HARTFORD, Mich. (June 13, 2011) – The AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Flat Track Championship headed to Hartford Speedway in Hartford, Michigan for the first time this past Saturday, June 11. It was a fresh race for all the competitors – veterans and rookies alike. Scott Powersports/Triple J Racing/DR.D’s Johnny Lewis became creative on the one-lined track to lead the first part of the race and eventually earn fifth place, a career-best finish in AMA Pro Flat Track GNC Twins.

The Hartford Speedway dirt oval was composed of loose sand, likely due to the proximity to Lake Michigan. For the high-powered twin-cylinder motorcycles this meant forging a blue groove for traction during afternoon practice and timed qualifying. That blue groove remained narrow throughout the night program, limiting passing opportunities. The weather was unseasonably cold in the low 60s after it had been in the 90s earlier in the week in Michigan. This necessitated the use of tire warmers for the race bikes. The Hartford race marked only the second time the AMA Pro Flat Track expert athletes competed on the big twins this season.

Lewis qualified 20th on his Scott Powersports’ Kawasaki 650 built by Mike Scott. The position did not deter Lewis or his team since the top 25 were close in qualifying times. Lewis was only four-tenths of a second from the top qualifier.

AXO-sponsored Lewis started in the second heat race on the second row near the top of the track, an ideal spot for traction. He took advantage of the position and moved quickly into second off the start. A crash in turn two quickly red-flagged the race on lap one. Following the red flag restart, Lewis moved again into second by the first turn, competing in AXO custom black and red leathers with the new AXO Freedom Flat Track boot. After the first of eight laps, he was clearly pushing the leader and looking for a move. When Lewis could not find a spot to pass into the lead, he had to work on holding off a pack of three riders behind him. At the checkers after the ten laps, Lewis finished second which placed him into the main event and the coveted Dash for Cash.

In the four-lap Dash for Cash, Lewis had a third-place start. After the first lap, he found a spot to pass in turn two and moved around into second. At that point, the lead rider had too much of a cushion for Lewis to make a dent in this four-lap race. At the finish, he came in second on his Penske Racing-suspended Kawasaki. Lewis had the Dash for Cash best lap time with a 24.729 second lap.

In the 25-lap main event, Lewis was sitting in the middle of the front row on his #10 Scott Powersports Kawasaki 650. He rolled his Kawasaki off the line smoothly to ricochet himself into first for the first time in his young AMA Pro Flat Track career. His crew watched intently, including wife Alysha and bike builder Mike Scott, as Lewis led the field through the first lap, then the second lap. As he pushed ahead at the front of the field, his bike remained cooled by a FLUIDYNE radiator. On lap five, a bump and then pass from the second place rider pushed Lewis back to second. Lewis maintained that position for a few laps before being overtaken. His gearing was slightly off causing rear wheel spin exiting the turns which reduced his overall speed. After 25 laps, Lewis finished a career-best AMA Pro Flat Track GNC Twins race in fifth place.


“We knew after practice that the starting position and how we would come off the line was pivotal to the entire race,” said Lewis from Hartford Speedway. “There was literally one line out there tonight and moving slightly off it may cause catastrophe. A top three start was the goal in the main. When I holeshot the race and found myself in the lead on the first lap, I wondered where everyone went! It was a great feeling to lead for the first time. When I kept rounding the laps in first I focused on maintaining the line. We slipped back into the top five as the race neared its end. I am really happy with the finish. This was a huge step for our program. This race proved that our bike can run at the front and be competitive throughout the entire 25 laps. Now it’s fine-tuning our program so next time we are in that position, we are first at the checker flag! Thanks to Mike Scott and the entire Scott Powersports/Triple J Racing/DR.D team for all their hard work along with our other sponsors who helped make this finish possible.”

The Hartford Half-Mile fifth place finish moved Lewis up into seventh in the overall 2011 AMA Pro Flat Track GNC standings, only nine points out of the top five. It also shot him up into fourth in the GNC Twins standings.

Race fans head to the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio on Saturday, June 25 for the Lima Half-Mile, round nine of the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Flat Track Championship. Stop by the Scott Powersports pit to meet Lewis, enter his JL10 Sponsor Giveaway drawing and get an autographed poster, and then watch him on the historic racing oval riding his Scott Powersports/Triple J Racing/DR.D #10 Kawasaki 650 flat tracker in his custom AXO leathers. Keep up with Lewis on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lewis10 and his new website at www.lewis10.com.