Cycle News Staff | September 2, 2019
2019 Springfield American Flat Track Results
Monday
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (September 2, 2019) – Monday’s Springfield Mile II at the Illinois State Fairgrounds proved worth the wait, delivering what may be considered the most jaw-dropping AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines Main Event of the 2019 American Flat Track season.
Following an epic 25 miles that saw ten riders in contention for the victory even as they dove into the race’s final corner, multi-time defending AFT Twins Champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) worked his magic yet again to win out in the last-lap dash to the checkered flag.
Making the achievement all the more impressive, Mees did so after starting in last position from Row 4.
The champ turned in his one provisional start card of the season to advance to the Main after encountering bike issues in his Semi. However, he managed to slipstream his way forward over the race’s opening third, joining the mammoth front group by lap 10. He was dueling for the lead a lap later — a duel that wouldn’t end until the final stripe.
In the end, Mees outlasted title rival Briar Bauman (No. 14 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) by a scant 0.083 seconds.
The triumph was the 14th Mile win of Mees’ illustrious career, tying him with the legendary Jay Springsteen for sixth all-time on the big tracks. It also brought him within a single race of Bauman in the evolving 2019 AFT Twins championship race, as he’s now just 25 points back (280-255) heading into the season’s final three races.
Mees said, “It was good to come off the back row and put my name on the list with the guys who have done that. It’s more emotional doing it this way on the back-up bike and working my way up. The Indian Motorcycle ran so phenomenal for me. My whole crew worked so hard; when that bike broke we were switching wheels, and shocks, and offsets to try to duplicate what we were running on the main bike. We got it done, and it feels amazing.”
Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) came through in third to lock out the podium for the Indian Wrecking Crew for the first time in 2019.
While the day ultimately belonged to Mees and Indian, a huge number of riders played starring roles with the entire top ten finishing within 0.653 seconds of the win.
Rookie Brandon Price (No. 192 Roof Systems of Dallas TX/DPC Racing Indian FTR750) made a late-bid for the victory, and was one of five riders who slid into Turn 3 on lap 25, side-by-side, vying for the lead. He ended up an impressive fourth, fractionally ahead of Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Kennedy Racing/Armbruster Racing Indian FTR750).
Factory Harley-Davidson teammates Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Team XG750R Rev X) and Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Team XG750R Rev X) factored heavily all day, with Vanderkooi winning a heat and Halbert starting from pole after winning his semi.
Halbert led in the late stages of the race, but was shuffled down to sixth at the flag. Vanderkooi ended up eighth with Henry Wiles (No. 17 Bandit Industries/DPC Racing/Wilco Racing Indian FTR750) sandwiched between the Harley runners.
Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere Beaverton Motorcycles/Dick Wall 60 Indian FTR750) and Saturday’s runner-up Jeffrey Carver Jr. (No. 23 Roof Systems of Dallas/Indian of Metro Milwaukee FTR750) rounded out the top ten.
AFT Production Twins
Kolby Carlile (No. 136 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07) materialized from the pack late to claim his first-career AFT Production Twins Main Event victory in dramatic fashion.
All eyes had been on Dalton Gauthier (No. 122 Black Hills Harley-Davidson XG750R Rev X), who was chasing a unique dual-class triple win on the weekend.
Like Mees in the premier class, Gauthier had to start on the back row, being forced to use a provisional start when his bike expired in his Semi. However, his form and momentum still made him feel all but unstoppable, as he powered from dead last to first place by the time the pack dove into Turn 1 for the second time.
He didn’t slow from there, opening up a 1.5-second advantage by the time the race was red flagged while working lap 10 of 15. On the restart, Gauthier went right back to work, steadily building another advantage on the pack.
The only difference this time around was that teammate James Rispoli (No. 71 Black Hills Harley-Davidson XG750R Rev X) managed to hang onto the slipstream and use it to escape along with Gauthier.
With a 1-2 Black Hills Harley-Davidson seeming nearly assured, Gauthier raised his hand in disappointment with 3 laps to go, signaling another mechanical issue that spoiled his bid for the triple Springfield victory.
Without the benefit of Gauthier’s draft, Rispoli found himself reeled back to the pack. Carlile caught him just in time to thunder by as they drove down the back straight for the final time.
Carlile tucked his head down and outpaced any potential counter moves, beating Rispoli to the line by 0.111 seconds.
Race-winner Carlile said, “I was confident the whole race; there was just so much traffic and I got sucked into it a little bit. I was letting those guys shake it out, but I knew I had the bike to win this thing. Dalton and James took off after the restart and I fell back again, but I knew my bike was strong enough to catch them. And that’s what we did.
“I just can’t thank my Estenson Racing crew enough… I broke my leg early in the year and I lost a round. I’m at a huge points deficit, but we’re trying to make it back. I’m finally feeling like myself again.”
Cody Johncox (No. 196 Sunnyside Cycle/Luczak Racin’ Yamaha MT-07) was next in line in a pack of riders that saw five men take the checkered flag within 0.554 seconds of the win. He finished 0.082 seconds back of Rispoli to complete the podium.
Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Holeshot Powersports Yamaha MT-07) did well to limit the damage done by Carlile’s victory by finishing a strong fourth. Still, Texter’s advantage has now been reduced to 23 points (148-125) over Carlile with three races remaining.
Catch the feature broadcast of the Springfield weekend on NBCSN with flag-to-flag coverage of the Main Events, enhanced by exclusive features and cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage. The broadcast will debut on Sunday, September 8 at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 p.m. PT and will re-air on Thursday, September 19, at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT.
Next Up:
The quest for all three American Flat Track championships resumes in less than a week’s time with the Williams Grove Half-Mile presented by Appalachian Harley-Davidson in Mechanicsburg, Pa., on Saturday, September 7. FansChoice.tv will live stream the entire day’s activities once the gates open at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. Tickets are on sale now attickets.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.
Saturday
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (August 31, 2019) – Defending AFT Twins presented by Vance & HinesChampion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) made it three for three in Mile competition in 2019 American Flat Track competition with a last-corner victory in Saturday’s Springfield Mile I.
2019 Springfield Mile I American Flat Track Results
Mees and 2018 Springfield Mile I winner Jeffrey Carver Jr. (No. 23 Roof-Systems of Dallas/Indian of Metro Milwaukee FTR750) transformed the race into a two-rider duel for the win from the start. The pair immediately broke free from the pack, and subsequently waged a 25-mile test of skill and tactics.
Carver seemed content to plant himself on the rear wheel of Mees over the opening half of the AFT Twins Main Event. However, the home-state hero brought the fans lining the grandstands to their feet by driving underneath the defending champ on lap 13.
Mees regrouped and reassumed his position at the front in short order. Carver made two more attempts to wrestle away the lead, and it appeared he finally succeeded for good when he powered by with three laps remaining. However, Mees ducked under Carver entering Turn 3 on the final lap, only to see Carver slide back up the inside as the worked through 4.
Mees was ready for the move, and perfectly positioned himself for the decisive sprint to the flag; he stole the advantage back on exit and held it to the flag by 0.239 seconds.
After the race, Mees said, “I knew going out there if I got the holeshot, I wanted to press the pace right away and create some separation. I think Jeffrey knew exactly what I was doing because he was just pacing me. I looked back a couple times, and right there was the ‘23’.
“He was basically just riding my tail and at one point I rolled out of it and let him go by. I wanted to know where he was stronger, and he had a really good line in 3 and 4. I saw that he tried it a couple times, and he did the exact same thing in the heat. On the last lap, when I felt him dive-bomb the bottom, I had a good counter for his move. I think he blew the corner a little bit coming off of it, and that allowed me to have a big gap out of Turn 4.”
While Mees made up some ground in the title fight as a result of claiming his fifth win this year, it probably wasn’t by quite as much as he may have anticipated when he took the checkered flag.
Championship leader Briar Bauman (No. 14 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) was forced to use a provisional start to advance into the Main Event after suffering a mechanical issue in his Semi.
Despite starting from dead last, Bauman somehow carved his way into seventh by the conclusion of lap 1 and established himself as one of five riders embroiled in a race-long battle for the final spot on the podium. Indeed, Bauman ultimately won that battle, finishing in third 0.122 seconds ahead of brother/teammate Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750).
Bauman now holds a 30-point advantage over Mees (260-230) with four races remaining.
Bryan Smith (No. 4 Crosley Brands/Howerton Motorsports Kawasaki Ninja 650) finished fifth another 0.016 seconds in arrears, with Stephen Vanderkuur (No. 21 AMSOIL/Hodder Racing Indian FTR750) and Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Kennedy Racing/Armbruster Racing Indian FTR750) fractionally behind in sixth and seventh, respectively.
AFT Production Twins
Fresh off his clutch victory in Friday night’s Springfield Short Track, Dalton Gauthier (No. 122 Black Hills Harley-Davidson XG750R Rev X) steamrolled the competition in Saturday’s AFT Production Twins Main Event at the Springfield Mile I.
Gauthier’s arcing high lines may have allowed his rivals to keep him relatively contained during the opening stages of the 15-lap Main Event, but once he finally stretched open enough of an advantage to prevent his opponents from blocking his preferred path, those same lines made him simply unstoppable.
The triumph was not just his second of the weekend, it was also his second in succession in the AFT Production Twins class; he delivered the XG750R a second win in the first possible opportunity after scoring its historic maiden win last time out in the Sacramento Mile.
Gauthier said, “I have to thank Jarod Vanderkooi for telling me to go there (to the high line) after the Semi, so shout out to him. After the second or third lap I went up there and I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s hooking up. So I stayed up there and tried to ride consistent laps and break away and that’s what happened.
“I have to thank everybody at Harley-Davidson, Black Hills Harley-Davidson, Vance & Hines and everyone else who has gotten this bike working this great. It’s been awesome, and I’m having a lot of fun.”
Kolby Carlile (No. 136 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07), who scored tonight’s holeshot, and Lima HM winner Chad Cose (No. 49 Parkinson Bros Racing/Ritchie Reynolds Kawasaki Ninja 650) emerged from a multi-rider pack to battle for second place.
The two actually managed to cut into Gauthier’s lead while waging their duel, which came down to the race’s final corner. Carlile sailed past Cose to open the last lap, but Cose switched-up his opponent driving through Turns 3 and 4. However, the Estenson pilot managed a counter of his own while they streaked down the start/finish straight, nipping Cose by 0.101 seconds at the flag to finish as the race’s runner-up.
Second-ranked Ryan Varnes (No. 68 Varnes Racing/RoyBuilt Kawasaki Ninja 650) continued his consistent AFT Production Twins title campaign with his fifth top-five result of the year by taking fourth. Kevin Stollings (No. 999 Roof Systems/Motion Pro/Hinson Clutches Kawasaki Ninja 650) was just 0.002 seconds back of Varnes to round out the top five.
Championship leader Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Holeshot Powersports Yamaha MT-07) took the checkered flag in ninth. As a result, he now leads Varnes by just 22 points (133-111) with Carlile (100) and Gauthier (96) looking increasingly threatening in third and fourth, respectively.
Catch the feature broadcast of the Springfield weekend on NBCSN with flag-to-flag coverage of the Main Events, enhanced by exclusive features and cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage. The broadcast will debut on Sunday, September 8, at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 p.m. PT and will re-air on Thursday, September 19, at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT.
Next Up:
American Flat Track’s Labor Day tripleheader will conclude on Sunday as the AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines and AFT Production Twins title contenders return for a rematch in theSpringfield Mile II. Live coverage will again be available on FansChoice.tv when the practice sessions kick off at 11:00 a.m. ET/8:00 a.m. PT. Tickets are on sale now atwww.springfieldmile.org.
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.
Friday
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (August 30, 2019) – Championship hopeful Dalton Gauthier (No. 122 D&D Cycles/Gobert Smash Husqvarna FC450) scored a critical victory in Friday night’s Springfield Short Track to claim sole possession of the Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys points lead.
The action at the Illinois State Fairgrounds was every bit as tense and frenetic as one would expect an Roof Systems AFT Singles Short Track showdown to be. In the midst of a tight title fight with just three additional races remaining on the 2019 American Flat Track calendar, and serving as a microcosm of the season to date, while a handful of riders enjoyed their moments in the spotlight. Ultimately it all came down to Gauthier and reigning class champion Dan Bromley (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F).
Former AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines standout Chad Cose (No. 49 Ritchie Reynolds/American Suzuki RM-Z450) stormed to the holeshot and threatened to break free of the chaos before anyone else had an opportunity to react. However, Gauthier rolled forward on the momentum he had built up all day long when he ran quickest in both qualifying sessions and ripped to heat and semi victories.
Gauthier first slashed ahead of Spanish dirt track hero Ferran Cardús (No. 377 Bullet Strong Racing/Vanilla Cycles Honda CRF450R) to move into third and then ran up the inside of Bromley to take over second on lap 7. By lap 10, he was hounding Cose inside and outside, applying heavy pressure wherever possible in hopes of prompting a mistake.
That mistake came on lap 13. Gauthier squared up Cose and the two very nearly came together on the short straight as Gauthier slid ahead into first. Once clear, the new leader was able to call on his superior pace to pull open just enough of a gap to negate the possibility of a potential last-lap Hail Mary.
Title rival Bromley was going in the opposite direction, dropping down to fourth after he was also overhauled by Peoria TT winner Dallas Daniels (No. 163 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F).
16-year-old prodigy Daniels had earned the pole but was shuffled back to seventh early. Undeterred, he clawed his way through the fray, not only edging ahead of Bromley but lining up Cose for the runner-up position.
Desperate to minimize the championship damage done by another Gauthier victory, Bromley turned in a clutch sequence of his own. With time running out, the defending champ dove up the inside of Daniels and Cose in two consecutive corners to leap up from fourth to second in one short lap. From there he held on to the checkered flag to remain within five points of Gauthier for the Roof Systems AFT Singles championship lead (241-236).
The victory was Gauthier’s third of the season. After the race, he said, “It’s huge. Coming into these last few races, it’s anyone’s game. I’m trying to get in front of Dan as much as I can, but he’s running strong. We’re having fun.
“Chad rode a really great race. It took me a few laps to catch him, but he was riding defensively. I just waited. I knew I had a few laps to go so I just waited for the mistake. He made one, and we got pretty close, but it was clean racing.”
Of his two-in-one-lap maneuver, runner-up Bromley said, “I just used my size to my advantage. It was a heck of a race. Chad got out front, and whether he’s behind you or you’re behind him, you never know what he’s going to do. He ran a good race. He, Dalton, and Dallas were out front for most of the race.
“It’s a little bittersweet to be in second, but I’m happy to be back up here on the podium.”
Daniels secured his second consecutive podium, in third, in what was just his sixth-career AFT outing, while Cose ended up one spot off the box after leading the majority of the laps.
Meanwhile, Mikey Rush (No. 15 RMR Honda/Red Riders Rewards Honda CRF450R) kept his championship aspirations alive in fifth. While the bulk of the focus is understandably on Gauthier and Bromley, Rush remains very much in contention. He’s within striking distance — just 25 points back of the lead (216) — with a Half-Mile and two Miles left to decide the 2019 crown.
Catch the extended feature broadcast of the Springfield weekend on NBCSN with a special 90-minute telecast. As usual, there will be flag-to-flag coverage of the Main Events, enhanced by exclusive features and cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage. The broadcast will debut onSunday, September 8, at 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 p.m. PT and will re-air on Thursday, September 19, at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT.
Next Up:
American Flat Track continues its Springfield Labor Day weekend tripleheader on Saturday as the AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines and AFT Production Twins competitors move into the spotlight for the Springfield Mile Double-Header. Live coverage will be available onFansChoice.tv on both Saturday, August 31 and Sunday, September 1 when the practice sessions kick off at 11:00 a.m. ET/8:00 a.m. PT. Tickets are on sale now at www.springfieldmile.org.
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.