Today’s Motourage Video of the Day is the official Yamaha release of King Kenny’s return to the Indy Mile this past summer to ride the infamous TZ750 Flat Tracker.
For the original Motourage report on the Legend of the TZ750 and King Kenny ‘s return to Indy, Click HERE.
Feeling the winter cold in your area of the world yet? Longing for some serious two-wheeled action? Fear not, race fans. Here are a few places where you can get your racing fix this weekend:
Mini Winter Series flat track races
Part 1 of the South Carolina doubleheader
Saturday, Dec. 12 at Mid-Carolina Speedway in Neeses, SC
Click here for info
Mini Winter Series flat track races
Part 2 of the South Carolina doubleheader
Sunday, Dec 13 at Orangeburg Motoplex in Orangeburg, SC
Click here for info
34th Annual World Championship ICE Racing Series
Saturday, December 12, 7pm at Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario, California
Click here for tickets
Click here for info about the ICE World Championship Series
World Championship Ice Racing comes to Ontario, California this weekend
Dave & Rhonda Waters are happy to announce the formation of their 2010 AMA Grand National Dirt Track Championship Twins race team. It will be a two-rider team with both coasts covered. Jeremy Higgins from Bergen, NY might be the younger member of the team but his determination and work ethic are impressive. We have known Jeremy and have watched him progress to a skilled and smart rider. Last summer, when the schedule allowed, we journeyed up to Canada and had him ride the Big KTM 950 Twin on a few selected half-miles. Keeping in mind his limited experience on a twin, he definitely showed us he was capable of handling the bike along with providing great feedback.
Jeremy Higgins
Knowing Jeremy and his family for as many years as we have, we are extremely excited about the possibilities for the 2010 season. Jeremy’s desire along with his non-stop training regimen and natural talent reaffirms to the team he is a perfect fit for the goals set for 2010. Jeremy is currently a senior at Byron-Bergen High School and will be attending the Powersports Institute at Ohio Technical College in Cleveland after graduation in June.
He is a superior representative of our sport and will be an outstanding spokes-person for our unique team and sponsors. We are looking forward to watching and nurturing the growth of our youthful rider and motorcycle.
Jeremy had this to say about his opportunity, “Thank you Dave and Rhonda Waters for giving me the opportunity to ride the KTM 950 at Belleville and Leamington Ontario Canada in 2009. I am looking forward to my first AMA expert season with the Waters Autobody Racing Team. I am very excited to help this team accomplish its goals in 2010.”
Chad Cose
After talking with numerous qualified riders to fill the second rider spot, Chad Cose from Fremont, California will round out our team. Cose grew up cutting his teeth on California tracks such as Lodi and has won many amateur national titles along with many other credits to his resume over the years. He was one of the first riders to post a win on a European Brand Twin with his 2008 win at Vernon, NY in the Basic Expert division. Chad has gained much knowledge over the past year of competition in the Twins class and is determined to use what he’s learned to assist the team and help build it for future success. He is a naturally gifted rider and with the right support behind him we feel that he is an asset to our fledgling team. Chad is currently attending Chabot College studying Fire Science and Fire Technology.
When asked, Cose had this say, “I am excited about the opportunity to be a part of the Waters Autobody Race Team for the upcoming 2010 season. I feel Dave and Rhonda have worked hard to make this such a strong program at the GNC level and it is a pleasure to be a part of it. I hope to help this team grow and prove that we are one of the top teams in Dirt Track. It will be nice to have another rider in the pit to work with and I believe we will be beneficial for each other and the team. I am excited to get on the new equipment and start the new season off with strong results. I would like to thank all of the sponsors on behalf of the Waters Autobody Race Team that are making this season possible. I would also like to thank all my personal sponsors that have supported me and are just excited as I am about the new year.
We couldn’t be more proud of having Jeremy and Chad on our team. With RJ Overholt’s help over the last two years we have proved that the KTM 950 Twin engine can withstand the grueling punishment of flat out dirt track racing. We are confident in our young team and due to our unusual project feel they are the best choice for our program.
The Waters Autobody Race Team would also like to thank our current sponsors for their continued support, Bud at Matto Cycle, Five Star Steel & Fab, SuperTrapp, Sudco Carburetors, D&D Powersports, Steve Fortunato and Powersport Graphx. We realize more development will be needed to run in the front but are determined to show we can make the Orange machine a challenger. With more support from new sponsors such as Kal-Gard Lubricants, we will be able to attain what everyone says cannot be done, break the chain of dominance and bring other brands into contention. For sponsorship opportunities we would be honored to hear from you. Please contact us at waters@eznet.net or phone us at 585-589-7100.
The 2010 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship Schedule has been posted:
Round 1: March 3 – Daytona Flat Track (Daytona Beach, Florida) TT
Round 2: March 4 – Daytoina Flat Track (Daytona Beach, Florida) Short Track
Round 3: May 1 – Yavapai Downs (Prescott, Arizona) Mile
Round 4: May 29 – Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield, Illinois) TT
Round 5: May 30 – Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield, Illinois) Mile
Round 6: June 5 – Gas City I-69 Speedway (Gas City, Indiana) Short Track
Round 7: June 19 – The Red Mile (Lexington, Kentucky) Mile
Round 8: June 26 – Allen County Fairgrounds (Lima, Ohio) Half-Mile
Round 9: July 10 – I-96 Speedway (Lake Odessa, Michigan) Half-Mile
Round 10: July 31 – Calistoga Fairgrounds (Calistoga, California) Half-Mile
Round 11: August 7 – Hagerstown Speedway (Hagerstown, Maryland) Half-Mile
Round 12: August 14 – Beulah Park (Grove City, Ohio) Mile
Round 13: August 22 – Peoria Race Park (Peoria, Illinois) TT
Round 14: August 28 – Indiana State Fairgrounds (Indianapolis, Indiana) Mile
Round 15: September 4 – Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield, Illinois) Short Track
Round 16: September 5 – Illinois State Fairgrounds (Springfield, Illinois) Mile
Round 17: September 11 – Canterbury Park (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Mile
Round 18: October 9 – Yavapai Downs (Prescott, Arizona) Short Track
Round 19: October 10 – Yavapai Downs (Prescott, Arizona) Mile
Additional events expected to be added are:
Three TT events
Four Short Track events
Four Half-Mile events
Eight Mile events
After a seven-week hiatus, the AMA Pro Grand National Twins Championship wrapped up the 2009 season before a packed house at the LA County Fairgrounds. With the points title still up for grabs, Jared Mees unloaded his No. 21 Blue Springs Screamin’ Eagle Harley-Davidson/Rogers Lake Racing-backed XR-750 with a 15-point lead over defending three-time Grand National Champion Kenny Coolbeth and his No. 1 Harley-Davidson Factory mount.
No. 42 Bryan Smith (Screamin’ Eagle/Moroney’s Harley-Davidson), No. 43 Sammy Halbert (Halbert Family/King’s Customs/Glassman), No. 4 Chris Carr (Chris Carr Racing/Lancaster Harley-Davidson) and No. 14 Jake Johnson (SuperTrapp/F&S Harley-Davidson/Saddlemen) all were mathematically still in the hunt.
The 5/8-mile Fairplex oval proved to be just as challenging as it was in 1996, the last time the Grand National circus came to town. Even though Mees was fast early in the day, posting the fourth quick time in qualifying, he was playing it safe in his heat and could only muster a fifth place finish in the third heat. The points leader would have to come through a semi and start from the back row in the 25-lap National.
No. 17 Henry Wiles (KK Motorcycle Supply/Mike Adkins) had wrapped up the Grand National Singles Championship in the last race at the Springfield Short Track and was looking to pull off his first Twins National victory when he got the hole shot in the 18 rider main.
Bryan Smith, No. 3 Joe Kopp (Latus Harley-Davidson/Screamin’ Eagle) and No. 80Y Stevie Bonsey (Top 1 Oil/Alpinestar) were in hot pursuit. On the fourth lap Bonsey fell in Turn 3 and collected Halbert, bringing a red flag. Halbert would make the restart, but Bonsey’s night was over.
Smith used the restart to full advantage grabbing a small lead over Wiles and a resurgent Coolbeth. No. 20 Matt Weidman (Chris Carr Racing/Matt’s Racing) and Chris Carr were working their way into the mix ahead of Mees and Johnson.
Smith looked to be on his way to repeating his Lima victory when on Lap 11 he coasted to a stop in Turn 2. The dejected Smith was forced to leave his Harley sitting in the hay bales, ending his night.
Wiles was now in charge with Coolbeth and Weidman not far behind. As Weidman made his bid for the lead the rough surface almost bit him allowing Mees to slip into the podium position on Lap 15.
While the leaders were involved with their problems, Halbert had carved his way into contention and he took over third on Lap 18. Kopp also dropped Mees a spot as he passed on Lap 21. The podium was set with Wiles holding nearly a three second lead over Coolbeth at the end of 25 laps. Halbert was another three seconds back.
The fifth place finish for Mees was enough for the 23-year-old to wrap up his first Grand National title. Mees made the move over to the Rogers Lake Racing Team this year, bringing his Blue Springs Screamin’ Eagle sponsor along and it paid off big time. “I’ve been chasing this for 19 years and a million miles,” said team owner Craig Rogers. “This is what it’s all about.”
James “the Rocket” Rispoli gears up for the season finale of the inaugural AMA Pro Singles Championship at the Fairplex at Pomona, CA. James has already solidified an outstanding second place finish overall out of 68 pro riders in the championship while riding his Weirbach Racing team bikes. For this weekend’s final race of the season, James will be riding a bike provided by Sammy Sweet Racing as part of a one-off race sponsorship package.
James, a multi-discipline rider, came from a significant 19 point deficit after the second race of the season to catch and pass the points leader only to give way to a mediocre 5th place finish at the Indy Mile. With a 10-point deficit to make up and three races to go, there was still a great chance with the Springfield Mile, Springfield short track and Pomona half-mile races left. Then the odds started to pile up. With the Springfield mile called for darkness and races winding down to only two, James laid it all on the line in the last-chance Springfield short track that was rescheduled for Monday after a rain out there during the Saturday evening program. Qualifying fourth, the Rocket got the hole shot, led all but the last lap and set fastest lap time in the race. In a brave last-ditch effort move to take the win, James went for a small opening going into turn three only to have the door closed causing an unplanned high side exiting turn four, falling short of the finish line. That 16th place race gave the championship away but solidified his place in the history books.
“I am really blessed to have such great people who believe in me as I move forward in my career as a professional motorcycle racer,” said James. “Everyone around me gave 110% and we charged back from some mistakes, mis-queues, injuries and set-up problems. It was a shame so many races were rained out or cancelled because I know what I can do both on and off the track, and the championship was mine to win. Meanwhile, I learned a bunch from everyone and I can’t thank Dick Weirbach and his crew enough for a great season. I also wanted to say big thanks to Sammy Sweet and my friends Dave and Ryan Wells. Sammy came up with a frame, stout motor and the labor while the Wells family provided the suspension and wheels. Between them they came up with the parts needed to put a bike together for me to race at Pomona. And, a huge thanks to the team of Chris Carr and Kenny Tolbert for bringing the bike out to the west coast. I sincerely look forward to riding hard, smart and fast for my team and to put on a great season finale show for all the fans that will come out to watch the pro-singles race. I know it’s going to be a heck of an east vs. west coast show down so stay tuned.”
You can follow the action on James’ web site www.jamestherocket.com
The temperatures are cooling off, and so is the racing action for the 2009 season. This weekend marks the final rounds of two more major racing series seasons, as AMA Pro Flat Track Racing wraps up in Pomona, California and World Superbikes takes its final stand in Portugal.
Sylvain Guintoli will move to the Alstare Suzuki WSBK team in 2010 but will make an early appearance at this weekend's Portimao round
Both series promise exciting finishes as the the battles for the respective championships are far from over. In the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Twins Championship, Jared Mees leads defending champion Kenny Coolbeth by 15 points. In World Superbikes, American rookie – and 2010 MotoGP rookie – Ben Spies trails Noriyuki Haga by 10 points with two races left in Portugal. Also this weekend, look for British Superbike Worx Crescent Suzuki rider Sylvain Guintoli to make an early appearance with the Alstare squad in Portugal. Although injured early in the season, the former MotoGP rider will make a permanent switch to WSBK in 2010.
This week’s Motourage racing event schedule:
At the track:
10/24
AMA Pro Racing Flat Track Round 14
Pomona 1/2 Mile
LA County Fairgrounds, Pomona, California, USA
http://www.amaproracing.com/ft/events/event.cfm?eid=2009020985
10/24-10/25
World Superbike Championship Round 14
Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, Portimao, Portugal
http://www.worldsbk.com/en/calendar-e-circuits/portimao.html
10/25
MotoGP Round 16
Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix
Sepang International Circuit, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
http://www.motogp.com/en/events/Malaysia/2009
On TV:
Monday, October 19
9-10pm: Isle of Man TT, Sidecar race 1 & SuperStock highlights – Discovery HD Theater
10-11pm: FIM Speedway Grand Prix Series, Sweden – Discovery HD Theater
Tuesday, October 20
Midnight-1am: Isle of Man TT, Sidecar race 1 & SuperStock highlights – Discovery HD Theater
1-2am: FIM Speedway Grand Prix Series, Sweden – Discovery HD Theater
4-5am: Isle of Man TT, Sidecar race 1 & SuperStock highlights – Discovery HD Theater
5-6am: FIM Speedway Grand Prix Series, Sweden – Discovery HD Theater
Noon-1pm: MotoGP, Phillip Island, 250cc Race – Speed
1-2pm: MotoGP, Phillip Island, 800cc Race – Speed
2-3pm: Isle of Man TT, Relentless SuperSport Junior TT Race 1 – Discovery HD Theater
Saturday, October 24
5-6pm: Isle of Man TT, Relentless SuperSport Junior TT Race 1 – Discovery HD Theater
Sunday, October 25
4-5am: Isle of Man TT, Relentless SuperSport Junior TT Race 1 – Discovery HD Theater
3-4pm: Superbike World Championship, Portimao, Portugal Race 1 – Speed
4-5pm: Superbike World Championship, Portimao, Portugal Race 2 – Speed
5-6pm: Isle of Man TT, Relentless SuperSport Junior TT Race 1 – Discovery HD Theater
5-6pm: MotoGP, Sepang, Malaysia, 250cc race – Speed
6-7pm: MotoGP, Sepang, Malaysia, 800cc race – Speed
AMA Pro Racing is proud to announce that following the season finale of the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship at the Fairplex in Pomona, Calif., AMA Pro Flat Track will host the 2009 AMA Pro Flat Track Awards Ceremony on Sunday, October 25th at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel adjoining the 5/8-mile dirt track.
The award ceremony will honor this year’s champions and top performers in the AMA Pro National Hot Shoe Series and AMA Pro Grand National Championship. The AMA Pro National Hot Shoe Series awards will go to four classes; Pro Singles, Expert Singles, Pro Twins and Expert Twins. The AMA Pro Grand National Championship awards consist of three classes; Pro Singles, Expert Singles and Expert Twins. Other awards include; Manufacturer of the year in Singles and Twins classes, Expert Rookie of the Year, Most Dedicated, Most Determined and Team Excellence.
“Wrapping up the series and providing a top-rated season-ending awards ceremony on the same weekend at the Fairplex is perfect,” said Mike Kidd, Director of AMA Pro Flat Track. “We want to recognize all the hard work, dedication and positive attitudes that the teams and riders put into the series. I know all of the AMA Pro Flat Track officials look forward to spending an evening with the riders celebrating a fun and exciting season.”
Hi everyone;
What a crazy weekend it was at Springfield. I arrived at the Springfield short track and mile after capturing a AMA National Land Speed record a the Bonneville Salt Flats. My dad and I flew into St. Louis from Utah where we were picked up and made our way to the track about an hour and a half away. When I arrived I immediately went to the track to see the amateur race so I could see the layout of the track and the conditions of the dirt. Things looked in order and I was getting excited about racing there the next night.
On Saturday, the skies were threatening with rain but we still made our way into the pit area for set up. There was a huge crowd and with the combined expert and pro classes there were record amounts of races and team participating. It made for a long trek into the pit area for set up which started at 7AM in the morning. We had our practice sessions on time and then the skis started to spray a little water on the track. Initially it wasn’t too bad and AMA Pro and the IMDA worked hard to rush us through our qualifying. We managed to qualify both classes and then played games with the weather and the track prep from 8PM to after midnight before they cancelled the race. It was the most frustrating and tiring day I had in a long time. The main reason was I needed to compete in both races that weekend if I was to have any chance of closing in on the 10 point gap I had with Baker for the championship. Missing another race because of rain like we did in Sturgis was really going to hurt my chances since time was running out. The only saving grace was that we had a rain date for Monday so my chances were still alive.
James "The Rocket" Rispoli
With the short track behind us for the time being we woke up to headed down to the mile track to see what we could do there. Unfortunately the rain caused the mile track to be too wet to even cross with the big rigs so we were all on hold for a good portion of the day waiting for the old mother nature to do its thing and dry the track out naturally for a while. It was well after 1PM in the afternoon before they put a truck on the track and with the mile track without lights, it was clearly going to be a challenge getting the race in if they could even get the track to come around. I guess it was around 2:30PM or so when they started to let us in to set up but it was really getting late. The decision was made to set up and run the expert program all the way through and then if there was time run the our pro class. I was already starting to get bummed because I couldn’t afford to have both races cancelled with only one race on the schedule left to gain points.
Motourage Online