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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 27, 2020)
Progressive American Flat Track superstar Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian
Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) delivered another devastating
performance to up his run of dominance to four in Saturday evening’s
Roof Systems Dallas Half-Mile II presented by Law Tigers at Devil’s
Bowl Speedway in Mesquite, Texas.
Bauman was again untouchable, streaking out to the lead when the lights
went green for the AFT SuperTwins presented by Vance & Hines Main
Event and piling it on from there.
Friday’s runner-up, Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Coolbeth-Nila Racing Indian
FTR750), got caught up behind Jeffrey Carver Jr. (No. 23 Happy Trails
Racing FTR750) while Bauman escaped at the front during the race’s
opening stages. Halbert managed to slip into second with just over nine
minutes remaining, providing him plenty of time to track down the
leader if he had the pace to do so. And while Halbert did immediately
open up some space behind him once through, Bauman in turn just kept
running away from him en route to an eventual 4.393-second margin of
victory.
Bauman’s monster weekend has the potential to be a turning point in
this year’s Grand National Championship fight. Prior to the Dallas
doubleheader, Bauman and rival Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian
Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) had traded the title lead back
and forth at each successive event. Bauman brought that trend to an end
in a major way in Texas, turning what was a narrow five-point advantage
into a protective 25-point lead.
Bauman explained how he managed to look so smooth when everyone else
was flailing about: “My guys had my bike handling so good tonight. It
was flawless and I just tried to be smooth. I tried to not hit those
holes and avoid the stuff that was going to slow me down.”
Mees, meanwhile, got away in fifth and started looking for a way past
Friday podium man Robert Pearson (No. 27 Rackley Racing Indian FTR750)
in earnest with seven and a half minutes remaining. Mees attempted to
go low and then high -- and then low and high again -- but the most he
could ever do was pull alongside the scrappy Pearson.
Their battle caught and overhauled Carver, the two storming through
into third and fourth, respectively, in one fell swoop with four
minutes to go.
Mees threw in several more attempts at the podium but was unable to
make a move stick; for the second night in a row, Pearson beat him to
the line for third, this time by 0.257 seconds.
Carver held on to round out the top five.
AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys
Ten races into the 2020 AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle
Attorneys season, five riders have one win, and one rider has five
wins. The five-win rider, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha
YZ450F), doubled up at his namesake event on Saturday night with a
Dallas HM performance that accurately represented the superiority he’s
demonstrated as of late.
Despite claiming the first pick on the front row, Daniels slipped off
the line, allowing Henry Wiles (No. 17 RMR Honda/Honda Talon CRF450R),
Mikey Rush (No. 15 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), and Morgen Mischler
(No. 13 Roof Systems DFW/Duffy Fleet Services KTM 450 SX-F) through at
the start.
In response, Daniels went to work. He dropped Mischler within a lap.
Not long after, Daniels ducked under Rush to move into second, nearly
acing Wiles in the same maneuver. Less than a minute later, Daniels
drove up alongside Wiles mid-corner and then powered by him on exit in
the exact same manner.
With clear air in front of him, Daniels opened up several bike lengths
in just a half lap and ultimately sprinted away to a five-plus second
margin of victory.
After the race, 17-year-old Daniels said, “It’s definitely not easy,
especially when you get a terrible start like I did. Me and my crew
chief were talking about getting a good start, and I guess I wanted to
do the exact opposite. I had a move going out of Turn 2; there was a
little bit of a rut those guys were hitting and going wide, and I was
able to go underneath them. I was able to do it to Mikey and then Henry
too.
“To be honest, I didn’t know what was going on behind me. I just
charged, charged, charged. When I looked back after the checkers, I had
a really big gap.”
While Daniels erased all drama in the fight for victory, there was
plenty of action behind. Rush and Wiles went at it for second for the
majority of the race. However, second-ranked Wiles lost the groove as
the clock hit 0:00, and over the race’s final two laps, he’d drop from
a potential runner-up to an eventual sixth.
With Wiles out of contention, Rush gave Estenson Racing the 1-2. Less
than a half-second back, Tanner Dean (No. 38 1st Impressions Race Team
Honda CRF450R) just beat Michael Inderbitzin (No. 54 RMR Honda/Honda
Talon CRF450R) to the line to finish third. Mischler finished a further
1.3 seconds back to complete the top five.
Even after missing the Main in the season opener, Daniels now boasts
more than a full race’s advantage in the standings, leading Wiles by 34
points (183-149). Rush is in third at 141.
AFT Production Twins
James Rispoli (No. 43 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R)
continued his march toward the 2020 AFT Production Twins title, locking
down his sixth win in the season’s last seven races.
This victory was not as easily earned as it sounds, however.
Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Roof Systems Yamaha MT-07) rode like
a reigning class champ and executed a perfect launch from the inside
starting position, successfully translating the holeshot into an
extended run at the front.
Texter continually fended off a stalking Rispoli, who repeatedly looked
for a way up the inside of his rival as the two ripped away from the
rest of the pack.
Texter managed to keep the fleet Rispoli corralled behind him until
just after the half distance flags flew. At that point, the champ ran
slightly wide and that was all the invitation the current title leader
required.
Rispoli put his XG750R into first and immediately went into super cruise mode, blasting away at the front.
Behind, Ryan Varnes (No. 68 RVR/RoyBuilt Don’s Kawasaki Ninja 650) and
Chad Cose (No. 49 Wally Brown Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) applied
heavy pressure to third-placed Jeremiah Duffy (No. 42 Sammy O
Racing/ERT Kawasaki Ninja 650) as the three tussled over the final
podium position.
That pressure transformed into chaos when Varnes’ front wheel contacted
Duffy’s rear wheel, sending Varnes over the bars. The incident brought
out the red flag with just over two minutes remaining, giving the field
another shot at ending Rispoli’s win streak.
Unfortunately for them, Rispoli held on to the lead as they left the
staggered start and immediately started throwing in the Main’s fastest
laps. Texter did well to keep him honest, but ultimately, it added up
to a fifth consecutive AFT Production Twins victory for the two-time
AMA Pro SuperSport champion.
“I’m stoked that Cory was able to put up a massive, massive challenge
tonight,” Rispoli said. “He rode really well. This wasn’t easy at all.
The track was hard and technical.
“I’ve got to take my hat off to my team. We weren’t the fastest guy,
and we had to come a little bit from behind, and they were able to get
it done. Five in a row... This is a dream season.”
Cose beat Duffy off the line at the restart to collect third. Duffy was
dropped a couple more positions before it was over, as Rispoli’s fellow
former road racing national champion, Danny Eslick (No. 64 Scott
Powersports/R&D Machine Kawasaki Ninja 650) slid past claim fourth
while Dylan Bell (No. 31 Wayne Moore/Martin Trucking Harley-Davidson
XG750R) got by as well to round out the top five.
Despite his heavy fall, Varnes not only made the restart, he raced his way up from the back of the field to finish seventh.
Rispoli now leads Texter by 48 points with six races remaining, 224 to 176.
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.
(September 26, 2020)
Reigning Progressive American Flat Track Grand
National Champion Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive
Insurance FTR750) obliterated the world’s best dirt trackers for the
third consecutive race, putting on yet another clinic in Friday night’s
Roof Systems Dallas Half-Mile I presented by Law Tigers at Devil’s Bowl
Speedway in Mesquite, Texas.
Bauman was in control of the AFT SuperTwins presented by Vance &
Hines Main Event from green light to checkered flag, looking remarkably
smooth throughout an unfamiliar circuit that caught many of his rivals
out.
In some ways, the victory celebration started with more than four
minutes remaining when the blue flags started flying in earnest. By the
time the race was complete, Bauman had lapped his way all the way up to
seventh position.
“I got into some battles I wasn’t supposed to be in,” Bauman said. “I
got into a line of guys one time and it was pretty hectic. But they all
did a great job seeing the blue flags. It’s so difficult on a small
track like this to alter your lines while in a battle. Hats off to all
the guys.
“I’m so happy to be here. I’m just trying to learn as much as I can as
I go. I say this a lot, but I’ve made a lot of dumb moves in my career,
and I’m just trying to minimize those and get better every weekend.
Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Coolbeth-Nila Racing Indian FTR750) was the only
rider that looked to be in Bauman’s league on this evening. The
Springfield Mile winner maintained a gap of right around two seconds
back deep into the Main before the run through packs of slower riders
eventually dropped him to a final margin of 3.445 seconds.
Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750)
seemed destined to limit the championship damage he would absorb by
rounding out the podium. However, he took another hit when he was
victimized by an on-form Robert Pearson (No. 27 Rackley Racing Indian
FTR750), who returned to action in Dallas following a couple rounds
away with a new team and plenty of motivation.
Pearson powered his way forward from outside the top five to reel in
Mees late. He then executed the decisive maneuver after the clocks
showed 0:00 to notch up his first podium of the 2020 season.
Dan Bromley (No. 62 Roof Systems of Dallas, Texas Indian FTR750) -- who
earlier exploited the high line to win his Semi -- ran fourth over the
race’s opening half. Unfortunately, his bike was damaged in an
incident, and he was forced to retire after losing his seat.
Brandon Price (No. 92 Roof Systems of Dallas, Texas Indian FTR750) completed the top five.
Bauman’s recent winning streak has pushed his championship lead up to
15 over Mees (194-179). Halbert is a distant third at 143. Everyone
else is more than three full races back.
AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys
It was only natural that the AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown
Motorcycle Attorneys rider to shine the brightest in Dallas was one
Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F). Of course,
Daniels hasn’t required any type of luck to separate himself from the
pack in 2020.
The rising star seized control of the race by the end of lap one and
never saw an opponent’s wheel from that point forward. In a class where
no other rider has more than one win on the year, Daniels already
boasts four as he has firmly established himself as the championship
favorite with the season heading down the stretch.
“It’s cool, ‘Dallas winning in Dallas.’” Daniels said. “It’s awesome --
it was just a great day. My Estenson Monster Energy Yamaha team really
busts their tails. They had the bike working awesome. When the track
got slick tonight bike set-up was huge, and they had it figured out.
“We’ll try to do it again tomorrow. No one has done the double yet this year, and I want to be able to do it.”
Daniels’ primary challenger this season -- the hugely experienced and
decorated Henry Wiles (No. 17 RMR Honda/Honda Talon CRF450R) -- chased
him as deep into the Main as he could manage. However, by mid-distance
he was forced to turn his attention to charging teammate Michael
Inderbitzin (No. 54 RMR Honda/Honda Talon CRF450R).
Inderbitzin was the one rider who may have had the pace to beat
Daniels. However, the polesitter dropped outside the top five off the
line and was forced to use that speed just to put himself on Wiles’
rear wheel as they took the halfway flags. Not surprisingly, Wiles
proved a hard target, fending Inderbitzin off until the very final lap.
After being displaced to third, Wiles attempted to square his teammate
back up in the short sprint to the flag, but Inderbitzin narrowly held
on to earn his first podium of the season by 0.089 seconds.
A couple seconds further back, Williams Grove runner-up Trent Lowe (No.
48 Roof Systems of Dallas, TX/Shoei Helmets Honda CRF450R) edged Morgen
Mischler (No. 13 Roof Systems DFW/Duffy Fleet Services KTM 450 SX-F)
for fourth by just over a tenth of a second.
Daniels’ teammate, Mikey Rush (No. 15 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F),
ran in the lead group early but ultimately crossed the stripe down in
eighth.
As a result, Daniels now leads the points by 22 over Wiles and 37 over Rush ahead of tomorrow’s rematch.
AFT Production Twins
James Rispoli (No. 43 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R)
continued to operate in another orbit compared to the rest of the AFT
Production Twins field, streaking to his fifth win in six races with
relative ease.
Defending class champion Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Roof Systems
Yamaha MT-07) shot into the lead off the light, followed by Chad Cose
(No. 49 Wally Brown Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R).
Polesitter Rispoli dropped to third at the start but was already in the
lead and shaking free by the end of the opening lap. Cose did all he
could to give the title leader a fight, holding onto his draft for
about three minutes before Rispoli put an end to his challenge and
blasted off to yet another blowout victory.
After securing his fourth consecutive class triumph, Rispoli said, “We
are fired up! I can’t thank my team Latus Motors Racing enough. My crew
put together such a great package -- I wouldn’t be here without them.
Our team is so cool, so small, and so niche. It’s making the
difference.”
Title contender Ryan Varnes (No. 68 RVR/RoyBuilt Don’s Kawasaki Ninja
650) suffered a huge moment early, dropping from third to seventh in
the process. He spent the next half race clawing his way forward.
Varnes did well to battle his way back into third and even closed in on
runner-up Cose for a spell, but was forced to accept the final spot on
the box in the end.
Ben Lowe (No. 25 Roof Systems of Dallas/Bruce Lowe Excavating Yamaha
MT-07) held down fourth for much of the contest but became embroiled in
a scrap for the position with Jeremiah Duffy (No. 42 Sammy O Racing/ERT
Kawasaki Ninja 650). Duffy managed to find a way through to take fourth
at the flag while Lowe rounded out the top five less than a second back.
After getting such a strong start, Texter’s race ended down in seventh,
0.154 seconds back of Danny Eslick (No. 64 Scott Powersports/R&D
Machine Kawasaki Ninja 650).
Rispoli now holds a title lead equal to his competition number, up a full 43 points on second-ranked Texter.
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Updated 2020 American Flat Track Schedule as of August 3rd
1. July 17: Volusia Half-Mile I - Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL
2. July 18: Volusia Half-Mile II - Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL
3. August 21: Indy Mile I - Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, IN
4. August 22: Indy Mile II - Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, IN
5. September 5: Springfield Mile I - Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
6. September 6: Springfield Mile II - Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
7. September 11: Williams Grove Half-Mile I - Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
8. September 12: Williams Grove Half-Mile II - Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA
9. September 25: Dallas Half-Mile I - Devil's Bowl Speedway, Dallas, TX
10. September 26: Dallas Half-Mile II - Devil's Bowl Speedway, Dallas, TX
11. October 2: Atlanta Short Track I - Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA
12. October 3: Atlanta Short Track II - Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA
13. October 9: Charlotte Half-Mile I - Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC
14. October 10: Charlotte Half-Mile II - Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC
15. October 15: AFT Season Finale I - TBA, Daytona Beach, FL
16. October 16: AFT Season Finale II - TBA, Daytona Beach, FL
SCFTA Flat Track racing is just one of the racing
venues to benefit from the transition from print publishing to Super
Digital for S&S Off Road Magazine. In response to the covid induced
shutdown of the nation, for the first time in 38 years, S&S
Publishing chose not to print a hard copy of the magazine for their
current issue, but instead replaced it with the Super Digital version,
nearly tripling the page count. Filled with full color photos
depicting off road fun for every type of vehicle it also includes the
popular reader photo feature “What I Did During the COVID-19 Shutdown.”
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Access the interactive digital edition with live links and videos at:
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January 21-25, 2020
Lodi Cycle Bowl
Night Before The Mile
August 9, 2019
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Lodi Motorcycle Club
at Sacramento Mile
August 11, 2019
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SCFTA Framer Shootout - Perris - May 10, 2019
DIGGER HELM MEMORIAL
West Coast Dirt Track Series
WILLOW SPRINGS - Sunday May 5, 2019
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DIGGER HELM MEMORIAL
West Coast Dirt Track Series
WILLOW SPRINGS - Saturday May 4, 2019
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