Aboard the #6 Harley-Davidson Motor Co/Screaming Eagle Performance Products/Arai Helmets/Vance & Hines-sponsored factory XR750, Baker never let up in dominating the track that he had felt from the start of the week that he would prosper at, and prosper he did. In the process, Baker moved into the 4th-place spot in the championship standings after taking his third straight top-5 of the season, and leading 22 laps of the 25-lap National main.
Sammy Halbert and Briar Bauman rounded out the podium, with new points leader Mees finishing in 4th-place and Jeffrey Carver, Jr. taking the 5th-place spot on the day after coming from the 15th spot on the grid. Former championship points leader Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. retired early in the fray due to the rough and dusty conditions, and rookie of the year candidate Kyle Johnson and former rookie of the year Jake Shoemaker both crashed out to bring out the red flag restarts.
Full results from the rain delayed event at Lima can be found here thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track, and my great traveling buddy and chauffeur, Larry Lawrence, has the full rundown of the race here in this week's edition of Cycle News.
You can also check out the press releases below thanks to AMA Pro Flat Track, which also include links to pics by AMA Pro Flat Track official photographer Dave Hoenig, and to the videos of the races on the day at Lima.
Brad Baker earns Lima Half-Mile win; Jared Mees leaves Ohio with Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines points lead
J.R. Addison wins GNC2 race in front of home crowd while Davis Fisher regains points lead
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 1, 2015) - Brad Baker's dominating Lima Half-Mile victory at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio, was the former Grand National Champion's first of the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track Season.
Baker crossed the finish line before all of his rival Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines competitors and has now finished inside the top five in three consecutive main events in the premier class.
Baker's dominance on Sunday didn't just come in the main event, as he checked out during his heat race and also earned the Dash for Cash victory. The Dryad, Wash., product now sits fourth in the Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines point standings and it's looking more and more like he's in his 2013 championship form.
Baker currently leads the Sunoco "Go the Distance Award" battle with 142.41 miles ridden so far in 2015. The $15,000 point fund will be disbursed to the riders that complete the furthest distance in their respective classes.
Brad Baker and his #6 Harley-Davidson Motor Company-sponsored XR750 survived two restarts to take the win and sweep the day at the Lima Half-Mile on Sunday, June 28. AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.
Kenny Coolbeth, Jr.'s luck was just the opposite of Baker's. The No. 2 Zanotti Racing Harley-Davidson competitor never found his groove and suffered mechanical woes on Sunday, as he failed to qualify for the GNC1 main event. After opting to use his provisional start card to enter the main, Coolbeth was still unable to get it going and the three-time GNC1 champion settled for a 17th place finish.
Coolbeth dropped from first to third in the standings following his Lima Half-Mile effort, and the Morris, Conn., native will be looking for a bounce-back performance this weekend at the Du Quoin Mile.
"I go to every race to do the best I can," said a disappointed Coolbeth. "Today was the best that I could do. Du Quoin is unique, it's going to be tough there too, but we'll be ready."
Though he finished off the podium for only the second time in five rounds this season, Jared Mees left Ohio with the GNC1 points lead after finishing fourth in the main event aboard his No. 1 Las Vegas Harley-Davidson machine.
"It feels good to come away with the points lead, but I always like staying on the box," said Mees. "I'm a little disappointed because I felt like we had a good chance of being there at the end of the race, but the lines really changed and Briar (Bauman) got me at the end. This track is hit or miss for me. Sometimes I come here and I'm fast and a threat to win and sometimes I come here and I'm average. Overall it was positive for us to come away with the points lead, though."
After winning the Lima Half-Mile in 2011 and 2012, Sammy Halbert rode the No. 7 Briggs Auto Harley-Davidson to second place on Sunday to complete his best performance so far this season. Halbert has now landed inside the top ten in every main event in 2015, and his consistency has him sitting second in the points after five rounds.
Briar Bauman, pilot of the No. 14 Hart Racing Kawasaki, placed third at Lima for his best performance of 2015. The Salinas, Calif., native now sits seventh in the standings.
Jeffrey Carver was another young rider who impressed on Sunday, as he rode the No. 23 Don's Kawasaki machine to fifth place at Lima and boosted himself into a tie for 10th in the standings.
Carver was the recipient of the MotoBatt Hard Charger Award, as he worked his way through the field after starting from 15th on the grid.
"I'm really happy with fifth," said Carver. "After having to go to a semi, I just wanted to put it in the main and win the MotoBatt Hard Charger Award and that's what I did. That was the goal, to get into the top six from starting on the third row. We did the same thing last round at Sacramento, when it was me, Coolbeth and Smith all tied for the award but Smith got up there and was able to win it. It was nice to have two weekends in a row being able to charge from the back and compete for the award."
There wasn't a rider who carried more momentum than Bryan Smith did entering the weekend. However, coming off two straight wins, Smith wasn't quite able to match the speed of the other top riders on the pea-gravel surface and finished eighth at Lima. As a result, the No. 42 Crosley Radio Kawasaki pilot dropped to sixth in the standings.
No. 44 Latus Motorsports Triumph competitor Brandon Robinson finished ninth at Lima and now sits fifth in the standings.
After five rounds of action, No. 77 Parkinson Brother's Racing Kawasaki rider Kyle Johnson leads No. 17F Don's Kawasaki pilot Jarod Vanderkooi in the 2015 Saddlemen Rookie of the Year chase by a single point. The $5,000 year-end award will go to the eligible rookie rider who earns the most points in the Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines class.
GNC2
J.R. Addison, riding the No. 24F Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda, earned the GNC2 Lima Half-Mile victory on Sunday in front of his hometown crowd. It was the Bucyrus, Ohio, native's first win of the 2015 season and he now sits seventh in the point standings.
No. 67M Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda pilot, Davis Fisher, finished second at Lima and recaptured the GNC2 points lead after forfeiting it last round at Sacramento.
After finishing in the top five in his previous three GNC2 main events, Brandon Wilhelm rode his No. 24J Mike Butler Racing Honda to a 10th place finish at Lima. He sits second in the standings behind Fisher.
Sixth place finisher and No. 27U Roy Built Honda pilot Jamison Minor sits third in the points after five rounds. No. 36B K.C. Cycle rider Kolby Carlile finished 15th at Lima and is the current Sunoco "Go the Distance Award" leader with 99.44 miles ridden so far in 2015.
Next up for the stars of AMA Pro Flat Track is Round 6 of the 2015 season, the Du Quoin Mile, scheduled for July 4 at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in Du Quoin, Ill. For tickets and more information regarding the event, please visit http://www.showclix.com/event/DuQuoinMileAMA.
Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines Lima Half-Mile top five results
1. Brad Baker (Harley-Davidson)
2. Sammy Halbert (Kawasaki)
3. Briar Bauman (Kawasaki)
4. Jared Mees (Harley-Davidson)
5. Jeffrey Carver Jr., (Kawasaki)
6. Henry Wiles (Harley-Davidson)
7. Robert Pearson (KTM)
8. Bryan Smith (Kawasaki)
9. Brandon Robinson (Triumph)
10. Stevie Bonsey (Harley-Davidson)
Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines top five in points after Round 5
1. Jared Mees (77)
2. Sammy Halbert (74)
3. Kenny Coolbeth (69)
4. Brad Baker (69)
5. Brandon Robinson (66)
6. Bryan Smith (63)
7. Briar Bauman (49)
8. Henry Wiles (42)
9. Robert Pearson (42)
10. Stevie Bonsey (41)
GNC2 Lima Half-Mile top five results
1. J.R. Addison (Honda)
2. Davis Fisher (Honda)
3. Ryan Wells (Honda)
4. Hunter Edwards (Honda)
5. Bronson Bauman (Honda)
6. Jamison Minor (Honda)
7. Dan Bromley (KTM)
8. Dalton Gauthier (Yamaha)
9. Andrew Luker (Honda)
10. Brandon Wilhelm (Honda)
GNC2 top five in points after Round 5
1. Davis Fisher (71)
2. Brandon Wilhelm (64)
3. Jamison Minor (61)
4. Nick Armstrong (56)
5. Andrew Luker (56)
6. Dalton Gauthier (51)
7. J.R. Addison (50)
8. Dan Bromley (50)
9. Justin Jones (48)
10. Bronson Bauman (47)
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Brad Baker dominates Lima Half-Mile for his first win of the AMA Pro Flat Track season
LIMA, Ohio (June 28, 2015) - Brad Baker put together his finest performance of the 2015 AMA Pro Flat Track season on Sunday when he rode his No. 6 Factory Harley-Davidson to a first place finish at the Lima Half-Mile.
Baker not only claimed his first Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines victory of 2015 and his first elite class win at Lima, but he was flawless throughout the entire day, qualifying fastest and winning his heat race and the Dash for Cash.
"It was an amazing race," said Baker. "From the get go, I put the hammer down. (No. 17 Zanotti Racing rider) Henry (Wiles) was doing really well and keeping me on my toes the entire race. I was pretty nervous at the beginning. I switched to the awesome factory suspension and since then, everything has been working really well. Big shout out to Terry Vance and Kris Schoonover, who couldn't be here because of the weather yesterday. Great job to everybody with AMA Pro Racing, Dean Gallup and the whole Lima crew. It's been an excellent time here."
The event was originally scheduled for Saturday, but inclement weather forced it to be pushed back. Sunday's weather proved ideal, especially for Baker.
Brad Baker and his #6 factory Harley-Davidson XR750 swept the day at the Lima Half-Mile on Sunday, June 28 in the rain delayed round 5 of the AMA Pro Flat Track Grand National Championship GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines class. AMA Pro Flat Track photo by Dave Hoenig.
Wiles jumped out to an early advantage and led the first three laps of the main before Baker got in front. On a restart due to an incident involving Jake Shoemaker, Baker jumped out front and was never challenged for the remainder of the event. Second place went to Sammy Halbert, and Briar Bauman came home in third. Jared Mees' fourth place finish was good enough to move him into the points lead, 77-74, over Halbert.
After his win, Baker now sits fourth in the Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines point standings. Halbert, piloting the No. 7 Briggs Auto Kawasaki, was impressive en route to his second place finish Sunday. The Graham, Wash., product now sits second in points and owns two podium appearances in 2015.
For Bauman and his No. 14 Hart Racing Kawasaki, it was the first top-three finish of 2015. The Californian now sits seventh in the standings. Behind Mees and his No. 1 Las Vegas Harley-Davidson machine and rounding out the top five was Jeffrey Carver Jr. on the No. 23 Don's Kawasaki entry.
Mees has now finished fifth or better in four of the five Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines main events in 2015. Kenny Coolbeth Jr. was leading the GNC1 points standings entering Lima, but mechanical woes ended his day early in the main after using a provisional to enter it.
GNC2
J.R. Addison ripped the lead from Jamison Minor on lap two of the GNC2 main event on Sunday and never looked back from there, earning his first win of the 2015 season aboard the No. 24F Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda.
Ever since he turned pro in 2013, Addison has had the Lima Half-Mile marked on his calendar as a race he wanted to win more than any other on the AMA Pro Flat Track schedule. His hometown of Bucyrus, Ohio, is a short trip from the Allen County Fairgrounds. "It feels great to get this win," said Addison. "I was fast qualifier but I struggled a bit in my heat race. I got a good start in the main and made the pass on Jamison (Minor) pretty early. I have been looking forward to this race for a long time. I've actually been looking forward to this race the most (since) I turned pro, and I finally got to compete in it. To come away with the win is awesome."
Addison's teammate, Davis Fisher, piloting the No. 67M Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda, took home second and now sits first in the GNC2 point standings by seven (71-64) over Brandon Wilhelm, who was 10th Sunday on his No 24J Mike Butler Racing Honda. Fisher's runner-up performance was a nice rebound from his crash at Sacramento last round, which led to a 17th place finish.
Ryan Wells (No. 94B ERT Racing Honda) closed out the podium on Sunday with Hunter Edwards (No. 93F UMD Automated Systems Honda) and Bronson Bauman (No. 30Z R&D Machine Honda) rounding out the top five, respectively.
Nick Armstrong led the GNC2 point standings coming to Lima but crashed in the LCQ, keeping him out of the main event.
Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines Lima Half-Mile top five results
1. Brad Baker (Harley-Davidson)
2. Sammy Halbert (Kawasaki)
3. Briar Bauman (Kawasaki)
4. Jared Mees (Harley-Davidson)
5. Jeffrey Carver Jr., (Kawasaki)
Harley-Davidson GNC1 presented by Vance & Hines top five in points after Round 5
1. Jared Mees (77)
2. Sammy Halbert (74)
3. Kenny Coolbeth (69)
4. Brad Baker (69)
5. Brandon Robinson (66)
GNC2 Lima Half-Mile top five results
1. J.R. Addison (Honda)
2. Davis Fisher (Honda)
3. Ryan Wells (Honda)
4. Hunter Edwards (Honda)
5. Bronson Bauman (Honda)
GNC2 top five in points after Round 5
1. Davis Fisher (71)
2. Brandon Wilhelm (64)
3. Jamison Minor (61)
4. Nick Armstrong (56)
5. Andrew Luker (56)
Next up for the stars of AMA Pro Flat Track is Round 6 of the 2015 season, the Du Quoin Mile, scheduled for July 4 at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in Du Quoin, Ill. For tickets and more information regarding the event, please visit http://www.showclix.com/event/DuQuoinMileAMA.
How to Watch:
FansChoice.tv is the official home for live streaming coverage of AMA Pro Flat Track events. The site also provides coverage of IMSA's development and single-make series, and NASCAR's touring and weekly series. About AMA Pro Flat Track: AMA Pro Flat Track is a national motorcycle racing series in North America and is considered one of the oldest forms of motorcycle racing. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, the Series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track racing in the world. For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track, please visit www.amaproracing.com/ft. |
AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. Learn more about AMA Pro Racing at www.amaproracing.com.
For additional information contact:
AMA Pro Racing Communications, (386) 492-1014, communications@amaproracing.com
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