The AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship made some noise this past weekend in the Evergreen State. While more than 30 years had passed since twin-cylinder flat-trackers competed at the national level in the Pacific Northwest, the area is no stranger to this type of motorcycle racing. Both reigning class champions, Brad Baker and Wyatt Maguire, hail from Washington.
To me, Washington is best known for three things: 1) consistently producing some of the fastest flat-track racers in the nation; 2) the championship-winning Seattle Seahawks football team; and 3) rainy weather. The latter proved to be the biggest obstacle the series faced this past weekend.
Moisture combined with cloudy skies forced the promoter to postpone Saturday night’s event until Sunday afternoon. After a bunch of wheel packing Saturday evening, officials sent out a few riders to test the track. All agreed conditions weren’t safe for racing, and the event was rescheduled. This meant fans had to wait a few more hours to once again see the top twins race in their home state, but they weren’t disappointed.
Here are some highlights from Round 7 of the AMA Pro Flat Track series:
Grays Harbor Raceway is said to be a half-mile, but it seemed a lot smaller than that to me. I would estimate it is somewhere between a quarter- to a three-eighths-mile, which makes it one of the smallest tracks I have raced a twin.
Because the track is so small, finding a good setup was tough for most teams. A lot of Pro Singles riders geared their motorcycles for a short track rather than a half-mile. Typically, most Harley-Davidson riders gear their XR-750s for fourth gear on a half-mile, but most of the guys with whom I spoke were using third.
The clay surface was very tacky early in the day. We wear steel shoes on our left boots that generally slide smoothly on the track surface, but throughout qualifying, I don't think I touched my Alpinestars more than once, and I regret having done it (ouch!).
Jared Mees claimed his second main-event win this season. He wasn't fastest in qualifying and only managed to finish fourth in his heat race, but he came on strong from a sub-par start and took control of the race from Bryan Smith with five laps to go to secure victory.
Next Race: July 26, Round 8, Cal Expo Fairgrounds, Sacramento, California
Cory Texter is a third-generation motorcycle racer from Willow Street, Pennsylvania. He is currently national number 65 in the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship and has also held an AMA Pro Road Racing license. His father, Randy, was the 1990 AMA TwinSports champion, and his sister, Shayna, is the only female to win an AMA Pro Grand National Expert Singles race. Cory also co-hosts Flat Track Weekly Radio.