FLAT TRACK
2017 AMERICAN FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 5 / MAY 20, 2017
CAL EXPO FAIRGROUNDS / SACRAMENTO, CA
P92
to react. When you're out front
you are kind of a sitting duck,"
said Smith. "I was up there for
a minute and realized that I
needed to hang back. I wasn't
sure if tire wear was going to be
a problem with the 10s, but Brad
was going hard. I thought it was
easier to just cruise for a little
while. I played it safe and fortu-
nately it worked out. Tire wear
didn't look like it was an issue.
His [Baker] might have been a
little hotter than the rest of ours."
"I could tell that Bryan did not
want to lead because he would
let off going into turn one, with
two laps to go, just wanting us to
go on by," said Baker. "Eventu-
A slip by Carver coupled by a
flat tire for Bauman let the lead
trio get away and the remainder
of the field was left to race for
fourth.
When the race entered its
final stages the 130 mph chess
game was in full swing. "Around
halfway through I think me and
Bryan were thinking we are just
going to roll around here and
let Brad take the lead, push
the pace," said Mees. "He was
pushing the pace hard. I was
thinking maybe that tires were
going to be a problem, then
when five to go came we started
shuffling around."
"On the miles you've just got
around," added Baker. "It turns
out that I was the mouse being
chased around. Those guys
definitely had that in mind, but
it's like if they just slipped up a
little bit and didn't have that run,
then they wouldn't have gotten
by me. You've got to pick one
or the other. I chose the wrong
one. Bryan had that strategy."
For a few laps, it appeared
there might be a challenge to the
Indian team, as Jeffrey Carver
(Ben Evans Racing/Carver's
BBQ Kawasaki), Briar Bauman
(Zanotti Racing/Bill Werner
Kawasaki) and Sammy Halbert
(Estenson Logistics Racing
Yamaha) were all close behind.
Smith looks
back and sees
Baker right
behind him.
