Jared Mees Fends Off Carver
Indian 1-2-3-4-5 at Calistoga Half-Mile
American Flat Track Calistoga Classic
When it comes to American Flat Track legend-in-the-making Jared Mees and Half-Miles, there are no half measures.
The defending AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines champ came out on top of a thrilling Calistoga Half-Mile presented by Indian Motorcycle Saturday night following a nail-biting last-lap duel with Jeffrey Carver Jr. (Indian Scout FTR750) to claim his third victory of 2018.
The victory was also Mees’ seventh in the most recent eight Half-Miles dating back to the 2017 season. The only rider to defeat Mees during that remarkable stretch was Carver, who very nearly pulled off the feat again tonight.
Mees took control of the race on lap 2, diving up the inside of Carver entering Turn 1 and threatened to break the race wide open from there. He eked out a tenth here and a tenth there, gradually assembling a one second advantage over Carver (and significantly more over the remainder of the field).
However, Carver expertly exploited the high line in the later stages of the race, tracking Mees back down and putting in a serious bid for the win. Carver powered up alongside Mees on more than one corner exit – including the final one – but Mees held strong to take the checkered flag by a narrow 0.114-second margin of victory.
Mees now boasts 33 career premier-class victories, tying him with Kenny Roberts for seventh on the all-time wins list. It was also his 24th career Half-Mile win, just one short of equaling another legend – Chris Carr – for third all-time in that discipline.
Jared Mees
“We didn’t have it dialed in during the Semi and came back and debriefed and made a few small changes. Hats off to my entire team. We work together on these wins, there’s no doubt. Sometimes when I’m weak, they’re strong. And sometimes when they’re weak, I’m strong. I looked back a couple times and I had a little bit of a gap, and then Jeffrey was right on me. We got into those lappers, and I just started thinking too much and he started charging hard. It was close at the end there, but we were able to pull through.”
Kenny Coolbeth, Jr. (Indian Scout FTR750) completed the Indian podium sweep in third, but that only scratched the surface of the marque’s one-sided success on the evening.
Jared Mees – Indian
Jeffrey Carver Jr. – Indian +0.114
Kenny Coolbeth Jr. – Indian +3.711
Brad Baker (Indian Scout FTR750) and Davis Fisher (Indian Scout FTR750) came home fourth and fifth to lock down the entire top five for Indian Motorcycles, while sixth-placed Briar Bauman (Kawasaki Ninja 650) was the only runner inside the top eight not aboard a Scout FTR750.
The first Harley XG750R was that of Sammy Halbert.
Even stripped of his Atlanta Short Track victory due to disqualification, Mees now leads the championship fight by 17-points over Saturday’s seventh-place finisher Henry Wiles (Indian Scout FTR750) 75-58. Bauman is third with 57.
2018 Calistoga Half-Mile Results
- Jared Mees – Indian
- Jeffrey Carver Jr. – Indian +0.114
- Kenny Coolbeth Jr. – Indian +3.711
- Brad Baker – Indian +6.858
- Davis Fisher – Indian +7.420
- Briar Bauman – Kawasaki +9.136
- Henry Wiles – Indian +11.608
- Robert Pearson – Indian +12.657
- Sammy Halbert – Harley XG750R +13.772
- Jake Johnson – Yamaha FZ-07 +14.674
2018 Calistoga Half-Mile AFT Twins Results
- Jared Mees 75
- Henry Wiles 58
- Briar Bauman 57
- Kenny Coolbeth Jr. 53
- Jeffrey Carvey Jr. 53
- Brad Baker 42
- Sammy Halbert 38
- Davis Fisher 33
- Jake Johnson 33
- Brandon Robinson 30
AFT Singles
Ryan Wells, Shayna Texter and Dan Bromley go 1-2-3 in AFT Singles
It may have taken a few rounds to rediscover his form of old, but Ryan Wells (Honda CRF450R) looked every bit the same rider who claimed the 2016 AFT Singles title in convincing fashion with a walkaway win in Saturday night’s undercard Main Event.
The 2017 AFT Twins Rookie of the Year returned to AFT Singles competition with big expectations in 2018. However, he opened the year in somewhat quiet fashion, stringing together 10th, sixth and 10th place results. Calistoga was another story entirely, as Wells worked his way into the lead on the second lap and effectively put the race out of reach with his pace from that point forward.
Wells ultimately took the checkered flag with over two-and-a-half seconds of padding.
Ryan Wells
“Hopefully this is the first of many podium appearances. I think we know what we know what we’ve got to do now. We made some major headway today, and I can’t wait for the rest of the season.”
For a second consecutive week, Shayna Texter (Husqvarna FC 450) attempted to charge her way to her first 2018 victory and again she came up just short in second. Starting from pole, Texter lost out in the initial shuffle off the line, falling back to sixth early before picking her way forward. However, once in second – and even with clear track in front of her – she was unable to make inroads on the flying Wells out front.
Title contender Dan Bromley (KTM 450 SX-F) bounced back from his Texas Half-Mile disappointment with his third podium result on the young season.
Ryan Wells – Honda
Shayna Texter – Husqvarna +2.624
Dan Bromley – KTM +4.170
Bromley picked up third following a chaotic last lap in which five riders traded haymakers with the final spot on the box up for grabs. Kevin Stollings (Honda CRF450R) ended up on the clay after clashing with championship leader Brandon Price (Honda CRF450R). Bromley took full advantage of the incident, stealing third in the melee.
Last week’s breakthrough winner Morgen Mischler (Yamaha YZ450F) completed his epic charge from the third row to grab fourth in the fray, while Price recovered to round out the top five. Reigning class champ Kolby Carlile (Yamaha YZ450F) finished sixth, just 0.367 seconds back of third.
2018 Calistoga Half-Mile AFT Singles Results
- Ryan Wells – Honda
- Shayna Texter – Husqvarna +2.624
- Dan Bromley – KTM +4.170
- Morgan Mischler – Yamaha +4.256
- Brandon Price – Honda +4.352
AFT Singles Championship Points
- Brandon Price 68
- Dan Bromley 64
- Ryan Wells 56
- Morgen Mischler 54
- Shayna Texter 52
Next Up
The 2018 American Flat Track season picks right back up next Saturday, May 12, in Phoenix, Ariz., for the Law Tigers Arizona Mile presented by Buddy Stubbs Harley-Davidson, the first of five consecutive Miles for the AFT Twins contenders.
Images – American Flat Track / Scott Hunter
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