Cycle News

VOL. 53 ISSUE 39 OCTOBER 4, 2016 P103 were able to deal with the challenges that type of track presented better than the less experienced GNC2 racers. One thing is certain: AMA Pro Racing should refocus on rider safety. With the recent tragedies, all aspects of track preparations, rules structure and safety concerns, already paramount to the organiza- tion, 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 cham- pionship this year. It's a bit of a complicated story involving the weight of the rear wheel on Smith's Howerton/Crosley Kawasaki. Smith was penalized for running a wheel that was too heavy, but the pen- alty 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 over- turning the penalty and giving Smith his points back. On the positive side of Pro Flat Track racing, we had perhaps the most exciting championship-de- ciding 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 number-one 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 immedi- ately 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 Cham- pionship! This was a major deal, especially consid- ering the fact that it was the first time someone beat the almighty Harley-Davidson for the number-one 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 number-one 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 manu- facturer 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 How- erton to run the Smith/Baker squad as well. 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 is 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 true XR750 still be the bike they peg their hopes on? Can another team come in with a Ka- wasaki 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) strictly racing on twin-cylinder machines next year, 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. CN Subscribe to nearly 50 years of Cycle News Archive issues: www.CycleNews.com/Archives

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