AMA Pro Flat Track Daytona Results March 4
March 5, 2009
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 4, 2009) - The 2009 AMA Pro Flat Track Championship got underway with the traditional Daytona Short Track National Wednesday night on the Daytona Municipal Stadium quarter mile.
There were a lot of firsts as the first round of the Grand National Singles Championship was accompanied by the new Pro Singles class and their first ever race.
The most anticipated race of the night was the twenty five lap Expert National final and it did not disappoint. The race all boiled down to a furious battle between Henry Wiles and his Jones Brothers Kawasaki and the Memphis Shades Yamaha of JR Schnabel. Wiles officially led every lap, but Schnabel closed dramatically after moving into second on the sixth lap.
The former high school wrestling stars went to the mat as they battled tooth and nail over the last few laps. "Just before or just after the five (laps) to go board came out JR passed me in turn three and I knew I was in for a good race," said Wiles from the podium.
"Henry rode a good race. He made a bobble off two and I was able to get by for a second, but he came right back," said Schnabel. "I was trying to be patient, but I might have waited too long."
Along with a new race format with three heats and two semis came the "provisional start" rule where a top ten points rider who fails to make the main in the traditional way can play his "get out of jail" card and be added to the tail of the starting line up. Tonight it was former Grand National Champion Joe Kopp who needed the free pass.
Kopp made the most of his bad situation as he muscled his Lanpheres Beaverton-Renton Honda backed Honda from the fourth row to the podium as he passed his former teammate Kenny Coolbeth (Bettencourt's Honda) on lap twenty four.
It was a rough night for last year's double Daytona winner and defending Singles National Champion Jake Johnson and his Dave Burks Motorsports Suzuki. On the original start, Johnson was pushed wide, hit the hay bales then the ground with his bike tangled up with one of the hay bales, bringing the red flag. Johnson would join Kopp on row four for the restart. He was able to rebound for a tenth place finish.
Coolbeth held on to a fourth place finish with Roger Lake Racing's Jared Mees rounding out the top five.
Another new feature this year is the four lap, $1,000 to win dash for cash, made up of the top two finishers from each heat. The race also pays National points, making it that much more important. Tonight it was Zanotti Racing's Jethro Halbert who collected the prize as he held off Wiles and little brother Sammy Halbert (Glassman / Kings Kustoms).
Earlier in the night the action packed 12 lap Pro class main saw Brad Baker (Brothers Powersports) come away with the win as he chased down John Long, who had led the whole race only to fall coming off turn four for the last time.
The Powered by Clark, Pomeroy, PA backed Long withstood the relentless pressure for eleven and three quarter laps, but was credited with a fourteenth place finish.
Greenland & Son Masonry's Austin Greenland inherited second while Southland Racing Products' Kenny Malaguarnero filled out the podium.
RESULTS:
PRO SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP MAIN EVENT (18 riders, 12 laps): 1. Brad Baker (Hon); 2. Austin Greenland (Hon); 3. Kenny Malaguarnero (Hon); 4. Jeff carver (Yam); 5. Cameron Rafferty (Hon); 6. Jesse Morgan (Yam); 7. Nicholas Mataya (Yam); 8. William Cato (Hon); 9. Cory Strickler (Yam); 10. Brian Newman (Hon); 11. Michael LaBelle (Yam); 12. Steve Hlebo (Hon); 13. Mark Fillebrown (Suz); 14. John Long (Suz); 15. Asa Irish (Hon); 16. Lew Woods (Hon); 17. Kayl Kolkman (Hon); 18. Kurtis Lee (Hon).
EXPERT GRAND NATIONAL SINGLES MAIN EVENT (19 riders, 25 laps): 1. Henry Wiles (Kaw); 2. JR Schnabel (Yam); 3. Joe Kopp (Hon); 4. Kenny Coolbeth (Hon); 5. Jared Mees (Hon); 6. Sammy Halbert (Yam); 7. Brandan Bergen (Hon); 8. Jethro Halbert (Hon); 9. Don Taylor (Suz); 10. Jake Johnson (Suz); 11. Rob Pearson (Yam); 12. Jimmy Wood (Yam); 13. Johnny Lewis (Kaw); 14. Matt Weidman (Hon); 15. Mick Kirkness (Suz); 16. Brandon Robinson (Suz); 17. Jake Mataya (Kaw); 18. Chris Carr (Hon); 19. Bryan Smith (Kaw).
There were a lot of firsts as the first round of the Grand National Singles Championship was accompanied by the new Pro Singles class and their first ever race.
The most anticipated race of the night was the twenty five lap Expert National final and it did not disappoint. The race all boiled down to a furious battle between Henry Wiles and his Jones Brothers Kawasaki and the Memphis Shades Yamaha of JR Schnabel. Wiles officially led every lap, but Schnabel closed dramatically after moving into second on the sixth lap.
The former high school wrestling stars went to the mat as they battled tooth and nail over the last few laps. "Just before or just after the five (laps) to go board came out JR passed me in turn three and I knew I was in for a good race," said Wiles from the podium.
"Henry rode a good race. He made a bobble off two and I was able to get by for a second, but he came right back," said Schnabel. "I was trying to be patient, but I might have waited too long."
Along with a new race format with three heats and two semis came the "provisional start" rule where a top ten points rider who fails to make the main in the traditional way can play his "get out of jail" card and be added to the tail of the starting line up. Tonight it was former Grand National Champion Joe Kopp who needed the free pass.
Kopp made the most of his bad situation as he muscled his Lanpheres Beaverton-Renton Honda backed Honda from the fourth row to the podium as he passed his former teammate Kenny Coolbeth (Bettencourt's Honda) on lap twenty four.
It was a rough night for last year's double Daytona winner and defending Singles National Champion Jake Johnson and his Dave Burks Motorsports Suzuki. On the original start, Johnson was pushed wide, hit the hay bales then the ground with his bike tangled up with one of the hay bales, bringing the red flag. Johnson would join Kopp on row four for the restart. He was able to rebound for a tenth place finish.
Coolbeth held on to a fourth place finish with Roger Lake Racing's Jared Mees rounding out the top five.
Another new feature this year is the four lap, $1,000 to win dash for cash, made up of the top two finishers from each heat. The race also pays National points, making it that much more important. Tonight it was Zanotti Racing's Jethro Halbert who collected the prize as he held off Wiles and little brother Sammy Halbert (Glassman / Kings Kustoms).
Earlier in the night the action packed 12 lap Pro class main saw Brad Baker (Brothers Powersports) come away with the win as he chased down John Long, who had led the whole race only to fall coming off turn four for the last time.
The Powered by Clark, Pomeroy, PA backed Long withstood the relentless pressure for eleven and three quarter laps, but was credited with a fourteenth place finish.
Greenland & Son Masonry's Austin Greenland inherited second while Southland Racing Products' Kenny Malaguarnero filled out the podium.
RESULTS:
PRO SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIP MAIN EVENT (18 riders, 12 laps): 1. Brad Baker (Hon); 2. Austin Greenland (Hon); 3. Kenny Malaguarnero (Hon); 4. Jeff carver (Yam); 5. Cameron Rafferty (Hon); 6. Jesse Morgan (Yam); 7. Nicholas Mataya (Yam); 8. William Cato (Hon); 9. Cory Strickler (Yam); 10. Brian Newman (Hon); 11. Michael LaBelle (Yam); 12. Steve Hlebo (Hon); 13. Mark Fillebrown (Suz); 14. John Long (Suz); 15. Asa Irish (Hon); 16. Lew Woods (Hon); 17. Kayl Kolkman (Hon); 18. Kurtis Lee (Hon).
EXPERT GRAND NATIONAL SINGLES MAIN EVENT (19 riders, 25 laps): 1. Henry Wiles (Kaw); 2. JR Schnabel (Yam); 3. Joe Kopp (Hon); 4. Kenny Coolbeth (Hon); 5. Jared Mees (Hon); 6. Sammy Halbert (Yam); 7. Brandan Bergen (Hon); 8. Jethro Halbert (Hon); 9. Don Taylor (Suz); 10. Jake Johnson (Suz); 11. Rob Pearson (Yam); 12. Jimmy Wood (Yam); 13. Johnny Lewis (Kaw); 14. Matt Weidman (Hon); 15. Mick Kirkness (Suz); 16. Brandon Robinson (Suz); 17. Jake Mataya (Kaw); 18. Chris Carr (Hon); 19. Bryan Smith (Kaw).
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