Pro Stock Motorcycle to return to next summer's NHRA race in Brainerd, Minn. - MotorSportsTalk

Drag racing fans of the two-wheel variety, namely Pro Stock Motorcycle, will be happy to know that the bikes will return next summer to Brainerd (Minn.) International Raceway for the annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.

Sanctioning body officials announced Friday that the bikes will be back at Brainerd after a two-year hiatus, ready to click off 190-plus mph speeds at under seven seconds.

Andrew Hines, who won his fourth NHRA PSM national championship last month, holds both ends of the PSM track record at Brainerd: 6.865 seconds (set in 2012) and a blistering 196.82 mph (set in 2005).

Hines also has the most individual event wins among PSM riders at Brainerd with two triumphs.

Other past Brainerd winners are Hector Arana Sr., Eddie Krawiec, Matt Smith and LE Tonglet.

PSM’s return to Brainerd will be part of a 16-race schedule for the two-wheelers, with 10 races during the regular season (which begins March 12-15 at Gainesville Raceway in Florida) and six races during the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.

2015 NHRA Mello Yello Series Schedule (Pro Stock Motorcycle)

Regular Season

March 12-15, Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals, Gainesville, Fla.

March 27-29, NHRA Four-Wide Nationals, Charlotte, N.C.

May 15-17, Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals, Commerce, Ga.

June 4-7, Toyota NHRA Summernationals, Englishtown, N.J.

July 2-5, Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, Norwalk, Ohio

July 9-12, NHRA Route 66 Nationals, Chicago

July 24-26, Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, Denver

July 31-Aug. 2, NHRA Sonoma Nationals, Sonoma, Calif.

Aug. 20-23, Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals, Brainerd, Minn.

Sept. 2-7, Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, Indianapolis

Countdown to the Championship

Sept. 18-20, NHRA Carolina Nationals, Charlotte, N.C.

Sept. 25-27, AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals, St. Louis

Oct. 1-4, NHRA Keystone Nationals, Reading, Pa.

Oct. 15-18, AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals, Dallas

Oct. 29-Nov. 1, NHRA Toyota Nationals, Las Vegas

Nov. 12-15, Auto Club NHRA Finals, Pomona, Calif.

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Benny Bloss will race for the factory Beta Motorcycles team in 2024 as that manufacturer joins SuperMotocross as the ninth brand to compete in the series. Beta Motorcycles will make their debut in the Monster Energy Supercross opener at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California in January.

*Benny Bloss finished among the top 10 twice in Pro Motocross, in 2016 and 2018. – Beta Motorcycles*

“The wait is over and we can finally share everything we have been working towards,” said Carlen Gardner, Race Team Manager in a press release. “It has been a great experience being a part of this development and seeing the progression. The only missing part was finding a rider that would mesh well with our Beta Family.

“After a one phone call with Benny, we knew it would be a good fit for him, and for us. We are happy to have him on board for the next two years and can’t wait to see everyone at Anaheim in January.”

Bloss debuted in the 450 class in 2015 with a 15th-place finish overall at Ironman Raceway in Crawfordsville, Indiana.

Bloss has a pair of top-10 rankings in the division with a sixth-place finish in the Pro Motocross Championship in 2016 and a seventh in 2018. His best Supercross season ended 15th in the standings in 2018.

“I’m extremely excited to join the Beta Factory Racing team,” Bloss said. “It’s cool to see a brand with such a rich history in off-road racing to come into the US Supercross and Motocross space. I know this team will be capable of great things as we build and go racing in 2024.”

Bloss is currently 22nd in the SuperMotocross rankings and has not raced in the first two rounds of the Motocross season.

Testing for Beta Motorcycles is scheduled to begin in August and the team expects to announce a second rider at that time.

The family-owned brand adds to the international flare of the sport. The company was founded in Florence, Italy in 1905 as Società Giuseppe Bianchi as they built handmade bicycles, The transition to motorcycle production in the late 1940s.

Beta Motorcycles competed and won in motocross competition in the late 1970s and early 1980s with Jim Pomeroy and other riders.

Beta will join Triumph Motorcycles as a second historic brand to join the sport in 2024. First established in 1902, Triumph has won in nearly every division they have competed in, dating back to their first victory in the 1908 Isle of Man TT. Triumph will debut in the 250 class in 2024 and plans to expand into 450s in 2025.

Pro Stock Motorcycle to return to next summer’s NHRA race in Brainerd, Minn.

Beta Motorcycles joins SuperMotocross in 2024, Benny Bloss named first factory rider

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