Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Henry Wiles bounced back from last weekend’s disappointment to win today’s Salinas Short Track, the defending AMA Singles Flat Track Champion winning his first race of the season.
Wiles, who suffered a leg injury last week and was forced of the Du Quoin Short Track, rebounded today to win the inaugural Salinas Short Track. Wiles did so after barely besting Jimmy Wood by just .169 of a second after 25 laps of racing.
For Wiles it was a weekend that saw him get his year turned around as he combined today’s victory with yesterday’s second place to Jake Johnson in the Salinas TT.
Third place went to Sammy Halbert, the Woody Kyle Racing/Fredericktown Yamaha rider 1.9 seconds behind Wiles. Halbert, however, was better today than yesterday’s winner Johnson, who ended up fifth. Between them was Halbert’s brother Jethro, the Woody Kyle Racing Honda rider helping his brother by stealing points away from Johnson, the defending AMA Grand National Champion who gained ground on Sammy Halbert yesterday in their battle at the front for the Grand National Championship.
Jethro Halbert had earlier won the Dash For Cash over Wood.
Multi-time AMA Grand National Champion Chris Carr ended up sixth with Jeffrey Carver Jr., Stevie Bonsey, JR Schnabel and Kenny Coolbeth rounding out the top 10 finishers.
After five rounds of the AMA Grand National Championship, Halbert leads Johnson by eight points, 103-95.
Salinas Short Track
1. Henry Wiles (Kawasaki)
2. Jimmy Wood (Honda)
3. Sammy Halbert (Yamaha)
4. Jethro Halbert (Honda)
5. Jake Johnson (Honda)
6. Chris Carr (Honda)
7. Jeffrey Carver Jr. (Yamaha)
8. Stevie Bonsey (Honda)
9. JR Schnabel (Kawasaki)
10. Kenny Coolbeth Jr. (Kawasaki)
