When the AMA Flat Track stars of today compete at the spring Springfield Mile, May 26 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds, they will be joined by the stars of the past, taking part in the “Ride of Legends“.

Hosted by the Illinois Motorcycle Dealers Association and Ride Academy, a riding school founded by multiple Grand National race winner Mike Hacker, the “Ride of Legends” exhibition race will feature several other past Grand National event winners racing each other on Honda dirt bikes.

Joining Hacker will be Jay Springsteen, Joe Kopp, Rich King, Ronnie Jones, Steve Beattie, Steve Moorehead and Chris Carr. The race will be held on a specially-designed quarter-mile short track located at the front stretch of the Springfield Mile. The legends will compete in two six-lap heat races and one 12-lap main event. Continue Reading »

We had a treat last month at the AMA Pro Flat Track season finale, joining the packed grandstands in Pomona, California, for some thrilling dirt-track racing you can read about here. The action on the half-mile dirt oval was intense, with Kenny Coolbeth taking the checkers, but it was Jared Mees who won the championship after his eighth-place finish.

While most of the tracks in the series are on simple ovals, there are two TT circuits on the schedule. The TTs are raced on motocross-based machines on a track that includes a jump and a right turn that adds a literal added dimension to dirt-track competition. Seen below is an excellent video from this year’s Peoria TT round in Illinois, the longest running dirt-track race in the world. Continue Reading »