-
Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
-
Latest Headlines: NASCAR
-
-
Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Games
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
Other Moto Racing
AMA FLAT TRACK: Sacramento Mile Review
Bryan Smith came out on top of another hard-fought battle to claim the Sacramento Mile.
(Photo: AMA Pro Racing/Dave Hoenig)
The much anticipated Sacramento Mile marked the first appearance of the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Championship presented by Motorcycle-Superstore.com and Lucas Oil on the West Coast and it didn't disappoint the large crowd gathered at the California State Fair on the Cal Expo mile oval.
The 25-lap Miller Lite Sacramento Mile presented locally by Big O Tires and Padilla Bail Bonds Grand National had all the typical mile-track action as a 100 MPH chess match unfolded. Draft passing and late race strategy was the name of the game.
Just as he had done in 2011, Bryan Smith came out on top. Last year, it was Chris Carr who came up just short but this year, defending Grand National Champion Jake Johnson was the victim. In 2011, back-to-back race winner Smith rode a Harley-Davidson XR750, but this year he was aboard the Crosley Radio / Howerton Motorsports / Eaken Racing-backed Kawasaki.
After dominating May's Springfield Mile early only to come up short on the last lap, Smith was the pre-race favorite of many and he was looking for redemption after losing a race he felt should have been his.
"I've been pretty much mad about Springfield since then, but now I can sleep at night," said Smith. "It is definitely a weight off my shoulders to get a win for Rick (Howerton) and Jeff (Gordon) here on the Crosley bike."
Zanotti Racing / Schaeffer's Harley-Davidson's Jake Johnson had started off the day posting fast qualifying times in the afternoon and followed that up with a dominating performance in the first heat. Johnson led Luke Gough (Dick Ford / Skip Eaken Racing) by nearly four seconds when the eight lap heat ended.
The two remaining heats were much more typical of mile flat track racing. Brandon Robinson (Werner-Springsteen Racing) edged Rogers Racing / Blue Springs Harley-Davidson's Jared Mees by 1 thousandths of a second in heat two.
Bryan Smith's time qualified him ninth, which he considered poor even though he was less than half a second off Jake Johnson's fast time of 38.742 seconds. Smith worked his way up from the back to win the third heat, garnering a front-row start in the national and a spot in the Dash for Cash.
"In the free practice session we were fastest, but the track just really kept changing so much. I just kept chasing the track," said Smith. "I felt decent. I knew we would be all right once we got to racing everybody. I always race better than I qualify. It was just a matter of mixing it up. In the heat race I got a horrible start, my fault. It was kind of good because it made me push it a little bit. At the same time it made me pretty nervous, to barely win the thing."
With the heat races in the books, the all-important Dash for Cash was up next, worth $1,000 to the winner and five points toward the Grand National Championship. Johnson jumped to a quick lead in the four-lap race and held off Mees, Smith and Robinson. The top four finished within half a second, foretelling how the national would play out, but not in that order.
The 25-lap main event saw the big number one of Jake Johnson blast into the lead, but it didn't take Smith long to make his presence felt on his high powered Kawasaki.
The 25-lap Miller Lite Sacramento Mile presented locally by Big O Tires and Padilla Bail Bonds Grand National had all the typical mile-track action as a 100 MPH chess match unfolded. Draft passing and late race strategy was the name of the game.
Just as he had done in 2011, Bryan Smith came out on top. Last year, it was Chris Carr who came up just short but this year, defending Grand National Champion Jake Johnson was the victim. In 2011, back-to-back race winner Smith rode a Harley-Davidson XR750, but this year he was aboard the Crosley Radio / Howerton Motorsports / Eaken Racing-backed Kawasaki.
After dominating May's Springfield Mile early only to come up short on the last lap, Smith was the pre-race favorite of many and he was looking for redemption after losing a race he felt should have been his.
"I've been pretty much mad about Springfield since then, but now I can sleep at night," said Smith. "It is definitely a weight off my shoulders to get a win for Rick (Howerton) and Jeff (Gordon) here on the Crosley bike."
Zanotti Racing / Schaeffer's Harley-Davidson's Jake Johnson had started off the day posting fast qualifying times in the afternoon and followed that up with a dominating performance in the first heat. Johnson led Luke Gough (Dick Ford / Skip Eaken Racing) by nearly four seconds when the eight lap heat ended.
The two remaining heats were much more typical of mile flat track racing. Brandon Robinson (Werner-Springsteen Racing) edged Rogers Racing / Blue Springs Harley-Davidson's Jared Mees by 1 thousandths of a second in heat two.
Bryan Smith's time qualified him ninth, which he considered poor even though he was less than half a second off Jake Johnson's fast time of 38.742 seconds. Smith worked his way up from the back to win the third heat, garnering a front-row start in the national and a spot in the Dash for Cash.
"In the free practice session we were fastest, but the track just really kept changing so much. I just kept chasing the track," said Smith. "I felt decent. I knew we would be all right once we got to racing everybody. I always race better than I qualify. It was just a matter of mixing it up. In the heat race I got a horrible start, my fault. It was kind of good because it made me push it a little bit. At the same time it made me pretty nervous, to barely win the thing."
With the heat races in the books, the all-important Dash for Cash was up next, worth $1,000 to the winner and five points toward the Grand National Championship. Johnson jumped to a quick lead in the four-lap race and held off Mees, Smith and Robinson. The top four finished within half a second, foretelling how the national would play out, but not in that order.
The 25-lap main event saw the big number one of Jake Johnson blast into the lead, but it didn't take Smith long to make his presence felt on his high powered Kawasaki.
Photos
LATEST HEADLINES: MOTO-RACING
-
WSBK: Donington Park Superpole Ticker
Notes and quotes following Tom Sykes' 15th career Superpole triumph.… -
PHOTOS: WSBK - Donington Park Superpole
Tom Sykes claimed the 15th Superpole victory of his career today… -
WSBK: Sykes Strikes Up Fourth Straight Superpole
Kawasaki Racing Team's Tom Sykes is now tied for sixth all-time in… -
AMA SBK: '13 Schedule Finalized
The late-season 'TBA' has officially been scrubbed from the 2013… -
AMA SBK: AMA Pro Invests In Airfence
AMA Pro Racing officials announced today that the company will be… -
PHOTOS: WSBK - Donington Park QP
Local favorite Tom Sykes was quickest in mixed conditions on the… -
WSBK: Donington Park QP Ticker
Notes and quotes following a wet opening day at Donington Park. - More News
