Briar Bauman (No. 14 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) rebounded from his worst result of the 2019 American Flat Track season by scoring a dominant victory in Round 9 of the 2019 AFT Championship season, the New York Short Track at Weedsport Speedway (July 13).
Bauman saw his hard-earned AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines title lead cut down considerably when his season-long podium streak was broken by a mechanical DNF in Round 8 (the Lima Half Mile) last time out at the Lima Half-Mile.
At the start of the 30-lap Main Event, the recently rejuvenated Jeffrey Carver Jr. (No. 23 Roof-Systems of Dallas/Indian of Metro Milwaukee FTR750) squeezed past Bauman and his brother, Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750), to lead the opening lap.
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| Photo: Scott Hunter/American Flat Track |
Having won at the Daytona season opener, the result gave Bauman his second win of the series so far, a seventh top two and an eighth podium from the nine Championship rounds so far.
Jeffrey Carver Jr backed up his first podium of the year with a second consecutive runner-up result. He was followed to third by Short Track standout Henry Wiles (No. 17 Bandit Industries/DPC Racing/Wilco Racing Indian FTR750), Bronson Bauman was fourth with Robert Pearson (No. 27 R/J Performance/Hite Trucking Indian FTR750) secured his best result of the season in fifth.
Meanwhile, multi-time time defending AFT Twins champ Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) could manage just seventh on the night. As a result, Bauman stretched his Championship advantage over Mees back out to 26 points (170 -144) as the title fight reached its halfway point.
In the AFT Singles Dalton Gauthier (No. 122 D&D Cycles/Gobert Smash Husqvarna FC450) took his second victory of the season to reclaim the AFT Singles championship lead. Pre-race title leader Mikey Rush (No. 15 RMR Honda/Red Riders Rewards Honda CRF450R) was forced to watch from the fences after he failed to make the Main event. Morgen Mischler (No. 69 Waters Autobody Racing/D&D Powersports KTM 450 SX-F) took second with reigning class champion Dan Bromley (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) third, Kevin Stollings (No. 99 Roof Systems/Motion Pro Honda CRF450R) fourth and Shanya Texter (No. 52 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing SX-F 450) fifth.
The AFT series takes a short break now, before the next race - the Buffalo Chip TT on August 4th and Black Hills Half Mile (Rapid City, SD) on August 6th before the rearranged Cycle Gear Sacramento Mile August 10.
The series then descends on Illinois for three races - the Peoria TT, August 17, the rearranged Springfield Mile I on August 31 and the as originally schedule Springfield Mile II the next day, September 1.
The 2019 series wraps up in September with the Williams Grove Half Mile (Mechanicsburg, PA., September 9), the Minnesota Mile (Minneapolis, September 21) and the final round, the Meadowlands Mile, East Rutherford, NJ, September 28.
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