FLAT TRACK
AMA GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND: 1-2/MARCH 13-14, 2014
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY/DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA
P50
surprise winners continues.
While the spotlight shined on
Bauman and Coolbeth, quietly
working his way to the front of
the all-important 2014 AMA Pro
Grand National point standings
was veteran Sammy Halbert.
Halbert parlayed a second- and
fourth-place combo on his Fred-
ericktown Yamaha/Vans Yamaha
YZ450F to leave Daytona atop
the series. Halbert accomplished
the feat in spite of missing Dayto-
na last year while recovering from
knee surgery.
There were many interest-
ing side stories at Daytona as
well. Shayna Texter was mak-
ing her Grand National debut
in short track racing, which has
never been her forte. She didn't
qualify for the National but she
came very close and looked
very competitive in her qualifying
heats and semis. It was obvious
her off-season training and test-
ing aboard the factory Triumph
Grand National Twins machine
served her well.
Usual short track standouts
Jared Mees and Henry Wiles
looked lost at times, especially in
the prelims, but in the end both
fought their way through adver-
sity and ended up leaving Florida
solidly inside the top 10 in the
championship standings.
(Above) Thursday night's podium
featured (from left to right) Halbert,
Bauman and Brandon Robinson.
(Right) Briar Bauman showed the
field how it was done in Thursday
night's National to earn the first
Grand National win of his career.
