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AMA Sacramento Mile
27JUL13

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Pre-Main Event photos..... click here
Intermission photos......... click here
Main Event photos........... click here
After the race photos...... click here
The Raz Report................ click here



The Raz Report
prepared for publication in
Thunder Roads Magazine Norcal
September 2013 issue

* the author's cut *

Cal-Expo was home again for the 2013 AMA Pro Flat Track Sacramento Mile, and, the AMA Pro Flat Track professionals have all the riders' profiles, teams's information, results and much much more about the AMA Pro Flat Track on their website... would you like to know more?... visit www.amaproracing.com/ft/

The Sacramento mile was presented by J&P Cycles where you can find the world's largest selection of aftermarket new and vintage custom motorcycle parts and accessories for your Harley-Davidson, Gold Wing or Metric bike at J&P Cycles' website... would you like to know more?... visit www.jpcycles.com.

The Sacramento Mile was brought to us by Miller Lite and Greg Padilla Bail Bonds. Great taste doesn't happen by accident; the Miller Brewing Company introduced Miller Lite in 1975 as the first low-calorie beer to be distributed nationally... would you like to know more?... visit www.millerlite.com.

photograph by Russell Holder
... photograph by Russell Holder
 
Greg "Topo" Padilla has been working with the the criminal justice system and various sheriffs for years and is dedicated to expertly and politely helping your friends or family when they need it most... would you like to know more?... visit www.gregpadillabailbonds.com.

photograph by Russell Holder
... photograph by Russell Holder
 
There was a variety of vendors in/under the grand stands.

  • Motorcycle 36 Competition (www.ama-d36.org/moto/category/dirt-track/): the AMA's District 3,6 which is Northern California, features enduro, cross country, dirt track and motocross competition.
  • A&S Power Sports (www.aspowersports.com): a Roseville dealer for new and used BMW, Ducati, and Triumph motorcycles, and, Piaggio and Vespa scooters, and, they also have OEM parts and accessories in stock.
  • Xtreme Cycle of Sacramento (www.xtremecyclesac.com/index.htm): a family owned shop in Citrus Heights specializing in service with a huge selection of motorcycle accessories, parts, gear & apparel for V-twin cruisers, street, dirt, ATVs and UTVs.
  • KTM Racing (www.ktm.com): offering superior off road and street motorcycles with an outstanding design.
  • ATK Motorcycles (www.atkmotorcyclesusa.com): from Centerville Utah, a manufacturer of American made on and off road motorcycles; a local distributor is located on 16th street in Sacramento.
  • Cleveland CycleWerks (www.clevelandcyclewerks.com): a Cleveland, Ohio company that manufactures a rigid frame 250cc motorcycle, a swinging arm street bike, a blacked-out street bike, and a dirt bike; a local distributor is located on 16th street in Sacramento.
  • Wolf Classic 150 (alliancepowersports.com/models/Wolf.html): a Taiwan made 150 cc street bike that gets an EPA estimated 85 mpg.
  • Flat Track Finals (flattrackfinals.com/): ticket sales for AMA Pro Flat Track races in Pamona on the 12th of October.
  • Santa Rosa Mile (www.santarosamile.com): ticket sales for AMA Pro Flat Track races in Santa Rosa, September 27th - 29th.
  • Zanotti Motors (zanottimotorcycles.com): need parts for your Harley?... at best price$ and best service?... my personal experience is this is a 1st class operation with GREAT price$... check them out online!
  • Pure Polaris (www.purepolaris.com): accessorize your Polaris RANGER, RANGER RZR, ATV, snowmobile, and Victory Motorcycle with accessories and apparel at the official Polaris online store.
  • Wild Bill's Tattoo (www.wild-bills.com): a tattoo parlor for Sacramento and Roseville where, when it comes to your tattoo, tolerance & creativity thrive.
  • Old E Metalworks (www.facebook.com/olde.metalworks): want a custom build with unique hand made parts where form follows function?... see Alex English in Rancho Cordova.
  • Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway (www.fastfridays.com): every Friday night during the summer, Speedway Racing at its best in Auburn, you have to be there to experience the sound and the thrill... go there! Go There!! GO THERE!!!


    • ... panoramic view from the Grand Stands...
    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
      photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     
    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
      photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     
    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
      photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     

    Bikes/Riders in review

    The following is a selection of bikes/riders in review, first, there were a lot of Pro Singles bikes, here are the top three.

    Stephen Vanderkuur, #1 (photo op missed), a 5 foot 9 inch 140 pound 22 year old Michigan boy riding a Honda CRF450R for Parkinson Brothers Racing and placed 3rd in the Pro-Singles with a best lap speed of 93.107 mph.

    Nate Wait, #51Y, a 5 foot 10 inch 160 pound 34 year old Lodi California native riding a Honda CRF450R for Stockton Honda-Yamaha and placed 2nd in the Pro-Singles with a best lap speed of 92.552 mph.
    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     

    Shayna Texter, #25A (www.shaynatexter.net, www.facebook.com/TexterSiblings) is 5 feet tall, probably on her tippy toes - notice in her winners circle picture that her handle bars hit her at shoulder height, she weighs 96 pounds, I suspect that is actually 96 pounds - INCLUDING LEATHERS, and she is 22 years old. Shayna is from Willow Street, Pennsylvania, about 75 miles west of Philadelphia in the middle of Amish Country, and, this year she is riding a Dew Honda CRF450R for Crosley Radio/Howerton Motorsports and placed 1st in the Pro Singles with a best lap speed of 92.774 mph.
    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     

    And, there was a variety of GNC Expert Twins class motorcycles.

    A Green Kawasaki that was what... #14?... #53?...

    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     

    Kurt Marmor, #50P, rode a Ducati 749 for Hall's Cycles (www.halls-cycles.com) of Springfield, IL and placed 8th in the GNC Twins Semi 1 with a best lap speed of 87.596 mph.

    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     

    Mikey Rush, #54, is a 5 foot 10 inch 135 pound 26 year old from San Jose, California riding a Ron Wood Racing team (rotax.net) BMW; he placed 14th in the GNC Twins Qualifying 2 with a best lap speed of 91.204 mph, but, DNF GNC Twins Heat 1 and DNS GNC Twins Semi 1.

    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     

    Steve Murray, #51 (barely visible in the back), www.stevemurrayracing.com, www.facebook.com/steve.murray.1671), is a 5 foot 6 inch 145 pound 28 year old Michigan boy riding a team KTM (www.ktm.com) LC8 950; he placed 4th in the GNC Twins Semi 2 with a best lap speed of 94.263 mph.

    Ryan Wells, #94B (www.facebook.com/pages/Ryan-Wells-Racing/107167232733188), is a 5 foot 9 inch 138 pound 18 year old New York boy riding a team KTM (www.ktm.com) LC8 950; he placed 7th in the GNC Twins Semi 2 with a best lap speed of 91.790 mph.

    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     

    Michael Martin, #91 (www.facebook.com/MikeyMartin91), is a 5 foot 4 inch 140 pound 20 year old Lodi, California native riding a 995cc Bonneville Performance Triumph Factory Racing (www.bonnevilleperformance.com/flattracker.htm) Triumph (they built it and they have an exclusive on it, and I thought my 40 incher was a zippy bike - this one has got to be a real hand full); he placed 16th in the GNC Twins Race with a best lap speed of 95.506 mph.

    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     


    Johnny Lewis, #10(www.evolvemoto.com, www.facebook.com/johnnylewis10), is a 6 foot 1 inch 175 pound 24 year old Pennsylvanian riding a [don't know engine size] Latus Motors Racing Castrol team (www.castrol.com/castrol/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9045387&contentId=7081224) Triumph; he placed 15th in the GNC Twins Race with a best lap speed of 94.305 mph.

    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     

    Nichole Cheza, #15 (http://www.nicholecheza.com/), is a 5 foot 1 inch 125 pound 26 year old Michigan girl riding a pink Harley-Davidson XR750 Global Products / Harley-Davidson team (www.globalproductsinc.com); she placed 14th in the GNC Twins Race with a best lap speed of 94.694 mph.

    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     

    Brandon Robinson, #44 (www.brobinson44.com, www.facebook.com/brandonlee.robinson), is a 6 foot 150 pound 23 year old Pennsylvanian riding a Kawasaki EX650 for Werner Springsteen Racing; he was the 2008 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Pro Expert Twins Champion, and, he placed 3rd in the GNC Expert Twins with a best lap speed of 96.306 mph.

    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     

    Jared Mees, #1 (www.jaredmees.com, www.facebook.com/JMees9), and, no, Jared is not a Texas boy, he is a 5 foot 5 inch 160 pound 27 year old Pennsylvanian from Michigan riding a Blue Springs Harley-Davidson of Blue Springs, MO (www.bluespringsharleydavidson.com), assembled by, Craig Rogers, long time AMA Pro Flat Track community member since the early 1990's; the Rogers Racing team's motorcycle of choice in recent years has been the venerable Harley-Davidson XR750; as for the Texas flag sticker on his muffler, which I noticed, being a Lone Star State transplant living in California, the sticker is from D&D Performance Exhasut of Fort Worth, Texas (www.danddexhaust.com). Jared placed 2nd in the GNC Expert Twins with a best lap speed of 96.699 mph, and, you should know that Jared Mees is the 2012 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Champion.

    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     

    Bryan Smith, #42 (www.facebook.com/bryan.smith.1293), is a 5 foot 4 inch 142 pound 30 year old rider from Flushing, Michigan (about 75 miles northwest of Detroit) riding a Kawasaki EX650 for Crosley Radio/Howerton Motorsports and won this same race last year and the year before! Bryan placed 1st place in the GNC Expert Twins with a best lap speed of 96.479 mph.

    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     

    ... panoramic view from the pits...
    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
      photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
      photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     

    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
      photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     
    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
      photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     

    Pro-Singles Results

    Pos No. Rider(s) Sponsor Bike Interval Gap Best Lap Best mph
    1 25A Shayna Texter Crosley Radio,Dew Honda,McElcoy Packaging,Howerton... Honda CRF450R 12 Laps WINNER 0:38.804 92.774
    2 51Y Nate Wait Stockton Honda-Yamaha, Mitchells Modesto... Honda CRF450R 0.016 0.016 0:38.897 92.552
    3 1 Stephen Vanderkuur Parkinson Brothers Racing,Pro One... Honda CRF450R 0.224 0.207 0:38.665 93.107

    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     


    1st Place in Pro Singles - Shayna Texter, #25A

    Tonight this HAPPY little girl beat all the boys!... AGAIN!!!

     Shayna began riding 450s when she was fifteen, began racing 2003, in 2011 was the first female to ever win a Pro Singles main event, and, last year she was the first female to ever win a mile long event - the 2012 Sacramento Mile AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles. Shayna is proof of the validity of the horse-power-to-weight ratio, consider Shayna at 96 pounds versus the 225 pound rider competing against her - the other bike has an extra 125 pounds to carry... a formula I heard long ago when chopping a bike is "losing seven pounds is roughly equal to a 1 HP gain," so, the 225 pound rider is at a 30 hp disadvantage on one of these 60 hp single cylinder bikes! Shayna also won her Pro Singles heat race with a best lap speed of 91.429 mph and a 3.297 second lead! Something like...

    ZOOM... one-thousand-one one-thousand-two one-thousand-three... ROAR-ROAR-ROAR... tic tic tic...
    ZOOM... one-thousand-one one-thousand-two one-thousand-three... ROAR-ROAR-ROAR... tic tic tic...
    ZOOM... one-thousand-one one-thousand-two one-thousand-three... ROAR-ROAR-ROAR... etc

    Note that the Pro Singles class specifications include: 60+ hp, no minimum weight limit, with top speeds over 115 mph and 0-60 mph in under 4 seconds.

    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     

    GNC Expert Twins Results

    Pos No. Rider(s) Sponsor Bike Interval Gap Best Lap Best mph
    1 42 Bryan Smith Crosley Radio,Howerton Motorsports,Villa... Kawasaki EX650 25 Laps WINNER 0:37.314 96.479
    2 1 Jared Mees Rogers Racing,Blue Springs,Las Vegas HD,SDI... Harley-Davidson XR750 0.083 0.083 0:37.229 96.699
    3 44 Brandon Robinson TJ Burnett,USC Kawasaki,Hart Racing,Arai,ATI... Kawasaki EX650 0.117 0.034 0:37.381 96.306

    photograph by Russell Holder
    ... photograph by Russell Holder
     

    1st Place in GNC Expert Twins - Bryan Smith, #42
    Tonight Technology WINS?!?!?... AGAIN!!!... TIMES 2!!!

    THIS is the bike!

    Bryan, the 2012 Sacramento Mile AMA Pro Flat Track GNC Expert Twins Winner, won again this year. Bryan began racing professionally 12 years ago and has been doing progressively better each year. Bryan says he likes Kawasaki because of its "new technology." In the past, given a motor, a frame was built around it, whereas Bryan's whole bike was designed with a CAD program before any metal was cut and although the Harleys win on the shorter tracks this build seems to perform well on the long tracks.

    Note that the GNC Expert Twins class specifications include: top speed over 130 mph, engine displacement: 550cc - 1250cc with the following restrictions, racing only engines may not exceed 750cc, engines greater than 1000cc are restricted to air/oil cooled, eligible bikes: Aprilia RSV 1000/550, BMW FS 800, Buell CR1125/XBR/1200, Ducati 748/848, Harley-Davidson XR 750/XR1200/883, Honda RS 750, Kawasaki 650 Ninja, KTM 990 Super Duke, Suzuki TL 1000/SV 650/680/750, Triumph Bonneville Scrambler/America/Speedmaster, Yamaha Tenure 750, minimum weight: 310 lbs with fuel: Sunoco Supreme 112!!!



    Raz sez:
    My first Harley was a used full dressed 1959 Duo-Glide bought in 1965, golly, coming up on half a century of Harleys, and, I even owned a trumpet for a little while, a nice zippy little bike, and I even considered a beemer for a little while, but, Harley has always been my favorite, so, as you might guess, I was pulling for Harley at the Sacramento Mile, and, my only consolation, as noted by another photographer, is the irony in the fact that all the photographs of the GNC Expert Twins winners have Bryan's face centered in a large Harley-Davidson bar and shield.

    Would you like to see more? go to www.russellrazholder.com and click on the link to the 2013 Sacramento Mile.

    Article and photographs submitted by Russell "Raz" Holder



    Pre-Main Event photos..... click here
    Intermission photos......... click here
    Main Event photos........... click here
    After the race photos...... click here
    The Raz Report................ click here

    Place cursor over picture, click to enlarge,
    then click-and-drag to move, use arrow keys for previous/next

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