VOL. 53 ISSUE 37 SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 P29
LUDINGTON LET GO
A
n announcement from the
America Motorcyclist Asso-
ciation last week revealed that Al
Ludington, the Technical Director
of AMA Pro Racing, has parted
ways with the organization, effec-
tive immediately. AMA Pro Racing
alluded to coming changes within
the organization in a release is-
sued September 15, 2016.
The following is from AMA Pro
Racing:
Al Ludington has departed
from his role as AMA Pro Rac-
ing's Technical Director, ef-
fective immediately. AMA Pro
Racing appreciates Mr. Luding-
ton's efforts during a period of
change that has led to a stabili-
zation of the technical rules and
considerable preparation ahead
of new class structures that will
debut in 2017.
The structure of AMA Pro
Racing's competition depart-
ment will be pivotal as the
sport of Pro Flat Track enters
a bright new era. Additional
information will be released in
due course. CN
"adding chassis ballast as rotat-
ing mass to the wheel outside of
normal balancing procedures."
Smith's team, however, con-
tended that they had complied
with the rulebook by seeking
written approval to run the
wheel. The following language
of the rulebook was a determin-
ing factor in the decision. "If any
rule is unclear to the entrant or
competitor, the entrant or com-
petitor is advised to get written
approval prior to any modifica-
tions. Requests for rule clarifica-
tions or interpretations must be
submitted in writing by riders
and teams to AMA Pro Racing."
Smith's team did just that,
and received written permission
from AMA Pro Racing to run the
wheel in the race. The appeals
board decided in Smith's favor
on account of this written ap-
proval, "regardless of whether
or not the wheel is technically
legal according to the 2016 AMA
Pro Flat Track rules," also citing
that "the permission was not re-
scinded in writing at any point."
"On that basis, the team was
acting in good faith by compet-
ing with the wheel and, there-
fore, the disqualification upon
technical protest is not con-
sidered to be valid and Smith's
finishing position and points are
to be restored."
Shortly following the an-
nouncement came another
release from the AMA revealing
that AMA Pro Racing Technical
Director Al Ludington had been
let go. It appears the incident
has prompted AMA Pro Racing
to review its internal structure
following Ludington's depar-
ture, as the following was also
included in the release.
"AMA Pro Racing is committed
to sanctioning a professional
series with safety and fairness
for all competitors as primary
objectives. The AMA Pro Flat
Track rulebook is currently un-
dergoing an exhaustive review
of language, policies and proce-
dures in order to provide a solid
platform for fostering competi-
tion on the racetrack. AMA Pro
Racing will study the conclu-
sion of the Appeals Board and
implement protocols to ensure
a fair, equitable and transparent
process for rule-setting and en-
forcement. AMA Pro Racing will
provide additional information on
rules and procedures following
an internal review."
View the entire release
from AMA Pro Racing at www.
amaproracing.com/flat-track/
news/view/64705.
With only one round now re-
maining, Smith and Mees have a
tight battle on their hands for the
2016 crown. See Leaderboard
(page 98) for adjusted series
points standings, or go to www.
amaproracing.com/flat-track/
standings. CN
