The following is from AMA Pro Racing…
Last weekend, the Sacramento Mile marked the beginning of a six-week stretch of seven AMA Pro Flat Track presented by J&P Cycles races. This weekend, the series jumps to the Pacific Northwest to Castle Rock, Wash. for the Castle Rock TT at Castle Rock Race Park on August 3, 2013. The event will demand a complete reversal of strategy for the Grand National Experts as they will put their two-cylinder motorcycles on the shelf and pull out their smaller, more dynamic 450cc machines.
As the season closes in on its midpoint, the AMA Pro Grand National Expert points race is led by Eatonville, Washington’s Brad Baker (Dodge Bros Racing) as his three consecutive second-place finishes to begin the year followed by his first victory at the Grand National Expert level at Hagerstown and his fourth-place effort at Sacramento last weekend has placed him comfortably ahead of the field with 92 points to his credit. The 2011 Rookie of the Year will look to extend his lead in the points on his Honda CRF450R this weekend.
After a lackluster 17th place effort at Hagerstown in Round 4, Oxford, Pennsylvania’s Brandon Robinson (TJ Burnett Farms) rebounded quite nicely last weekend with a third-place finish at the Sacramento Mile to help him maintain his second-place position in the points. Robinson will be happy to get back on his Kawasaki KX450F as his only win in 2013 came on the 450cc back in Round 2 at Daytona.
Flint, Michigan product Bryan Smith (Crosley Radio) was able to blow by the elite competitors of the sport on the long front and back stretches last weekend to claim his first win in 2013 but the 30-year-old won’t have that kind of luxury this weekend on the much shorter circuit. Smith’s ability to be creative and find a different way to the front of the pack and maintain a competitive position will be tested this weekend on the .6 mile, six-turn dirt track.
Graham, Washington’s Sammy Halbert (Fredericktown Yamaha) was last season’s winner and has looked solid in all three races back since returning from injury. Halbert has climbed his way back to sixth in the Grand National Expert point standings after a win and two top-five finishes and will look to improve on that in front of his hometown crowd this weekend.
Clio, Michigan product and defending Grand National Champion Jared Mees (Montgomeryville Cycle) finally returned back to typical form last weekend with a second-place finish at Sacramento after injuries and bike malfunctions have dampened his season thus far. Mounted on his Honda CRF450R, Mees will look to roll that momentum over to this weekend as he looks to improve on his current eighth-place position in the points.
Tickets are still available for this weekend’s AMA Pro Flat Track event at Castle Rock Race Park in Castle Rock, Wash. For more information, please visit http://www.showclix.com/event/mshmc. Fans that are unable to attend the Castle Rock TT are encouraged to tune into AMA Pro Live. The live streaming devices will put fans in the director’s chair, allowing for complete viewing of the event. From the first practice all the way up until the final checkered flag is dropped, tune in to AMA Pro Live to catch all of the action.
