FLAT TRACK
2017 AMERICAN FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 17 / SEPTEMBER 23, 2017
TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY / FORT WORTH, TEXAS
P68
wedged his way inside Bryan
Smith in turn two, but Smith held
him off. As they entered turn
three Lewis once again lever-
aged his way inside, this time
gaining enough of an advantage
to take the last podium spot.
Briar Bauman was able to hold
off Rob Pearson, who posted
his best finish of the year on his
XR750, for fifth. Seventh and
eighth went to Kawasaki riders
Jarod Vanderkooi (Richie Morris
Racing/McElroy Packaging)
and Davis Fisher (Bob Lanphere
Beaverton Motorcycles).
Cory Texter (John Wise/Team
Nila Harley-Davidson XR750)
edged out Larry Pegram (Indian
Motorcycle/Allstate Insurance
Indian Scout FTR750) and
Staten Island/CR Motorsports,
Harley-Davidson XR750)
"I was checking here and
there and I saw him [Mees]. I
was definitely trying to stay very
smooth, but I was also on the
edge of disaster a couple times,"
said Carver. "I just wanted to
make sure that I wasn't over
pushing and over riding the
motorcycle. A couple laps I
would slow down and try some
different things. I would check to
see where he was at and make
sure he wasn't closing in on
me. I wanted to make sure that I
wasn't drawn off my line."
On the last lap, Johnny Lewis
encountered lapped traffic. So
many times when the leader
catches the tail end it is the
leader who suffers, but this time
Carver's lead actually increased.
"I got a little close to one or two
of the guys in lapped traffic. I
would slip by them and think,
'okay, now you've got to put in
a really hard lap again.' It was
good. I've been in those posi-
tions too. Guys try to move out
of the way as best they can."
The leaders were over eight
seconds ahead of a tight race
for third between Smith, Johnny
Lewis (Team Nila/John Wise, In-
dian Scout FTR750), Briar Bau-
man (Zanotti Racing/Rod Lake
Racing, Kawasaki) and Rob
Pearson (Harley-Davidson of
Mees admitted that he was
second best on this night. But
he's still the champ.
