Beach Edges Johnson In Thrilling Buffalo Chip TT

Back-to-Back Wins for Red Bull’s Sipes in AFT Singles

Note: It was a big night for American Flat Track’s road racing contingent at the Buffalo Chip TT with JD Beach taking his second career premier class win in nearly impossible fashion. Additionally, Roger Hayden, PJ Jacobsen, and Larry Pegram all made the AFT Twins Main Event. Jacobsen finished sixth, while Pegram took 13th. Hayden was running well inside the top ten early, but suffered a mechanical DNF and was officially credited with 17th. Meanwhile in the AFT Singles class, James Rispoli was in strong form throughout the day in his first outing on a Yamaha, ultimately taking sixth. Nick McFadden also made the undercard Main, but, like Hayden, DNF’d and was listed in 17th.

STURGIS, S.D. – JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) blasted past teammate Jake Johnson (No. 5 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) just a few feet short of the checkered flag to steal away a most improbable victory in Sunday night’s wild American Flat Track premier class showdown at the Buffalo Chip TT presented by Indian Motorcycle in Sturgis, S.D.

Until the very final moments, Johnson seemed all but assured of taking back-to-back AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines triumphs at the Buffalo Chip. The TT standout grabbed the holeshot and quickly broke free at the front while a four-rider fight for second took shape involving Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Team XG750R Rev X), Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750), Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) and Beach.

Passing opportunities proved few and far between as the riders negotiated the purpose-built TT circuit on the Sturgis Buffalo Chip Campground that encircled “The Bar” and was pressed tight by thousands of fans on the fences. As a result, the top five could have easily been set from the opening lap if not for repeated drama.

First, Vanderkooi ran wide and quickly gave up three positions. An aggressive Beach then made his way by Bauman as well and immediately went about applying intense pressure on Mees for second.

That pressure was so great, in fact, that Mees ultimately decided it was better to just hand the position over to Beach than invite trouble in an attempt to defend it, especially once he saw that championship rival Briar Bauman (No. 14 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) was destined to DNF after crashing further back in the field.

At that point, Mees’ calculated decision appeared likely only to open the door for an eventual Estenson 1-2, but Beach still wasn’t satisfied. He somehow reeled in teammate Johnson, arriving on his rear wheel just in time to take the white flag. However, Beach simply couldn’t find a way through and was all but ready to follow Johnson to the checkered flag when Johnson’s bike suffered a mechanical issue exiting the race’s very final corner.

Beach promptly powered past, officially claiming the victory by 0.201 seconds. The win was the second of Beach’s AFT Twins career and his second straight on the tour’s run of TTs, having also won at the Arizona Super TT earlier this season.

As excited as he was, Beach couldn’t help but feel for Johnson. He said, “I’m heartbroken for Jake. He rode an amazing race. I came from like fifth and caught him, but we only had a lap to go. I was trying to find a way by him but there just wasn’t any room. Coming out of the last turn, I heard his bike blubber, so I knew I was hooked up and going. It’s awesome to get a win, but to get a win like that — especially with Jake because he’s such a good guy — it feels good but it doesn’t.

“I have to thank the whole crowd for coming out. This event is awesome. And I’ve got to thank the whole Estenson racing team. They’ve been working really hard. We’ve got a bike that can go right, and I think we’ve proved it. And we have another chance at the Peoria TT, so we’ll see what happens.”

Mees came home in third, slashing his title deficit from 26 to just 12 (173-161) to open the second half of the ‘19 title fight.

Bronson Bauman finished fourth, followed by Vanderkooi in fifth.

Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys

For the second consecutive year, Ryan Sipes (No. 264 Red Bull/Leatt/KTM 450 SX-F) put on a masterclass of all-around riding ability at the Buffalo Chip TT with a convincing victory in the once-stopped and restarted Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys Main Event.

With right- and left-handers of varying radii and jumps to navigate, the TTs demand a somewhat different, expanded skillset compared to the other three AFT disciplines. It should be no surprise that the supremely versatile Sipes once again shone under the lights at the Buffalo Chip, as he showcased the talents that also made him a Supercross race winner and America’s first-ever ISDE overall winner.

Sipes was in dominant form all day long, and effectively secured the win at the critically important start when he hammered into the lead off the line. His combination of superior speed and inch-perfect lines provided his opponents with precious little hope of defeating the Kentucky native on this night.

“I wanted this one really bad,” Sipes said. “All I’ve thought about since I crashed at Springfield was I should have won there, and now I have to win here. And I did it, so I feel really good about it.”

AFT Singles points leader Dalton Gauthier (No. 122 D&D Cycles/Gobert Smash Husqvarna FC450) was ecstatic to finish second. With series part-timer Sipes not in championship contention and key title rival Mikey Rush (No. 15 RMR Honda/Red Riders Rewards Honda CRF450R) suffering another difficult outing, Gauthier’s podium performance opened up some breathing space at the top of the standings.

Defending champ Dan Bromley (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) took over second in the championship chase with his sixth podium result of the season by finishing third.

‘16 class champ Ryan Wells (No. 94 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) made an impressive charge on a track that was nearly impossible to pass on to arrive in fourth while top qualifier Chad Cose (No. 49 Parkinson Bros Racing/Rod Lake Honda CRF450R) rounded out the top five.

Be sure to catch the feature broadcast of the Buffalo Chip TT presented by Indian Motorcycle with flag-to-flag coverage of both Main Events, enhanced by exclusive features and cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage. The broadcast will debut on Saturday, August 10, at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT and re-air on Wednesday, August 14, starting at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT.

Next Up:

American Flat Track will be back at it Tuesday night to complete this year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally doubleheader with the Black Hills Half-Mile presented by Law Tigers at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, S.D., on Tuesday, August 6. Live coverage will once again be available at FansChoice.tv. Black Hills HM tickets are on sale now at tickets.americanflattrack.com.

For more information on American Flat Track visit www.americanflattrack.com.

To get the latest American Flat Track clothing and merchandise visit www.americanflattracker.com.

How to Watch:

NBCSN and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of American Flat Track. For the 2019 season, NBCSN’s coverage of AFT moves to highly-coveted, weekend afternoon programming slots within two weeks of each event. The complete schedule for AFT on NBCSN can be viewed at http://www.americanflattrack.com/events-nbcsn/. FansChoice.tv remains a cornerstone of AFT’s digital strategy, providing live streaming coverage of every event on AFT’s live page while previous events and exclusive features are available on AFT’s VOD page.

About American Flat Track:

American Flat Track is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on American Flat Track, please visit http://www.americanflattrack.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram, live stream the events at FansChoice.tv and catch all the American Flat Track racing action on NBCSN.

More, from a press release issued by Estenson Racing:

Estenson Racing Takes Stunning 1-2 Finish in Sturgis

STURGIS, S.D. (AUGUST 5, 2019) – Jake Johnson and JD Beach came out swinging Sunday night in an AFT Twins Main Event thriller at the Buffalo Chip TT to score a spectacular 1-2 finish aboard the all-new Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT. It was solid day for the team as a whole with all four riders making the Main Event. Rookie Kolby Carlile crossed the line 12th for his best finish in the premier class, with Roger Hayden’s race ending early due to a technical issue after the jump.

It’s no secret that both Johnson and Beach love the TT tracks. The pair had the race marked on their calendars as one to look forward to, and it didn’t take long to see why. They were in top form straight out of the gate in qualifying and went on to win their respective Semi races, with Johnson on pole for the Main Event.

All season, the two-time Grand National Champion’s starts have worked in his favor. It was no exception at “the Chip” as Johnson rocketed off into the lead, and then went about building a healthy gap on the competition. Beach was unable to match his teammate’s stellar start and found himself back in fifth and fighting his way forward on a track where it wasn’t easy to make passes. As witnessed many times over, the dirt track/road racer fights to the finish. With about 2.5 laps to go, Beach worked his way up into the runner-up spot and went about chasing after his teammate. Before crossing the line at the white flag, he was right on Johnson’s heels, but it looked like it was going to be too little too late for Beach coming out of the last corner, until a technical issue with the No. 5 machine hurt his efforts in the drag race to the finish, giving Beach the win by .201 of a second.

The 1-2 finish marks another first for the team in the premier class, as well as builds on Beach and the team’s historic achievement earlier this season at the Super TT of putting a Yamaha Twin on top of the box for the first time in nearly forty years. Johnson’s second-place finish also kept his podium streak alive at the third running of the Buffalo Chip TT.

Teammates Roger Hayden and Kolby Carlile also put forth a solid effort on the day, crossing the line fifth and sixth, respectively, in the Semis and making the Main Event. In just his third race with the team, Hayden and his crew continued to make progress on the bike throughout the day. He got off to a great start from 10th up to seventh. Unfortunately, a technical issue with the bike after the jump ended his race and a solid top-10 finish on the third lap. Carlile, who started the race next to Hayden on the second row in 11th, got shuffled back a position in 12th, and worked his way forward a bit, but in the end, 12th was his best effort on the day in what was only his fourth race in the premier class.

JD Beach — AFT Twins #95:

“The night started out well. I won the Semi. The bike felt really good. Going into the Main Event, it was cool because Jake and I were starting one, two. He got a rocket start. I got off to fifth or so. This track was really hard to pass on. I knew I needed to make passes, but I was trying to stay calm, too. I just tried to make my way past guys and got up into second. I saw Jake out there, so I really started pushing and made up some ground on him going into the last lap. I was there, but not close enough. Coming out of the last turn, he kind of went wide. So I knew we were going to drag race. Then, right as we really started getting on the gas I heard his bike make some noises. I saw his bike slow down a little bit, and I got by him and won. It’s awesome to win, but to win like that sucks and to do that to Jake, I just hate it. He’s such a great dude. I didn’t want to see that happen to him. But it’s awesome, too, that the team went first and second.

“So it’s weird. It doesn’t feel like a win. It doesn’t feel amazing, but I think down the road, it will be cool. I’ve proven that I can win. We’ll just go to Peoria, I guess, and see what happens.”

Jake Johnson — AFT Twins #5:

“Yeah, it was definitely a heart-breaker. I guess, in all reality, I should have never let myself get into that position, and let it get that close. I felt good. I charged hard early and got the holeshot. I did what I needed to do. I got a good lead built up, but the track was getting slick. I had a couple moments where I was like, ‘Man, I’m not going to throw this thing on the ground with a three-second lead or whatever we had going.’ So I kind of just maintained and was checking the gap.

“I saw JD get into second and start taking some big chunks. On the last lap, he was right on me. So I just hit my marks, stayed protective and did what I needed to do. Coming off of turn four I thought, ‘All right, we’ve got this thing.’ Fifty feet before the finish, the thing just stopped going, and JD went whizzing by. For me, it sucks, but it was a great day for the team. All our Twins were in the Main Event, and to finish 1-2… Obviously we’ve had some good races and some bad races, so this was definitely a good one for the team. When JD won Arizona, it was a long time since a Yamaha won. Now Yamaha has won again and went 1-2. So it has probably been even longer since that’s happened. That’s cool. Like I said, I really would have loved to win that thing, but it could have been worse. It could have happened the lap before, and I could have finished 15th or something.”

Kolby Carlile – AFT Twins #136:

“I was happy to make the Main. That was the goal. For some reason, I haven’t felt comfortable here over the past two years, so I’ll have to figure that out. I was able to get a really good start in the Semi and capitalize on it. In the Main Event, I was a bit more timid. I didn’t get quite as good of a start. I just didn’t want another Arizona incident. I put in a solid 25 laps and gained a lot of experience. At the end, I kind of kept looking back because I had seen that JD and Jake were creeping up on me. I didn’t want to mess up anything they had going on. I was able to finish out the race, gain some more experience, and get some more data for next year. I’m happy with that.”

Roger Hayden — AFT Twins #195:

“It was a roller coaster ride of a day, for sure. It didn’t really start out the best. The track was slick in a couple spots and I just wasn’t that comfortable, but we chipped away at it. Everybody on the whole team was pitching in to help me out. We made a big improvement for the Semi. In the Main Event, we made some more changes again and made another really big jump forward and I was running sixth or seventh. Then we just had a problem after the jump with the bike, which happens to a lot of people. So it was a bummer. The biggest disappointment for me was not being able to get more laps in and more seat time. But it was fun. From where we started, to be running sixth or seventh in the Main Event, was such a huge jump. I’m just so thankful for the team, all the mechanics and everybody who was pitching in to help me out today. I’m really thankful for that.”

The Estenson Racing squad switches gears to the fast-clay Half-Mile at Black Hills Speedway, tomorrow, August 6, for the Black Hills Half-Mile.

Catch the Buffalo Chip TT on NBCSN, August 10, at 1:00 p.m. ET followed by the Black Hills Half-Mile at 2:00 p.m. ET.

For tickets and additional information about the event: http://www.americanflattrack.com/events/ .

Stay up to date with Estenson Racing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM:

DAN BROMLEY CLAIMS A PODIUM FINISH AT BUFFALO CHIP TT

Round 11 – American Flat Track Championship – August 5, 2019

STURGIS, S.D. – Consistency is the name of the game for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Dan Bromley, who earned his sixth podium finish of the season at Sunday’s Buffalo Chip TT in Sturgis, South Dakota. Bromley’s third-place finish from Round 11 of the 2019 American Flat Track Championship gave him a jump up to second overall in the AFT Singles Championship, where he now sits within striking distance of defending his 2018 title.

A quick 30-minute rainfall came down just before the start of practice on Sunday, drenching the track and making for tacky dirt and fast conditions. It was a solid day all-around for Bromley, who qualified second overall to secure a front row start for AFT Singles Heat 1. In the heat, he powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to a third-place start and quickly climbed into second. From there, he held strong to finish second in the heat. In the semi, he started off in second behind KTM-mounted rider Ryan Sipes and the duo battled back-and-forth through the first five laps. After eight laps of racing, Bromley securely finished second. In the Main Event, he got a fourth-place jump off the start but he quickly moved into third after turn one. He kept the pressure on the top two riders throughout the 15-lap race, finishing only a few seconds back for third-place.

Dan Bromley: “Buffalo Chip was a great day! I am super happy to come away with my third podium in a row on three totally different types of tracks. I’m looking forward to the Black Hills Half-Mile tomorrow as I attempt to go for my career grand slam: winning on all four types of tracks (short track, TT, mile and half-mile).”

It was a tough day for team rider Shayna Texter, who wasn’t able to qualify for the 16-rider Main Event at the Buffalo Chip TT. With two Main Event wins under her belt this season, Texter looks forward to bouncing back at the Black Hills Half-Mile, a race she was able to win in 2018.

Shayna Texter: “It was a little bit of a frustrating day. We had some rain before practice started so it changed the track condition a lot and we just struggled with being comfortable on the racetrack. We made progress all day and were able to take some time off of our lap times each time we were going out, which was nice to see. We’re still sixth in points and looking to rebound on Tuesday at the Black Hills Half-Mile.”

Next Race: August 6, 2019 – Black Hills Half-Mile – Rapid City, South Dakota

AFT Singles Main Event

1. Ryan Sipes, KTM

2. Dalton Gauthier, HQV

3. Dan Bromley, KTM

OTHER KTM

11. Kayden Downing, KTM

16. Jeff Ward, KTM

AFT Singles Point Standings

1. Dalton Gauthier, 189 points

2. Dan Bromley, 168

3. Mikey Rush, 161

OTHER KTM

6. Shayna Texter, 108

8. Morgen Mischler, 90

12. Tristan Avery, 64

More, from a press release issued by Estenson Racing:

Ryan Wells Charges Back to Finish Fourth at the Buffalo Chip TT

STURGIS, S.D. (August 5, 2019) – Estenson Racing’s Ryan Wells battled back to cross the line fourth at a tough-to-pass Buffalo Chip TT Sunday Night in Sturgis, South Dakota. His rookie teammate also overcame challenges to finish 12th in just his second race competing in a stacked American Flat Track AFT Singles class.

It was another roller coaster ride of a day for Wells. He won his Heat race in convincing fashion, but got caught up in a first-lap fray and got shuffled back to sixth. The purpose-built track at the legendary Buffalo Chip Campgrounds wasn’t easy to pass on, so he put himself at a disadvantage going into the Main Event with that sixth-place Semi finish. Even though he didn’t get the start he was hoping for in the Main, the 2016 AFT Singles champ put his head down and steadily worked his way through the pack to eventually take fourth place on the final lap.

Daniels had a tough day as a whole, but he was also undeterred. The 16-year-old finished sixth in his Heat race and eighth in the Semi. With no championship on the line, Daniels put everything he had into the Main Event. He got a good start going from 16th to 11th and worked his way into 8th by lap nine. Unfortunately, while trying to advance to another position, he found himself on the ground. Daniels was able to rejoin the race after the restart and once again worked his way from the back of the pack to finish 12th.

Ryan Wells — AFT Singles #94:

“It was definitely an up-and-down day. We won the Heat race, which was awesome. Then, I felt really good in the Semi, but a rider cut the dang track and pushed me up wide and a bunch of people got underneath me. We were on the back row for the Main Event and got a miserable first start. I think I was 15th on the first lap, so I was just picking people off until the very end. To climb back up from that far back and to finish fourth and pass two people on the last lap, it was just awesome. It was probably the best I’ve felt in a long time, especially with not getting the race win. It was a super-big confidence booster. TT’s aren’t my type of track, so I’m pumped for the Black Hills Half-Mile.”

Dallas Daniels — AFT Singles #163:

“The day started out really not so good. I got a bad start in the Heat and I finished sixth, which gave me a second-row start for the Semi. I was able to barely squeak in and get the last transfer to the Main Event. Before we went out for the Main, everybody just told me, ‘Go out, have fun, you’ve got nothing to lose.’ I’m not in the points, and I was on the third row. So I was like, ‘Whatever happens, happens.’ I got a really good start and I was up in 10th or so, and I made a couple passes and was running 8th. I tried to make a pass on the guy in front of me. Our bars got together, and I ended up falling. I was able to get back up, restart, and come back 12th. I’m pretty disappointed with it. Everybody else seems to be happy but me. I was pretty disappointed because I think I had the speed to be top-five for sure. It’s just a learning process for me. We’ll carry this confidence into Tuesday and hopefully do better.”

The Estenson Racing squad switches gears to the fast-clay Half-Mile at Black Hills Speedway, tomorrow, August 6, for the Black Hills Half-Mile.

Catch the Buffalo Chip TT on NBCSN, August 10, at 1:00 p.m. ET followed by the Black Hills Half-Mile at 2:00 p.m. ET.

For tickets and additional information about the event: http://www.americanflattrack.com/events/ .

Stay up to date with Estenson Racing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.