DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Nov. 24, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AMA Pro Racing is pleased to announce 12 confirmed events on the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track schedule. In addition to the events listed below, AMA Pro Racing is currently negotiating with four additional venues and intends to announce the complete 16-race calendar in the near future.
Dirt track motorcycle racing was born in the United States and the series is one of the oldest motorsports championships in America. The first national race sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) was held in 1924 on a one-mile dirt oval in Toledo, Ohio. AMA Hall of Famer Jim Davis won that very first race, setting the stage for three decades of growth and the creation of the Grand National Championship (GNC) in 1954.
As an homage to the 90-year history of the sport and the long list of Grand National Champions, the classes that comprise AMA Pro Flat Track have been renamed GNC1 and GNC2. All of the AMA Pro Flat Track events in 2015 will feature non-stop entertainment and thrilling motorcycle racing action from the world's top dirt track racing talent in GNC1, while the future stars of the sport will earn their stripes in GNC2 competition.
Sticking with tradition, the season will get underway during the Bike Week festivities in Daytona Beach, Fla. with a doubleheader at DAYTONA Flat Track on March 12 and 13. Last year, Briar Bauman and Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. claimed victories at the season-opening two-day event to launch a spectacular season of racing.
Next up on the slate are two events that are steeped in history. On May 24, riders will convene at the hallowed Illinois State Fairgrounds for the first edition of the 2015 Springfield Mile. The next week, May 30, the series heads to the West Coast for the Sacramento Mile, where Bryan Smith will try to make it five wins in a row at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds.
On June 20, Half-Mile fans can get their fix when the series returns to Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, Md. Smith won the event in 2014, giving Kawasaki its first ever victory on a Half-Mile in the premier GNC1 division.
The following week, June 27, riders will attack the pea-gravel Half-Mile in Lima, Ohio. Jared Mees, the eventual 2014 Grand National Champion and owner of the National No. 1 plate for 2015, got his first win of the season at the Allen County Fairgrounds last year.
The series will then jump back out west for the first of two TT (Tourist Trophy) events in 2015. Castle Rock Race Park in Castle Rock, Wash., is scheduled to host AMA Pro Flat Track on Saturday, Aug. 1. Henry Wiles, the dominant force of the last decade in TT races, will try to repeat there.
Aug. 4 is the date for the Black Hills Half-Mile at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, S.D., which is sure to attract plenty of the motorcycle enthusiasts in town for the 75th running of the world famous rally in Sturgis.
Next up, the riders will take to the sky for the second outing in 2015 with the legendary Peoria TT set for Aug. 16. In 2014, Wiles made headlines with his 10th straight victory at PMC Race Park, and he'll be trying to make it 11 in a row when he gets back to Peoria, Ill. in 2015.
The series then returns to the Illinois State Fairgrounds for the second running of the Springfield Mile. Coolbeth eked out his second Mile victory of the season at the iconic facility during Labor Day Weekend in 2014.
The championship battles will then play out on the West Coast with back-to-back races in California. Riders will attack Calistoga Speedway, nestled in the heart of wine country, on Oct. 3, before finishing off the season in Pomona, Calif. with the Flat Track Finals at the LA County Fairplex on Oct. 10.
Confirmed Dates on the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Schedule
March 12: DAYTONA Flat Track I, Daytona Beach, Fla.
March 13: DAYTONA Flat Track II, Daytona Beach, Fla.
May 24: Springfield Mile I, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.
May 30: Sacramento Mile, Cal Expo Fairgrounds, Sacramento, Calif.
June 20: Hagerstown Half-Mile, Hagerstown Speedway, Hagerstown, Md.
June 27: Lima Half-Mile, Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, Ohio
August 1: Castle Rock TT, Mt. St. Helens Motorcycle Club, Castle Rock, Wash.
August 4: Black Hills Half-Mile, Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, S.D.
August 16: Peoria TT, PMC Race Park, Peoria, Ill.
September 6: Springfield Mile II, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.
October 3: Calistoga Half-Mile, Calistoga Speedway, Calistoga, Calif.
October 10: Flat Track Season Finale, LA County Fairplex, Pomona, Calif.
AMA Pro Flat Track will kick off the 2015 season on March 12 and 13 with a doubleheader at the DAYTONA Flat Track. For tickets and information, please visit http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com.
A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=29309
