Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1542343
DIRT TRACK AMA Flat Track ChamPionshiP Serl€s Pneview Bv Scorr RoussEAU PHoros BY Fur Tux Foros his could be it. The decision by At'lA Pro Racing to divide the venerable AMA Flat Track Championship ltradi- tionally known as the AMA Grand National ChampionshiPl into two separate series for 2006, one for Singles and one for Twins, could be just the thing to shore up a discipline that has been dangling precariously on the cliff of despair for the past several seasons. Or it could be the final move that sends it dashing into the rock of doom. It all depends qn who you listen to. So far, the initial signs are somewhat positive, but some key players in the se.ies are showing more caution in their oPdmism than others. Not surprisingly, AMA Pro Racing is excited about the potential that the 2005 season and i$ rwo new champi- onships have already shown within the motorcycle industry "There's a whole new excitement with regard to the split championships," AMA Flat Track Manqger Bruce Bober said. "The new GNC Singles series has allowed a lot of the OEI'1s to get involved in the form of condn- gency, and that's great for the riders. Even with slghtly reduced purses, (hey are 8oin8 to be able to race for more than they were getting in the past few years. I think it will be really exciting. We're going to 8et a few more races added to the schedule, and l'm excited about flat. Realistically, we exPect to have about eiglrt or nine races on dle sched- ule this yea,: which ts a good start" Additionally, AMA Pro has made a small, though hardly insignificant, invest- ment in the series from an operational standpoint- Saning in 2006, the series will implement transponders on a full- time basis. "lt will be really nice to have transpon- ders at our events," Bober said. "lt will be nice to be able to start at 6 p.m. rafier than 4 p.m. I think that the hiSh heat and humidity of the Midwest track has made it tough for us to get thrqugh Practice. Plus, of course, the ffansponders add another level of professionalism to the series." As for the Twins series, well, there isnt as much to report from the sancdoninS body. although Bober remains upbeat. "There is still some excitement there as well, especially with the new Half-Mile track that we have added to the sched- ule, such as Virginia and the new Bridgeport Speedway in New Jersey," Bober said. But one thing that the AMA man was willing to admit is troubling is the unchecked vanishing of l'4ile racetracks from the AMA schedule, With the lllinois Motorcycle Dealers Associatron s decision not to hold an event at the Du Quoin Mile in 2003, the AMA series is down to iust three Mile-track events on the GNC Twins schedule, an obvious red flag. "lt's always a hope that we'll8et more, but it's always a struggle at the same time," Bober said. "l'm working with a lot of promoters to try and get more Hiles on the schedule, but it isn't easy. Right now v/e have Springfield twice, and Syracuse. Through a renewed commit- ment with the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, we are hoping that they will open up some doon with their dealers to possibly help the situation. Overall, I think we have some momentum Soing into this 2006 season, and llook for even more good things to happen in the future." As for the riders themselves, there is some enthusiasm, though that enthusiasm is bridled, especially in light of constant rumors that there may still be an overall championship title still being negotiated between Al"lA Pro and series sponsor Ford, which had reportedly not yet signed off on irs involvement in rhe 2006 series as of February 15. ''l haven't really Sotten a straiSht answer on what the deal is," 2005 GNC runner-up Kenny Coolbeth said. "l know that (here are Eoing !o be two champi- onshrps, but l've heard that rhere is 8oin8 to be an overall champion as well, which would be like the same deal as last year." The man who fended off Coolbeth to earn a fifth consecutive and seventh over_ all AMA Grand National title in 2005, Chris Carr, was equally mixed in his cur- rent outlook for 2006. "Going in l'm still disappointed that I can't race for a Grand National Championship, but I feel like we have two ver), stron8 programs and that we're capable of going out and winning both championships," Carr said. "That's the goal. Winning one and not winning the other will be a disappointment," Carr, whose team sPonsor also haP- pens to be the series sponso4 said that he. too, had heard rumors that the door might still be open for an overall champi- on in addition to the split €hampions. "l highly doubt it will happen now" Carr said, "The iact that at least four OEMs have already posted contingency, AMAS view is that it may piss 6ose PeoPle off if we 80 and put another chamPionship over the top of it [Singles and Twins]. lt iust goes to show that flat track is making a /* \ I Greal ErucGlalion$ lf theret one word to describe the potentiol of the 2006 AMA FlatTrack Chompionship,then it hos to be"interesting." 44 M,ARCH 8, 2006 . CYCLE NEWS And thev're offl Bic .honces to lhe Ar/tA Flot frock Chompionship scene fo'r 20O6 include noi one, bul two, sePorolc (hompionshil thqres - one for 3inglos ond one for Twins. t i l! ti I t" -/ I ' 7 * f I 't t.l !,t r ) rr