Well Done: Baker Cooks ’em in Perris Pro Main!

Southern California Flat Track Association
Round 10: Perris Raceway

Story by Jamey Blunt
Photos by Janice Blunt
PERRIS, CA, OCT. 14, 2011

The night before the last Grand National of the year at Pomona, the Southern California Flat Track Association started a tradition – one that caters more to the Pros than their regular Sportsman program does. It’s logical, when you think about it: All the big names are in town, it gives them a little extra seat time to stay sharp, and they can pick up some extra money at the same time.

The start of the 20-lap Pro main event staged 12 riders, pared down from the field of 32. Thos on the front row had each won their respective heat races for a direct transfer to the main. From pole on out: Briar Bauman (10Z), Brad Baker (93L), Henry Wiles (16), Mikey Rush (47), Bronson Bauman (30) and Rob Pearson (88).

This year’s Friday night event saw sponsors Lucas Oil, Bob Bradford, Endless Powder Coating, Feuling, Fontana Radiator, G&G Racing, Saddlemen Seats, Southland Racing and 2 Dicks Racing all pitching in, increasing the purse to more than $3,000. Of the 142 entries on hand, 32 were in the Pro ranks. There would be six Pro heat races, with only the winner transferring directly to the main event; everyone from second on back would be sent to one of two semifinals. From each of the semis, the top three finishers would earn a spot on the second row of the main, for a total field of 12 from the 32 hopefuls.

The pits were packed – so much so that the motocross section on the other side of the fence had to be opened up to make extra room. Also, there was a larger crowd of spectators than has ever attended an SCFTA event: an estimated 1,000 fans were in attendance. Parking for those spectators was also overflowing and outside the track gates. The AMA T-shirt semi-trailer was also on hand, with official AMA merchandise from the 2011 Flat Track Nationals throughout the season.

Starting the night’s program early was also a necessity, as the track faces a 10 p.m. curfew. A mandatory riders’ meeting was called for 3:30 p.m., with practice following immediately thereafter. Elliott Iverson handled tech and was the night’s referee, with John Harris in charge of staging and Rudy Gil the official starter at Perris.

On the first trip through turn one, Brad Baker is already gone. Giving chase are Henry Wiles (16), Kayl Kolkman (42E), Rob Pearson (88) and Mikey Rush (47).

With all 29 heat races completed, the two pro semis run, and 16 other main events finished, the track was bladed, groomed, watered, and fresh for the Pro final.

Briar Bauman (with a fastest lap time of 15.05 seconds) sat on pole, with Mikey Rush (14.82 seconds), Bronson Bauman (14.94 seconds), Henry Wiles (14.76 seconds), Brad Baker (14.72 seconds) and Rob Pearson (14.90 seconds) completing the front row of heat-race winners. When the starting light flashed green at the hand of starter Rudy Gil, Wiles had the quickest reaction time and got a half-bikelength jump, but Baker found more traction, hooked up, and by the entrance to turn one was in command of the lead. On the exit from turn two, Briar Bauman shot up underneath Wiles and was into second, but Baker already had a three-bikelength gap up front going down the back straight.

Mikey Rush (47), on the Southland Racing Honda, makes the pass on Henry Wiles (16), on the Mr. Ed’s machine, entering turn one. Wiles would fight back, but eventually Rush secured the second rung on the podium ladder, with Wiles settling for third.

Entering turn three for the first time, Wiles drove it hard underneath Briar Bauman to retake second, while Kayl Kolkman, starting from the second row, seemingly came from out of nowhere and shot into fourth.

Where was Rush, you ask? He left the line in eighth and had his work cut out for him. But never count out this Daytona short-track winner, as by the second trip through turn two, Rush was up to third and locked in on Wiles. Rush went under Wiles in turn three to take second, only to have Wiles square him up and drive back past out of turn four. The war had begun for second position.

Out front, Baker had pulled an eight-bikelength gap and was extending it with every lap while the rest of the field fought over positions.

Three laps into the main event saw riders fighting for position. Here, in turn one, Jethro Halbert (69), Briar Bauman (10Z), Kayl Kolkman (42E) and Rob Pearson (88) are all finding their pace and the lines that suit them best.

With five laps complete, the order was Baker, Rush, Wiles, Briar Bauman, Pearson, Bronson Bauman, and Kolkman slipping all the way back to seventh and trying to recover, with Jethro Halbert pressuring from behind.

On lap seven, Pearson ran up under Briar Bauman in turn three to take fourth place away, with Kolkman trying to follow him through as well, but the latter just came up short. Now there was a three-way battle for the fourth-place position, though, and Briar Bauman, the 2010 AMA Horizon Award winner, wasn’t going to just give in easily. Exiting turn two on lap nine, Briar Bauman got a drive and shot past Pearson and back into fourth, and Kolkman was alongside as well.

At just 14 years old, Bronson Bauman (30) made it to a front-row start in the Pro main by winning his heat race. With his 14. 94-second lap time, Bronson was also one of only six Pros to go under the 15-second barrier.

At the crossed flags (with 10 laps complete – the halfway point), Baker was flawless, and he put it on cruise control with a four-second lead. Rush was second, with Wiles three bikelengths back in third. Kolkman took his first turn at fourth, with Briar Bauman fifth, ahead of Pearson, who now had Bronson Bauman showing him a wheel, applying pressure.

By lap 12, Baker was heavy into lappers and was more than a full straightaway ahead of Rush, who now had Wiles launching another attack.

Around 15 laps into the Pro main, Briar Bauman (10Z) and Kayl Kolkman came together, with Bauman going down on the exit from turn four. Bauman was then stuck up against the crash wall for the remaining five laps, attempting to make himself small. Here, Mikey Rush (47) rushes by.

Around lap 15, Briar Bauman and Kolkman tangled, sending Briar to the dirt on the exit from turn four. This trapped Briar up against the crash wall on the outside of the front straight, trying to make himself as small as possible, hugging the wall, attempting to not be hit as the last five laps were run. Thankfully, the entire field missed Briar for the remainder of the race.

As the laps wound down, Mikey Rush (47) and Henry Wiles (16) maintained this gap between them for second and third place. Note the full bleachers and people lined up three deep along the fences. There were an estimated 1,000 spectators in attendance.

Baker went on to take the victory, with Rush second and Wiles right behind in third. Kolkman held on for a solid fourth. Pearson was fifth, with Bronson Bauman sixth and right on his backside. Andrew Luker was seventh, and Halbert, fighting his bike, came home in eighth.

Baker received a standing ovation from the spectators for his spectacular ride – and keep in mind that he had never even seen this track before this night. It’s been said many times throughout the 2011 season that this kid Baker is the real deal! At Perris, he showed once again how true that is.

Brad Baker (93L) led every lap of the 20-lap Pro main event. His fastest lap of 14.72 seconds was the fastest of the Pro riders’ times. Here, Baker rode a wheelie to the checkered flag and all the way down the front straight and even took time to smile at photographer Janice Blunt.

“It was a lot of fun,” Wiles said after the main event. “Ed Steffen [a.k.a. Mr. Ed] allowed me to ride his bike tonight. I felt good in practice and then won the heat and then ended up third in the main event. I called Ed at the last minute and he graciously said, ‘Yeah, let’s go ahead and do it and have some fun.’ So that’s what we did: We came out here and put on a show. I ran down second and then he kind of got away from me, but we learned some things tonight. But it was fun! I love this Perris track and coming here, and I hope they can continue to do this, because everybody here is great! I’m glad to be here.”

“I’m all good,” Briar Bauman said of his mishap. “I just came on the outside of Kayl and then he hit a bump and all of a sudden the bars came out of my hands and I was face-first in the dirt, but that’s racing, and I couldn’t get off the track, not with racers coming. It’s a tough call by the starter, with only five laps to go, whether to stop the race for something in the way but then isn’t totally in the way. So it’s racing, and I can’t really do much about it. I climbed up on the crash wall, so at least I had a good view!”

“This is a really good, fun cushion track, and I’m really used to them from where I come from,” said the winner, Brad Baker. “My good buddy Aaron hooked me up with a really good motorcycle, and Jimmy Wood made it fresh for the main event, so I just went out there and rode hard. The thing worked great and it feels good to spank ’em, especially at a track I haven’t raced at. This is an excellent track; it’s what I live for. It’s nice to come to a place where people are setting track records and they maintain the track and are working hard – it’s a great facility! I’ve got to thank my buddies for helping me tonight: Shift Racing, Arai Helmets, EBC Brakes, Saddlemen, Lloyd Brothers Motorsports, and Hurt by Accident, who are supporting me.”

Mikey Rush (47) used the Southland Racing Honda to finish second, behind Brad Baker, in the Pro main event. Rush also posted the third-fastest lap time of the Pros, at 14. 82 seconds, and showed spectacular style.

“I was on a good motorcycle tonight,” said Mikey Rush. “Southland Racing… Big Jim Wood put me on a great bike, and I put my head down and rode to the front on a bike that handled really well; it pretty much rode itself, so it didn’t take a lot of energy. If it wasn’t for Jim putting me on this good ride, I wouldn’t be here, so that’s how we did it. This Perris track is a really good track – perfect size, good lighting, and a really good facility – that I hope to come back to again. Next year I plan to do the whole GNC, but I definitely would like to come back here to Perris.”

And so closed the night’s program, with the final checkered flag falling at exactly 10 p.m.

Perris Raceway
Perris, California
Results: October 14, 2011 (Round 10)

PRO A MAIN: 1. Brad Baker; 2. Mike Rush; 3. Henry Wiles; 4. Kayl Kolkman; 5. Rob Pearson; 6. Bronson Bauman; 7. Andrew Luker; 8. Jethro Halbert; 9. Wyatt Maguire; 10. Briar Bauman; 11. John Vanderlaan; 12. Gerit Callies.

PRO B MAIN: 1. Bobby Hesse; 2. Jake Mataya; 3. David Bush; 4. Chris Podergois; 5. Curtis Peddles; 6. Robert Bush; 7. Life Kelly; 8. Brandon Rothell.

[A separate story on all the other races at Perris Raceway on this evening, along with those results and more photos, will be posted shortly on Today’s Cycle Coverage… Editor]

Popularity: 42% [?]