FLAT TRACK
2017 AMERICAN FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 4 / MAY 13, 2017
ARIZONA SPEEDWAY / PHOENIX, ARIZONA
P66
turn one. "When he got by me,
I thought, 'okay, that's fine.' I
thought I could get right back
on him, like I did earlier," said
Baker. "He did have something
going on coming off of two and
he did gap me. I figured I better
get it going because I didn't want
him to get away."
"I was planning to follow
him. I wasn't sure if I could
hold him off going to the flag
with the headwind going down
the front straight away," said
Smith. "Luckily it worked out
just perfect where I was able to
run a little bit low down the front
straightaway and keep him from
drafting on the inside of me."
him kind of set the pace," said
Smith. "I planned to just push
him, push him, push him until he
messed up. I think I got him to
get a little antsy there at the end.
It worked out just perfect for me.
"On the restart with only five
to go you worry about somebody
going inside and stuffing you
and you don't have much time to
make it up," added Smith. "The
biggest thing that concerned
me was getting pushed off the
groove, with somebody making
a bonsai move on the first lap.
It was definitely a little nerve
wracking."
Smith made his move with
two laps to go, diving low into
the lead for a couple of laps, but
Baker was back in front when
the race was stopped. "It was
hard to strategize for the main
event. When we had a bunch of
laps under our belt I was able to
pull away," said Baker. "I did not
pull away big, but I had a couple
bike-lengths lead before that last
restart. My plan was just to put
the hammer down. I only fol-
lowed one time and I was able to
draft right back by."
With just five laps to go in-
stead of 15, the pace would be
a little more frantic. "The plan
was to sit behind who ever was
leading—I figured it would be
Brad—to sit behind him and let
Jared Mees
made it another
all-Indian
podium with
third place.
