FLAT TRACK
2017 AMERICAN FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 7 / MAY 27-28, 2017
ILLINOIS STATE FAIRGROUND / SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS
P82
and was sitting in fourth. Sammy
Halbert (Estenson Logistics/
Yamaha) joined his Washington
neighbor in an effort to catch the
lead draft.
Kenny Coolbeth was hav-
ing his best ride on the Factory
Harley-Davidson/Vance & Hines
XG750 and on lap nine moved in
between Fisher and Halbert, as
all three closed on the Indians.
Up front all three of the Indian
riders took turns leading, but
Smith was making most of the
"lap" money. On lap 19, every-
thing changed. Ironically a loose
coolant line on Coolbeth's ride
another Indian podium looked
inevitable. Smith appeared to
be on the verge of the unusual
(for Springfield) runaway win,
but, "Jared inched up on me
once and I was going hard," said
Smith. "I thought I didn't want
to be an idiot and burn my tires
up, so I eased up. Then it turned
into a three-way battle with us
Indians again."
Even though the Indians were
up front again, they were not
alone this time. Young Davis
Fisher (Bob Lanphere Beaverton
Motorcycles/Kawasaki) was hav-
ing his best Grand National ride
and get away from those guys.
It was working for a little bit,"
said Smith. "I was peeking back
and me and Jared [Mees] were
staying about the same. I felt that
he was about the only guy that
could run my pace, without just
totally burning his tire up."
"Early in the race, Bryan just
snapped and took off and I was
thinking, man he dropped the
pace quick," said the Indian Mo-
torcycle/Rogers Racing-backed
Mees.
The third Indian rider, All-
state Insurance's Brad Baker,
was closing, in third, and soon
Smith's fourth straight
win came with just 0.005
of a second to spare over
Jared Mees, and also
right there was Sammy
Halbert (69).
