FLAT TRACK
AMA GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 8/JULY 26, 2014
CAL EXPO FAIR/SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
P60
Mile himself, Scott Parker.
"I remember watching count-
less hours of Springfield Miles,
Sacramento Miles—the Miles
were cool to me," Smith said.
"I was brainwashed when I was
seven years old to learn how to
go around a Mile. I mean there're
still things I do around the track
every lap of the main, every win
I've had that I've either learned
from watching [Scott] Parker or
[Kevin] Atherton or some of the
best Milers. Or they've told me
and taught me. So it's pretty awe-
some for me to look up to them
growing up, race pro, then have
them coach me and win. It's real-
ly awesome for me. It's special."
Smith and his Kawasaki
EX650 have been a formidable
opponent for the past few years.
In fact, so much so that there
was a big outcry to get rid of the
restrictor plates on the Harleys—
something that had been in place
for 27 years. So they let the Har-
leys loose this year and, at Sac-
ramento, they gave great chase,
but Smith still took the checkered
flag.
"You know, that's probably
something that made it a little
tougher today—the Harleys being
unrestricted," Smith said. "They
could do a little bit different stuff
through the corners and obvi-
ously they had more power down
the straightaways. So I definitely
had my work cut out for me, I
think some of it was probably the
restrictor plate."
But Smith's wins haven't just all
come on his fast Kawi.
"I won here on a Harley in 2011
and we were all on the restrictors.
We were all on the Harleys pretty
much," Smith said. "To beat them
restricted and now unrestricted,
(Above) Since it's return to the
schedule in 2011 after a 12-year
absence the Sacto Mile has been
Smith's turf.
(Above right) Kyle Johnsons took the
comeback victory in the Pro Singles
class, his fourth this year.
(Right) Jared Mees heads on top
of the box after his Dash for Cash
victory. Mees was riding without his
face shield, losing it coming out of
the last corner on the last lap.
