FLAT TRACK
AMERICAN FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 2 / MARCH 25, 2017
DIXIE SPEEDWAY / WOODSTOCK, GEORGIA
P86
a good start on the restart and
ran our own race and brought
home the W, so that's what mat-
ters," said Mees.
The rest of the "Indian Wreck-
ing Crew" took over second and
third. Brad Baker, who was liter-
ally knocked out of the Daytona
TT last week, led the defending
series champion, Bryan Smith,
on their Indian Motorcycle/All-
state Motorcycle Insurance in
second. "I didn't know for five
laps or so who was behind me. I
could feel somebody back there
kind of breathing down my neck
We got relatively aggressive,
no contact, then I ran it in and
passed him going into turn
three. Coming off of turn four,
I looked down to see where he
was at and as soon as I looked
down the next thing I know my
handlebars got clipped. I was on
the ground and sliding down the
front straightaway."
As per the rules, the field was
lined up for a five-lap dash to
the finish with Halbert rejoin-
ing the race at the back. Mees
quickly took control of the race
with a perfect restart. "We got
down. It wasn't by any means
intentional. Our lines crossed."
Halbert slid down the front
straight out next to the wall and
as soon as he stopped sliding
he scrambled over the wall to
safety. With his Harley laying
right on the groove the red lights
flashed on lap 23.
"I think that maybe some
lappers made me run a lower
line and made me lose some
momentum and he might have
closed the gap," said Halbert.
"He ran it in on me, he passed
me and I passed him back.
Sammy Halbert and Jared
Mees had a great battle until…
...they tangled and Halbert went down.
