Flat Track: Shayna Texter Set For Grand National Championship
Cycle News Staff | February 5, 2014
Photography By Larry Lawrence
Flat tracker Shayna Texter – the first female to win an AMA Pro Singles main event – will move up to the AMA Grand National Championship and she’ll do so on the Latus Motors Racing’s Castrol Triumph.
Texter tested the Triumph at the end of last season and it helped prompt her decision to turn Expert.
“I always said that I would turn Expert when the right time came with the right bike,” said Texter. “Testing the Triumph at the end of last season gave me great insight into how well the bike performs. That and the opportunity to work with someone like Joe Kopp made this an easy decision.”
In 2013, Texter won two AMA Pro Singles main event victories (Sacramento and Indianapolis), swept the two Basic twins main events at Springfield, and finished fourth in the Pro Singles Championship. In 2012, she won three AMA Pro Singles main events (Sacramento, Knoxville and Tucson) en route to finishing fifth in the championship. In 2011, Texter won the Pro Singles main event at Knoxville Raceway to become the first female to win an AMA Pro Singles main event.
Former AMA Grand National Champion Joe Kopp will serve as the team manager and will also come out of retirement to join Texter and compete in the Lima Half Mile, the Virginia Mega Mile and the season-ending Pomona Half Mile.
“My main focus will be helping with Shayna’s effort,” said Kopp, who is 13th on the all-time AMA flat track wins list. “But I am looking forward to getting back in a race and having some fun dicing it up. It’s time to start training because I really want to run up front.”
Team owner George Latus feels that he has a pair of proven winners and is excited about his rider line-up for 2014.
“Shayna has a lot of talent, a tremendous desire to win, and an incredible ability to communicate with her team,” said Latus, owner of Latus Motors Racing. “Joe is still a very competitive guy and when he expressed interest in getting on the bike for a few rounds I told him that I thought it was a great idea and should be a lot of fun.”
