A dramatic last-lap turn of events gives recent Sacramento Mile winner Bryan Smith a night to remember at the X Games.
Before a huge television viewing audience, Crosley Motorsports Kawasaki rider Bryan Smith became the first rider in X Games history to win a Gold Medal in the sport of flat track racing with a last-lap win in the Flat Track X final on a rutted, dusty track at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, last night.
While the cobbly track conditions prevented the racing action from being what flat track racing’s hardcore fans had hoped for, the dramatic conclusion to the 20-lap Flat Track X final was one to remember. Reigning AMA Grand National Champion Jared Mees, Smith and former AMA Grand National Champion Brad Baker broke out of the unique motocross-style starting gate in a fight for the first turn, with Mees taking the early lead. Baker ran second, but his attempt to challenge Mess on the rutted, blue-grooved CoAs oval ended up costing him, as he drifted wide and lost a few track positions. That put Smith in second with Sammy Halbert third.
Mees continued to cruise alone out front, and the X Games Gold Medal appeared to be within his grasp as he sailed under the white flag, needing only to make one more lap to collect the hardware. But Mees suddenly slowed as he came off turn two, the victim of an untimely mechanical failure. Mees’ power loss was Smith’s gain, and Smith shot into the lead and claimed the coveted X Games Gold Medal.
“I’m stoked right now,” Smith said. “I was trying to ride smart and make sure of second place, when the leader had a problem. I’ve said it before, I would rather be lucky than good and tonight I was lucky to get the gold. My Kawasaki ran great and we put ourselves in position to win and capitalized when we needed to.”
Halbert tucked in behind Smith on his Kawasaki EX650 to take the silver medal and give Kawasaki a 1-2 finish. Baker recovered to finish third.
2015 X Games Flat Track X
Circuit of the Americas
Austin, Texas
Results: June 4, 2015
Flat Track X Final
2015 X Games Harley-Davidson Flat Track Results –
1. Bryan Smith
2. Sammy Halbert
3. Brad Baker
4. Johnny Lewis
5. Jake Johnson
6. Briar Bauman
7. Doug Lawrence
8. Mikey Martin
9. Kenny Coolbeth, Jr.
10. Michael Kirkness
11. Jared Mees
12. Brandon Robinson
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