Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/830616
FLAT TRACK 2017 AMERICAN FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 7 / MAY 27-28, 2017 ILLINOIS STATE FAIRGROUND / SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS P96 23 JEFFREY CARVER 6TH AFT TWINS While not hurt by the restart, it didn't help Jeffrey Carver either. "I never gained any ground on the restart. My best time was at the first half of the race," said Carver. "I actually caught Sammy and almost passed him twice, but the racetrack kept getting faster and faster and faster. My gear kind of ran out towards the second half of the race. Staying consistent is the big thing. Sammy, Coolbeth and me were gripping. We were wide open mid-corner, the track was so hooked. Our tires were so warm and everything was about perfect. We were catching those guys, like a quarter second a lap. I was just trying to tag on to those guys and keep going." 55 JAKE SHOEMAKER 7TH AFT TWINS Jake Shoemaker had made the biggest charge to the front before the red flag and was able to maintain his position. "I started around 16th or 17th. I had another typical bad start for me," said Shoemaker. "I was able to work up through the pack, I put in a lot of good laps. I was able to get into eighth. Me and Jake [Johnson] were battling for seventh and eighth, then Jake went down. I think there was coolant on the track from one of the other bikes. We had a restart and I tried a different setup on the start. I was able to land a really good start, right with everyone. I stayed in that top group. I made a mistake once during that six-lap dash. I spun up and lost the lead group and was able to get it back on the last lap, last corner. I finished with them." 5 JAKE JOHNSON 16TH AFT TWINS Jake Johnson's day pretty much followed the way his year has gone so far. "In the main event I didn't get the greatest start. I kind of had to work my way through the chaos the first couple laps," said Johnson. "Once I got some kind of clean track, I felt pretty good. By that time, the lead pack and the second pack were kind of gone. I saw a pack of three ahead of me. I felt like I was starting to make a little ground. I knew Brandon [Robinson] was behind me and then Shoemaker came up in the mix. He wanted me to follow him and I wanted him to follow me. That kind of turned into a whole other race and we lost that group. I got by Jake and went into turn one. I saw a strip of coolant or oil going into there. By the time I saw it, it was too late. It's been rough. I think I've been on the ground five times, is this round five? The only place I haven't hit the ground was Atlanta. I'm too old to be hitting the ground like this every week." 95 HAYDEN GILLIM 1ST AFT SINGLES For many years the Illinois State Fairgrounds Arena was known as Hayden's Hollow, a title earned by the repeated success of Hayden Gillim's cousins, Tommy, Nicky and Roger Hayden. Tommy won a TT (his only dirt track national win) and Nicky won four of his six nationals, two short tracks and two TTs including the famous Hayden brother podium sweep in 2002. "I grew up watching all these guys racing this track," said Gillim. "Seeing Nicky, Roger and Tommy, all three, put it up on the podium in one night. That's always made me want to get here and get this win. This is for Team 95, for my little brother Ethan and Nicky, too. Keep all the Hayden family in your prayers. This is for them."