Briar Bauman Scores Indy AFT Double Header Wins
After nine years of trying for a first AFT
Mile win, reigning Grand National
Champion Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian
Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance
FTR750) added his name to the list of
American Flat Track legends to win at
the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event
Center with an imperious victory in
Friday night’s Indy Mile I - one that he
backed up 24 hours later with a
tactical win in the Indy Mile II.
Friday night saw Bauman celebrate
the milestone performance with a
home run swing of the checkered flag,
signifying the completion of his career
Grand Slam, adding a first-career AFT
SuperTwins presented by Vance &
Hines Mile triumph to his earlier Half-
Mile, TT and Short Track wins.
Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Coolbeth-Nila
Racing Indian FTR750) took second,
with multi-time GNC champ Jared
Mees ( No. 9 Indian
Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance
FTR750) third.
On Saturday 22nd, the Indy Mile II saw
Briar Bauman top the podium ahead
of Mees second and Harley-Davidson,
Vance & Hines rider Bryan Smith
posting the first podium of the year for
the XG750R in third.
The AFT Singles presented by Russ
Brown Motorcycle Attorneys saw
second-year pro Brandon Kitchen (No.
105 Donley Excavating/TCD
Suspension Honda CRF450F) outfox
the most experienced riders in the AFT
Singles class with a dramatic final-lap
upset victory ahead of Henry Wiles
(No. 17 RMR Honda/Honda Talon
CRF450R) and Mikey Rush (No. 14
Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F)
third.
The following evening saw Wiles go
one better taking the win ahead of
Cole Zabala (No. 51 Cornerstone
Masonry/B&M Masonry CRF450R)
with long-time AFT Singles standout
Shayna Texter (No. 52 Red Bull KTM
Factory Racing 450 SX-F) giving the
KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F a
second Podium of the year in third.
In the AFT Production Twins Class, Ben
Lowe (No. 25 Roof Systems of
Dallas/Bruce Lowe Excavating
Yamaha MT-07) finally broke through
to claim his maiden AFT victory in the
Class Indy Mile I on Friday 21st, with
James Rispoli (No. 43 Latus Motors
Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R)
second, ahead of Chad Cose (No.
Wally Brown Racing Harley-Davidson
XG750R).
In the Production Twins Indy Mile II on
Saturday 22nd, James Rispoli went
one better with the win, his first in AFT
competition in more than a decade,
ahead of Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G
Racing/Roof Systems Yamaha MT-07)
second, and Nick Armstrong (No. 60
Lessley Brothers Racing/Competitive
SheetMetal Yamaha MT-07) third.
Next up will be a Springfield
tripleheader. The AFT Singles will kick
the weekend off in Springfield, Illinois,
with the Springfield ST on Friday,
September 4. After that, the AFT
SuperTwins and AFT Production Twins
will take over for two days of racing at
the “World’s Fastest Mile,” with the
Springfield Mile I on Saturday,
September 5, and the Springfield Mile
II on Sunday, September 6.
The following weekend is the Williams
Grove Half-Mile double header at
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania,
followed by the Dallas Half-Mile
September 25 & 26; the Atlanta Short
Track on October 2 & 3; Charlotte
Half-Mile on October 9 & 10 and the
season finale (TT) at Daytona on
October 15 & 16.