FLAT TRACK
AMERICAN FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 18 / OCTOBER 6, 2018
MEADOWLANDS / EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY
P96
traction and Smith came away with
his third win in the last four races
(all miles). Carver and Bauman fin-
ished less than a second behind
the winner.
"Mees went by me and I just
sat on his bumper. I showed him
a wheel a couple times; to make
sure I could get there when I
needed to," said Smith. "Both
ends I could chop off a lot getting
in and stay off the brakes. I don't
think he could. He tried it once
and got sideways. I wanted to
save that until the end. I wanted
to be able to go at the end and I
didn't want him to learn it. In one
I could drive in low and was just
making a shorter track. It was
slick, but somehow my bike would
just go across it and his wouldn't."
After using his entire supply of
tear-offs, Coolbeth lost two posi-
almost everyone on the racetrack
was fighting through some sort
of vision problem due to the light
sprinkle that fell almost all day.
While Smith and Mees seemed
content in their sparring for the
lead Bauman and Carver, who
were having their own battle over
third, were cutting into their advan-
tage with every lap. With five laps
to go Carver had taken third over
Bauman, Coolbeth, Wiles and
Beach.
With just two laps to go it looked
as if the cat-and-mouse game go-
ing on for the lead would be blown
up as both Carver and Bauman
joined the fray. Carver grabbed
second temporarily as Smith retali-
ated quickly. On the last lap Smith
retook the lead down the back
straight. Mees tried to line up a
draft pass, but couldn't find the
Jared Mees (1) leads
Bryan Smith (4) in
the main but not for
long. Smith went on
to take his third win
in the last four races.
Jeffrey Carver (23) and Briar
Bauman (14) battled for the last
spot on the podium. The damp
conditions and mist played havoc
with the riders' vision.
