Estenson Racing’s AFT Twins Riders Battle Successfully Through Tough Conditions At Lima
The Lima Half-Mile is arguably one of the toughest events on the AFT schedule, with its pea-gravel surface providing a nice cushion for the riders but also presenting a challenge from the copious roost that each competitor leaves in their wake. Despite the tough conditions, Estenson Racing’s trio of AFT Twins racers acquitted themselves well.
Jake Johnson and his AFT Twins teammate JD Beach both qualified for the Main Event, with Johnson finishing second in Semi 1 and Beach taking the checkers sixth, also in Semi 1. In the Main Event, which was red-flagged and had to be restarted, Johnson appeared to be headed for a podium result until a technical issue shuffled him back to 14th at the finish line. Meanwhile, Beach rode a solid race from start-to-finish and brought his Yamaha MT-07 DT home with a top-10 result.
In Production Twins, Kolby Carlile made a successful return to racing after recovering from a knee injury, and though he was hoping for a win, the New Yorker took his sixth-place Semi 1 result into the Main Event where he improved by one spot to record a top-five result on the night.
After a one-week hiatus, the Estenson Racing team will travel to Central New York State where they’ll compete in the New York Short Track event, which will take place on Saturday, July 13, at Weedsport Speedway.
Jake Johnson — AFT Twins #5:
“It ended disappointing. Like I said before, Lima has never been my favorite place. I’ve always kind of struggled here. I’ve had some okay results in the past, but it’s always been one of those races I almost dread coming to, just because I could never figure it out. I felt really good today. I was kind of there in the hunt. I ended up second in my Semi, which was pretty good and got the front row for the main event. I can’t remember the last time I started on the front row here, so that was huge. I’m like, okay, I got a chance of somewhat staying clean in this deal. I got off the start and I kind of surprised myself. The first few laps I was running right with the leaders, running third. The track kind of started getting chopped up a little bit and I was searching trying to find a line. After the restart, the bike just didn’t feel right. I went a few more laps and just had some electrical issue. I felt we had a really good chance at getting at least a top five tonight. This is one of those places that’s really tough for me and this is the best I’ve felt here in a long time. So that’s a bummer, but just got to keep charging and take these next couple weeks, regroup, and head on to New York.”
JD Beach — AFT Twins #95:
“The day started out well. The track was smooth, it was fun. I felt like the bike was working well, but then throughout the day when it started getting rough, we were struggling with it a bit. For the Main, we made some big changes, I think we made some progress with the bike. Although we didn’t do as well as we hoped, I’m glad we made some changes that made the bike better. We’ll take that and go to the next race.”
Kolby Carlile — AFT Production Twins #136:
“I felt really good coming into the weekend, and then we had some personal family issues hit and my dad wasn’t able to make it here this weekend. He’s sick back home in the hospital. So there’s definitely a lot of emotions today not having my dad here in my corner, but we started off strong in qualifying and practice. I thought we had a really good bike under us. I didn’t have a very good start in the Semi which pushed me back. That put me on the second row for the Main Event. I just put my head down. I knew what I had to do. I was able to get a good start like I needed. Then slowly started scooting my way towards the front. It was just one of those deals. Different track this year compared to last year. It was pretty dry/slick, so by the time I got up to where I wanted, I was kind of just going the same speed as third and fourth. That’s all we had today, a top five, but from where we started the day, I’m happy with it. We’ll improve for Rapid City, the next production twins race.”
Catch the race on NBCSN, July 6 at 2:00 p.m. ET.
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More, from another press release issued by Estenson Racing:
Estenson Racing’s Ryan Wells and Dallas Daniels Race Their Yamaha YZ450Fs To Solid Results At Lima
Estenson Racing’s Ryan Wells and Dallas Daniels both had solid nights at the Lima Half-Mile with Wells notching a top five result and Daniels making the Main Event in the freshly minted 16-year-old’s very first attempt, finishing just outside the top 10.
Conditions were challenging for the Yamaha YZ450F-mounted pair, and they had their hands full (and their faceshields, leathers, and bikes) quite literally with Lima’s legendary pea gravel creating a gnarly roost behind each competitor’s bike. Despite the pelting, Wells and Daniels hung tough all day and throughout the evening.
Daniels finished a remarkable fourth in Heat 1, while Wells was one position better, with a third-place finish in Heat 3. Wells then finished fourth in Semi 1, and Daniels was third in Semi 2. Both riders had great showings in the preliminary races leading up to the evening’s 15-lap Main Event, and Wells ultimately finished fifth in the Main, with his young teammate Daniels finishing 11th.
After a one-week hiatus, the Estenson Racing team will travel to Central New York State where they’ll compete in the New York Short Track event, which will take place on Saturday, July 13, at Weedsport Speedway.
Ryan Wells — AFT Singles #94:
“Lima was different this year for sure. It’s usually one of the races that I come to and look to get a win. We battled some stuff all day and unfortunately was on the back row for the Main Event. It was definitely a gnarly first few laps, but the changes that we made to the bike were super good for the line that I was riding in. I just didn’t get into fifth soon enough. I made a last five lap charge for the podium spots, but just ran out of time. The bike was really good for the Main Event. I think if we could have figured it out sooner we would have been in a shoe-in for a podium. We’ll just take it and move onto the next one.”
Dallas Daniels — AFT Singles #163:
“The day started out a little rough. In the Main Event, we kind of got off to a not-so-good start. I was in probably seventh or eighth, and going into turn three I had a big moment. It was pretty slick. I almost looped out over there. The rest of the race just kind of was holding on and trying to figure out some stuff. The first couple laps I wasn’t really riding very good. The last seven or eight laps I kind of poured it on and was starting to put in good, consistent laps. So for my first pro race, to start on front row and get 11th, I’m pretty happy with it for sure.
Catch the race on NBCSN, July 6 at 2:00 p.m. ET.
More, from a press release issued by Indian Motorcycle:
INDIAN MOTORCYCLE’S FTR750 FINISHES TOP SIX AT LIMA HALF-MILE
Indian Wrecking Crew Rider Jared Mees Wins Third Race of Season Aboard FTR750;
Indian Privateers Jeffrey Carver Jr. & Henry Wiles Finish Second & Third
LIMA, OH. – Indian Motorcycle Racing, presented by Progressive Motorcycle Insurance, and its championship-winning FTR750 earned its seventh win of the 2019 season at the Lima Half-Mile in Lima, Ohio. Indian Wrecking Crew Rider and defending champion, Jared Mees, secured his third win of the season, while Indian Privateers Jeffrey Carver Jr. and Henry Wiles finished in second and third, respectfully, to complete the FTR750 podium sweep.
The 2019 Lima Half-Mile will be best remembered for a red flag restart that occurred six laps into the Twins Main. Following the restart, Mees was able to maintain the lead, while Carver strategically slid past a pack of riders and battled Mees for first. Mees was able to maintain first place and move back into second in the season standings – now only trailing fellow Wrecking Crew Rider and points leader Briar Bauman by 13 points.
“This was an impressive bounce-back race for Jared. He showcased determination, grit and reminded us all why he’s the back-to-back reigning AFT Twins champion,” said Gary Gray, Vice President – Racing, Technology & Service for Indian Motorcycle. “It was some of the best racing we’ve seen this season, and we’re extremely proud of our factory race team and privateers for battling it out and earning the top six finishes.”
Fellow Indian riders Brandon Price, Bronson Bauman and Rob Pearson, finished in fourth, fifth and sixth place, respectfully. After starting in the back of the pack, Wrecking Crew Rider Bronson Bauman showcased immense determination as he fought his way up to fifth.
Through nine races, Briar Bauman remains the series points leader with 145 points. Mees is second with 132 and Bronson Bauman is fourth with 101.
The season continues on July 13 with the New York Short Track at the Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, NY. For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
For more information Indian Motorcycle Racing’s sponsors, visit their websites: Progressive Motorcycle Insurance, S&S Cycle, Indian Motorcycle Oil, Parts Unlimited, Drag Specialties, Alpinestars, Bell Helmets and J&P Cycles.
ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®
Indian Motorcycle is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.