DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 1, 2014) – Saturday night, AMA Pro Flat Track riders gave new meaning to “taking the high road.”

After a full day of racing, and after the sun had set on the picturesque Calistoga Speedway in the heart of California’s wine country, riders finally found the fastest way around the track was the higher line.

Brad Baker realized that just in time during the Expert main and used it to fly to the front of the field and win the Calistoga Half-Mile. It was the first win since last year’s season finale at Pomona for the defending GNC champion and rider of the No. 1 Factory Harley-Davidson.

Baker paced runner-up Jared Mees and third-place finisher Jake Johnson. Sammy Halbert and Kenny Coolbeth rounded out the top five, respectively.

“We just found that outside line,” Baker said. “I found it just a little bit before Jake, but he just happened to be in a little bit better position to move forward a little bit quicker. I got hung up behind Sammy (Halbert) … finally got by him and I was able to pick off my own pace.”

Baker’s third GNC victory of his career moved him into fourth in the points with one race left on the schedule; the Flat Track Finals at the LA County Fairplex in Pomona, Calif., Oct 11.

“I needed that, that’s for sure,” Baker said.

Mees, on his No. 9 Rogers Racing Harley-Davidson, jumped out to the early lead in the main, but Johnson and his No. 5 Ramspur Winery Harley-Davidson also showed the speed to get to the front. Bryan Smith, the championship leader coming into Calistoga, moved as high as second, but was black flagged for a smoking bike, and the rider of the No. 42 Villa-Esparza/Crosley Radio Kawasaki was disqualified for failing to heed the call to pull into the pits.

Mees left with a 13-point lead over Smith, and Johnson stayed alive in the title chase, sitting 16 points behind Mees.

Johnson wanted to make a bigger move in the point standings, and he too found the high line to be the fastest. He just couldn’t put his bike in front at the end.

“It’s pretty disappointing,” Johnson said. “I got up front early, I was able to get around Jared, I kind of found that high line and I was able to work my way up into the lead, too bad Brad knew it too. He came up there and got by. I felt like I was matching his pace, I don’t know if I would have been able to pass him, but we would have been there, but we ran into some lapped traffic and I about got ran off the track.”

Still, a podium finish at the home track for his sponsor, Ramspur Winery, wasn’t anything to be too upset about.

“It’s great to be back here in Calistoga, it’s a great are and a great racetrack,” Johnson said.
Smith reflected afterward about his showing, and how untimely it was to have an issue with the bike in the penultimate race.

“It’s a huge disappointment to have any kind of mechanical deal like that at any point of the year,” Smith said. “It’s part of racing. The same thing could happen next week to Jared.”

Kyle Johnson held a comfortable lead in the Pro Singles title hunt coming into Calistoga, but the rider of the No. 77J Parkinson Brothers Racing Honda crashed out on the first lap of the main event.

Instead of Johnson clinching, Davis Fisher raced his No. 67M T.J. Burnett Farms Honda to his first career victory, and leapfrogged into second place in the process.

Fisher, who hasn’t raced since suffering an injury at the Indy Mile, now sits just six points back of Johnson with one race to go.

“I just got back from recovery,” Fisher said. “I fell off at Indy. I’ve just been riding my bicycle and staying in shape.”

Fisher held off a surging Jarod Vanderkooi, who looked to be faster in the closing moments of the race on his 17F Johnny’s Vintage Motorcycle Honda, but nearly high sided on the back straight, allowing Fisher to open up a gap and seal the victory.

“It was a pretty good race,” Vanderkooi said. “I took off third, and Davis started pulling away and I changed my line up a little bit and I ended up catching him. Just got a little bit throttle-happy and I fell back. It’s good to come out here and get a second place.”

Third place went to California’s own Ryan Foster, who had issues with his No. 23Y Thresher Communications Honda earlier in the day, but brought it together in time for the main.

“I rode a backup bike today, my main bike blew up in practice,” Foster said. “It felt good for a backup bike.”

Vanderkooi is fifth in points, but is the only rider other than Johnson with multiple wins this year. Ryan Wells was 13th on his No. 94B KTM and fell to third in points. Fourth at Calistoga went to Ryan Kearns on his No. 99Y Josh Chisum Yamaha. Bronson Bauman record his sixth straight top 10 finish, bringing his No. 30Z Rod Lake Racing Honda home in fifth and keeping his fourth slot in the points.

Top five finishers in AMA Pro Flat Track Expert Main
1. Brad Baker (Harley-Davidson)
2. Jared Mees (Harley-Davidson)
3. Jake Johnson (Harley-Davidson)
4. Sammy Halbert (Harley-Davidson)
5. Kenny Coolbeth (Harley-Davidson)

AMA Pro Flat Track Expert points top five
1. Jared Mees 260
2. Bryan Smith 247
3. Jake Johnson 244
4. Kenny Coolbeth 208
5. Brad Baker 183

Top five finishers in AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles
1. Davis Fisher (Honda)
2. Jarod Vanderkooi (Honda)
3. Ryan Foster (Honda)
4. Ryan Kearns (Yamaha)
5. Bronson Bauman (Honda)

AMA Pro Flat Track Pro Singles points top five
1. Kyle Johnson 172
2. Davis Fisher 166
3. Ryan Wells 156
4. Bronson Bauman 147
5. Jarod Vanderkooi 134

Up next:
The stars of AMA Pro Flat Track head to Southern California for the Flat Track Finals at the LA County Fairplex on Oct. 11. On-track action is set for 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET) with opening ceremonies scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. PT (9:30 ET). The Pro Singles main event is set to go green at 9 p.m. PT (midnight ET) and the Expert main will follow at 9:30 p.m. PT (12:30 a.m. ET). Information on the Flat Track Finals can be found here.

How to Watch:
FansChoice.tv will be the official home for live streaming coverage of AMA Pro Flat Track and AMA Pro Road Racing events in 2014. The site will also provide coverage of IMSA's development and single-make series, and NASCAR's touring and weekly series.

About AMA Pro Flat Track:
AMA Pro Flat Track is a national motorcycle racing series in North America and is considered one of the oldest forms of motorcycle racing. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, the Series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track racing in the world. The 2014 schedule consists of 16 rounds on the country's finest flat track courses. For more information on AMA Pro Flat Track, please visit www.amaproracing.com/ft.