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/885168
FLAT TRACK 2017 AMERICAN FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL ROUND / OCTOBER 7, 2017 PERRIS AUTO SPEEDWAY / PERRIS, CALIFORNIA P54 fast-closing Smith for the last podium spot, clinching the 2017 AFT Singles Championship. Texter soldiered home fifth just ahead of Oliver Brindley (Kawa- saki UK/Haith Group, Kawasaki) and Newton. Dawson Schieffer (Terry Rymer/Black Hills Harley-Da- vidson/Yamaha), Hayden Gillim (Cycle World/Yoshimura, Su- zuki) and Tanner Dean (Walrath Racing/Hovey Racing, Honda) rounded out the top 10. Carlile's third place was more than enough to give him the 2017 AFT Singles Champion- ship even though he was not able to get that elusive win. "Other riders have won the championship without winning a race in the past, too, and the cards didn't come up right for me to get a win this year," said Carlile. "But I'm going to win next year, that's for sure. This isn't going to sink in for a while. This is really special." CN it's going to take to do that, I'm going to put together the best program. I know that some of these teams are sticking with one brand, but I don't necessar- ily have to do that being a priva- teer. We'll figure out where to run what. Whoever wants to jump on board and beat the factory, that's who I'm looking for." Stevie Bonsey talked about his first race back from injury. "It's bittersweet. I should be really happy to be fourth," Bonsey said. "It's been a long hard year and a half after breaking my neck. I started the day in the first practice and I had no expecta- tions. I just went out there and wanted to have fun. In the first practice I was 14th. I was 0.6 off the front and thought, 'Okay, that isn't bad for the first time on a twin in a year and a half.' Then we went out for the first qualify- ing session and transponders didn't work. I felt really fast and was wondering why it said I was dead last. I went out in the next qualifying session and I qualified second. In the second qualify- ing session I qualified third, so I knew I was in the hunt. I knew I had the speed, but that was by myself. I didn't know if I could race with the boys. It's been so long since I've been in the pack and dicing it up. Racing and qualifying is a whole different ballgame. I was racing in a pack with the big boys. They have been racing all year." Briefly... AFT TWINS 1. Jared Mees (Ind) 2. Jeffrey Carver Jr. (H-D) 3. J.D. Beach (Yam) 4. Stevie Bonsey (H-D) 5. Sammy Halbert (Yam) 6. Johnny Lewis (Ind) 7. Robert Pearson (H-D) 8. Davis Fisher (Kaw) 9. Ryan Wells (Kaw) 10. Briar Bauman (Kaw) AFT SINGLES 1. Brandon Price (Hon) 2. Ben Lowe (Hon) 3. Kolby Carlile (Yam) 4. Cameron Smith (Hon) 5. Shayna Texter (Hon) 6. Oliver Brindley (Kaw) 7. Jay Newton (Yam) 8. Dawson Schieffer (Yam) 9. Hayden Gillim (Suz) 10. Tanner Dean (Hon) The Kolby Carlile crew celebrates the well-deserved 2017 AFT Singles Championship.