The Illinois State Fairgrounds hosted round six of the American Flat Track championship on Memorial Day Weekend. The traditional race weekend kicked off with a TT race at the fairgrounds Arena complex where there has been racing since 2000, followed by Sunday’s big show, the 2017 Springfield Mile.
On Sunday the action turned to the fabled Springfield Mile oval where 50 riders brought their fire breathing twins out to compete. Forty seven riders would be trying to put a stop to the year-long stranglehold the Indian Motorcycle “Wrecking Crew” has on the American Flat Track series.
While Indian Motorcycle/Craig Rogers Racing’s Jared Mees came away with fast qualifying time, teammates, Indian Motorcycle/Allstate Insurance’s Bryan Smith and Brad Baker were ninth and twenty first respectively.
Sammy Halbert (Estenson Logistics Yamaha), Davis Fisher (Bob Lanphere Beaverton Motorcycles Kawasaki) and Johnny Lewis (Zanotti Racing Harley-Davidson XR750) were next, showing the brand diversity.
After all the heats and semis were run, the 25-lap AFT Twins main event kicked off with the three Indians leading the way. Smith got a great start, put his head down and tried to take an unusual approach to Springfield.
“I wanted to nail the holeshot and go as hard as I could and get away from those guys,” Smith said. “It worked for a little bit. I was peeking back and I could see Jared and I were staying about the same. I felt like, he was about the only guy that could run my pace, without just totally burning his tire up.”
When Mees caught up to Smith, they backed it down just enough that Baker also was able to catch their draft. As the three played their cat-and-mouse games, Fisher was also moving into contention with Sammy Halbert and factory Harley-Davidson backed Kenny Coolbeth showing newfound speed.
However, on lap 20 Coolbeth had a coolant hose come loose and drop coolant at the entrance of turn one. Ironically Coolbeth’s teammates, Jake Johnson and Brandon Robinson were the ones caught up in it.
“I saw a strip of coolant or oil going into one. By the time I saw it, it was too late,” Johnson said after the race. “I was on the ground and I saw Brandon’s bike go flying.”
The red flag that ensued would set up a six-lap shootout. While neither Johnson nor Robinson were seriously injured, neither would make the restart, and Coolbeth was forced to work on his bike during the red and would restart in last.
Brad Baker had led lap 19, and was on point for the restart, but Halbert got the attention of the huge Springfield crowd when he charged to the lead on lap 23. Halbert held a razor’s-edge lead for two laps over Mees and Smith with Baker and Fisher trying to figure into the mix for the win. Ben Evans Racing/Carver’s BBQ’s Jeffrey Carver and Weirbach Racing/Kawasaki USA’s Jake Shoemaker were also sniffing the lead draft as a typical Springfield finish was in the making.
On the last lap both Mees and Smith were able to get by Halbert, leaving him out to dry as the two Indians drafted to the finish line, and for the fourth straight race Smith came out on top, this time by just .005 of a second. Halbert was just .045 seconds back in third place. Baker, Davis, Carver and Shoemaker were less than one second away from the win. Henry Wiles (Willy Built/Mad Dog Racing Kawasaki), Johnny Lewis and Jeremy Higgins (Higgins Racing/RLJ Racing Kawasaki) filled out the top 10.
Since the AFT Singles class does not participate on the big mile oval at Springfield, Saturday’s night TT (and a short track in the fall) was added to the 2017 schedule to serve as warm-up entertainment for the Springfield crowd on the night before the Mile. A large field of 49 riders entered, but the class of the field was dirt-tracker-turned-road-racer Hayden Gillim. Gillim took his Cycle World/Suzuki-sponsored Suzuki to fast qualifying time, fast heat and fast semi on his way to leading every lap of the AFT Singles main event.
Gillim, whose cousins (Tommy, Nicky and Roger Lee Hayden) dominated the action so much at the facility that it was nicknamed Hayden’s Hollow for years. From the first moment Gillim hit the track you could tell he was a man on a mission.
“I grew up watching all these guys racing this track,” Gillim said. “Seeing Nicky, Roger and Tommy, all three, put it up on the podium in one night. That’s always made me want to get here and get this win. I can’t thank everybody enough, Cycle World, Suzuki, Yoshimura and the Rekluse guys for putting in the clutch last minute. This is for Team 95, for my little brother Ethan and Nicky too. Keep all the Hayden family in your prayers. This is for them.”
West Bend Harley-Davidson’s Jesse Janisch (Yamaha) was a solid second, well ahead of Kolby Carlile (Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda). By virtue of his third place-finish, Carlile takes over the AFT Singles points lead. Shayna Texter had the points lead coming into the event, but she failed to qualify for the main.
Cameron Smith (Carroll motor Fuels Honda) and Kyle Johnson (Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda) rounded out the top five.
2017 American Flat Track Series
Springfield Mile/TT
Illinois State Fairgrounds
Springfield, Illinois
Results: May 27-28, 2017 (Round 6 of 18)
AFT Twins Main
1. Bryan Smith-Ind
2. Jared Mees-Ind
3. Sammy Halbert-Yam
4. Brad Baker-Ind
5. Davis Fisher-Kaw
6. Jeffrey Carver Jr.-Kaw
7. Jake Shoemaker-Kaw
8. Henry Wiles-Kaw
9. Johnny Lewis-Har
10. Jeremy Higgins-Kaw
11. Cory Texer-Kaw
12. Kenny Coolbeth-Har
13. Shawn Baer-KTM
14. Mikey Rush-Yam
15. Ryan Varnes-Kaw
16. Jake Johnson-Har
17. Brandon Robinson-Har
18. Briar-Bauman-Kaw
Springfield TT AFT Singles Main
1. Hayden Gillim-Suz
2. Jesse Janisch-Yam
3. Koby Carlile-Hon
4. Cameron Smith-Hon
5. Kyle Johnson-Hon
6. Brandon Price-Kaw
7. Shane Narbonne-Hon
8. Ben Lowe-Hon
9. Clayton Vonmoos-Yam
10. Wyatt Anderson-KTM
11. Michael Inderbitzin-Hon
12. Beau Thompson-Hon
13. Mikeal Strable-Hon
14. Jay Newton-Yam
15. Kevin Stollings-Hon
16. Jake Fell-Hon
17. Steven Sandoval-Hon
18. Tristan Avery-Hon
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