Written by Andrew Swain:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 9, 2014) – Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. made headlines this offseason when he announced his plans to join Zanotti Racing in 2014 after competing with the Factory Harley-Davidson team for many years. Coolbeth won three consecutive Grand National Championships from 2006-2008 and has been a force on the AMA Pro Flat Track circuit for well over a decade now.

Coolbeth has nearly 30 GNC main event victories under his belt, multiple Expert Singles, Expert Twins, and overall Grand National Championship trophies hanging on his mantle back home in Morris, Conn. The 37-year-old veteran has seemingly built an empire of accomplishments throughout his AMA Pro Flat Track career, yet one spot still remained on his nearly flawless resume – he had never won at Daytona prior to the 2014 season.

That’s why when Coolbeth crossed the finish line for the 25th and final lap of Race 2 at DAYTONA Flat Track in Daytona Beach, Fla. last month, it was such a big deal to him and the fans that have grown to love and admire his work over the years.

“It feels tremendous to finally get a win at Daytona,” said Coolbeth. “I’ve been trying to win there for 21 years and to do finally get one is a big accomplishment for me. For everything to come together like it did. It all takes good people behind you and that’s exactly what I got from Zanotti Racing and the Atherton family for really putting a lot of effort into my program.

Coolbeth was in position to attack the lead in Race 1 but crashed on lap seven, forcing him to finish the season opener in 17th. Coolbeth obviously made the most of the back-end of the Daytona doubleheader with a Race 2 victory by over a four second margin. Considering the size of the track – only .25 miles – Coolbeth’s 4.069 second win-margin over second-place finisher Jake Johnson and the rest of the pack wasn’t just a win, but a total blowout of the competition that night.

As for his plans during the brief gap between Daytona and Springfield, Coolbeth intends to ride as much as possible. “I’m just riding as much as I can,” said Coolbeth. “A typical day for me is getting up and going to the gym and then finding some place to ride. Whether it be flat track or motocross, the more riding for me, the better. The weather up here in Connecticut is just coming around too so I’ve really been getting after it these last couple of weeks.”

Coolbeth and Zanotti Racing will get a chance to showcase their skills again next month when the season really starts to heat up on May 25, 2014 for the Springfield Mile at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Ill.

How to Watch
FansChoice.tv will be the official home for live streaming coverage of AMA Pro Flat Track and AMA Pro Road Racing events in 2014. The site will also provide coverage of IMSA's development and single-make series, and NASCAR's touring and weekly series.