Larry Lawrence | October 5, 2016
Photo by Larry Lawrence
Read the Cycle News Digital version of this article by clicking here.
The 2016 AMA Pro Flat Track Championship will go down as one of the most noteworthy in the 63-year history of the series – some for good reasons and others for the bad.
First the bad, and it’s really a tough to write about this, the loss of two young up-and-coming riders in the GNC2 class at the season finale in Santa Rosa, California. Twenty-year-old Charlotte Kainz, of West Allis, Wisconsin, died Sunday, shortly after another racer’s machine flipped up in the air and hit her. And 17-year-old Kyle McGrane, of Gap, Pennsylvania died Monday from injuries suffered in a separate incident. The passing of these two young riders instantly made Santa Rosa 2016 one of the darkest days in the history of professional motorcycle racing. Kainz is the first female rider to die in AMA Pro competition and McGrane one of the youngest ever.
Those deaths snapped us back into the realization that flat track racing, by its very nature of big groups of riders running bar to bar at triple-digit speeds with walls all too near, is still the most dangerous form of professional motorcycle racing practiced today.
The causes of the deadly crashes are still being investigated, but one only needed to watch Santa Rosa on TV to realize the track was extremely bumpy and dusty, especially for a Pro Flat Track Mile. It was not unprecedented however. Other tracks in years past have produced similarly difficult conditions – the Lima (Ohio) Half-Mile when it ran during the day, the Virginia Mega Mile in New Kent, Virginia and the Beulah Park Mile in Grove City, Ohio, come to mind. Dealing with dirt surfaces at a flat track is always one of the most challenging things track builders have to deal with. Too much water and the track becomes rutted and unrideable, too little and it can become a dust bowl. It’s a fine line when prepping a track and as often as not builders get it wrong, often times by forces, such as weather, out of their control.
One thing I do know is one of the most experienced flat track crews in the country was prepping Santa Rosa. This group headed by Dennis Pearson has for years consistently been praised for producing great racing surfaces at national events, so it’s very likely that this crew did all that was in their power to give the riders a good track.
It’s also been brought up that perhaps riders with GNC2 licenses should not be allowed to race big Twins on the mile tracks. Ironically it was a concern of GNC2 single-cylinder 450s never being able to separate on Miles in the last few years that caused AMA Pro to consider Twins for the class instead on the big tracks.
Perhaps one of the most reasonable proposals put forth is that GNC2 riders needed to meet some certain criteria, say a pre-determined number of pro races on Half-Miles, and then approval from veteran observers before they are allowed to race Twins on a Mile. As it stands the new rules next season will have the support class back just on 450 Singles, so the point now may be mute.
At Santa Rosa the GNC1 was not red flagged, so it’s reasonable to assume the more veteran riders were able to deal with the challenges that type of track presented better than the less experienced GNC2 racers.
One thing is certain is AMA Pro Racing should refocus on rider safety and with the recent tragedies all aspects of track preparations rules structure and safety concerns, already paramount to the organization, will likely be addressed even more closely in the future.
The penalty and reinstatement of points after a penalty for Bryan Smith came into play in the championship this year. It’s a bit of a complicated story involving modifications of the rear wheel on Smith’s Howerton/Crosley Kawasaki. Smith was penalized running a rear wheel with extra material mechanically attached to the rim, but the penalty was overturned by an appeals board. Had the penalty not been overturned Jared Mees would have likely won the championship, but from those I’ve talked to in the flat track community the overriding consensus is the right decision was made in overturning the penalty and giving Smith his points back.
On the positive side of pro flat track racing, we had perhaps the most exciting championship-deciding race ever, with Jared Mees pulling out all the stops to catch Smith and then the two contenders trading positions several times on the final lap. The coveted No. 1 plate was decided on a bold last corner drive by Smith that placed his Kawasaki just in front of Mees’ Harley-Davidson as the two sped nose to tail to the finish line. Heart-stopping stuff!
The epic series finale at Santa Rosa was immediately overshadowed by the deaths of the two young riders, but the amazing championship race will remain in our collective memories and be one that is talked about for generations.
And Kawasaki won the AMA Pro Flat Track Championship! This was a major deal, especially considering the fact that it was the first time someone beat the almighty Harley-Davidson for the No. 1 plate since Ricky Graham won on a Honda in 1993.
Unfortunately for Kawasaki, they will not be able to trumpet that championship next season with the No. 1 plate, because in the bombshell of all bombshells Indian announced that Smith, Mees and Brad Baker will be factory Indian riders in 2017.
For motocross fans, that would be like a manufacturer coming in and hiring Ken Roczen, Ryan Dungey and Eli Tomac. For road racers imagine a new Superbike team coming in and hiring away Cameron Beaubier, Josh Hayes and Toni Elias! It’s earth shaking. Indian has basically assured itself of winning the championship next season, especially considering they’ve picked up one of the all-time great builders and team managers in Ricky Howerton to run the Smith/Baker squad as well.
Also in 2016 was the debut of the first new Harley-Davidson flat track machine since 1970, as well as the introduction of the new Indian flat tracker. The new Indian FTR750 even led several laps of the Santa Rosa National with 47-year-old Joe Kopp at the controls.
Maybe the most exciting thing to watch in 2017 besides the performance of the new Indian, is how Harley-Davidson will respond. Letting Baker and Mees get away in hard to believe. If you look at the flat track grid beyond those top three riders the picking gets a bit slim. If Milwaukee wants to stay in the game they’d better sign up Jake Johnson, Brandon Robinson, Sammy Halbert and Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. as quickly as possible.
Will Harley-Davidson commit fully to the new liquid-cooled XG750 next season, or will the tried and test XR750 still be the bike they peg their hopes on? Can another team come in with a Kawasaki and try to steal the thunder and emulate the success Howerton had with Smith?
And with the GNC1 class (now to be called AFT Twins) now strictly racing on twins-cylinder machines, what is the future of short track and TT racing? Will the legendary Peoria TT National continue?
One thing is for certain, 2017 dawns a new age for American Flat Track and it’s full of excitement and intrigue. If I were somehow forced to watch only one championship next season, I’m pretty sure flat track would win the day.
