Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1496288
I just tried to put it all together and felt a lot smoother and worked my way forward. It was a hard day, but a fun day." Daniels stretched out his championship advantage by finishing second, now boast- ing a 19-point lead over Beach after getting his sophomore campaign off to a scintillating 1-1-2-2 start. Meanwhile, Mees crashed from third, allowing rival Briar Bauman to secure his second podium in the early days of the powerful yet unrefined Rick Ware Racing KTM 890 Duke's development. Before he could recover and re-enter the fray, Mees was dropped a couple more posi - tions by a pair of TT standouts in the final lap, karma threatening to deliver a win to Daniels the same way it did for Beach at the Buffalo Chip four years earlier. But the number-95 MT-07 DT made it home, and Beach fur- thered his ongoing argument for his exact placement among the greatest TT riders the sport has ever seen. Beach said, "The day for me was a little tough. Dallas had my number all day long. He's been riding so good. All season, he's been hauling the mail. It's been frustrating for me because we're on the same bike, and he's been whupping my butt. But we just kept working at it and doing our laps and improving the bike. When it came time for the main, ROUND 4 / APRIL 1, 2023 WILD HORSE PASS MOTORSPORTS PARK / CHANDLER, ARIZONA FLAT TRACK I P86 made him an early favorite to win around the one-lined circuit, but he gradually faded down the order—a fall that didn't end until near the bottom of the top 10. Cose said, "Overall, until the very end, my day was good. My team gave me a great bike, and I felt I was riding great. I was pretty mistake-free all day, which is a big reason we were up front. We had the speed too—we've had the speed all year; we always have the speed—but that's the frus - trating part. I think all of this is on my shoulders, and I need to get back to grinding. I have to be better. Every- body behind me is putting in 110%, and we're fast enough to win races— it's obvious. I just need to execute. The good thing is, it's easier to fix the mistakes than find the speed. I'm very disappointed our position wasn't reflective of our speed. But it's a long season. We'll regroup, and we'll be on the top of the box before the end of the year." MYOWNRACE Briar Bauman picked up some valuable points with third. Rackley Racing's Ben Lowe and Royal Enfield's Johnny Lewis. Mees came home in sixth, followed by Rackley Racing's Davis Fisher, Fastrack Racing's Bronson Bauman, G&G Racing's Kolby Carlile and Royal Enfield's Ryan Wells. As a result, Mees is now two points adrift of Beach in third, digging himself in an early hole as he ramps up his title de - fense. And while the Yamaha duo could be expected to come out swinging with three Short Tracks and a TT to start the year, Daniels' showing at the HM-like 3/8-mile Senoia Short Track, and Yamaha's obvious speed at last year's Miles, suggests there isn't any reason to believe they'll