the kids behind me.”

The single file restart saw Johnson take a look inside going into turn one, but he was unable to alongside Kopp. Coolbeth was all over Johnson for second, but had no better luck. Late in the race, Sammy Halbert, defending champ Jared Mees and the veteran Chris Carr tried to make it a six-way race, but after Mees passed Carr on lap twenty two the top positions were set.

Johnny Lewis gave his Kawasaki its best finish with a seventh after falling victim to the oil on the first start. Matt Weidman, Henry Wiles and Jethro Halbert rounded out the top ten.

AMA Pro Racing has implemented a new program for three of this year’s races. The top ten riders in last year’s Pro Singles class can have a provisional ride in the Expert class if they can secure a twins ride for the event. Tonight four riders took advantage of that.

#24P Jeff Carver, #71B James Rispoli, #25A Shayna Texter and Brad Baker, who switched his #1 Pro Singles number for a #17M Harley-Davidson, were the only riders to take advantage.

Baker really took advantage, winning the second Expert Twins Semi. Then, after finishing second to Carver in the Pro Singles main, he got off his Honda, put in 25 more laps on the H-D, and home a very respectful 13th. The finish did not earn him any GNC National points, just the experience and the $775 that went with it.

James Rispoli filled out the Pro Singles Podium after the race was stopped on lap eleven when Zakk Palmer fell in turn four.

The K&N Filters Grand National Championship now moves west to Calistoga, CA on July 31.

This Saturday night the AMA Pro Flat Track K&N Filters Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com heads to the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio for the 2010 edition of the Ohio National Championship.

Last year’s Lima winner Bryan Smith, who rode a Harley-Davidson to his victory at the Fairgrounds, will be switching to the Monster Energy/Werner-Springsteen Racing Kawasaki.  Smith came in second at this year’s Springfield Mile on May 30th, and is still seeking his first win of the 2010 season, currently seventh in the Expert rider point standings.

Can Joe Kopp and his Latus Motors Ducati break Harley's 15-year hold on Lima, Ohio?

2008 Ohio National Championship winner Joe Kopp, who also won aboard a Harley-Davidson last year, will be switching to the Latus Motors/ENI USA R&M/Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Team Ducati.  Kopp won the Arizona Mile at Yavapai Downs earlier this year aboard the team’s Ducati and comes into Lima with 118 points, leading the Expert riders in the Grand National Championship points chase.  Jeff Carver has 118 points in Pro Singles Grand National Championship standings and leads that division.

Top riders from across the country call this race one of the most demanding, fun and exciting races on the series.  The Harley-Davidson XR750 has won 23 of 25 Nationals on the limestone half-mile dirt track, winning 15 consecutive races since 1994.

The Ohio National Championship will mark the seventh event on the 19-race 2010 calendar. Smith will headline a field of former Lima winners including Kopp (’03, ’04), Jared Mees (’05, ’07) and AMA Pro legend Chris Carr (’91, ’99, ’00, ’01). Although Kopp is the current points leader, he is being chased by winners of the last two GNC nationals, Jake Johnson and Henry Wiles, who each have two wins of their own this season.  All of these leading competitors, in addition to three-time Grand National Champion Kenny Coolbeth and Nichole Cheza, are among the top riders coming to Lima.

The series competed most recently at Gas City I-69 Speedway in Gas City, IN on June 19.  “Hammerin” Hank Wiles nipped Mees by .624 seconds at the line, with Kopp finishing third.

Fairground gates open at 3 p.m. local time on June 26. There will be a number of vendor displays on the grounds including Budweiser, Lima Ford, Lima Harley-Davidson, K&N Filters and Memphis Shades.

Timed practice is slated for 3 p.m. with a rider autograph session and open paddock area set for 5:30 p.m. Opening ceremonies are scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. with the official racing program kicking off at 7:30 p.m. local time.  Pro Singles and Expert Singles will battle through nine qualifying races, culminating with the Pro Singles Main, a 12-lap feature, and the Expert Singles Main, a 25-lap showdown, wrapping up the evening of racing.

It has been several years coming, but Joe Kopp gave the Lloyd Brothers Motorsports Team their first AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship victory at the Budweiser Arizona Mile.

The first-time event was full of firsts. The first win for Ducati, the first BMW in a Flat Track National since 1954 and the first Kawasaki since 1975 to make a National Main.

All day long it appeared that Halbert Family/Kings Kustom’s Sammy Halbert was going to pick up where he left off in Daytona as he set fast time in qualifying, won the fastest heat and the five-point, $1,000 Dash for Cash on his Harley-Davidson.

While Kopp had been fast all day, he didn’t give Halbert too much trouble in their heat as he finished second on his Latus Harley-Davidson/ENI R&M-backed Ducati well behind Halbert.

When the National started, Kopp roared to the front as Halbert suddenly looked to be off his game, dropping to third behind Zanotti Racing’s Jake Johnson.

On lap seven Johnson’s race started to unravel as he was passed by Halbert and Lancaster Harley-Davidson/Dallas-Fort Worth Honda’s Chris Carr.

“I realized I had to pick up the pace, I was afraid Joe was going to get away,” said Halbert.

One more lap and Halbert was back in the lead and cruising. Kopp settled into second with Carr in third, but by lap thirteen Carr was under attack as Defending Grand National Twins Champion Jared Mees had his Rogers Lake Racing/Blue Springs Harley-Davidson backed Harley in contention for the last podium spot, taking third on lap fifteen.

Just as suddenly on lap seventeen Kenny Coolbeth pushed his Harley-Davidson Motor Company backed XR-750 around both Carr and Mees, dropping Mees to fifth. Mees was able to regroup, re-pass Carr and just miss making a last-lap pass for third.

While this was a good race the race for the win suddenly heated up. “It looked like Sammy was having some brake problems, but he said not,” said Kopp. “With a couple of laps to go I realized I had a shot. On the last lap I caught him down the back straight, but I thought I better wait for the front straight to pass him. I was just barely able to draft past at the finish line.”

“I let this one get away, it’s a learning experience for me I’ll not let that happen again,” said Halbert. “I should have won this.”

Earlier in the day Rod Lake/Mike Velasco/Brothers Powersport’s Brad Baker had captured the Pro Singles Main as he led the twelve lap race wire to wire.

Yamaha Corp/GTYR/Van’s Yamaha’s Jeffery Carver fought his way into second, but finished four seconds behind Baker.

The race for third was a dandy as Monster Energy/Kawasaki/Werner-Springsteen Racing’s Chaz Springsteen and Priestley Racing/Vadnais Machine’s Corey Crawford ducked it out. Fast Qualifier Crawford was able to come out on top.

RESULTS:

AMA Pro Racing GNC Twins National:
1. Joe Kopp (Duc); 2. Sammy Halbert (H-D); 3. Kenny Coolbeth (H-D); 4. Jared Mees (H-D); 5. Chris Carr (H-D); 6. Jake Johnson (H-D); 7. JR Schnabel (H-D); 8. Rob Pearson (H-D); 9. Don Taylor (H-D); 10. Luke Gough (Suz); 11. Henry Wiles (H-D); 12. Aaron King (Rot); 13. Brandon Robinson (H-D); 14. Mick Kirkness (H-D); 15. Chad Cose (Suz); 16. Nichole Cheza (H-D); 17. Bryan Smith (Kaw); 18. Matt Wait (BMW).

AMA Pro Singles Main:
1. Brad Baker (Hon); 2. Jeffery Carver (Yam); 3. Corey Crawford (Hon); 4. Chaz Springsteen (Kaw); 5. Mike Avila (Hon); 6. Jeremy Hamilton (Hon); 7. Mike LaBelle (Hon); 8. Wyatt Maguire (Yam); 9. Tony Davila (Hon); 10. Jake Cunningham (Suz); 11. Russ Wikle (Hon); 12. Harley Dunn (Hon); 13. Shayna Texter (Hon); 14. Michael Toon (Hon); 15. Mike Martin (Hon); 16. Chris Ponderous (Hon); 17. Kenny Malaguarnero (Hon); 18. Colt Chebultz (Hon).

AMA Pro Racing is proud to announce Airfence brand inflatable soft barriers will be deployed for the 2010 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship, beginning with the Daytona Short Track Nationals on March 3-4, 2010.

Due to concerns for rider safety, the Illinois Motorcycle Dealers Association (IMDA) has agreed to donate its fleet of 30-foot sections of Airfence inflatable soft barrier to the Roadracing World Action Fund (RWAF), which will assign a total of 46 sections to AMA Pro Racing for deployment exclusively at flat track racing events.

In 2005, the IMDA purchased 30 sections of Airfence with a grant received from Ford Motor Company, and donations to the RWAF by fans, racers and sponsors funded the purchase of 16 additional sections. Those 46 sections have been deployed by IMDA at flat track events, mostly in the Midwest.

Tommra Kiesow, Director of the IMDA said, “We are proud to be able to donate such an important asset to the sport of flat track racing, with the help of the RWAF. We are confident AMA Pro Racing will handle the Airfence with expert care and get many more years of use.”

Airfence in use at the Springfield Mile

Airfence inflatable soft barriers are designed and manufactured by Airfence Safety Systems (Australia) Pty. Ltd. and used extensively in motorcycle racing to help protect riders from hitting hard walls or objects as the result of a crash.

“When I first heard the Airfence was going to be available, I thought ‘Wow.’ I know from my experience as a board member of the Roadracing World Action Fund the logistical and financial commitment it takes to deploy Airfence at races on the Grand National Championship is no easy task,” said Chris Carr, seven-time AMA Pro Grand National Champion. “I applaud the IMDA and AMA Pro Racing’s proactive approach to rider safety.”

Mike Kidd, AMA Pro Racing Director of Flat Track said, “The IMDA has done a great job providing Airfence to their mile races and other events which needed extra protection. I am glad we can now extend that same safety protection to all our half-mile and mile events along with selected short track and TT races.”

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.

Canada’s dirt track champion Don Taylor is happy to announce that he will be riding JPR-prepared Suzuki RMZ 450 flat trackers in the Singles division of AMA Pro Flat Track as well as the Canadian Motorcycle Associations  National Championships in 2010.  Strong support for this initiative comes from Clare’s Cycle Suzuki, Taylor’s career-long sponsor. Taylor captured the CMA 450 Expert National Championship in 2007 aboard a Clare’s Suzuki.

Don Taylor will ride JPR-prepped Suzuki RMZ 450s in the American & Canadian Flat Track series

“I’m totally confident,” enthused the six-time Canadian champ. “I know JPR builds fast and reliable motors; I’m really pumped to be riding for them. John Parker’s Kawasaki was insane this year, just so fast. The JPR bike would pull away on the straight and I had to ride my you-know-what off to make it up in the corners. So I’m very pleased that my Suzukis will be built by JPR this year – like I say it gives me confidence. The other bonus is that Parker himself is so good at bike set up. Proper set up is such a big part of it and having that advantage is a big plus.”

John Parker, who, along with his long-time partners Len Shpeley and Jake Van Roon, comprise JPR, is a multi-time Canadian flat track champion whose bike building skills rival his on-track expertise. JPR prepares a wide range of flat track motors including Rotax, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki.

“We’re really, really happy about this,” Parker enthused from the JPR race shop in Stoney Creek Ontario. “We’ve watched Donald grow up, he’s a graduate of my dirt track school, and I’m really proud of him. He is the future of Canadian dirt track both on and off the track, and we’re proud to partner with him. Donny’s going to get the best we can give him; there’s no holding back. My partner Len and I and Jake too, we’re going to give him the best of our knowledge.”

Parker finished second to Taylor in the 2009 Canadian dirt track series.

Don Taylor’s Suzuki RMZ 450 program is supported by Clare’s Cycle, JPR, Scorpion Helmets, Performance Under Gear, Nexo Sports, CP Pistons, Vortex Racing and Twenty Six Suspension.

John Parker’s KXF 450 Kawasaki carries sponsorship from Kawasaki Canada, Inglis Cycle Center, JPR, Scorpion Helmets, 26 Suspension, Hot Cams and Bickle Racing Extreme Measures.