FLAT TRACK
2017 AMERICAN FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 8 / JUNE 17, 2017
REMINGTON PARK / OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA
P80
his momentum Mees was able
to steal the victory. Baker led 23
laps, but Mees led the all impor-
tant last two.
"He (Baker) made a couple
of mistakes due to lappers, I
think," said Mees. "I just put my
head down those last two laps.
I wanted that one so bad. When
you talk about digging deep, I
dug deep."
Smith cruised home six
seconds back. With the leaders
turning 41-second laps, Halbert
was over half a lap back and
over 23 seconds off the pace
the water and charged even
harder after the suddenly strug-
gling Baker. When the five-laps-
to-go board came out, the torrid
pace saw the leader lapping all
the way up to ninth and Baker's
once substantial lead shrunk to
just over half a second and was
still shrinking.
With Baker playing defense,
Mees made his move on lap 24.
Baker retook the lead going into
turn one, then slid up the track
just enough that Mees was able
to slice back under and take the
lead. With Baker trying to regain
good. I did the exact opposite.
As soon as I got to lappers, I
don't think I got by one of them
cleanly."
McNews Automotive/Schaef-
fer's Motorsports' Shawn Baer
was having his best ride of
the year on his KTM LC8 and
through the roost and ruts, was
closing on Halbert. Both were
well back of Smith, who had lost
contact with Mees and was basi-
cally on cruise control.
Mees could have conceivably
settled for second at this point,
but he could see the blood in
Sammy Halbert (69) again gave the Indians a
battle but couldn't prevent an all-Indian podium.
Bryan Smith (1) was third.
