| September 13, 2020
2020 Williams Grove Half-Mile 2 Results: If possible, Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) was even more dominant on Saturday night as he completed his second double victory of the 2020 American Flat Track season at the Williams Grove Half-Mile II and did so with authority.
It took Bauman all of two corners to seize control of Friday’s AFT SuperTwins presented by Vance & Hines Main Event; he didn’t even need that many in tonight’s rematch. Bauman translated the holeshot into a one-sided, 5.544-second beatdown.
After railing his way to a fourth consecutive triumph at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Bauman said, “This place is my home now. It’s just an hour-and-a-half from my house. I woke up the other morning and came to the track and went racing.
“The race was good. I kind of did my thing. I really like this place.”
Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Coolbeth-Nila Racing Indian FTR750) was the only rider who could even hope to cling to Bauman wake in the race’s opening stages. Doing so successfully pulled Halbert clear of the rest of the field but that early advantage only delayed the inevitable.
Jeffrey Carver Jr. (No. 23 Happy Trails Racing FTR750) overhauled Halbert with four minutes remaining before shaking free to take the runner-up position by more than two seconds.
Halbert later found himself under assault by Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750), who chased him down in time for a two-lap podium showdown as the clock showed 0:00. Mees slid into third with a tight pass with just over a lap-and-a-half remaining, but Halbert set him up for a last corner counterattack.
Those plans, however, were foiled by the unfortunate positioning of some slower riders, allowing Mees to capture third at the checkered flag by 0.078 seconds.
Home-state hero Dan Bromley (No. 62 Roof Systems of Dallas, Texas Indian FTR750) rounded out his best weekend yet since rejoining the premier class, backing up Friday’s fifth with an identical result on Saturday night.
Bauman’s win pushes him back ahead of Mees in his quest to repeat as Grand National Champion as the season officially reaches its midpoint. Bauman will carry a slim five-point advantage (169-164) into what promises to be an epic four-weekend, eight-race stretch run to the throne.
AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys
The AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys Main Event served as a showcase for the sport’s future stars as Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) earned a close victory over fellow second-year pro Trent Lowe (No. 48 Roof Systems of Dallas, TX/Shoei Helmets Honda CRF450R).
Daniels blasted off to the lead at the start and never saw as much as a wheel from a rival throughout the eight-minute (plus two lap) Main. However, Lowe was right there throughout, primed to capitalize on any mistake. Unfortunately for Lowe, that mistake never came. Still, it was a breakout performance for Lowe, who boasted a pair of fifth-place finishes as his personal bests prior to Saturday’s runner-up ride.
Daniels’ third win of the season not only elevates him into the championship lead, it also hands him a relatively healthy 14-point advantage.
“It was a stressful race leading all 20 laps like that,” he admitted. “You don’t know who’s behind you, what they’re doing, or if they’re changing up lines. It’s crazy. It was a great weekend for the team and a great weekend for us. I struggled on this track a little bit last year and to do what we did…
“It’s great being up in the points. We’ve faced some adversity this year — I didn’t even make the Main in the opener at Volusia. I came into the year wanting to win the championship and to not do that, it was bad. But we’ve fought our way back up and have three wins now. It feels awesome.”
Tanner Dean (No. 38 1st Impressions Race Team Honda CRF450R) engaged in an extended scrap for third with Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Roof Systems DFW/Duffy Fleet Services KTM 450 SX-F) before breaking loose to claim the final spot on the box all by his lonesome.
Mischler dropped a couple more positions before it was all over with Kevin Stollings (No. 99 Roof Systems/Motion Pro Honda CRF450R) finishing fourth and highly touted rookie Trevor Brunner (No. 211 Cornerstone Masonry Group CMG/Demske Racing Honda CRF450R) rounding out the top five.
AFT Production Twins
James Rispoli (No. 43 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) continued his steamroller act on Saturday night, claiming his fourth win in the last five AFT Production Twins Main Events, and he did so in almost drama-free fashion, going nearly unchallenged in his green light to checkered flag victory.
Rispoli and reigning AFT Production Twins champion Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Roof Systems Yamaha MT-07) briefly reenacted last night’s high-line/low-line comparo, but within a matter of laps, “the Rocket” was working his way out of reach and to a lopsided victory.
Rispoli’s 2.642-second victory increases his championship lead to an imposing 30 points at the season’s halfway point. Afterward, he said, “This is something I never dreamed I could do at arguably our worst track. To pull off a double here? We’ve come a long way. Hats off to my whole team.”
Other than a mid-race pass for third by Ryan Varnes (No. 68 RVR/RoyBuilt Don’s Kawasaki Ninja 650) over Ben Lowe (No. 25 Roof Systems of Dallas/Bruce Lowe Excavating Yamaha MT-07), the race inside the top five was rather processional… until the very final two corners that is.
Varnes slowly closed down on Texter over the Main’s final three minutes and worked his way into position to dive underneath his potential prey just as the two entered Turn 3 for the last time. However, they arrived there alongside a pair of lappers who were embroiled in their battle for position, adding another layer of complexity to the attempted maneuver.
Texter got the better of the fray, reclaiming the position as they exited 4 and holding on to grab second in the sprint to the checkered flag by 0.058 seconds. Lowe cruised to fourth a couple seconds back.
Chad Cose (No. Wally Brown Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) rode a lonely race in fifth for the bulk of the Main, only to get some unwelcome company late from Jeremiah Duffy (No. 42 Sammy O Racing/ERT Kawasaki Ninja 650). Duffy got the better of Cose in the end, stealing fifth position by 0.111 seconds.
Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield Twins FT) continued to demonstrate the potential of the Royal Enfield’s developing new racebike; he raced his way forward to seventh after starting from last position due to being black flagged in his semi.
2020 American Flat Track Championship
Round 9
Williams Gove HM 2
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Williams Grove Speedway
RESULTS (September 12, 2020)
AFT SuperTwins Main (Top 10)
1. |
Briar Bauman |
(Ind) |
30 Laps |
2. |
Jeffrey Carver Jr. |
(Ind) |
5.544 |
3. |
Jared Mees |
(Ind) |
7.895 |
4. |
Sammy Halbert |
(Ind) |
7.973 |
5. |
Dan Bromley |
(Ind) |
9.618 |
6. |
Davis Fisher |
(Ind) |
12.713 |
7. |
Brandon Price |
(Ind) |
14.420 |
8. |
Jake Johnson |
(Ind) |
15.796 |
9. |
Dalton Gauthier |
(H-D) |
16.581 |
10. |
Larry Pegram |
(Ind) |
17.130 |
AFT Singles Main (Top 10)
1. |
Dallas Daniels |
(Yam) |
21 Laps |
2. |
Trent Lowe |
(Hon) |
0.520 |
3. |
Tanner Dean |
(Hon) |
3.200 |
4. |
Kevin Stollings |
(Hon) |
3.845 |
5. |
Trevor Brunner |
(Hon) |
5.174 |
6. |
Morgen Mischler |
(KTM) |
5.232 |
7. |
Max Whale |
(Kaw) |
6.375 |
8. |
Michael Rush |
(Yam) |
7.097 |
9. |
Wyatt Anderson |
(KTM) |
7.387 |
10. |
Brandon Kitchen |
(KTM) |
8.710 |
AFT Production Twins Main (Top 10)
1. |
James Rispoli |
(H-D) |
20 Laps |
2. |
Cory Texter |
(Yam) |
2.794 |
3. |
Ryan Varnes |
(Kaw) |
7.443 |
4. |
Ben Lowe |
(Yam) |
7.577 |
5. |
Jeremiah Duffy |
(Kaw) |
10.253 |
6. |
Chad Cose |
(H-D) |
10.806 |
7. |
Johnny Lewis |
(RE) |
15.096 |
8. |
Nick Armstrong |
(Yam) |
18.474 |
9. |
Danny Eslick |
(Kaw) |
21.492 |
10. |
Cody Johncox |
(Yam) |
27.324 |
Williams Grove Half-Mile 1 (FRIDAY)
Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) showed just what an American Flat Track Grand National Championship at the peak of his powers is capable of in Friday evening’s Williams Grove Half-Mile I.
Bauman flat-out crushed the opposition in a AFT SuperTwins presented by Vance & Hines Main Event the race’s runner-up accurately described as “demoralizing” while accepting his second-place trophy. The result did not come as much of a shock — it was the third year running Bauman proved his superiority at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
Championship rival Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) stole the holeshot and led for about two corners before giving way to Bauman at the front. The race for the win was effectively over at that point; Bauman was more than a second out in front with 11 minutes remaining on the clock and worked that advantage up to more than six seconds before cruising to an easy 4.347-second margin of victory.
When asked to explain his dominance at the venue, Briar said, “This racetrack is good for me. I think it fits my style quite a bit. It’s aggressive but passive-aggressive. I’m aggressive with it, but I try to be easy on the gas at the same time. The bike is great here too.”
The aforementioned runner-up was not Mees, however. It was Brandon Robinson (No. 44 HCRR Racing/Ben Evans Racing Indian FTR750), who picked up his second-consecutive second place. Robinson swapped positions early with Mees, Jake Johnson (No. 5 Hite Trucking/RJ Performance Indian FTR750), and Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) before breaking free from that fight with a good nine minutes to go.
Bronson put in a late charge, first dispatching of Johnson and then overhauling Mees to earn his first podium result of 2020.
The slowing Mees managed to outlast a charging Dan Bromley (No. 62 Roof Systems of Dallas, Texas Indian FTR750), who registered an inspired ride to sixth in front of his home fans.
After running in podium contention early, the out-from-retirement Johnson ultimately lost out to Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Coolbeth-Nila Racing Indian FTR750) late but still managed to pick up a strong seventh place in his first ride of the year.
Bauman’s dominant win combined with Mees’ first non-podium of the year tightened up their title fight. Mees continues to lead, but only by three points (147-144) with another race at Williams Grove coming tomorrow. Halbert and Robinson are even in points at 108.
A fourth-straight Williams Grove win would be enough to hand Bauman the championship lead no matter where Mees finished behind him. Bauman said, “Do I think I can repeat tomorrow? It’s tough to say. It takes one little change on the bike and these guys can do anything. Brandon was rolling and Bronson rode so good in the Main Event too. They weren’t really up in the semis but then they made a few changes and all the sudden they were really relevant. It’s hard. I’d like to hope I can, but we’ll just have to see how it goes.”
AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys
2019 AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys championship runner-up Mikey Rush (No. 15 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) finally broke through to claim his first Main Event victory of 2020.
It didn’t come easily, as he had to defeat his second-ranked teammate, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and 2016 GNC2 champ Ryan Wells (No. 94 Waters Autobody Racing/D&D PowerSports KTM 450 SX-F) to make it happen.
Rising star Daniels was ahead of the field early, running away at the front as a huge pack ran as many as four-wide while battling over second position. Once some order emerged from the chaos, Wells, Rush, and Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Roof Systems DFW/Duffy Fleet Services KTM 450 SX-F) worked together to claw their way back up to Daniels.
By half-distance, Wells was the man on the move and Daniels looked in danger of fading back to the second group. Wells moved into first and promptly ripped open a half-second of padding before Rush stepped up to the challenge and made it a two-way race for the win with one minute to go.
Rush dove under Wells at that point, only to have his opponent square him back up. Undeterred, Rush executed a second overtake and made the position change stick for good as the race went into its final two laps.
“It feels great,” Rush said. “It’s always fun coming here to Williams Grove — the fans are awesome. I couldn’t do it without my team; the Estenson crew are great people. They are a lot of fun to be around, but when we get to work, those guys get serious and get things sorted out. My motorcycles are awesome. I’m just thankful and blessed to be a part of this deal.”
Behind, Daniels not only regrouped, he sprinted back up to Wells and powered past him while exiting Turn 2 on the final lap. The Estenson Racing 1-2 marked its second double podium finish of the season.
Wells took his first podium of the ‘20 in third, with Mischler taking a close fourth.
Volusia Half-Mile winner Max Whale (No. 18 Coondoo Cattle Co./Australian Road Services Kawasaki KX450F) — who was just out of touch of the lead group throughout — completed the top five.
Meanwhile, title leader Henry Wiles (No. 17 RMR Honda/Honda Talon CRF450R) suffered through a difficult day. He failed to advance through his Semi and was forced to burn his provisional just to line up for the Main. He then finished 14th, allowing Daniels, Whale, and Rush to gobble up the majority of his hard-earned championship advantage.
Wiles still leads, albeit by just five points over Daniels (113-108). Whale (102) and Rush (99) are in position to strike in third and fourth, respectively.
AFT Production Twins
James Rispoli (No. 43 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) continued his recent tear, scoring his third AFT Production Twins victory in the class’ most recent four Main Events.
“The Rocket” tracked down reigning champion Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Roof Systems Yamaha MT-07) early and the two spent the next several minutes determining who had the superior line around Williams Grove Speedway.
Texter appeared to have the early advantage running down low, but Rispoli’s high line got progressively stronger as the race developed. With around three minutes remaining on the clock, there was no longer a debate concerning who found the fast way around; Rispoli blasted away at the front and furthered his standing as the championship favorite.
With three wins and three seconds this season, Rispoli has quickly assembled a full race advantage in the points. “You never get used to winning,” he said. “We’re kind of having a dream season right now. We were struggling mid-day and Cory had kind of been in a class of his own. But as soon as the sun went down, something a little special happened. We saw Briar running around the top in the SuperTwins Semi, and I said to the boys, ‘This is our only shot.’ It worked — sometimes it doesn’t. I’m just fired up. The Latus Motors Racing team has done a beautiful job today.”
Ryan Varnes (No. 68 RVR/RoyBuilt Don’s Kawasaki Ninja 650) not only made up for a less-than-ideal start, he managed to overcome a mid-race encounter with the wall to take the final spot on the box.
Varnes reeled in Indy Mile winner Ben Lowe (No. 25 Roof Systems of Dallas/Bruce Lowe Excavating Yamaha MT-07) and the two then engaged in a scrap for third position. With around four minutes remaining, Lowe ran up the inside of Varnes and the ‘19 class runner-up actually impacted the fence in the melee.
Varnes somehow managed to remain upright, maintained his composure, ran Lowe back down, and beat him to the flag in the end.
Rispoli’s fellow multinational championship-winning roadracer, Danny Eslick (No. 64 Scott Powersports/R&D Machine Kawasaki Ninja 650), rounded out the top five.
Also of note: Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield Twins FT) gave Royal Enfield a flat track debut to be proud of, finishing an impressive sixth in the Twins FT’s maiden AFT Main Event. CN
2020 American Flat Track Championship
Round 8
Williams Gove HM 1
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Williams Grove Speedway
RESULTS (September 11, 2020)
AFT SuperTwins Main (Top 10)
1. |
Briar Bauman |
(Ind) |
30 Laps |
2. |
Brandon Robinson |
(Ind) |
4.347 |
3. |
Bronson Bauman |
(Ind) |
7.311 |
4. |
Jared Mees |
(Ind) |
8.904 |
5. |
Dan Bromley |
(Ind) |
9.836 |
6. |
Sammy Halbert |
(Ind) |
10.085 |
7. |
Jake Johnson |
(Ind) |
11.276 |
8. |
Larry Pegram |
(Ind) |
15.932 |
9. |
Jarod Vanderkooi |
(H-D) |
16.056 |
10. |
Bryan Smith |
(H-D) |
16.348 |
AFT Singles Main (Top 10)
1. |
Mikey Rush |
(Yam) |
20 Laps |
2. |
Dallas Daniels |
(Yam) |
0.818 |
3. |
Ryan Wells |
(KTM) |
1.166 |
4. |
Morgen Mischler |
(KTM) |
1.294 |
5. |
Max Whale |
(Kaw) |
1.704 |
6. |
Kevin Stollings |
(Hon) |
3.023 |
7. |
Trevor Brunner |
(Hon) |
3.193 |
8. |
Trent Lowe |
(Hon) |
5.726 |
9. |
Tanner Dean |
(Hon) |
7.218 |
10. |
Chad Cose |
(Suz) |
9.129 |
AFT Production Twins Main (Top 10)
1. |
James Rispoli |
(H-D) |
20 Laps |
2. |
Cory Texter |
(Yam) |
2.794 |
3. |
Ryan Varnes |
(Kaw) |
7.443 |
4. |
Ben Lowe |
(Yam) |
7.577 |
5. |
Danny Eslick |
(Kaw) |
10.253 |
6. |
Johnny Lewis |
(RE) |
10.806 |
7. |
Nick Armstrong |
(Yam) |
15.096 |
8. |
Jeremiah Duffy |
(Kaw) |
18.474 |
9. |
Cody Johncox |
(Yam) |
21.492 |
10. |
Mitch Harvat |
(Kaw) |
27.324 |