Note: Former AMA Pro Supersport Champion and BSB road racing front-runner James Rispoli earned his
first podium result of the 2019 AFT season by claiming third in Saturday’s AFT
Production Twins class Main Event on a Harley-Davidson XG750R. It was also a relatively successful evening
for his fellow AMA Pro multi-time national road racing champions, JD Beach and Danny
Eslick. Beach returned to AFT Twins duty after missing the previous two races
while competing in MotoAmerica Superbike. He didn’t show much rust in his
return, finishing 10th in the class Main Event. Eslick, meanwhile, just
managed to advance to the AFT Twins Main himself aboard an air-cooled, two-valve Harley-Davidson
XR750, finishing 15th.
Mees Triumphant in Epic Lima Half-Mile
Texter and Bromley Bring Red Bull KTM 1-2 in AFT Singles
LIMA, Ohio – No one won bigger in Saturday night’s Indian Motorcycle Lima Half-Mile Presented By Johnny K’s Indian powered by Drag Specialties than defending multi-time American Flat Track Champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) — other than, perhaps, Lima Half-Mile race promoter Jared Mees.
The AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines Main Event at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio, was arguably the most thrilling of the 2019 American Flat Track season and one with massive championship implications — both factors working decidedly in Mees’ favor.
The opening several laps featured an intense head-to-head showdown that pit Mees up against championship leader Briar Bauman (No. 14 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750). That duel was cut short by a red flag on lap 7, which altered the complexion of the Main dramatically.
Mees got a stellar jump at the restart, while Bauman was sucked into a battle for second with Jeffrey Carver Jr. (No. 23 Roof-Systems of Dallas/Indian of Metro Milwaukee FTR750), Henry Wiles (No. 17 Bandit Industries/DPC Racing/Wilco Racing Indian FTR750), and rookie Brandon Price (No 192 Roof Systems of Dallas TX/DPC Racing Indian FTR750).
Bauman’s luck only got worse from there, as his rear tire came clean off the rim on lap 10. That unusual mishap put an end to his perfect season’s podium streak while instantly eliminating the bulk of his hard-earned championship padding.
Following Bauman’s exit, Carver ate up the gap to Mees, and the two then engaged in their own wild shootout for the lead. Running divergent lines, Mees and Carver proceeded to trade the position back and forth multiple times per corner for several laps in succession. That titanic battle allowed Wiles to close in over the final several laps, setting up a three-way struggle on the final lap.
Carver attempted to square up the final turn but Mees powered neatly around the outside line, beating his opponent to the checkered flag by 0.199 seconds. Wiles came home third another 0.668 seconds in arrears.
Combined with Briar Bauman’s DNF and Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Kennedy Racing/Armbruster Racing Indian FTR750) failing to make the Main one event after cashing in his only provisional start of the season, Mees’ triumph elevated him to second in the standings, a mere 13 points back of Bauman (145-132).
After the epic race, Mees said, “When you’re battling up in the cushion like that, it wears you out twice as fast. You’re wrestling the bike, and the bike’s jumping around. Hats off to Jeffrey [Carver, Jr.]; I work out so hard, and I didn’t have nothing left — I was done. I just want to give a big shout out to Jeffrey and Henry [Wiles] for a hellacious, awesome race.”
While Price faded late after looking in contention for the podium at mid-distance, he still went on to score what’s easily his best premier-class result to date by finishing an impressive fourth.
Laconia ST winner Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) put together another solid outing to round out the top five.
Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys
For the second consecutive year at the Allen County Fairgrounds, Shayna Texter (No. 52 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing SX-F 450) was simply unstoppable in the Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys Main Event.
After dominating the program in the lead-up to the Main, Texter found herself shuffled down to fourth as she fishtailed off the line. Undeterred, Texter put on a flat track masterclass as she propelled her way forward.
She dispatched of Dalton Gauthier (No. 122 D&D Cycles/Gobert Smash Husqvarna FC450) almost immediately, and then erased the gap separating her from the fight for the lead being waged by Chad Cose (No. 49 Parkinson Bros Racing/Ritchie Reynolds Racing Honda CRF450R) and Dan Bromley (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F).
She was barely slowed by their battle, powering around the outside of Bromley on lap 5 and then diving up the inside of Cose a lap later. She cleared off from there, ultimately winning with 2.570 seconds in hand.
“My Red Bull KTM backed by Roof Systems motorcycle was just working so good,” Texter said. “I couldn’t figure out how I won this race last year. I sat around for 365 days and thought, ‘Man, how did I win Lima?’ So, to win it twice is incredible. It’s a dream come true.”
Defending champion Bromley worked past Cose as well to give the factory Red Bull KTM squad a 1-2 finish.
Cose did manage to fend off a late charge from title leader Mikey Rush (No. 15 RMR Honda/Red Riders Rewards Honda CRF450R) by 0.222 seconds at the flag to lock down the final spot on the podium.
‘16 class champ Ryan Wells (No. 94 Estensen Racing Yamaha YZ450F) was another 0.183 seconds behind Rush in fifth, while second-ranked Gauthier ultimately finished in sixth.
AFT Production Twins
Chad Cose (No. 49 Parkinson Bros Racing/Ritchie Reynolds Kawasaki Ninja 650) earned his first-career American Flat Track victory following a race-long scrap with runaway AFT Production Twins title leader Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Holeshot Powersports Yamaha MT-07).
Texter entered Lima with a perfect three-for-three wins record on the season and threatened to make it four-for-four by storming to the holeshot and opening an immediate gap.
However, Cose exploited the high line to perfection for the short time it existed and managed to steal away the lead while the contest was still in its early stages.
Texter reclaimed the advantage for a single straight at mid-distance, but Cose pounced in the very next corner to counter. Texter then hounded his rival to the flag but was never able to find another hole in Cose’s defense.
Cose’s maiden win comes after more than a decade on the scene and after finishing the 2018 season ranked sixth overall in the premier AFT Twins class with a podium to his name.
He said, “I’m so happy for my team. It feels good for me, and I knew I was capable all along. But it’s tough. Nobody sees the behind-the-scenes stuff and everything like that. I’m so happy for my team — they work so hard for me.”
James Rispoli (No. 71 Black Hills Harley-Davidson ProBEAM XG750R Rev X) also scored his best finish of the season in third. The highly-decorated road racer made it clear that he hasn’t lost his touch on the dirt, charging up several positions after getting a poor start to round out the podium.
Be sure to catch the feature broadcast of the Indian Motorcycle Lima Half-Mile Presented By Johnny K’s Indian on NBCSN with flag-to-flag coverage of the Main Events, enhanced by exclusive features and cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage. The premiere telecast is scheduled for Saturday, July 6, at 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT and will re-air on Monday, July 8, at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT.
Next Up:
The 2019 American Flat Track season will resume in two weeks when the series arrives at Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, N.Y., for the New York Short Track on Saturday, July 13. As always, live coverage will be available all day long courtesy of FansChoice.tv. Tickets are on sale at www.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 Red Bull KTM:
| RED BULL KTM EARNS ITS FIRST-EVER 1-2 PODIUM FINISH WITH TEXTER AND BROMLEY ON TOP AT THE LIMA HALF-MILE |
| Round 9 – American Flat Track Championship – July 1 , 2019 |
 |
| LIMA, Ohio – It was another monumental day for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team, who earned its first 1-2 sweep on Saturday for Round 9 of the 2019 American Flat Track Championship in Lima, Ohio. Shayna Texter claimed her second AFT Singles Main Event win of the season, while her teammate, Dan Bromley, followed closely in second for an exciting podium celebration at the Lima Half-Mile.
Texter was good from the word go, as she placed her KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION into a second-place qualifying position earlier in the day. While she had to make some bike adjustments early on to accommodate the deep, sandy pea gravel race course, Texter was able to dominate AFT Singles Heat 2, leading all five laps of the race. In the semi, she brought it home once again with a start-to-finish victory amidst a stacked field of riders. In the Main Event, Texter got off to a fourth-place start and she quickly worked her way into third by lap two. Battling visibility issues early on, she knew what she needed to do in order to get out front and she did just that as she powered her way into the lead on lap six. From there, Texter never looked back as she finished just ahead of her teammate, Bromley, with victory number two on the season and her second-straight win at the Lima Half-Mile. Shayna Texter: “The bike worked really well and I’m really happy we were able to do a repeat at Lima. I won the heat race but I was struggling to turn the motorcycle, so we made a front-end adjustment and that really changed our day around completely. We were able to go out and run way from a pretty stacked field of riders in the semi and that gave me all the confidence in the world for the Main Event. There were a few times I couldn’t really see when I was behind Dan and Chad, so I knew the only way to be able to see and get clear visibility was to get out front, so I worked really hard the first five laps to get around those guys and once I did I put in a few really hard heaters to bridge a gap between myself and second place. I just kind of coasted it on home after that.” Bromley qualified 13th earlier in the day, which gave him a front row start for AFT Singles Heat 1. In the heat, he powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to a good start and worked his way up to finish second. In the semi, Bromley grabbed a third-place start and quickly put himself into second on lap two. From there, he maintained a solid position to finish second behind his teammate, Texter. In the Main Event, Bromley got off to a second-place start and he battled for the lead early on. As he was working on setting up a pass for the lead, Texter was able to get by and he rode close in tow as he moved into second on lap seven. From there, the Red Bull KTM duo battled their way to the checkers, with Bromley finishing 2.5 seconds behind for second-place in the Main Event. Dan Bromley: “Lima went great! I was a little worried after the warm-up lap for the Main Event, I tried going inside of turn three to see how it would be for the first lap and my leg caught something and it popped my knee out. Luckily, I was able to get it into a good position for the start and I just gave it my all for 15 laps. Overall, I’m happy to be back on the podium and better my finish from 2018. A big thank you goes to Andrew Hopson for working hard all day and getting my bike to feel almost perfect every time I touched the track.”
Next Race: July 13, 2019 – New York Short Track – Weedsport, New York
AFT Singles Main Event 1. Shayna Texter, KTM 2. Dan Bromley, KTM 3. Chad Cose, Honda 9. Tristan Avery, KTM 14. Morgen Mischler, KTM
AFT Singles Point Standings 1. Mikey Rush, 156 points 2. Dalton Gauthier, 144 3. Dan Bromley, 134 OTHER KTM 6. Shayna Texter, 94 9. Morgen Mischler, 70 11. Tristan Avery, 62 |