This is such a great story. Two of the highest profile riders in flat track have bought the rights to one of the favourite races, the Lima Half-Mile. It's great to see riders like Jared and Nichole (both pictured above) moving into running and promoting races, while still being in their prime (though Nichole has recently retired from the GNC).

This from the website - Lima Half-Mile

2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Champion Jared Mees and wife Nichole entered the race promotion business for the first time today, buying rights to the historic Lima, Ohio Half-mile. Lima, which runs on the last Saturday in June each year, is one of the most highly attended and historic races on the AMA Pro Flat Track circuit, dating back to 1984. The venue has sentimental value to Mees, who won his first AMA Pro Flat Track GNC1 race at Lima in 2005. Mees also won Lima in 2007 and again in 2014, on the way to his 3rd Grand National Championship. 

“I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy rights to Lima,” said twenty-nine year old Mees who lives in Clio, Michigan. “It’s an old school fairgrounds cushion half-mile with a passionate, loyal fan base just a few hours from our house. Nichole and I couldn’t be more excited to take this on. Nichole is retiring from racing after this season and I don’t plan on racing forever. Promoting Lima is a business venture that will keep us involved in flat track for many years.”

“Lima is such a great event, I wanted to make sure I found the right people to hand the torch to now that I’m retiring,” said longtime Lima promoter Dean Gallup. “Jared and Nichole Mees are the perfect people to take over. They’re hard working and have a vested interest in the sport. I can now retire knowing the event is in good hands."

The next Lima Half-Mile is 25 June.

Thanks to Roger F for the lead.

We have found a few copies that we sidelined because the clear, matt laminate we pay to have on covers or the special purple foil logo we chose for this issue might be VERY slightly damaged during packing at the printers, but these have been sold out a long time, so if you want one it's worth it.
No returns.
Sold at the ORIGINAL cover price of £4.50 (plus postage)

100 quality A5 pages including:
Shayna Texter, Nichole Cheza
C and J Rotax
Dave Aldana
Jake Johnson
Harley WR racer
Roland Sands, Drake McElroy, Thor Drake: The Smoking Seagulls and their Super Singles
Cay's BSA B40
Graziano Rossi and the Zaeta DT Mk1
GSX-Rs on ice
Chopper Dave's street tracker
Alan Bellham's Speedway Service shop
Fay Taylour (amazing story of lady speedway rider and nazi sympathiser)
The first appearance of Dimitri and his Parisian TR6C street tracker
Don Emde's Trophy Queen
And more....

Get it at sideburn.bigcartel.com

Offers like this and limited edition found artefacts appear on the blog first, so remember to check back on a daily basis (or more often). G

Harley have recently pushed out new, exciting primetime TV ads. The 60-second spot features lots of names familiar to Sideburn: the Speed Merchant Street 500 from Sideburn 19; Chris Wiggins who rode the Speed Merchant Thresher for the Biltwell special edition cover of Sideburn 19; The Rusty Butcher who has just entered Dirt Quake USA; Aaron from Suicide Machine Co, who has written for the next issue, plus perennial favourite Nichole Mees (nee Cheza) riding on ice. Oh yeah, and Harley-Davidson are sponsoring this summer's Dirt Quake USA.

Advertising industry trade website say, 'There's a lot of text going on in both the print and broadcast work, with Twitter handles, brief and sometimes cryptic headlines, the #RollYourOwn hashtag and the DarkCustom.com URL. "The new creative is about each rider defining their independence and attitude, whether kicking up dirt on the track or sliding through the curves on ice," says Dino Bernacchi, U.S. marketing director at Harley-Davidson.

This is exciting on a couple of levels. Harley are pushing both their new, entry-level Street 750 (built, at least in part, in their new Indian factory) and also putting flat track in front of a new audience, while commissioning a handsome race bike from one of the most respected tuning houses in the USA.

1. Harley are really pushing to get flat track included in X Games (the Olympics of extreme sports). Having rally involved didn't do a lot of the WRC, but it couldn't help but raise profile, attract sponsors and pay some of the riders a little more. It would be a great spectacle too.
I'm sure supermoto was involved a few years ago and it didn't help that sport in the long-term, but flat track has more history, is more American, is due a comeback. It feels like the right time.

2. These bikes aren't XR750s, they're flat track versions of the new liquid-cooled 750 Street. The bikes were prepped by long-established, multi-faceted tuning house and race team (drag, road, whatever) - Vance & Hines.
Only the engine remains, but that doesn't mean a bike with a similar look couldn't be created further down the line. Certain sections look like the XR1200R (a bike I thought was a massive missed opportunity). XR750R anyone?
There is a current XR750 in one of these photos and it doesn't jump out. Vance & Hines have done a great job with this concept. G
This is the 750 Street 750 in the foreground (looking like a cross between an XLCR, a V-Rod and a 2014 'club' bike).

The extreme sports juggernaut that is the X Games is considering including motorcycle ice racing in future event. Concurrently, Harley Davidson are pushing their new entry level liquid-cooled Street 750 (called, the, er, Street 750) and enrolled Brad Baker and Mr and Mrs Mees to promote the cause.

They want fans to tweet their opinions with the hashtag - #XGIceRace. We've never been to a X Games, but if it turns people onto flat track in some way, it can't be a bad thing. Twits should tweet something encouraging, but don't forget the hashtag.

Talking to AMA Pro Racing about the Street 750, Jared Mees said, “The Harley-Davidson Street 750 definitely gets up and runs. The throttle response is more instant and it’s definitely a lot snappier and has a lower center of gravity than the Harley-Davidson XR750. I think Harley-Davidson should consider this bike to compete at the Grand National level at some point. I would be all for this decision.” G

Brad Baker won't be carrying that number next year. the 20-year-old won the Expert Twins and Expert Singles.
There are lots of rumours about Kenny Coolbeth's future. He came sixth at Pomona and fifth in the final twins standings, sixth in the combined.
Wyatt Maguire, who is from the same town of Mead, Washington as Brad Baker, won the Pro Singles class by one point from Ryan Wells.
Ducati leathers on a Harley. Henry Wiles was dropped by the Lloyd Brothers team, but rustled up an XR750 and made the main.
Bryan Smith could've pipped Baker to the title, if the younger rider slipped up, but he didn't put a wheel wrong.

Out-going champion, Jared Mees came fourth at Pomona and fourth in the title after an early season injury screwed his season.
Briar Bauman came in third in the main on a Suzuki SV1000!
Nichole Cheza wiping out.
Ducati v Triumph. Jake Johnson #5 would come out on top at the end of, but both he and Mikey Martin #91 made the main.
There were 11 Harleys (one was a Buell, I think), 4 Kawasakis, 2 Triumphs, 1 Ducati and 1 Suzuki in the 19-man Main.
Here are more stats from Tyler Porter's Inslide Line. Incidentally, Tyler has written for the next Sideburn, out next Month.

The unofficial dirt track statistical expert, Bert Sumner sent me an email this week that was just chocked FULL of awesome stats from the year. For instance, Brad Baker is the 4th youngest ever Grand National Champion. However, that is pretty widely known. Check out the rest of the facts that he sent along. For instance, this year we had 3 different OEM's on a mile podium for the first time since April 30th 1972 and we had 3 different OEM's on a half-mile podium since October 9th, 1976. We had the most first time winners this year since 2002 when a whopping 6 different riders won their first national. The last fact that I thought I would include was that for the first time since May 3rd 1987, we had a Grand National Mile without a Harley Davidson on the podium. Pretty neat stuff about our 2013 season. Thank you for sending that along Bert!!
The Dash. All those mentioned so far plus Sammy Halbert #7 who didn't finish the main.
A happy team.

All photos courtesy of AMA Pro Racing.

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.
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.
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.

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

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.

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.




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.