AMA Racing

I am not a race fan. I don't like Nascar, Indy, or any other major racing circuit for that matter. However, 20 motorcyclists going close to 100 mph on a dirt track is something else... While I was still in Michigan I went with my dad to the I-96 race track just south of Ionia. The AMA Dirt Track Series and all of its top riders were there for the evening. The event started with the heats, then went to semis, and finished with a 25 lap final. Kenny Coolbeth, from Connecticut nonetheless, was most impressive and ended up winning the race. The picture below is of him waving the checkered flag after dominating the final, which included the overall points leader Chris Carr.


So, as I explained before, I am not a race fan. But, these guys are ridiculous. The start is two straight lines of motorcycles one behind the other. There is much less than a quarter mile between them and turn one where all of them fish-tail through the corner - on purpose. That is the thing with flat track motorcylce racing. The riders slide their bikes through the turns and use his/her (there is one woman on the circuit - a fan favorite!) foot to prop themselves up. Kenny Coolbeth is in the picture below showing how it is done...