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Tuesday 22 May 2018

American Flat Track

Mees Makes it Five From Six at Sacramento

Round six of the 2018 AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines saw three of the flat track and Sacramento Mile legends going head to head for this year’s Harley-Davidson Sacramento Mile presented by Cycle Gear at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds on May 19.
The win went to defending Grand National Champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle Rogers Racing SDI Scout FTR750), his fifth win of the season so far, his 35th AFT career win in total and his first at the Sacramento mile. 


Retiring legend Kenny Coolbeth Jr. (No. 2 Nila Racing, Columbia Avionics Indian Scout FTR750) scored second, with Bryan Smith (No. 4 Indian Motorcycle Racing backed by Allstate Scout FTR750 - owner of seven straight Sacramento Mile victories) returning from the broken left fibula sustained three weeks ago at the Texas Half mile to scoop third place.


Photo Credit: Scott Hunter/American Flat Track

It was another great race for Indian Motorcycle. In addition to Wrecking Crew factory riders Mees (1st), Smith (3rd), and Brad Baker (No. 6 Indian Motorcycle Racing backed by Allstate Scout FTR750) in 4th, Coolbeth (2nd), Henry Wiles (No. 17 Wilco Racing/Willy Built/Bandit Industries Indian Scout FTR750) in 5th, Davis Fisher (No. 67 RMR/Double D Performance Indian Scout FTR750) in 6th and Chad Cose (No. 49 Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City Scout FTR750) in 7th combined to claim the top seven positions on the night for the all-conquering FTR750. Fisher claimed the fastest lap honors.
Jake Johnson (No. 5 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07) was the best of the rest in eighth, with Briar Bauman (No. 14 Zanotti Racing Kawasaki Ninja 650) and Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Team XG750R) completing the top ten.
Ronnie Jones (No. 266 Estenson Racing/Loral Lake Racing Indian Scout FTR750) re-established his own record as the oldest rider to make an AFT Twins Main Event. Finishing 14th, the 57-year-old Jones is the owner of 10 career AFT Twins victories, the first of which came almost four decades ago and the most recent nearly a quarter century back. He has qualified for AFT Twins Main Events across five different decades – the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, ’00s, and ’10s.
Reigning AFT Singles champion Kolby Carlile (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) scored a spectacular victory by a mere 0.013-second margin of victory (Carlile won the championship last year without a race win). Brandon Price (No. 92 Parkinson Brothers Racing/DPC Racing Honda CRF450R) was second with Dan Bromley (No. 62 KTM North America/Bromley Motorsports 450 SX-F) third.
The 2016 class champ Ryan Wells (No. 94 RMR/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda CRF450) was fourth with Tristen Avery (No. 16 Ron Ayers/Mr. Sign Honda CRF450R) and Jesse Janisch (No. 132 Roof Systems/West Bend Harley-Davidson-backed Yamaha YZ450F) finishing fifth and sixth, respectively. Three-time Sacramento Mile winner Shayna Texter (No. 52 Husqvarna Motorcycles/JCS Racing FC450) was seventh
Next up is the famed Springfield Mile - the first of two visits to Springfield, Illinois this season ((may 27) followed by the Red Mile at Lexington, Kentucky on June 2.