Sacramento Mile Thunders Back into Action on July 28

AMA Pro Grand National Championship
Round 7: Sacramento Mile at the Cal Expo Center

Courtesy of Concepts Unlimited
SACRAMENTO, CA, JULY 19, 2012

When the Sacramento Mile, round 7 of the 2012 AMA Pro Grand National Championship, thunders into the Cal Expo Center on Saturday, July 28, race fans will be treated to an unmatched spectacle as riders fly down the Sacramento Mile, pitch their bikes sideways and slide through the turns! There is no such thing as pacing or figuring out strategy in this type of competition. It is all or nothing – with only one rider emerging victorious.

Not only will this race pit rider against rider, it will also pit machine against machine. With six races complete, the points chase is already tight. Harley-Davidson’s Jared Mees currently sits in first, with 121 points. Running in second is the reigning champion, Harley-Davidson’s Jake Johnson, with 106 points, and right behind him is Kawasaki jockey Johnny Lewis, with 97. In fourth is Harley-Davidson’s Sammy Halbert, with 94 points. In fifth is last year’s Sacramento Mile winner, Harley-Davidson’s Bryan Smith, with 73 points. Tied for sixth are Harley-Davidson rider Matt Weidman and Ducati rider Henry Wiles, with 64 apiece. Holding down eighth place with 59 points is Kawasaki’s Brad Baker, followed by Harley-Davidson’s Jeffrey Carver Jr., with 58. Rounding out the top 10 is Kenny Coolbeth Jr., who has 57 points.

With six races down this year, there have been six different winners: Johnny Lewis, Matt Weidman, Henry Wiles, Sammy Halbert, Jared Mees and Willy McCoy.

Last year’s star-studded AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Flat Track field marked the return of the Sacramento Mile after an absence of more than a decade. A sold-out crowd watched in awe as Bryan Smith deftly piloted his Harley-Davidson to victory, taking the checkered flag by a margin of just forty-two-thousandths of a second over local hero Chris Carr.

In Motorcycle Superstore.com Pro Singles competition, the action was equally spectacular, as California’s Mikey Avila, backed by SDI Insulation, and Mike Martin waged war over Pro Singles honors. Dicing back and forth, the checkered flag gave Martin the victory, with Avila in second. This year, both Avila and Martin have moved up into the Twins class and will be looking to show California fans just how good they are.

However, top riders such as 2009 champion Jared Mees, reigning two-time champion (2010 and 2011) Jake Johnson, three-time champion Kenny Coolbeth Jr. (2006, 2007, 2008), Henry Wiles, Sammy Halbert, Brad Baker, Bryan Smith, Johnny Lewis, Matt Weidman and a host of others have different ideas. Each one is intent on bringing home the victory at the famed Sacramento Mile.

Gates open at 1:30 p.m. Riders will run practice in the afternoon, with opening ceremonies taking place at 6:15 pm. Racing begins at 6:45 pm. A special autograph session will be held immediately following the last practice. Fans can meet their favorite riders, take pictures and get autographs.

Tickets are available online at www.sacramentomile.com, through Cal Expo at www.boxoffice@calexpo.com, and through Circle Bell Motorsports at 707/703-3633.

Advance ticket prices are $85 for the Turf Club, $75 for the Legends Club House, $65 for Box Seats, $50 for Reserved Grandstands, $40 for bleacher seating and $30 for standing room. All tickets are $10 more at the gate. All tickets also include same-day admission to the fair.