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 The heat likely worked in the favor of Bryan Smith who won the Grand
National Final of the Springfield Mile II. Smith, riding his #42
water-cooled Crosley Radio Kawasaki, double drafted past defending
national champion Jared Mees and Jake Johnson on the final lap to
snatch the victory.
Mees and Johnson both ride air-cooled Harley Davidson XR750s and
were at a slight disadvantage in the extreme heat. Mees rides the #1
Las Vegas Harley-Davidson. Johnson is filling in for the injured
Brad Baker on the factory Harley Davidson and is proving once again
that he is an elite rider, one of the most skillful riders the sport
has seen.
Unfortunately for Mees and Johnson, Smith's Kawasaki had just enough
horsepower to slingshot both of them to take the checkered flag.
Johnson posted the fastest qualifying time of the day and finished
second in the Dash for Cash. Top speeds on the Mile regularly reach
over 130 mph.
Smith's win placed him a single point behind defending GNC1 champion
Jared Mees with only three rounds remaining. He has won four out of
five Mile GNC1 races this season, further cementing his legacy as
the top Mile-circuit rider of his generation.
The gap between Smith and second- and third-place finishers, Mees
and Johnson, was a mere .027 seconds. Johnson held the lead coming
out of turn four of the final lap before coughing up the lead to
Smith at the finish line, eventually finishing third.
“On the last corner, I was wondering where Johnson came from, he
about schooled Jared and I,” said Smith. “It was just a fun race. We
were all so fast, and I was just trying to consistently stay out
front but conserve my tire at the same time. It’s literally like
threading the needle out there."
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This year's Springfield Mile II also showcased the first GNC1 Final
in AMA history that featured two female riders. #15 Nicole Mees won
the first GNC1 heat race of the day with Johnson finishing second.
The other female rider in the final was #52 Shayna Texter. Texter is
the daughter of former national #65 Randy Texter and is the sister
of current national #25 Cory Texter. Texter is a very talented rider
and has earned every accolade the hard way - on the track with the
big boys. Texter finished 10th in the final.
Mees had mechanical failures and had to pull out of the race on lap
20 of the 25 mile race.
The next race on the circuit is the Roar on the Shore at the
Delaware International Speedway in Delmar, DE, September 19th. Fans
can watch live streams of the AMA Flat Track series at fanschoice.tv.
Springfield Mile II Results – Sept. 6, 2015
1. Bryan Smith, Kawasaki.
2. Jared Mees, Harley Davidson
3. Jake Johnson, Harley Davidson
4. Sammy Halbert, Kawasaki
5. Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. , Harley Davidson
6. Brandon Robinson, Triumph
7. Stevie Bonsey, Harley Davidson
8. Jarod Vanderkooi, Kawasaki
9. Doug Lawrence, Kawasaki
10. Shayna Texter, Kawasaki
[Ed Bacon]
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