AMA Pro Flat Track -- SPOILERS

[atomic410]

I'm jelous.  I saw it at cantiberry in MN on sept 11th.  it was awesome.  I had more fun there than i did at the last ama roadrace I was at.  Some of the guys I race supermoto against qualified for the races.  it puts you in your place as a racer to see guys who regular beat you get destroyed by the national guys.  I hope to see one day the AMA go back to the format in the 70's where to get a #1 plate you have to road race flat track and do hare scrambles.  it would never happen but those guys were the last true #1 plate holders imo

[fasterblkduc]

I'm jelous.  I saw it at cantiberry in MN on sept 11th.  it was awesome.  I had more fun there than i did at the last ama roadrace I was at. 

Yes...seeing that event at Canterbury was awesome.

[triangleforge]

SPOILER ALERT (I know it's on the main title, but still...)













A great day at the races, for the October 2010 edition of the Yavapai Mile here the Central Arizona Highlands -- Thanks to the DMF's Alan Sean for grabbing up a block of tickets up in the clubhouse & making the available to us!  The DMF's Dietrich Pfeiffer & Dawn Roberts rode up from Phoenix & had breakfast with AM & me before we headed out to the track.

The weather was splendid and the track seemed to need less tending than the previous  (March 2010) iteration of the race at this venue, though there seemed to be a much tighter racing line (especially in turns 1 & 2) than back in March -- in the Spring races, Joe Kopp made very effective use of an outside line those turns, kicking up a huge roostertail & passing three or four riders at a pop on the outside. This time, any rider who got off the groove and into the loose stuff looked like he (or she -- there were two very competitive female riders, one each in the Singles & Twins) had slammed on the brakes, losing places by the half dozen, and frequently winding up crashing into the hay bales.

Though it looked like most of his family was in the stands with hand-lettered "Smoke 'em, Uncle Joe" or similar T-shirts & signs, Joe Kopp's Ducati was just a shade off the winning pace all day long. We couldn't hear the announcer very well, and they shuffled the schedule a bit, but here's my best guess as to what went down: Kopp missed the cut in initial qualifying, though he dominated the "Last Chance Qualifier" to make the main event on the second row.

In the final, he couldn't reel in the lead group and spent most of the race in no-man's-land, back in seventh, moving up to fifth by the finish line. Up front though was one hell of a great race, with Jake Johnson (H-D), Jared Mees (H-D), Sammy Halbert (H-D) and Kenny Coolbeth (H-D) swapping the lead for most of the race, frequently heading into the turns three-wide. They finished in that order, with Jake Johnson taking the win and the Number #1 plate in the season series. On points, Kopp finished twenty down on Johnson, tied for second with Mees.

I still love turning right -- and watching the pros do it -- but if you haven't seen a pro flat track event, I'd urge you in the strongest terms to mend that gap next season. You'll be hooked too!

Press release on yesterday's race:  http://www.amaproracing.com/ft/news/index.cfm?cid=40086

[kopfjäger]

TheFastandDirty.com : Yavapai Mile Flat Track Race 05.01.10

[BastrdHK]

Thanks for the link Kopfjager!

I have seriously neglected my DMF brethren. 

Motorcycle USA and Cycle World tested each of the 6 major brands that competed in the 2010 GNC Flat Track Season.  We will have video from those tests in about a week.  The write ups will be in their respective mags in the coming weeks as well. 

For the record both testers/editors were good guys, but the difference in skill level between the Expert ranks was blinding.  They were lapping 7 seconds slower than race pace (39sec) on a "hot" lap.

Here is an exclusive release for the DMF.  Only those that have attended the AMA Banquet have seen this compilation of the 2010 season:

[kopfjäger]

^^^^ Flat Track rules,, always has, always will be the best. For the great unwashed who have never been. Shame on you. You are missing the greatest racing in America.  

[BastrdHK]

 Wanted to follow up, we have been working hard to finish the 2010 schedule.  Here is the final race of the season. You guys are definitely not the last thing on my mind.

I hope to see more of you guys at the races in 2011, big things are happening in this sport.

[triangleforge]

^^^ Fantastic work, Will!!!

[fastwin]

I absolutely love big twin flat track racing and have loved it since the Nixon, Springer, Lawwill days! Totally American and totally balls to the wall. Makes me want to watch On Any Sunday for the 435th time!! My favorite moment would have been at last year's Indy Mile and watched KR Sr. back in the TZ750 monster. Awesome shit! [moto] Sorry I missed it.

[triangleforge]

(BTW, I deleted the "Yavapai Mile" from the thread title, since this has become a de facto AMA Flat Track thread -  )

A fun video from Cycle World -- he rides the Duc, Kawasaki, KTM and Harley Flat Trackers after the last Grand National of the season:

AMA Grand National Twins Tested at The Arizona Mile

[kopfjäger]

^^ Good stuff.      "American peanut butter & jelly racing" 

[triangleforge]

Joe Kopp takes to the tarmac!



http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/road-racing/2011/01/24/joe-kopp-goes-road-racing

[atomic410]

I can see his point.  road racing that thing would defently ween me off of racing for good too

[kopfjäger]

[Desert Dust]

Great Pictire! Who's the rider? Sonny Burres? 1970s?