The first round of a double header AMA Pro Vance and Hines XR1200 series took to the grid at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this afternoon, in what marked the first time Harley Davidson motorcycles have run at the IMS since the first motor race at the facility in 1909. Thirty riders were entered, including seven Canadians; Canadian XR1200 champion Steve Crevier was among the favourites, and was joined by Canadian XR1200 series runner-up Cody Matechuk as well as Darren James, Olivier Spilborghs, John MacRae, Samuel Proulx and Chris Harmon.
Action got underway quickly with a 5-6 bike pile-up in turn one following the start of the race, with a number of bikes running off the racetrack. A caution flag was thrown and remaining riders continued to battle for position. Among those riders involved in the turn one incident was Calgary's John MacRae, who is expected to return to the grid on Sunday.
Following the turn one incident, five riders quickly got away from the rest of the field and the race fast became a 5-way battle between American's Tyler O'Hara, Chris Fillmore, Steve Rapp, Jason DiSalvo and UK XR1200 champ Jeremy McWilliams. Fillmore and McWilliams were both in the hunt for a podium position until they both went down on the last lap. Rapp snagged the lead down the final stretch but Tyler O'Hara was able to draft past him for the win. Jason DiSavlo trailed closely in third, while veteran Michael Barnes took fourth.
Steve Crevier was the top Canadian finishing in 5th place, as he had a lonely race unable to catch the draft. Challenges with bike set up and traction continued to plague the Canadian riders who were not able to benefit from the August 18 test day at IMS as it conflicted with a Canadian Superbike weekend at Mosport. Uneven wear in the freshly paved track have been proving difficult for all riders throughout the weekend, even in the MotoGP paddock. According to Crevier, the new pavement is not curing evenly and traction is not consistent throughout the racetrack. Similar concerns were also echoed throughout the MotoGP paddock, where traction is a key concern for Sunday's race.
Darren James was the second highest placing Canadian in 9th place, while Alberta's Cody Matechuk rode to an impressive 11th place in his first ever AMA start. Chris Harmon finished in 14th position while Olivier Spilborghs finished in 17th. Samual Proulx and John MacRae did not finish the race.
The second part of the double header in the AMA Pro Vance and Hines XR1200 series takes place at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon following the premier MotoGP event.
