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RACE NEWS

Briar Bauman Wins Harley-Davidson Williams Grove Half-Mile; Bromley Crowned AFT Singles Champ

MECHANICSBURG, Penn. (September 8, 2018) – Saturday evening’s Harley-Davidson Williams Grove Half-Mile presented by Appalachian Harley-Davidson was a true family affair, with Briar Bauman (No. 14 Zanotti Racing Indian Scout FTR750) and younger brother Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Indian Motorcycle/Howerton Motorsports/Allstate Scout FTR750) scoring a remarkable 1-2 finish in the AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines Main Event.
With the win, Briar became the final rider ranked in the championship’s top six to score a race victory on the 2018 American Flat Track season. While he may have had to wait his turn to stand on top of the box, Briar did so in decidedly spectacular fashion at Williams Grove Speedway. He went elbow-to-elbow with recently crowned 2018 AFT Twins champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle Rogers Racing SDI Scout FTR750) and gave better than he got, repeatedly railing around the outside of the series’ most dominant rider.

 

While Mees countered with some slick inside maneuvers of his own, Bauman finally made his move stick and looked all set to clear off… until a red flag spoiled his plans.

 

Predictably, Mees made the most of his second opportunity, snatching back the lead on the restart. Bauman was all too happy to repeat his first-half heroics, however, with several more criss-crossing overtakes to reclaim the point. At that point Bauman again proved capable of eeking out a gap and controlled the race as he powered to his first win of 2018.

 

“I felt better around the outside, but I had to take the inside a few times with Jared,” said Bauman after the race. “We got racy, and I was nervous some other guys were going to get in the mix, but luckily we were able to get away.

 

“I’ve had a lot of pressure lately,” Bauman continued. “I’ve been fast in qualifying and doing a lot of cool stuff, but I kept choking. We got the red flag, and I was really eager for this one. I really like this racetrack and I live here in Pennsylvania now. So, during the red I was pretty cool, calm, and collected. Jared gets such good starts, I knew he was going to jump me, and sure enough he did. But we were able to fight back. It was a long 16 laps after the restart.”

 

Just when Mees began to realize that Briar might be too much for him on this night, he found his hands full with a second Bauman. A motivated Bronson charged up behind Mees and ultimately overhauled him to steal away second. From there Bronson even threatened to make inroads on his big brother before finally taking the checkered flag in second, locking down his first-career premier class podium finish.

 

“It feels amazing,” Bronson said. “And finishing behind my brother makes it even more special. I’m still in awe about it. It is an unreal feeling.”

 

Mees carried on to finish third, notching his 14th podium in 16 races this season.

 

AFT Singles

 

The AFT Singles action at Williams Grove Speedway may have belonged to Tanner Dean (No. 38 Waters Autobody/D&D Powersports KTM 450 SX-F) but the season is now officially owned by Dan Bromley (No. 62 KTM North America/Bromley Motorsports 450 SX-F), who did what he needed to do in order to secure the 2018 class crown.

 

Dean grabbed the holeshot and immediately put his head down to make a break. Shayna Texter (No. 52 Husqvarna Motorcycles/JCS Racing FC 450) gave chase and attempted to put a wheel in front of him to foil his escape, but Dean refused to back down. His pace eventually forced Texter into a couple of small mistakes, and that was all he needed to rip open an insurmountable lead, which he carried through to the checkered flag.

 

“I knew you needed the holeshot to win the race,” said Dean on the podium. “I just made my marks and led the whole race and came out with the win. It was very difficult. There were a few bumps here and there, but I found my way around them. I just kept my head down. I knew Shayna was right behind me. She ran a really good race. I felt a little pressured, but I knew if I just hit the right marks, I had it in the bag.”

 

Texter claimed the runner-up spot, while Morgen Mischler (No. 69 Cycle Craft Yamaha/Rohde’s Sales & Service Yamaha YZ450F) out-dueled Aussie Max Whale (No. 181 Don’s Kawasaki/Shark Leathers KX450F) and 2017 champ Kolby Carlile (No. 1 Estenson Racing/McCandless Truck Center Yamaha YZ450F) to claim the final spot on the box.

 

The biggest honors of the evening, however, went to Bromley, who locked up the title with a safe and consistent ride. In order to clinch, all he had to do was beat 2016 champ Ryan Wells (No. 94 RMR/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda CRF450) on the track, and he did that with ease.

 

Bromley got away in fifth, and after seeing Wells slide down the order to an eventual 15th-place finish, the KTM pilot continued on to take the flag in seventh. In doing so he scored the 2018 title a full two rounds early.

 

The lanky ace has been a contender week-in and week-out in a class that has seen 10 different winners in 16 races. Bromley has taken four of those wins himself to go along with his 11 total podiums.

 

“It’s definitely special,” Bromley said after the Main. “My whole family came out along with all my friends. It’s a great event, and it’s only about an hour-and-a-half away from my hometown. It’s amazing to come out here and win a championship in front of my home state. I’m not happy with my performance tonight but to be able to stand up here and hold this #1 plate is unmatched. I can’t thank everyone enough. Throughout the race, I knew if I was ahead of [Wells] I could do it. I kept peeking over here at the big screen that AFT so graciously supplied this race… I’m not sure what happened to Ryan today.”

 

For an in-depth Williams Grove Half-Mile experience with flag-to-flag coverage of both Main Events enhanced by drone and onboard footage, be sure to catch the NBC Sports feature telecast of the Harley-Davidson Williams Grove Half-Mile presented by Appalachian Harley-Davidson when it premieres on NBCSN on Sunday, September 23 at 5:00 pm ET (2:00 pm PT). Be sure to check your local listings, or for the complete broadcast schedule for AFT on NBCSN, please visithttp://www.americanflattrack.com/events-nbcsn

 

Next Up:
American Flat Track will return to action for the penultimate round of the 2018 season, the Indian Motorcycle Minnesota Mile at Canterbury Park in Minneapolis, Minn., on Saturday, September 29. Live coverage can be viewed on FansChoice.tv starting at 2:00pm ET with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to get underway at 6:00pm ET. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased athttp://www.canterburypark.com/events/ama-racing/.

Continue reading Briar Bauman Wins Harley-Davidson Williams Grove Half-Mile; Bromley Crowned AFT Singles Champ →

RACE NEWS

Home Track Hero Jeffrey Carver Jr. Triumphant at Springfield Mile I

aftJared Mees and Kenny Coolbeth finish 2-3
Image
Photo Credit: Scott Hunter/American Flat Track
SPRINGFIELD, Il. (May 28, 2018) – It may have come a day later than originally planned due to Sunday’s weather postponement, but American Flat Track made good on its Memorial Day tradition. The world’s greatest dirt track motorcycle racers once again put on a spectacular show for the crowd who came back out to the Illinois State Fairgrounds on Monday for the series’ crown jewel event – theHarley-Davidson Springfield Mile I.

 

First, the stars of tomorrow set them up with the first-ever AFT Production Twins race. And then the stars of today knocked ’em down with an epic AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines Main Event.

 

And to the delight of the fans, the star that shined brightest was none other than Illinois native Jeffrey Carver Jr. (No. 23 Roof-Systems/Indian of Metro Milwaukee Scout FTR750).

 

In the early going, Carver was involved in an intense five-rider fight for the lead that included some of the sport’s living legends – Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle Rogers Racing SDI Scout FTR750),Kenny Coolbeth (No. 2 Nila Racing/Columbia Avionics Indian Scout FTR750), and Bryan Smith(No. 4 Indian Motorcycle Racing backed by Allstate Scout FTR750) –  as well as an on-form rising star in Davis Fisher (No. 67 Double D Performance/RMR/Bob Lanphere Indian Scout FTR750).

 

Carver, seeking his first-ever AFT Twins Mile victory, seemed to have history stacked against him. After all, Mees had won the most recent running of the Springfield Mile last fall and had yet to be beaten in a straight fight all season long. As for Coolbeth and Smith, the two boasted a combined 13 Springfield Mile wins between them.

 

Rather than be intimidated, Carver just continued to throw down fast lap after fast lap. He gradually shook free from the pack and had a response ready each time one of his rivals took a run at him in hopes of cutting into his gap.

 

At one point, up-and-comer Fisher actually looked like the rider with the best hope of successfully doing so, narrowing the advantage to back under a half-second deep into the contest. However, Fisher ultimately found himself swallowed up by Mees and Coolbeth in the final push to the checkered flag.

 

Following 25 blistering miles, Carver claimed victory with 0.819 seconds in hand as the grandstands roared in approval. Mees edged Coolbeth at the line by 0.058 seconds to finish as the runner-up. Davis came home another 0.205 seconds back in fourth as he continues to knock on the door of his first AFT Twins podium result, while Smith cruised home to round out the top five.

 

The triumph was Carver’s third-ever premier-class win, leaving him just a Short Track victory short of a career Grand Slam. Additionally, he’s only the second rider from Illinois to win the Springfield Mile. The only other Illinois native to win the race was Dave Camlin from Rock Island, Ill., who won both races in 1996 aboard a Harley-Davidson.

 

“I just love it. Springfield is one of the places [I’ve always wanted to win],” a jubilant Carver told Grand Marshal Dave Despain on the podium. “I watch old videos of Scotty Parker, Ricky Graham and Chris Carr out here, just trying to learn their moves. And chasing [Mees and Coolbeth] and watching them, it’s just been a big learning curve. My team is putting everything together, and it’s really starting to show. That’s giving me that extra bit of confidence I need.

 

“I love the challenge of just going in a circle. It’s simple, but it’s so perfect. You can focus so much on just that, and you can always continue to learn. I’m going to just try to keep winning races. If I put too much pressure on myself, sometimes I get a little nervous and mess up. We’re a little down on points, so my plan is to just go out and have fun and learn the motorcycle and try to go faster. These guys have won 30-some nationals for a reason. I’ve got a long way to go, but I’d love to get in the history book a little bit myself.”

 

Chad Cose (No. 49 Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City Scout FTR750), Henry Wiles (No. 17 Bandit Industries/Wilco Racing/Willing Built Indian Scout FTR750) and Mikey Rush (No. 54 G&G Racing/Machete Energy Yamaha FZ-07) finished sixth, seventh and eighth, respectively.

 

57-year-old Ronnie Jones (No. 266 Estenson Racing/Rod Lake Indian Scout FTR750) not only increased his record as the oldest rider to make an AFT Twins Main Event by a week, he finished in ninth place while doing so. Jay Maloney (No. 12 Indian Motorcycle of Springfield/JMC Scout FTR750) rounded out the top ten.

 

With the AFT Singles contenders having already completed their class assignment with Saturday night’s Springfield TT, a number of undercard regulars identified the Springfield Mile I as a prime opportunity to get some miles on the bigger, faster twin-cylinder machinery under their belt.

 

Reigning AFT Singles champion Kolby Carlile (No. 36 Estenson Racing/McCandless Trucking Center Indian Scout FTR750) and Arizona Mile winner Kevin Stollings (No. 99 Roof Systems Honda Indian Scout FTR750) brandished yellow plates signifying their AFT Singles regular status to mark their AFT Twins debuts. Carlile was unlucky to see his maiden premier-class entry end following just three laps in Sunday’s Heat Race 1 after demonstrating solid speed throughout qualifying. Things went considerably better for Stollings, who earned the final transfer spot in Semi 2 to make the cut for the Main Event. There he would go on to finish 11th.

 

AFT Production Twins

 

Several of Carlile’s and Stollings’ AFT Singles rivals, meanwhile, took advantage of the introduction of the all-new AFT Production Twins class. The category is specifically designed to provide qualified AFT Singles riders a chance to get some seat time on production-based twins with an eye toward easing their eventual graduation into the AFT Twins class.

 

Michael Inderbitzin (No. 54 Weirbach Racing/Kawasaki USA Kawasaki Ninja 650) made it a Memorial Day weekend he’ll long remember, backing up a top-ten run in Saturday’s Springfield TT with a victory in the first-ever AFT Productions Twins race.

 

Inderbitzin recovered from a terrible launch at the start of the race to charge his way through the entire field and into the lead. Once there he successfully fought off a last-lap attempt by Tristan Avery (No. 16 Ron Ayers/Mr. Sign Kawasaki Ninja 650) by 0.178 seconds at the checkered flag. Jordan Harris (No. 17 Roy Built Kawasaki Ninja 650) finished third.

 

Inderbitzin said, “[Following the start] I knew I had my work cut out for me… I need to work on my starts, and that’s about it. I’ve never ridden the Springfield Mile, and I’ve never ridden a twin at all. Yesterday was my first time on one, and I couldn’t be more blessed having such a great, great motorcycle underneath me.”

 

The AFT Production Twins class will be back in action for its second race when the series returns to Springfield for the 100th Harley-Davidson Springfield Mile II on September 2. Also, don’t forget to catch the NBCSN Premiere telecast of the Harley-Davidson Springfield Mile I June 9 at 5:00 pm ET.
Finally, there’s wonderful news regarding Brandon Price, who suffered a head injury in Saturday’s TT event. “Hey everyone,” his family wrote on his Facebook page recently, “Brandon is up, alert and joking as usual. If anyone would like to come by to see him you’re more than welcome. We are at Memorial Medical Center, Room G418, in Springfield. We truly thank everyone for the prayers and continued support!”
Next Up:
In just five days the AFT Twins and Singles competitors will be in Central Kentucky for the Indian Motorcycle Red Mile presented by Indian Motorcycle of Lexington on June 2 in Lexington, Ky. Live coverage can be viewed on FansChoice.tv beginning at 2:30 pm ET with Opening Ceremonies scheduled for 6:30 pm ET. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased athttps://www.showclix.com/event/red-mile-2018.
How to Watch:
NBCSN and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of American Flat Track. For the 2018 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 athttp://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 visithttp://www.americanflattrack.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out onInstagram, live stream the events at FansChoice.tv and catch all the American Flat Track racing action on NBCSN.

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