By Matthew Miles:

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 21, 2015) - Briar Bauman needed just four minutes and 34 seconds to win the AMA Pro Flat Track season finale Friday night at The Orleans Arena is Las Vegas. The 20-year-old Californian led from the start of the 25-lap main event, set the quickest lap of the race on lap four, and was never challenged. Margin of victory was 2.445 seconds.

“Going into the main event, you know the start is everything,” Bauman said. “I did a few solid laps—some of the best laps I’ve done all night—and felt like I had some breathing room. Once I looked back, I started making mistakes but I did well when it counted, in the beginning.

“Shayna [Texter, Bauman’s girlfriend] and I unloaded the bike, she checked the air pressures, and we raced all night. I didn’t touch anything, not even gearing. Every time I was on track I was confident. For Shayna and me to show up in Vegas, the last round, and do it together, really means a lot to me.”

Racing in his first national of the year, 46-year-old Joe Kopp qualified 12th, finished second to Jared Mees in his heat race, and was second in the main event aboard one of the prettiest bikes in the paddock, a Husqvarna FC450 replete with carbon-fiber wheels. Mees was third, half a second behind Kopp, the 2000 AMA Pro Grand National Champion.

“I wanted to race the Superprestigio tomorrow night,” Kopp said. “I knew you had to win this to move on, so that was my goal. Realistically, I knew it was a long shot. Best thing about my racing right now is I come here to have fun, and it really shows.

“Second place, I’m super happy. I saw Briar making a few mistakes here and there, but he rode a heck of a good, smooth race. I could never quite inch up on him.”

The hoped-for showdown between Mees and his closest title challenger, Bryan Smith, evaporated in Semi 2 when Smith crashed, unhurt. Mees arrived in Las Vegas with a seven-point lead and left with a 23-marker advantage and his third championship in the past four years.

Fourth in Las Vegas, Sammy Halbert completed his season third overall. Kenny Coolbeth finished fourth and Bauman fifth.

“There was pressure coming in just because it’s a short track,” Mees said. “What happened with Bryan was my biggest fear. I’ve run a lot of indoor stuff, so I was really familiar with bad luck. I’ve been the guy watching the race sitting on the bumper of a truck.

“I have a great team behind me. We were very consistent every race. It’s a shame we only won one this year, but the consistency paid off. I was really looking forward to trying to win this race, but Briar split so quick and Joe got underneath me. I was just trying to play catch up.”

Mees said the track changed every time he went out. “In our heat race,” he said, “we were motocrossing—there were berms in the corners. Then in the Dash for Cash [also won by Bauman] it was smooth but marblely and hard to get hooked up. The main event was black, holey, dry, wet. The track threw everything at everybody all day long. You had to be on your toes.”

With their respective victories, Bauman and GNC2 winner Dan Bromley qualified for Saturday night’s inaugural Superprestigio of the Americas, which will also be held at The Orleans Arena.

“What I’ve learned over my career is how much confidence means when you line up in AMA Pro Flat Track,” Bauman said. “You’re going up against the best guys in the world. There were times when I knew that I belonged up front and times when I didn’t.

“That stuff has taken me a while to learn, whereas Joe and Jared have done it for quite a few years. My goal is to someday be like Joe and Jared, holding the number one, and make a name for myself.”

Bauman dedicated his victory to the late Jethro Halbert. “He was an awesome friend,” Bauman said, “and you could bet all the money you’ve got that he would be out there running with all of us at the front. This was his type of racetrack. He would have been glass-smooth. I rode with him all night. This one is for Jethro.”