FLAT TRACK
AMA GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND: 1-2/MARCH 13-14, 2014
DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY/DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA
P52
pegged as the next 'Can't Miss'
champion. The stark reality of
going against the best flat track-
ers in the world put those lofty
early expectations into a more
accurate reality. Still, there was
no doubt this excellent rider from
the racing hotbed of Salinas, Cal-
ifornia, had the makings of a win-
ner. On Thursday night that talent
came to the forefront and Bau-
man raced like a savvy veteran,
leading every lap of the 25-lap
National on his Rod Lake Rac-
ing Honda CRF450F en route to
a 1.951-second victory over Hal-
bert to earn his first-career Grand
National victory.
"It was a good race," Halbert
said. "I thought I was going to
have something for him in the
middle of the race, but second
was the best I could do."
Rounding out the podium
Thursday night was one of last
year's Daytona winners, Brandon
Robinson, on his USC Kawasaki.
Mike Rush and Mees rounded
out the top five.
Bauman won the race on a
greasy track that had been wa-
tered just before the National
in an attempt to open up some
