FLAT TRACK
AMA PRO FLAT TRACK SERIES
ROUND 14 / SEPTEMBER 25, 2016
SONOMA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS / SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA
P78
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY
BY DAVE HOENIG
A
MA Pro Racing's 2016
season came to a close
with the running of the
Ramspur Winery Santa Rosa
Mile, presented by Triumph
at the Sonoma County Fair-
grounds. Harley-Davidson Motor
Company rider Brad Baker's
season has been beset with
misfortune and the final round
looked to be more of the same
on the rough and challenging
mile oval.
Once again Baker's XR750
Harley-Davidson would quit on
him while he was holding the
lead, but this time it was in a
heat race and there was time to
regroup as he was forced to a
semi.
"It was kind of good luck that I
had bad luck earlier on with the
motorcycles breaking, because
I got on the third bike and it was
running great," said Baker. "We
went out for the semi and pretty
much tried a different line every
lap. I found a good line on the
last lap. Also my lap time was
over two seconds a lap faster
than anybody in the Dash for
Cash. I was like, I can win this
thing."
Despite coming from the
third row Baker was in the first
position by lap three and was
never headed pulling to over a
14-second lead by lap 21; the
margin would shrink to 10 and a
half seconds by the end of the
25-lap race.
SMITH GETS
BRYAN SMITH FIGHTS FOR HIS
