Briar Bauman won his second American Flat Track Grand National as 78th Annual Black Hills Motorcycle Rally kicked off with a TT that was specially built in the famous Buffalo Chip campgrounds in Sturgis, South Dakota. The half-mile long track, with right and left turns also included a jump that that saw plenty of air for the big twins and 450cc singles alike.
A huge crowd packed the amphitheater that normally hosts the largest music festival in motorcycling. With spectators standing on balconies, sitting in the bleachers or at the bar situated inside one of the turns, there didn’t appear to be any vacant viewing areas.
For the majority of the day Henry Wiles (Willy Built/Mad Dog Racing Kawasaki) was the man to beat in Sturgis. For 15 laps of the 25-lap main he looked to be on his way to his 18th TT win, but the race proved to be anything but predictable.
AFT Twins
Bauman (Zanotti Racing/Rod Lake Racing Kawasaki) settled into second, behind Wiles, with current points leader Jared Mees (Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing Indian) and Jake Johnson (Harley-Davidson Motor Company/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson) fighting over third when the Sturgis TT main event got underway.
After weathering two restarts for debris on the race track, Wiles brought out the red when he landed heavily off the jump on the first lap of the second restart.
“I hit the jump and I was enough back in the air, and I saw [Wiles] hit the ground and rip the sump off,” said Bauman, who was in second at the time. Before Wiles could get off the track he had dropped oil all the way around the next tight left hand turn. Bauman hit the oil and then the air fence, but fortunately was not hit by any of the tightly bunched field behind him.
“There was smoke everywhere,” Bauman said. “I saw the line of oil going into the turn and had a feeling of what was going to happen. Unfortunately, it did. For a second I was losing my mind. I didn’t even want to go any more. I was gutted.”
Bauman’s despair soon disappeared.
“Dave McGrath walked over and said, ‘This will revert back a lap because of the oil, and you went down because of the oil, so you get to go back to the front,'” Bauman recounted. “I can’t put into words how I felt. Just wow. That was just really, really good.”
Proving the old adage ‘To finish first, first you must finish,’ Bauman took full advantage of his opportunity and was able to win the Sturgis TT by more than two seconds over Mees, who had his hands full with a clearly fast Johnson, who netted third place to give the factory Harley-Davidson XG750R its first podium finish in an American Flat Track Series main event. That’s progress.
“It’s definitely a big confidence booster,” Johnson said. “I’ve struggled a lot lately. You kind of start to get some doubts in yourself of whether you can still do it or not.”
Brad Baker (Indian Motorcycle/Allstate Insurance Indian) struggled with the slick race track and came home sixth. Kayl Kolkman (Kolkman Racing/Dreamscape Engraving Yamaha) had his best outing of the year and finished seventh. Jeffrey Carver (Ben Evans Racing/Carver’s BBQ Kawasaki), Rob Pearson (Harley-Davidson of Staten Island Harley-Davidson [XR750]) and Mikey Rush (G&G Racing Machete Energy Yamaha) filled out the top 10.
With the season on the down hill side Jared Mees continues to pile up the podium finishes and pad his points lead. Defending Grand National champion, Bryan Smith (Indian Motorcycle / Allstate Insurance, Indian) had a rough day. After a fourth place finish in his semi left him on the second row for the main, he fell in the tight left hand turn after the jump. Smith was up quickly and rejoined the chase. Despite all the red flags, attrition was the main reason he claimed a twelfth place finish. Mees now has a 31 point lead headed to Tuesday nights half mile in Rapid City, SD.
AFT Singles
Making what has become a rare occurrence in the dirt track world, full time road racer, Hayden Gillim (Cycle World/Suzuki/Yoshimura Suzuki) captured his second win of the year in his second ride.
There was really little suspense as Gillim blasted into the lead in turn one and was never really challenged. Cole Frederickson (Ride Motorsports/Elite MX Honda) held second until lap 10when two former Experts blasted by. Both Dan Bromley (Big Momma & Daddy Deep Pockets Racing KTM) and Jessie Janisch (West Bend Harley-Davidson/Rock River Yamaha Yamaha) got by Frederickson and secured the last podium spots.
Frederickson held on to fourth although title contender Kolby Carlile (Estenson Racing/Autolite, Yamaha) closed at the end. Jacob Lehmann (Vince & Denise Holt/Ride Motorsports Honda) made his first AFT ride of the year count for a sixth-place finish.
AFT Singles points leader Shayna Texter (Richie Morris Racing/McElroy Packaging Honda) had a disappointing outing as she fell in the first turn of her heat and was unable to advance out of the Last Chance Qualifier into a Semi. On the bright side her main competition for the championship, Kolby Carlile (fifth) and Brandon Price (10th) were unable to fully capitalize. Texter’s lead class points lead is now 15 points as the series heads to a track that suits her a little better.
2017 American Flat Track Series
Buffalo Chip TT
Buffalo Chip Campgrounds
Sturgis, South Dakota
Results: August 6, 2017 (Round 13 of 20)
AFT Twins Main
1. Briar Bauman-Kaw
2. Jared Mees-Ind
3. Jake Johnson-HD
4. Sammy Halbert-Yam
5. Bronson Bauman-Kaw
6. Brad Baker-Ind
7. Kayl Kolkman-Yam
8. Jeffrey Carver Jr.-Kaw
9. Robert Pearson-HD
10. Mikey Rush-Yam
11. Kenny Coolbeth Jr.-HD
12. Bryan Smith-Ind
13. Danny Eslick-HD
14. Henry Wiles-Kaw
15. J.R. Addison-Kaw
16. Jarod Vanderkooi-Kaw
17. Ryan Wells-Kaw
18. Cory Texter-Kaw
AFT Singles Main
1. Hayden Gillim-Suz
2. Dan Bromley-KTM
3. Jesse Janisch-Yam
4. Cole Frederickson-Hon
5. Kolby Carlile-Yam
6. Jacob Lehmann-Hon
7. Ben Lowe-Hon
8. Wyatt Anderson-KTM
9. Tanner Dean-Hon
10. Brandon Price-Hon
11. Dawson Schieffer-Yam
12. CLayton Vonmoos-Yam
13. Tristan Avery-Hon
14. Jay Newton-Yam
15. Beau Thompson-Hon
16. Jake Fell-Hon
17. Jeremiah Lindberg-Hon
18. Parker Lange-Hon
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