Cycle News

ROUND 8/AUGUST 17, 2013 INDIANA STATE FAIRGROUNDS/INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA FLAT TRACK P62 AMA GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Smith (center) was joined on the podium by Baker (left) and Robinson (right). My Own Race: 10 JOHNNY LEWIS 18TH Many old-time Indy Mile observers were rooting for Latus Motors Racing Triumph Bonneville-mounted Johnny Lewis. Larry Palmgren won the Indy Mile in 1969 on a Triumph and Lewis was trying to bring back the British marque in AMA Grand National competition. Unfortunately, the bike had some serious handling issues that caused Lewis to retire early. "We qualified good when the track was brushed off and kind of slippery," he said. "As the track developed a groove we're having issues having the bike go in a straight line and not wobble. It was wobbling so bad it was actually blowing the brake pads apart, so I was having to pump the brakes getting into the corners. We dealt with it in the heat race, but managed to get in the main. We made a bunch of changes; tried some stuff, but it still did it. So it's kind of back to the drawing board to see what we can do." 95 JD BEACH 5TH JD Beach continues to prove to be one of the most versatile motorcycle racers of his era. Coming from podiums in Daytona SportBike road races a few weeks ago in Utah and then another podium performance at the Peoria TT, Beach scored an excellent fifth on his Burnett Farms Racing/Red bull Kawasaki in his first appearance at a mile this season. "I had a real good start and was right behind Bry- an [Smith] and was running real well," Beach said. "Jared [Mees] came up to pass me a couple of times. I made a mistake going into three and blew the groove and a couple of guys got by me. I had to make up a big gap and finally got back up to them with about five laps to go or so. I came from a good ways back in sixth to get fifth at the end. For my first mile race of the year it's not too bad. I'm having fun and that's what it's all about here for me because I'm not chasing points or anything." 1 JARED MEES 4TH Defending Grand National Champion Jared Mees continues to show strong form in his comeback from a broken arm earlier this season. Mees is in fourth and still has an outside shot at defending his title, although he would need a lot of help to do so. "I felt like we had second covered tonight," said the Rogers Racing/Blue Springs Harley-Davidson rider. "I was 50-50 on Brad [Baker] drafting me or not drafting me at the line. I was going to play it safe and come off the corner in third and draft him because I could draft him on any straightaway really. I come down the back straightaway and roll out of it, and I felt like I was going really slow and all of a sudden there goes [Brandon] Robinson by both of us. He just messed my whole scenario right up. It's disappointing. I probably should have just went for it."

• Cover