Cycle News

VOL. 51 ISSUE 33 AUGUST 19, 2014 P117 My Own Race: 1 BRAD BAKER 6TH Brothers Power Sports' Brad Baker nearly grabbed the early lead in the main, but even- tually he found his level in sixth. He said, "The day was like the rest of the season has been -- it was just kinda an uphill struggle. We got things pretty well figured out during qualifying and we were rolling pretty good in the Dash- for-Cash, which made me feel good going into the main event. We got some really good starts -- we got the holeshot off the first start and were second in the second one. I think I matched the fast lap time with Henry and Jared, but I was just having trouble getting over the jump. I'd come off it, but my landing was so rough. I think I got the save of the day award for not crashing. That took the wind out of my sails. Johnson ended up getting by me and put me to fourth. I ran with him for a while but I had another sketchy moment off the jump and that put me back from him. I was able to hang in fourth for a long time but my training program just hasn't been what it should have been this year with breaking my arm and switching my program back over to the Hondas and traveling a lot. It just hasn't left much time to focus on me. Being in great physical condition and just being confident in yourself plays a huge role here. Another Peoria in the books… Some guys left in the ambulance and I'm leaving under my own power so I can't complain too much." 95 JD BEACH 11TH Works Yamaha Daytona SportBike pilot JD Beach was hunting for another Flat Track top five, but it wasn't to be on Sunday. He said, "This was the first time I've ridden a Yamaha here and it was working really well. I was feel- ing really good -- the track was a little sketchy, but there's nothing there could have been done about it because of the consistent mist. In my heat race my pipe was starting to break, so I was starting to lose power. I just thought it was the bike and in the main during the warm- up lap, I got on the gas and the thing just had no power. The muffler piece just completely broke off so it had no back pressure. I'd get on the gas and it would go nowhere. I ended up just riding around and finished 11th. I'm just happy I made the main and I had fun today. I'm not chasing points so at the end of the day, I had fun. I broke a pipe and made enough in the main to buy a new one." 2 KENNY COOLBETH, JR. 16TH Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. came into Peoria car- rying momentum from both directions. He was fresh off his convincing win at the Indy Mile but also burdened with the memory of missed mains in his previous two TTs. While Sunday was an improvement in that he made his way into the main event, it was still a far cry from the form that has seen him take short track, half-mile, and mile victories this season. He said, "It's my typical Peoria. I just don't do good here. It's chaos everywhere. You have to put yourself out on a limb every time you're out there and I'm just not into it. It's fun riding it, but if you make one little mis- take, it bites you big. I've been there. But all- in-all, it was all right. We got a couple points there and made the main event, which we didn't do last year, so that is something to be kinda happy about. We've got some good races coming up for us so we'll see what happens. It's been so up-and-down this year. When it's good, it's great, but when it's bad, it's real bad. It's part of racing. You just have to keep your head held high. I would have loved to get Dave Zanotti a championship. I'm still chipping away but it's kinda creeping away. All we can do is win races." 14 BRIAR BAUMAN 4TH Rod Lake Racing's Briar Bauman made a remarkable run to fourth in the main event but was still left pondering what might have been. He said, "I messed myself up real bad in the heat race. I almost crashed and thought, 'man, we're going to go to the semi or the ambulance at this point.' Everything else went really well. I wish I could have got- ten back up to a front row start for the main in my heat race, but it is what it is. The first start in the main was a good one -- I was like fifth. But in the second one, I came out of the last turn in 11th. All you could see was that train of guys… 'It's going to be a long race.' It's not an easy place to pass and I don't know how, but 11th to fourth. So overall, it's pretty good, but it's so close to the podium you can almost taste it. Last year I was fifth. I led a few laps and worked my way backward. So this year means a little more. Working up from 11th to fourth means quite a lot to me. It was a fun day. Hopefully next year we get a front row start and see what we can do with it." Wiles (17) also took the four-lap Dash for Cash, crossing the line a little over a second ahead of second-place finisher Stevie Bonsey (80).

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