Motourage

After a 13-year hiatus, the AMA Pro K&N Filters Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com Series returned to Canterbury Park for the Minnesota Mile. While the track was not perfect, it was much better than the last time the “Rolling Thunder Show” visited Minnesota and it was very good to Harley-Davidson Motor Company’s #2 Kenny Coolbeth.

Pursuing his first Grand National win since Indianapolis of 2009, Coolbeth came from deep in the 18-rider field to capture the 25-lap main by slightly more than three seconds. “We really needed this, we’ve been so close,” said Coolbeth. “When I passed Jared (Mees), I signaled him to get in line so we could run down the leaders, but it didn’t work out. The next thing I knew I was passed (Matt) Weidman and closing on Jake (Johnson). I was following Jake and he started to use my line and I almost hit him, but then I was able to get by and then it was just clear sailing, just stay consistent,” said Coolbeth. “t was hard to see that outside berm and you had to be real careful not to get in too hot.”

At the start, Jake Johnson got the hole shot, and the race looked like it was going to be a two-rider battle as Johnson and Matt Weidman quickly separated themselves from the rest of the field. Weidman was all over Johnson, taking the lead several times, but unable to lead at the finish line.

Coolbeth was reeling in the lead duo and was able to wedge himself into second on lap eleven. Once into second he wasted little time taking the lead and pulling to his first win of the year.

Weidman’s next problem was Rogers Jared Mees, and Mees took third on lap 13. Weidman had Bryan Smith and Chris Carr challenging him after Mees got by.

Henry Wiles was the rider on the move as mechanical problems had knocked him out of a sure heat win and forced him to win the semi to get a third-row start in the main. Wiles was cutting through the field, working his way up from 10th to fourth by lap 22.

Weidman held on for fifth after his brilliant start. Bryan Smith and Chris Carr battled over sixth with Smith edging the seven time Grand National Champion out.

Series points leader Joe Kopp was in the lead pack early, but scraped off his brake pedal on lap two and was forced to ride the tricky race track with no brake. Kopp was leading a huge pack in the battle over eighth place until lap 20 when he broke his chain going into turn one, ending his night.

Johnny Lewis was able to take his Kawasaki to the eighth place finish ahead of Shawn Baer and Jethro Halbert.

Earlier in the night the rejuvenated Chris Carr captured the four-lap Dash for Cash. Carr only led the last few inches of the race as he drafted Jake Johnson at the line.

Johnson’s four points from the Dash moved him to within six points of Joe Kopp and the Grand National points lead.

Johnson’s strong race and then Kopp’s sudden misfortune give Johnson a ten point lead with two races to go. Mees (-19), Wiles (-26), Coolbeth (-34) and Sammy Halbert (-37) all still have a mathematical chance at the title.

Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Grand National Championship points Jeffery Carver came away with win number five on the season and now holds a 27-point lead over third place finisher and last year’s class champion Brad Baker.

Mike Avila finish second, just one second off the lead. Chaz Springsteen and Corey Crawford filled out the top five.

Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN
RESULTS: September 11, 2010

AMA PRO MOTORCYCLE-SUPERSTORE.COM PRO SINGLES MAIN (12 laps; 18 riders): 1. Jeffery Carver (Yam); 2. Mike Martin (Hon); 3. Brad Baker (Hon); 4. Chaz Springsteen (Kaw); 5. Corey Crawford (Hon); 6. Conner Anderson (Hon); 7. Gerit Callies (Hon); 8. Michael Toon (Hon); 9. William Cato (Hon); 10. Jake Cunningham (Suz); 11. Wyatt Maguire (Yam); 12. Kurtis Lee (Hon); 13. Justin Minnaert (Kaw); 14. Kevin Walter (KTM); 15. Adam Bushman (Hon); 16. Scott Barrett (Hon); 17. Nicholas Mataya (Yam); 18. Mike Martin (Hon).
Time: 8:30.341

AMA PRO MOTORCYCLE-SUPERSTORE.COM PRO SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP POINT STANDINGS (After 15 of 17 rounds): 1. Jeffery carver (278 pts / 5 wins); 2. Brad Baker (251 / 4 wins); 3. Mike Avila (182); 4. James Rispoli (160); 5. (TIE) JD Beach (4 wins) / Mike Martin (118); 7. (TIE) Chas Springsteen / Mike LaBelle (116); 9. Michael Toon (91 / 2 wins); 10. Jake Shoemaker (90); 11. William Cato (79); 12. Gerit Callies (67); 13. Zakk Palmer (66); 14. Jeremy Hamilton (59); 15. (TIE) Corey Crawford / Shayna Texter (57); 17. Wyatt Maguire (55); 18. Tyler O’Hara (47); 19. Kurtis Lee (38); 20. Brandon Laursen (35).

GNT DASH FOR CASH (4 laps; 6 riders): 1. Chris Carr (H-D); 2. Jake Johnson (H-D); 3. Matt Weidman (H-D); 4. Jared Mees (H-D); 5. Kenny Coolbeth (H-D); 6. Rob Pearson (H-D).
Time: 2:45.440

AMA PRO K&N GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED by MOTORCYCLE-SUPERSTORE.COM MAIN (25 laps; 18 riders): 1. Kenny Coolbeth (H-D); 2. Jake Johnson (H-D); 3. Jared Mees (H-D); 4. Henry Wiles (H-D); 5. Matt Weidman (H-D); 6. Bryan Smith (Kaw); 7. Chris Carr (H-D); 8. Johnny Lewis (Kaw); 9. Shawn Baer (Tri); 10. Jethro Halbert (H-D); 11. Luke Gough (H-D); 12. Jeremy Higgins (KTM); 13. Nichole Cheza (H-D); 14. Mick Kirkness (Suz); 15. Dustin Crow (H-D); 16. Joe Kopp (Duc); 17. Rob Pearson (H-D); 18. Chad Cose (Suz).
Time: 16:57.197

AMA PRO K&N GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED by MOTORCYCLE-SUPERSTORE.COM POINT STANDINGS (After 15 of 17rounds): 1. Jake Johnson (265 pts / 2 wins); 2. Joe Kopp (255 / 3 wins); 3. Jared Mees (246); 4. Henry Wiles (239 / 5 wins); 5. Kenny Coolbeth (231 / 1 win); 6. Sammy Halbert (228 / 1 win); 7. Chris Carr (190); 8. Bryan Smith (177 / 2 wins); 9. Matt Weidman (108); 10. Johnny Lewis (103); 11. Rob Pearson (90); 12. Mick Kirkness (79); 13. Jethro Halbert (77); 14. Stevie Bonsey (69 / 1 win); 15. Luke Gough (46); 16. Brandon Robinson (42); 17. JR Schnabel (41); 18. Shaun Russell (39); 19. Willie McCoy (35); 20. PJ Jacobsen (31).

AMA PRO K&N GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED by MOTORCYCLE-SUPERSTORE.COM TWINS POINT STANDINGS (After 9 of 11 rounds): 1. Jake Johnson (167 pts / 1 win); 2. Kenny Coolbeth (153 / 1 win); 3. Sammy Halbert (147); 4. Jared Mees (146); 5. Joe Kopp (144 / 2 wins); 6. Chris Carr (140); 7. Bryan Smith (125 / 2 wins); 8. Henry Wiles (98 / 1 win); 9. Matt Weidman (73); 10. Rob Pearson (57); 11. Stevie Bonsey (55 / 1 win); 12. (TIE) Mick Kirkness / Luke Gough (39); 14. Johnny Lewis (35); 15. Willie McCoy (33); 16. PJ Jacobsen (31); 17. Jethro Halbert (29); 18. Brandon Robinson (24); 19. JR Schnabel (22); 20. Larry Pegram (17).

The AMA Pro Flat Track K&N Filters Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com switched from a Singles Short Track to a Twins Half Mile this past weekend, but Henry Wiles never missed a beat. Wiles just devastated the Allen County Fairgrounds Half Mile in Lima, OH, leading the 25-lap National from start to finish. The dominating performance gave Wiles 50 consecutive laps led as he pushed his # 17 KK Motorcycle Supply/Mike & Eddie Adkins backed Harley-Davidson XR750 to a six-and-a-half second win over Sammy Halbert and his # 7 Kings Kustoms/KK Motorcycle Supply backed Harley-Davidson.

“I love this place. This is my kind of track, and the fans really get into it. I can see them hanging on the fence all the way around,” said Wiles. “I just tried to get away in the National. It seemed like I was in lapped traffic real soon. It was like, this isn’t the heat race, these are the best of the best. This is really just great, now we’ve got to get it together for the groove tracks coming up.”

Wiles couldn’t have been better as he set the fast qualifying time, won the fastest heat, captures the five points and $2,000 in the dash and then dominated the National. The George Roeder Memorial Dash featured double the normal purse for the four-lap race. Wiles led the group into turn one when the green light flashed on the eighteen-rider grid. Joe Kopp, Sammy Halbert, Jake Johnson and Defending Twins Series Champion Jared Mees were bunched right behind.

Wiles quickly pulled away as Halbert also separated himself from the pack. Wiles’ and Halbert’s race looked to be settled and both were into serious lapped traffic by lap 15. Two years ago Wiles lost this race when a lapped rider opened the door for Joe Kopp to nip him at the line. No chance of that this year as Wiles sliced and diced his way through the field, lapping all the way up to eighth place. Ironically Kopp was the last rider he lapped right at the finish line.  The race was now for third as Johnson, Bryan Smith, Mees and Matt Weidman battled away.

Smith was looking to put his Kawasaki on the podium for the second straight time as he and Johnson exchanged the position all around the track, but it was the youngster from New York, Weidman, who prevailed earning his first ever Grand National podium finish. Smith finished a couple of seconds back in fourth, followed by Johnson and Mees. Dustin Crow was a solid seventh with Chris Carr, Kopp and Steve Bonsey filling out the top ten.

After winning three of the last four races Henry Wiles has moved into a points tie for the Grand National Championship with Joe Kopp at 129 points.  Jake Johnson is just eight points back with Sammy Halbert and Jared Mees another five and six points back. Three-time Grand National Champion Kenny Coolbeth is lurking 31 points off the pace, but with some strong races for him coming up.

Defending Pro Singles Champion Brad Baker was just about as dominant as Wiles in the 12-lap Motorcycle-Superstore.com Pro Singles Grand National Championship Main. Baker had his #1 Honda well in front of a great race for second. James Rispoli looked to have second nailed down, but Chaz Springsteen pushed his Kawasaki into second on lap eleven with Mike LaBelle also getting by on his Honda.

Series points leader Jeffery Carver had an off night finishing seventh. Carver still holds 24 point lead over Baker with Rispoli seven points back in third.

After taking the Fourth of July weekend off, the AMA Pro K&N Filters Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com Championship moves to the I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, MI.