Sideburn 30

Another milestone reached. Issue 30! And our regular readers tell us it keeps getting better. That's the idea. This another fat 116-page issue squeezed, like blood from a stone, out of Sideburn's Lincolnshire HQ.

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COVER STAR: Manon Hache; Co-Built Rotax and Chris Piascick art
BIKES: Bottpower XR1R Pikes Peak special; budget Yamaha FZ-07 framer; monoshock H-D Sportster; Wedge BMW 310; Honda 650 Mablethorpe Sand Racer
EVENTS: Travis at Pikes Peak; The Springfield Mile; Pendine Speed Trials; DirtQuake VI
HOW TO: Use your brake to go faster by Johnny Lewis
PEOPLE: Marco Belli; Sean Flynn and Dana Stone
PORTFOLIO: The photography of Kristina Fender
MOVIE: Godspeed! You Black Emperor
ADVENTURE: Across frozen Mongolia on Enfield 500 combinations
PAGES: 116

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Springfield and Santa Rosa

I've stopped posting round-ups of AMA GNC racing the day or two after AMA GNC races because Fanschoice.tv posts full races for the world to catch up with at their leisure. It's awkward for European viewers to get to see the races live because of the time difference, so I don't want to spoil the possible excitement of watching a recorded race you don't know the result of.

There was another great race at Springfield last weekend. If you haven't seen the result, I won't mention it. Click fanschoice.tv to watch the 25-lapper. It'll take less that 18 minutes of your life and this is one of the few mains of the season that didn't get red flagged and restarted.

Mile racing is what people think of when they think of dirt track, but there isn't often the same excitement as good short track racing. This race is an example of cat and mouse and pure racecraft. I loved it.

Also on the agenda for this post: the commentators, Chris Carr and Scotty Deubler, regularly refer to Bryan Smith's appeal. Not a lot has been said about this on public AMA channels at least, just that it happened. Here's what I know....

At the previous race, the Central NY Half-Mile on August 20, Smith came second to championship leader, and reigning champ, Jared Mees. Meanwhile, there was a protest, it seems, by Mees' Las Vegas H-D, Rogers' Racing team about Smith's Crosley Kawasaki.

READ ABOUT BRYAN SMITH'S RADICAL CROSLEY KAWASAKI TWIN IN SB26

The protest, from what I can discover, was about an overweight rear wheel. If you're not 100% embedded in flat track that may sound strange. Every other motorsport spends £1000s making their wheels lighter, right? Well, yes, but a heavier rear wheel, in some circumstances and only up to a point - you wouldn't want a lead wheel, aids traction. Because of this, there is an upper weight limit in the AMA Pro Racing rulebook, for complete wheel and tyre assembly.

Riders fit the heaviest, heavy-duty tubes to help their bikes hook up, some riders have even been known to fill tubes with water rather than air to weight a rear wheel, but no one would risk that at an AMA race. So Smith was disqualified and his team appealed. Some buzz is saying they had approval to run the wheel and tyre assembly that later led to their disqualification.

Below is the report from AMA Pro Racing's tech log. It doesn't mention any pre-approval.

The Smith/Crosley Kawasaki appeal is a week today. That is crucial, because the final round is coming up on Sept 24 at the Santa Rosa Mile.

Conspiracy theorists are pointing to this being the XR750's final year and H-D doing everything they can to win the title. Firstly, teams are still going to race XR750s. No private teams are going to ditch the XR for an unproven XG750 until they're forced to, and XRs are still legal as far as I'm aware. Indian have just entered with a bespoke race engine, that has no production bikes roots.

Others point out that Mees was accused and proven to use banned tyre softening chemicals last season, but didn't lose points. Other conspiracy theorists point out that Mees now does a burn out celebration to cover up his continued use of those chemicals. I don't believe he'd risk getting caught and losing a hatful of points, he's too good and is always in with a chance of a win/podium, but what do I know?

I'll tell you what I know, Santa Rosa is going to be a great, high pressure finally. Including 2016, the season has gone down to the final race, between Mees and Smith three times in a row now. Bryan Smith has been second in the championship the previous three years (to Baker is 2013, the Mees twice). But don't believe he's going to win just because it's his turn. Ask Dani Pedrosa about coming second...

Our good friends at the CFTA are involved with promoting the Mile race. CFTA head man, Randy Kremlacek, has contributed features to Sideburn for years, before he got to busy race promoting.

There is going to be racing on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

And it sounds like Sideburn is going to be there! G

Springfield Mile: Main

Springfield Mile: This Weekend

After what seems like six months since the season opener at the Daytona double-header in March, the AMA Grand National Championship gets back under way at Springfield, Illinois this weekend. Here are some of the keys changes for 2015:

• Former #1 Jake Johnson has moved from Ramspur Lloyd Brothers to Hart Racing Kawasaki.
• Troy Bayliss and Johnny Lewis are on the Lloyd Brothers Ducati Scrambler 1000.
• Mikey Martin has moved from Triumph to Weirbach Kawasaki.
• Brandon Robinson is on the Bonneville Performance Castrol Triumph.
• 2013 Rookie of the Year Jake Shoemaker on the Bonneville Performance Triumph.
• Cory Texter is racing the new Yamaha USA 'factory' FZ-07-powered parallel twin.
• Two-time Daytona 200 winner (and winner of the 2015 race) Danny Eslick is racing an XR750 at Springfield.
• Nichole Mees (nee Cheza) has announced this will be her last full twins season.
• Sammy Halbert has teamed up with legendary tuner Johnny Goad. 
• Henry Wiles is with Zanotti (Coolbeth's teammate).
• Top contenders Mees, Coolbeth, Brad Baker and Smith all stay with the same teams.

Plus the AMA will still work with Fanschoice.tv to deliver live feeds of all the races and now they have Chris Carr giving expert analysis. The presenting team have back-up from Dani Medin, a former snowmobile racer with FHM-cover-friendly looks. At first I thought, come on, really? Then she started asking questions from a complete novice's perspective that made Chris Carr explain just why things happen the way they happen. Even if I knew some (not all) of the answers, Carr puts so much meat on the bones of what could be simple answers, it made it a great section in what could easily have been a boring wait for the racing to start. 

The Fan's Choice coverage is still not what you'd call high budget, but this year is a massive leap forward. It's stripped down and informative and the best blanket coverage the sport has ever had.

And because it's America you can hardly notice the subliminal advertising they have Chris Carr doing in some of the links (see above). But this is a buyer's market and flat track needs the coverage, so if Chris comes on dressed as Colonel Sanders and talks about a finger-lickin' move Stevie Bonsey put on Chad Cose, I'll still lap it up. G

UPDATE: Chris Carr will be selling Sideburn current and back issues in the pits at Peoria's All Star race and the All-Star race at Springfield on Sunday. Go buy a few.

#20

Who'd da thunk it? We certainly never realised our little fanzine would make it to twenty issues. Sideburn #20 is now at the printers!
We do appreciate the seven years of cheering from the grandstand.
Without you, there would be no us. Thank you for your support.

Classic photo by Dan Mahony of #20 Johnny Murphree leading the freight train at the Springfield Mile. BP

Springfield Mile II

Man, what a race. Eight-rider freight trains. Race starts at the 10-min mark and finishes 16 minutes later. Watch it. G

Brits to Race US Top Amateurs

Kawasaki DTRA team riders, Ollie Brindley, #24, and Alan Birtwistle, #30, along with George Pickering, are flying to the US to compete in five races in five days, in the Midwest.

They're going to be at the 2014 AMA Dirt Track GRand Championships

Springfield Mile on Monday 23 June
Springfield TT on Tuesday 24
Springfield TT on Wednesday 25
Springfield Limestone half-mile on Thursday 26

Plus one more race I don't have details of yet.

Travelling and watching five races in five days would be tiring, so imagine what racing the best young US riders is going to be like.

If you see them, say hello and wish them luck. They're good fellas. G

Photos: Ian Osborne/DTRA

Springfield Mile: Full Main Event

Thanks again to Roger F for pointing us to the good stuff.
This is a recording of the livestream from the recent Springfield Mile with its multiple restarts. It's a bit jumpy on my laptop, but it's still worth watching. G

Springfield Mile Report

I like to try get the official AMA Pro Racing photos up earlier than this, but we've been on a road trip around the USA since Springfield and this is the first chance.
Sideburn was out at the track for the first twins race of the season and we were reminded what a great show the AMA organisation and racers put on.
Bryan Smith looked unbeatable all day and ended up winning the Dash and Main on his Crosley Kawasaki, that had a new chassis for this season.

Kenny Coolbeth came in second, racing the XR750 of the Zanotti team for the first time in a GNC round.

Mikey Martin made the main on the Bonneville Performance Triumph, but didn't make it to the end of the race that had numerous restarts.

The Pro Twins, support class for up and comers - formerly called Basic Twins, were out in force. Early in the day it looked like a lot of the riders on Kawasaki framers were having trouble with stability. JR Addison was spat of his at the end of the straight in practice in a terrible looking crash.
17F, Jarod Vanderkooi had no such problems, winning his class by 6.5 secs over a 12-mile race.

Steve Morehead came out to ride in a 'parade' race for the upcoming reboot of the On Any Sunday franchise that is being filmed by Bruce Brown's son, Dana.

Jake Johnson, #5, looked a threat early in the race, but faded as the restarts seemed to take their toll on his Lloyd Brothers Ramspur Ducati.

Shayna Texter was hotly tipped, having won mile races on her 450, but her Latus Triumph had an evil weave on the straights and she parked it before the end of her semi, so didn't make the Pro Twins 18-rider main.

Dash for Cash, for the six best qualifiers, Smith #42, won from Coolbeth and Johnson, with Mees, Robinson and Wiles coming in behind in the bonus -paying four-lapper.

 Can you spot us?

Pretty much sums up the race, but it was exciting, especially as Bonsey crashed twice, once after seeming to get gently nerfed by Brad Baker.

Next race is Knoxville Half-Mile in Iowa on June 15. Get there if you can. G

All photos courtesy of AMA Pro Racing

Springfield This Weekend!

Remember, Sideburn's Ben, Gary and Dave will be in Peoria on Friday and Springfield on Saturday and Sunday. Hunt us down, buy a mag and/or say hello. G

Dirt Quake USA Countdown: 19 DAYS!

Less than THREE WEEKS to go.

Camping, Live Music, Swap Meet, Dirt Track Racing, Chopper Racin'

Want more info? Dirt Quake USA

Want to enter your bike? Send a picture of it to dirt@sideburnmagazine.com

Pre-registration only! Ends May 28th

The MotoAttic swap meet entry? Saturday May 31 only contact: matthew@killdiscodesign.com

Other Questions: dirt@sideburnmagazine.com

For a good time. #DQUSA

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WHERE Castle Rock, WA – 58 miles north of Portland, OR 117 miles south from Seattle, WA. 

WHEN Saturday, May 31st – Sunday, June 1st, 2014

The weekend before we will be hitting THREE races in Illinois - two at Springfield on Satruday and Sunday, and one at Peoria on the Friday night. Whose coming?

Sideburn Goes To Springfield

At the end of May, the week before Dirt Quake USA, Sideburn will be at three races in Illinois.

Friday 23 May - Peoria Short Track, All Star Series race.
Saturday 24 May - Springfield Short Track, All Star Series race.
Sunday 25 May - Springfield Mile, AMA GNC race

For the Sunday race, at the very least, we'll be trying to sell some magazines and T-shirts and handing out stickers from the Memphis Shades truck in the pits, so come and find us between the racing. Gary, Ben and Dave Skooter Farm will be there.

Then we fly out of Chicago, to the West Coast, early on Monday morning.

Let us know if there's anything we should try to see, places we should visit, eat in, drink in... Thanks. G

Springfield Mile 2 Catch-Up

Second verse, same as a the first! Springfield Mile two, the Sunday race, had a familiar ring to it. #44 Brandon Robinson won the GNX Expert twins race, from Bryan Smith and JD Beach...
Hey Axo, get your star man some leathers without kneeslider velcro on the knees!

While Shayna Texter also did the double in the Basic Twins class. I wonder what odds you'd get on those to results.

White numbers on black plates denote the Basic Twins. 

Brad Baker - came 5th. A good haul of points going into the final two rounds.

Is this a shot of the 2013 #1 chasing the 2012 #1?

Mikey (I think it's now Michael) Martin #91, made the main, got the fastest lap on his Bonneville Performance Triumph, but then pulled up midway through the race.

Bryan Smith making the lowline work. Read more about his bike in the next Sideburn.

Jared Mees was in a battle. Watch the amazing onboard of his Main race below. 

1. Robinson. 2. Smith. 3. Beach.
1, 2, 3 Kawasaki.

Next race: Santa Rosa Mile - September 29.
All photos courtesy of AMA Pro Racing.

WATCH THIS! Click the icon in the corner of the screen for full screen. Awesome action.

Mr And Mrs Mees

I got it wrong in the post below (I've now changed it). Jared Mees and Nichole Cheza tied the knot on Sunday, not Saturday. They did do it at the track, then went and both qualified for the main (in matching helmets. Mr came 6th, Mrs finished 13th. Amazing. G

Springfield Mile 1 Round-Up

Because of the rain-off earlier in the year, there were two Springfield Miles back-to-back over the Labor Day weekend. Brandon Robinson, #44, picked up his second national of the year with a runaway win, a clear 5.2 second winning margin from #42 Bryan Smith.

Willie McCoy was top Harley, in fourth. This means it's the first ever (I'm pretty sure) Kawasaki 1-2-3 in a GNC race. When was the last time an XR750 wasn't on the podium in a GNC twins race? Has it ever happened in the life of that bike? 

History was also made with the inaugural running on the new Basic twins class. Shayna Texter dominated the day.

49 riders tried to make the 18-man main for the GNC Expert race. 85P, Ben knight looked sharp in these leather, but didn't make it.

Jared Mees #1 got married in the paddock on Sunday afternoon, to fellow racer, Nichole Cheza (below). The groom came 7th in the main, the bride missed out.

Henry Wiles looking stylish. Came 9th in the main losing points to all his nearest rivals.

Jake Shoemaker #55A and Briar Bauman #14, both young guns on Kawasakis. Briar's Werner-Springsteen Kawasaki was on the cover of (and inside) Sideburn 7, back when Bryan Smith was on it. 

Series leader Brad Baker, #12, had a solid 5th, but lost points to Bryan Smith and Brandon Robinson (who moved into second place in the title race). 

JD Beach #95 got another podium, his second of the year.

The Burnett Farms Kawasaki 650: ugly but fast.

Brandon won the Dash for Cash too.

1. Robinson 2. Smith 3. Beach

Springfield 2 photos soon.
All photos courtesy of AMA Pro Racing.