Born To Ride News

Steve Bonsey Rides a Harley to Win the Grand National Twins Main

CALISTOGA, Calif. (July 31, 2010) – Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® factory rider Kenny Coolbeth placed sixth in the in the Grand National Twins main at the Calistoga Fairgrounds half-mile, the ninth round of the AMA Pro K&N Filters Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com. The race was won by Dodge Brothers/Johnny Goad rider Steve Bonsey, a northern California native, on a Harley-Davidson XR-750.

Coolbeth qualified for the main through the first semi-final heat, started from the third row for the 25-lap main, and spent the race working his way through the pack to get a top-10 finish.

“We were a little slow off the truck, and this was the first time any of us had seen this track, so it took awhile to find the good lines,” said Coolbeth. “The track was really great. I need to work on getting up to speed more quickly for the short sprints in qualifying. In the longer race, I seem to find my rhythm and we are on the pace. Considering where we started, this was not a bad finish.”

Bonsey, a 20-year-old native of Northern California, crossed the finish line 1.176 seconds ahead of King Kustoms/KK Motorcycle Supply rider Sammy Halbert. Zanotti Racing rider Jake Johnson was third, followed by Lancaster Harley-Davidson rider Chris Carr in fourth, and Blue Springs Harley-Davidson rider Jared Mees in fifth. Series points leader and Latus Harley-Davidson rider Joe Kopp was seventh.

Kopp’s results in Calistoga tightened up the season points race for the combined AMA Grand national championship. Kopp has 166 points and still leads the series, but Johnson is just six points back with 160. Halbert, who won the four-lap Dash for Cash bonus sprint in Calistoga, moves up to third place with 159 points, followed by KK Motorcycle Supply/Mike & Eddie Adkins rider Henry Wiles with 149 points. Mees holds fifth place with 143 points, followed by Coolbeth in sixth with 132.

 
The AMA Grand National Twins will next race August 7 at the Hagerstown Speedway half-mile in Hagerstown, Md.

Screamin’ Eagle Performance Parts are inspired by and built in the spirit of the raw adrenaline and power of motorcycle racing. Screamin’ Eagle Pro parts are specifically designed for race-use applications, while Screamin’ Eagle parts offer street-use performance options for the Harley-Davidson motorcycle owner. Visit http://www.harley-davidson.com/ for more information.
 
The Screamin’ Eagle Flat Track team is sponsored by Matco Tools.

By Bart Madson motorcycleusa.com

Sunday, August 01, 2010 – The AMA Flat Track series returned to Northern California with the inaugural Calistoga Half-Mile. Hard to believe, but an AMA Flat Track national hasn’t been held in the area since the Springfield Mile in 1999. That all changed this weekend when the GNC Twins and Pro Singles headed to Calistoga for a pair of races on the new circuit. Brad Baker took the win in the Motorcycle-Superstore.com-sponsored Pro Singles main, with Norcal’s own Steve Bonsey taking the checkers in the Expert Twins main.

Sammy Halbert (#7) got an early lead at Calistoga, but couldn’t hold off the charge of Steve Bonsey (#80).

In the Twins race Steve Bonsey pulled off the upset, by beating some much bigger names for the Calistoga win. The Salinas-based rider was joined on the rostrum by Sammy Halbert and Jake Johnson. Bonsey earned the victory via late race charges, as seven-time GNC champ Chris Carr jumped out front, getting the early lead ahead of Halbert in the opening laps.

Carr had the last two Norcal races to his credit, a testament to the veteran rider’s staying power. Unfortunately for the reigning world’s fastest rider (by virtue of his second gig as the BUB Seven Streamliner pilot) Carr couldn’t hold off a surging Halbert, or the hard-charging duo of Bonsey and Johnson.

Once around Carr, Bonsey zeroed in on Halbert making the pass and holding the win in the closing laps. Johnson got by Carr for the final podium spot, with defending champ Jared Mees having to settle for fifth. The lone factory-supported rider, Kenny Coolbeth, snagged sixth, once spot ahead of the points leader Joe Kopp. The sometimes Ducati, but tonight Harley-Davidson, rider crashed during his heat race, with Smoking Joe getting shook up but still able to make it to the main and grab valuable points.

Kopp’s seventh kept him atop the combined championship points at 166. Johnson snuck closer, however, and now sits just six back of the Team Latus rider with the other podium finisher, Halbert, just one point behind Johnson at 159.

Steven Bonsey pulled off the upset at Calistoga by beating out Sammy Halbert and Jake Johnson.

GNC Twins Calistoga Results:

1. Steven Bonsey (Harley-Davidson)

2. Sammy Halbert (Harley-Davidson)

3. Jake Johnson (Harley-Davidson)

4. Chris Carr (Harley-Davidson)

5. Jared Mees (Harley-Davidson)

6. Kenny Coolbeth Jr. (Harley-Davidson)

7. Joe Kopp (Harley-Davidson)

8. Robert Pearson (Harley-Davidson)

9. Henry Wiles (Harley-Davidson)

10. Brad Baker (Harley-Davidson)

11. Matt Weidman (Harley-Davidson)

12. Michael Kirkness (Harley-Davidson)

13. Bryan Smith (Kawasaki)

14. Nichole Cheza (Harley-Davidson)

15. Luke Gough (Suzuki)

In the Pro Singles class, it was Jeffrey Carver and Brad Baker with a spirited tussle for the win. The defending champ, Carver, maintained an early lead, but the race was delayed for quite an extended period of time after a serious Turn 1 crash with two riders brought out the red flag. 

Brad Baker won the restarted race against defending champion Jeffrey Carver at the Calistoga Half-Mile.

On the restart Carver and Baker kept at it, at one point the two seemed to exchange position up front with every turn. In the end, Baker got the better of his rival in the final corner and on to the homestretch. Though Baker took the victory, Carver held onto his points lead.

GNC Pro Singles Calistoga Results:

1. Brad Baker (Honda)

2. Jeffrey Carver Jr. (Yamaha)

3. Michael Avila (Honda)

4. Ryan Foster (Honda)

5. Tyler OHara (Honda)

6. Wyatt Maguire (Yamaha)

7. Michael Martin (Honda)

8. Michael LaBelle (Honda)

9. Michael Toon (Honda)

10. Shayna Texter (Honda)

Retrieved August 2, 2010; from http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/504/7626/Motorcycle-Article/2010-AMA-Flat-Track-Calistoga-Results.aspx