Cycle News Staff | March 10, 2016
Sammy Halbert opened the AMA Pro Flat Track season on Thursday night, March 10, by winning the 25-lap Harley-Davidson GNC1 Expert Singles Main event at Daytona International Speedway.
Staged on the quarter-mile Daytona Flat Track located just outside the “World Center of Racing,” Halbert, riding a Yamaha, took the early lead and held off Brandon Robinson’s Honda for a 1.382-second victory. The victory was Halbert’s fourth on the Daytona Flat Track.
“The boys did a great job getting it hooked up,” Halbert said. “It’s been way too long. I hope we can keep this rolling.”
Halbert will have the opportunity for a sweep during the final night of the Daytona Flat Track on Friday.
“This is what we need to start the season,” Robinson said. “It shows how good we are this year and I hope we can keep it going.”
Finishing third was Brad Baker on a Honda.
In the main GNC2 Pro Singles event, Dalton Gauthier, aboard a Yamaha, survived two red flags to win the 16-lap race by .714 seconds. Rounding out the podium were Justin Jones and Hayden Gillim.
Winning the GNC1 Expert Singles Heats were Halbert, Johnny Lewis (Yamaha) and Baker. In the semifinals, Stevie Bonsey (Suzuki) and Bryan Smith (Kawasaki) brought home victories. In the GNC2 Pro Heats, Gauthier, Jamison Minor (Honda) and Jones (Honda) were victorious. In the semifinal heats, Tyler Seguin (Honda) and Tristan Avery (Honda) came out on top.
In the eight-lap Super Hooligans main event, an exhibition series featuring big, custom twin-cylinder motorcycles that look like they rolled off of Main Street, Roland Sands led a 1-2-3 Indian sweep. Rounding out the podium was James Robinson and Cameron Brewer.