2010 AMA Flat Track Lima Insider

The limestone half mile in Lima, OH is one of the highlights of the year for fans and teams alike. It is the first true "cushion" track on the AMA Pro K&N Filters Grand National Championship (GNC) schedule. "Cushion" is a term used to describe the soft, loose surface that covers the entire surface of the track, unlike the hard packed clay found at most Flat Track circuits. Cushion tracks are rider tracks, they use all the power their bikes can muster to spin up the rear and chew through the cushion to the harder base, gaining traction for drive out of the corners. Rider's use the old school technique of steering the bike with the throttle and rear wheel.

It is hard to believe how sideways these bikes get, until you see it with your own eyes. The fastest riders never get off the gas. They slide the rear end in to the corner and power through the cushion throwing 30ft. roosts at anything that dares to get in the way. Teams tape the front of their bikes to protect sponsor logos and delicate paint jobs. Fans on the outside of the turns hold plexiglass in front of their faces so they don't have to turn away from the action. Riders protect their helmets with tape or varying arrangements of stickers, making them look like life size papermache dolls.

Tension was building, dark clouds hung low, threatening to unleash a storm. Every rider was eager to claim one of eighteen starting positions in the Main. The Pro Singles rider Jeffrey Carver (24P) was keen to stretch his 35 point lead over James Rispoli (#71B) and defending champion Brad Baker (#1), to claim his share of more than $15,000 in prize money from the Motorcycle-Superstore.com points fund. Baker is determined not to give up the #1 plate without a fight. His last lap scuffle with Rispoli in Gas City, ended with a crash and the loss of valuable Championship points. The rivalry heated up when Rispoli was asked about the racing incident, "I didn't feel him touch my wheel, we passed each other 30 times that race and we both got more aggressive on the last lap. I don't see Baker as a threat this year. I am chasing Carver he is the guy to beat." Many wondered if there would be any retaliation during Round 7. Baker responded with more than words by gapping Rispoli, Carver and the rest of the field in the Pro Singles Main to take the win. Chaz Springsteen (#29J) took second on the Monster Energy/Werner-Springsteen Kawasaki. Michael LaBelle (#20T) edged Rispoli at the line on his Weirbach Racing backed Honda to round out the podium. LaBelle now has two third-place finishes in the last three races.

Baker's win moves him within 24 points of Carver. We asked Brad about his strategy to chip away at Carver's points lead, "Well, I'll be staying with Jeff and his family for the rest of the season. I am going to figure out his Yamaha's strengths and weaknesses. Rispoli can say what he wants, but we will see who is on top at the end of the season!" Baker and his Rod Lake/Mike Velasco CRF 450 hail from Washington State. The move to Illinois reduces travel costs, gives him access to practice tracks and allows himself and Carver to push each other during training. The racing between these two will only get better, ensuring the Pro Singles Championship will be one of the most exciting in years.
 
Eddie Atkins, Henry Wiles' builder/tuner for the Expert Twins events, said he had something special for Lima's pea gravel...did he ever! Wiles was immediately fast in practice and qualifying on both of his KK Motorcycle Supply/Atkins Harley-Davidsons, only bested in one session by Sammy Halbert (#7). He won his heat and the Dash for Cash with ease, prompting him to nickname his XR-750 "Magic". The monicker was fitting. Wiles visibly rode the front end of the Harley into turns one and three harder than anyone else on the track. He was confident the Goodyear rubber and front suspension would do their job, absorb the bumps and bite into the loose cushion to find enough traction to turn the motorcycle. Flat Track tires resemble street tires, they don't have big, gnarly knobs like Motocross tires, making the feats dirt track riders achieve with them even more incredible.

It is difficult to understand what the rider must be feeling as he pushes the front end into the turn, trusting it, waiting for the tire to hook up. Imagine the sensation, the front end is literally washing out, folding, tucking or whatever you want to call it on corner entry. This is how you go fast, this is how you win, you don't think about the consequences pushing yourself and your machine over the limit. If you think about a fall, you lose your edge. Twisting a $50,000 motorcycle into a 350lb paper weight will not get you any pats on the back from team owners or mechanics, but you will ingest a couple helpings of Ohio pea gravel, and if you’re lucky, a make-out session with the Airfence. Do this 50 times a race and you get the idea of what Henry Wiles and the rest of the AMA Pro Flat Trackers were experiencing during Saturday's Main Event.

Wiles (#17) jumped out front as the lights turned green. He steadily stretched his lead on eventual second-place finisher Sammy Halbert (#7), lapping 10 of 18 riders, including Kenny Coolbeth (#2). Henry also made a vengeful, last second pass at the line on Joe Kopp (#3), closing a wound opened by Kopp at Lima in 2008 when he denied Wile's first Expert Twins victory by half a wheel. We asked Henry why he continued to push so hard, despite having a lead the length of the straightaway, "I didn't know how big of a lead I had, so I just stayed on the gas. There was a lot of traffic to get through and I didn't want to get caught from behind."

Halbert sticks his KK Motorcycle Supply/Kings Kustoms Harley-Davidson back on the podium for the first time since Round 3 in Yavapai. Matt Weidman (#20) diced with Monster Energy Kawasaki's Bryan Smith for third, as they took drastically different lines. Smith stayed high against the hay bales all night, trying to make the extra power of the 650 twin work, but the line went away from him. Weidman ran lower on the White's Harley-Davidson, earning his first finish on the podium since joining the Expert ranks in 2008. "I'm just really excited for my team and family. I have been working really hard for this, it is a great feeling!"

Wiles moves into a tie with Joe Kopp at the top of the Overall points standings. Round 8 of the AMA Pro K&N Grand National Championship will be contested Saturday, July 10th on the half mile oval of the I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Michigan. Ride up, bring your friends and family, watch America's fastest dirt trackers battle for the Championship on the big twins and production-based 450's.

2010 AMA Flat Track GNC Twins Lima Half Mile Results:
1. Henry Wiles (Harley-Davidson)
2. Sammy Halbert (Harley-Davidson)
3. Matt Weidman (Harley-Davidson)
4. Bryan Smith (Kawasaki)
5. Jake Johnson (Harley-Davidson)
6. Jared Mees (Harley-Davidson)
7. Dustin Crow (Harley-Davidson)
8. Chris Carr (Harley-Davidson)
9. Joe Kopp (Ducati)
10. Steven Bonsey (Harley-Davidson)
11. Dan Gedeon (Harley-Davidson)
12. Luke Gough (Harley-Davidson)
13. PJ Jacobsen (Harley-Davidson)
14. Kenny Coolbeth Jr. (Harley-Davidson)
15. Chad Cose (Suzuki)

2010 AMA Flat Track Grand National Championship Points:
1. Henry Wiles, 129
2. Joe Kopp, 129
3. Jake Johnson, 121
4. Sammy Halbert, 116
5. Jared Mees, 115
6. Kenny Coolbeth Jr., 98
7. Bryan Smith, 72
8. Chris Carr, 63
9. Johnny Lewis, 53
10. Robert Pearson, 46