You can check out excellent coverage of the Springfield Mile here.
May 31, 2010
May 30, 2010
Johnson Wins Springfield’s May Mile
Jake Johnson was perfect all day winning the Memorial Day Weekend edition of the Springfield Mile on his Zanotti Racing Harley-Davidson XR750. Johnson was untouchable all day on the Mile, setting the fastest qualifying time, winning the fastest Heat race, scoring victory in the Dash for Cash and finally leading every lap of the national. Bryan Smith took a solid second on the Werner-tuned Monster Energy Kawasaki. Kenny Coolbeth Jr. was third on the factory Harley-Davidson. The battle for second was intense on the final lap with five riders covered in a blanket. Johnson was 2 seconds ahead of the fray. Michael Toon repeated last year’s victory on the Mile in the Pro Singles class. How’s this for close – top 11 covered by 7-10ths of a second! There was a massive crowd on hand in spite of 90-plus degree and humid weather. More tomorrow.
Jake Johnson (5) nails the start at the Memorial Day Weekend Springfield Mile. He led all the way. Bryan Smith (42) was second on the Monster Energy Kawasaki and factory Harley-Davidson’s Kenny Coolbeth (2) was third. (Larry Lawrence photo)
No joy in Springfield — mighty Casey has flipped out.
It was a tough night for Daniel Casey in the first Grand National heat race. It appeared he hooked handlebars with another rider as the pack approached the first turn off the start. Casey went down and his bike flipped maybe 15 feet in the air. Casey got up, but his night was over. Here’s a short sequence of the accident. Click on an image for larger view.(Photos by Larry Lawrence)
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- It looks as if Casey hooked handlebars with another rider before going down. Here Jon Goodwin (26P) tries to avoid Casey, who you can barely make out is landing on his head. Steve Bonsey (80), Joe Kopp (3) and most of the rest of the field are clear.
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- Here Casey is starting to roll while Goodwin (26P) is on the brakes and trying to turn right to miss the downed rider. Lucas Scherb (23N) is on the brakes worried about the flipping motorcycle.
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- Casey is sprawled out and Goodwin (26P) is doing a great job of getting slowed down and not running over the rider. It looks like Lucas Scherb (23N) is putting his head down almost getting ready should Casey’s flipping bike land on him.
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- Finally Goodwin, who did an amazing pit of riding, is just about to clear Casey after brushing him while Scherb is starting to look up to see where Casey’s flipping bike is. This is about as high as the bike got in the crash.
May 29, 2010
Harley’s Wrecking Crew at Springfield
They’re no more, but the former members of the Harley-Davidson Wrecking crew – Bryan Smith (42), Jared Mees (21) and Joe Kopp (3) – will be out trying to do damage this weekend in Springfield, Illinois, at the doubleheader Springfield TT and Springfield Mile, Saturday and Sunday respectively. This is one of the great weekends of AMA racing and don’t be surprised if one of these three riders emerge victorious.
They're no more, but the former members of the Harley-Davidson Wrecking crew - Bryan Smith (42), Jared Mees (21) and Joe Kopp (3) - will be out trying to do damage this weekend in Springfield, Illinois, at the doubleheader Springfield TT and Springfield Mile. (Larry Lawrence photo)
May 28, 2010
New Sponsor for the Grand Nationals
(News Release)
AMA Pro Racing Announces Motorcycle-Superstore.com as the Presenting
Sponsor of the K&N Filters Grand National Championship series.
AMA - Motorcycle-Superstore.com number plate
DAYTONA BEACH, FL (May 27, 2010) AMA Pro Racing is excited to announce that Motorcycle-Superstore.com has signed on as Presenting Sponsor of the AMA K&N Filters Grand National Championship Series and Title Sponsor of the 450cc Pro Singles Championship. This weekend marks the fourth and fifth round of the series as riders prepare for both the TT and Mile events taking place in Springfield, Illinois.
“This is a great opportunity for us,” explained Sequoyah Munroe, Marketing Supervisor for Motorcycle-Superstore.com. “We are very proud to be part of the Flat Track series. The sport has obviously gone through some changes the past few years, but today it is back to form with the best racing to be found.”
Pro Single riders will be happy to hear that Motorcycle-Superstore.com is also kicking in $15,000 towards the Pro Singles Grand National Points Fund with $5,000 going to 1st place, $4,000 to 2nd, $3,000 to 3rd, $2,000 to 4th and $1,000 to 5th. “This is great news for both the Pro Single riders and the entire series,” claims Mike Kidd, Director of Flat Track for AMA Pro Racing. “This marks the first time Motorcycle-Superstore has been involved as a sponsor with the series and we look forward to working with them throughout the season.”
The next round of the AMA K&N Filter Grand National Championship Series presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com will be this weekend, May 29-30, with a double header event held at the Illinois State Fairground in Springfield, Illinois. Saturday night showcases TT racing action and on Sunday race fans can take in the historic Springfield Mile.
He’s Up and OK!
I wish I had some info on this photo, but it’s a distant memory. This was taken at a WERA race at Putnam Park sometime in the mid-1990s. I think the rider crashed in the last turn coming out on to the front straight. I wouldn’t swear to it, but I think he actually flew over the guardrail and ended up on pit road. He got up was OK and got a standing ovation from everyone on the pit wall. If anyone knows any details about the shot please comment below.
Watchers on the pit wall applauded for a rider who got up and was unhurt after crashing in a WERA race at Putnam Park sometime in the mid-1990s. (Larry Lawrence photo)
May 27, 2010
Memphis AMA Superbike Start – 1987
Riders launch down the long front straight at Memphis Motorsports Park at the AMA Superbike Championship round there in August of 1987. Memphis in early August was not the best thought out idea. Riders and the few fans that braved the shadeless track battled triple-digit temperatures and wilting humidity during the entire race weekend. Suzuki’s Kevin Schwantz, a Houston native who was no stranger to racing in hot, humid conditions, pulled away to an eight-second victory over Honda’s Wayne Rainey. Bubba Shobert rounded out the podium finishers. Doug Polen and Jimmy Filice rounded out the top five.
Riders launch down the long front straight at Memphis Motorsports Park at the AMA Superbike Championship round there in August of 1987. (Larry Lawrence photo)
May 26, 2010
Mitch Payton into the Motorcycle HOF
(News Release)
Motocross/Supercross team owner to be inducted into AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
Mitch Payton (Larry Lawrence photo)
PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is pleased to announce the first member of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2010: accomplished race team owner Mitch Payton. Payton, whose teams have collected 26 AMA Pro Championships in Motocross and Supercross since 1991, will be among the legends of motorcycling honored at the 2010 induction ceremony at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas this Nov. 19.
“In AMA Pro Motocross and Supercross, one team is perhaps more synonymous with winning than any other, Pro Circuit, and the motive force behind that team is one of the industry’s most driven individuals, Mitch Payton,” said Jack Penton, incoming AMA director of operations and a Hall of Famer himself. “Payton is an architect of not only championship teams, but champions, having developed some of this sport’s greatest racers.”
Payton’s parents, James and Norma Payton, introduced him and his brother, James Jr., to motorcycling at a young age. By the time he was 10, Payton was competing in family enduros and a few years later was racing competitively in AMA District 37. In 1977, at the age of 17, Payton was one of the district’s top desert racers and won the 125 class in that discipline. Unfortunately, the next year Payton’s racing career was cut short by injury.
Instead of allowing discouragement to turn him away from motorcycling, Payton refocused his efforts on the business side of the sport. At 18, he bought and ran a local Husqvarna shop. His skill and reputation as a tuner grew, and his parts were being used by some of the biggest motocross teams of the mid-1980s. Then, in 1991, Honda asked Payton to run its 125 team. Payton accepted, and over the next 19 years, racing other brands as well, his teams won more championships than any other.
Tom White is chairman of the Hall of Fame Motocross/Supercross committee, and the company he founded, White Brothers, was one of the first distributors of Payton’s products.
“I’ve known Mitch from when he was racing to when he was starting his company,” White said. “It is one of my proudest moments to see somebody who overcame what some might see as a major disability and not only build the best motorcycles, but to be able to pick the riders and bring them up to a level of performance that makes them better than they ever thought they could be. Mitch Payton is absolutely what the Hall of Fame is about — recognizing the people who have made the best and most lasting contributions to motorcycling.”
Payton, an AMA Life Member, said that he’s honored by his induction into the Hall of Fame. But, he said, he recognizes the legends he looked up to in his youth are the true heroes of the sport.
“I look around the industry, and there are a few guys I hold in real regard,” Payton said. “One is Malcolm Smith. When I was a kid, we’d go to Malcolm’s shop, and I was the 10-year-old punk who would bother the guys at the counter for stickers and sit on all the bikes. Another is Roger DeCoster. Those guys are just awesome.
“So, to be in the same Hall of Fame, for that honor, I’m really proud about that,” Payton continued. “It’s there forever. It means that anyone looking back on history years from now will see what you’ve done.”
Payton, and the other members of the class of 2010, will officially be inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame this Nov. 19 as part of the AMA Legends & Champions Weekend. In addition to the induction ceremony, the weekend includes the 2010 AMA Concours d’Elegance on Saturday, Nov. 20, featuring some of the country’s most impressive original and restored classic motorcycles. The AMA Racing Championship Banquet closes out the weekend on Sunday, Nov. 21, where AMA Racing amateur champions of all ages will be recognized for their 2010 accomplishments
The event will be held at the Las Vegas Red Rock Resort, a world-class spa, hotel and casino, featuring a range of entertainment, dining and family-friendly attractions. The facility’s expansive ballrooms will provide a stunning backdrop for the AMA Legends & Champions Weekend, which is certain to be memorable for the 2010 inductees, champions, families, friends and fans. More information is available online at RedRockLasVegas.com.
Lodging reservations can be made now at AmericanMotorcyclist.com/Accommodations. An announcement regarding ticket information will be made after June 1.
Located on the park-like campus of the AMA in Pickerington, Ohio, the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame honors individuals who have made lasting contributions to protecting and promoting the motorcycle lifestyle. Its members include those who have excelled in racing, road- and off-road riding, pushed the envelope in motorcycle design, engineering and safety, and championed the rights of riders in both the halls of government and the court of public opinion.
The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Committee includes nine members in addition to the chairman. There are eight committees, each representing a different aspect of motorcycling.
More information about the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame can be found at MotorcycleMuseum.org.
Barnes, Bue and Roberts – Daytona 1991
Michael Barnes (2) leads the AMA/CCS Middleweight Supersport Expert race over Titian Bue (54) and Danny Roberts (behind Bue) during the opening weekend of Daytona’s Bike Week in 1991. Barnes took the victory in the class over Roberts, who passed Bue on the final lap.
Michael Barnes (2) leads the AMA/CCS Middleweight Supersport Expert race over Titian Bue (54) and Danny Roberts (behind Bue) at Daytona International Speedway in March of 1991. (Larry Lawrence photo)
Washington Post does story on Al Wilcox
Thanks to Tom Riles for sending me the heads up on this story the Washington Post ran today on famous starter Al Wilcox.