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Gettin’ Sideways: AMA Pro Flat Track Virginia Mega Mile

Bryan Smith is vicious in Virginia.

August 25, 2014

They call the track at Colonial Downs the “Mega Mile.” After racing it for the first time on Saturday, I now know why. The track is enormous! Although this oval in New Kent, Virginia is labeled as a 1.25-mile track, it felt bigger, by far the biggest track I’ve ever raced on. Mother Nature stopped by to give the track a little water right before practice started, and it actually did more good than harm. Last year, when I was a spectator, the racing surface got brushed off and developed some rubber in the main events. Not this time. The track stayed dug up and the racing surface was deep, which made it very interesting for all the riders, especially the ones who weren’t in the front of the pack. I had a long day. My team and I opted to ride our back-up bike and save our fastest steed for the remaining rounds on the schedule. After transferring for the main event out of my semi, I got a great start in the main event only to have the bike lose power and start spraying oil out the left side. An unfortunate DNF, for sure. Highlights from the event:

Bryan Smith dominated the Mega Mile. He easily won his heat race and the Dash for Cash. He jumped the start in the main event and was sent to the fourth row. He took the lead on lap four and never relinquished it, claiming his fourth win on the season.
The surprise of the afternoon was Jake Shoemaker, who finished fourth in his heat race. Not typically known as a cushion specialist, he put himself in great position early in the race and kept charging to finish second. This was his third career podium and first at a track not named Hagerstown.

Jake Johnson was third, a well-earned finish. He was fast qualifier on the Ducati and was leading his heat race until his bike suffered a mechanical problem. After having another mechanical issue in his semi, Johnson came from the fourth row (alongside Smith) and grabbed the last podium spot when Brad Baker's Harley started to slow on the front straight of the final lap.
Baker, incidentally, had a podium finish on lock until his bike slowed coming off turn four heading toward the checkers. I was sitting at the finish line after my DNF and thought it was awesome to see Brad "Fred Flintstoning" his bike across the finish line.
We usually run 25-lap main events, but at Virginia it was shortened to 15 because of weather and curfew. We had a strict 7 p.m. curfew and had to be off the track before then. The Expert Twins also went first instead of the usual Pro Singles class, which was cut back to a 6-lap main event.
In his first race since crashing hard at the Springfield Mile, JR Addison won the Pro Singles race. It was an impressive ride. Equally impressive was runner-up Kyle Johnson who was racing after injuring his hand last weekend in Peoria. Third place went to another Ohio rider, Jeffery Lowery. With two Pro Singles rounds remaining, Johnson now holds a 20-point lead in the standings over Ryan Wells who finished sixth at the Mega Mile.

AMA Pro Flat Track Expert Main Top 10 Finishers

1. Bryan Smith (Kawasaki)

2. Jake Shoemaker (Kawasaki)

3. Jake Johnson (Kawasaki)

4. Brad Baker (Harley-Davidson)

5. Jared Mees (Harley-Davidson)

6. Brandon Robinson (Kawasaki)

7. Jeremy Higgins (KTM)

8. _Kenny Coolbeth__ (Harley-Davidson)

9. Henry Wiles (Kawasaki)

10. Shawn Baer (KTM)

AMA Pro Flat Track Expert Top 10 In Points

1. Bryan Smith 224

2. Jared Mees 218

3. Jake Johnson 206

4. Kenny Coolbeth 171

5. Henry Wiles 154

6. Brad Baker 149

7. Sammy Halbert 139

8. Brandon Robinson 131

9. Stevie Bonsey 124

10. Briar Bauman 97

AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles Main Top 10 Finishers

1. J.R. Addison (Honda)

2. Kyle Johnson (Honda)

3. Jeffery Lowery (Honda)

4. Jarod Vanderkooi (Honda)

5. Bronson Bauman (Honda)

6. Ryan Wells (KTM)

7. Justin Jones (Honda)

8. Kolby Carlile (KTM)

9. Brandon Wilhelm (Honda)

10. Andrew Butler (Honda)

AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles Top 10 In Points

1. Kyle Johnson 170

2. Ryan Wells 150

3. Davis Fisher 142

4. Bronson Bauman 133

5. Jarod Vanderkooi 115

6. Dan Bromley 112

7. Brandon Wilhelm 109

8. Dylan Morin 70

9. Dominic Colindres 69

10. Justin Jones 68

Next race: August 31, Round 14, Springfield Mile II, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield Illinois

Cory Texter is a third-generation motorcycle racer from Willow Street, Pennsylvania. He is currently national number 65 in the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship and has also held an AMA Pro Road Racing license. His father, Randy, was the 1990 AMA TwinSports champion, and his sister, Shayna, is the only female to win an AMA Pro Grand National Expert Singles race. Cory also co-hosts Flat Track Weekly Radio.

Gettin’ Sideways: AMA Pro Flat Track Virginia Mega Mile

Pro Singles race action.

Jarod Vanderkooi.

J.R. Addison.

J.R. Addison.

Pro Singles podium.

Jake Johnson.

Jake Shoemaker.

Joe Kopp and Brad Baker.

Shayna Texter.

Bryan Smith podium.