25.03.2019
Round 2 - American Flat Track Championship - March 25, 2019
WOODSTOCK, Ga. – Round 2 of the 2019 American Flat Track Championship took place over the weekend with the Atlanta Short Track at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Georgia. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Dan Bromley captured his second-straight podium finish with third overall in the AFT Singles Main Event, while his teammate, Shayna Texter, rode to a top-10 finish in ninth.
Bromley, the 2018 AFT Singles Champion, started off the day with a solid sixth-place in qualifying, which gave him a favorable front-row start in Heat #2. Bromley powered his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION into second-place off the start, where he quickly made his way into the lead by the second lap. From there, he held strong to secure the heat race victory. Bromley then lined up in Semi #1 where he battled with his teammate Texter early on. With a second-place start, Bromley swapped the lead position with Texter a few times through the first three laps but a restart brought their momentum to a halt as they each lost a position upon the new start, filing into second and third, respectively. Bromley held on to the second-place position all the way through the checkers.
With a front row grid position for the Main Event, Bromley got off to a second-place start as he chased down the leader early on. As the race wore on, Bromley began losing ground on the race leader so he switched up his line selection in an effort to close the gap. About 10 laps in, Bromley reverted back to his original line selection and ultimately lost some time in the process, where he dropped back to third on lap 12. From there, the defending champion focused on maintaining his speed and crossed the finish in third to continue his consistent start to the season.
Dan Bromley: “I got a great start in the main and got into second behind Dalton [Gauthier] for most of the race. He was inching slowly away so I tried to change my line to a higher line and I did about seven laps around the top of the track. On lap 10, I dove to the bottom to try and change up my line to see if I could catch him, and in doing that I believe I lost all my momentum. Morgan [Mischler] was able to catch me with four laps to go and snuck by me for the second-place spot. Overall, I’m happy to be back on the podium and continue my consistency.”
Texter qualified 13th overall earlier in the day, where she got off to the early lead in Heat #1. Texter continued to battle for the lead early on before settling into second place, where she would ultimately finish in the heat. In Semi #1, Texter lined up alongside her teammate, Bromley, and the duo diced back and forth through the early laps. It was Texter who claimed the early lead aboard her KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION before swapping spots with Bromley on lap two. Texter reclaimed the lead on lap three before the restart took place. She dropped to third off the restart and from there she battled for the final podium position, ultimately securing third in the Semi.
In the Main Event, Texter began on the front row as she powered her way into a top-five position off the start. She battled in sixth for the first half of the race before getting shuffled back to ninth in the final laps. With three laps to go, Texter held strong to maintain a solid ninth-place finish at Round 2.
Shayna Texter: “I turned some of the fastest lap times of the day overall in the class during the Semi, so we felt really good, the bike felt great and the track was good. We were having really good starts and getting out front early but for me, when the Main Event came around they didn’t water the track before the session and unfortunately, I struggled with some rear-end grip issues. I was able to salvage a ninth-place and get some points but it was tough for me to struggle that hard in the main after being fast all day and competitive with a shot to win. We’re a new team continuing to learn and work together and make improvements for me on my new KTM Factory Racing bike, so definitely looking forward to the next 16 rounds and I can’t wait to get that first win!”
Next Race: April 20, 2019 – Texas Half-Mile – Fort Worth, Texas
AFT Singles Main Event
1. Dalton Gauthier, Honda
2. Morgen Mischler, KTM
3. Dan Bromley, KTM
OTHER KTM
8. Tristan Avery, KTM
9. Shayna Texter, KTM
AFT Singles Point Standings
1. Dalton Gauthier, 45 points
2. Jesse Janisch, 34
3. Dan Bromley, 34
OTHER KTM
5. Morgan Mischler, 25
14. Tristan Avery, 11
15. Shayna Texter, 10
16. Ryan Sipes, 9