AMA Pro Flat Track Returns to California for First Time in a Decade for Pomona Finale
California Event will Coincide with California Bike Week and Love Ride 26
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 27, 2009) – AMA Pro Racing, California Bike Week and Gene Romero’s West Coast Flat Track Series are proud to announce the addition of an unprecedented event to the 2009 AMA Pro Flat Track schedule. On October 24, 2009, the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship and Gene Romero’s West Coast Flat Track Series will co-headline the largest motorcycle flat track race on the west coast at the lightning-fast 5/8-mile race track at the Pomona Fairplex in Pomona, California during the 2009 California Bike Week festivities.
AMA Pro Flat Track will return to the Southern California market for the first time in a decade, with the AMA Pro Grand National Championship Finale being held in conjunction with Gene Romero’s West Coast Flat Track Series, the well established West Coast Series that has run two successful and exciting Pacific Coast National events in 2007 and 2008 as part of California Bike Week. California Bike Week is a three-day motorcycle rally and lifestyle event will be host to a variety of features including the Harley-Davidson Road Tour, Harley-Davidson Demo rides, music concerts, stunt shows and over 250 vendors, and will culminate with the 26th Annual Love Ride, an organized motorcycle charity ride that raises millions of dollars for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and other worthy children’s causes. Last Year’s Jay Leno-hosted event saw a number of well-known celebrities join tens of thousands of riders for a sixty-mile jaunt from Glendale Harley-Davidson to the Fairplex for a concert by top recording artists Foo Fighters & ZZ Top.
“We could not have found a better place to wrap up the 2009 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship than California Bike Week in Pomona,” said Mike Kidd, AMA Pro Racing Flat Track Director. “We’re excited and honored to be joining Gene and his series and look forward to a powerhouse night of racing. Gene is a true legend of the sport and not only did I race against him, but I rode for him as well when he was the Team Manager at Honda. I’m really looking forward to wrapping up our series on the West Coast at this prestigious event.”
“I spent my career riding in AMA Pro events and won 12 AMA Pro Grand Nationals,” added Romero. “I have owned and operated the West Coast Flat Track Series for fourteen years and I’m looking forward to our season finale at the Fairplex on October 24th. I’m thrilled that we can join forces with AMA Pro in co-sanctioning this prestigious race and I look forward to seeing all the competitors gathered together under the lights.”
AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. From its Daytona Beach headquarters, the organization operates and manages AMA Pro Road Racing, which includes AMA Pro American Superbike, AMA Pro Daytona SportBike, AMA Pro SuperSport and AMA Pro SunTrust Moto-GT. AMA Pro Racing also manages and works closely with the day-to-day operational organizations of the AMA Pro Flat Track Championship and the AMA Pro Supermoto Championship Series in addition to other two-wheel and ATV series. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.
The West Coast Flat Track Series is based in Brea, California and runs a full schedule of Professional Motorcycle Dirt Track Oval racing in many western states, between January and October.
Learn more about: AMA Pro Racing at: www.amaproracing.com The West Coast Flat Track Series at: www.amaproracing.com The California Bike Week at: www.amaproracing.com The Love Ride at: www.amaproracing.com
More, from another press release issued by AMA Pro Racing:
Revised 2009 Grand National Championship and National Hot Shoe Schedules Released
Updated Schedule Adds Major Races and Markets to Both Series
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 27, 2009) – AMA Pro Racing officials unveiled today a revised 2009 schedule for the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship and National Hot Shoe Series. The changes bring together a combined 23-race schedule, including 14 Grand National Championship and nine National Hot Shoe events.
“Finalizing the 2009 AMA Pro Flat Track schedule has been a long process,” said Mike Kidd, AMA Pro Racing Flat Track Director. “A great deal of planning has been put into it and we recognized that there were changes from our original schedule that needed to be made. We hate to lose any events, however the revised schedule has some major improvements.”
Due to scheduling conflicts, two Grand National Championship events were cancelled: the July 18th event at Darke County Fairgrounds in Greenville, Ohio and the August 1st event at MetraPark Raceway in Billings, Montana. The first addition to the Grand National Championship schedule came earlier today with an announcement about an October 24th season finale at the Pomona Fairplex, to take place in conjunction with California Bike Week. On August 4th, the opening day of the 69th Annual Sturgis Rally, the series will also visit Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota, adding to the schedule a race near yet another major bike rally.
“If you look at the overall picture, we are now hitting Daytona Bike Week, the Red Bull Indianapolis GP weekend, the Sturgis Rally and California Bike Week which are four of the largest motorcycle events in the nation,” said Kidd. “Throw in the events at Springfield, Lima, Peoria and the two new National Hot Shoe events and this is a great schedule for our fans, riders and sponsors.”
The National Hot Shoe Series will also see two exciting additions to an already strong schedule. During the same event weekend as the AMA Pro Road Racing round at Heartland Park Topeka, the National Hot Shoe Series will run on the facility’s half-mile dirt track on Friday, July 31st. Completing the schedule changes is the addition of a short track event in Sturgis, South Dakota on August 3rd, the night before the newly-added Grand National Championship event in Rapid City.