Sammy Halbert Wins Opening Round of AMA Pro Harley-Davidson Flat Track Championship
- Mar 29, 2011
"It feels amazing to start the season off like this," commented the Graham, Washington, resident. "I gained the maximum points over the double-header, I don't think anyone in the history of the sport has earned 56 points in just two days." Asked why he felt Daytona suited his riding style so well Halbert said, "I don't really know, in the past I have struggled riding the DTX style bikes on slippery short tracks, and Daytona is the slickest one we come to, but there is something about the way I am able to ride that track that allows me to go just a little faster than the next guy. It takes a lot of balance so I practiced riding a unicycle before this event more that I practiced riding my dirt bike. I am always the type of rider that likes to get really sideways and I am able to make that work for me very well at Daytona."
Halbert also kicked-off the 2010 season with a win at the opener in Daytona, however, a crash and a mechanical issue prevented him from doubling-up in that event. He went on to finish last year with six podium finishes and fourth overall in the Grand National Championship. After winning the race this year and leading the final five laps on his Woody Kyle Racing/Fredericktown Yamaha-backed YZ 450F, Halbert remarked, "Wow what a race. I didn't get that good of a start and kind of had to come from behind. I got hung up behind Johnny (Lewis), and Jake (Johnson) was getting away, but after I was able to get into second I just put my head down and went after Jake." The three K&N backed riders in fact packed the podium the first night at the Daytona Short Track Championship races, as Lewis went on to finish second behind Halbert and Johnson held on for third. Halbert says that during the off season he changed a few things in his personal life in order to properly focus one-hundred percent on his job without distractions. "I have also been working on my technique and focusing on staying patient and racing smart," added Halbert. "And I will definitely carry this momentum throughout the rest of the season, being able to draw on my experiences of how I won the Overall Grand National championship in 2009, and learning from the mistakes I made in 2010, is going to make the difference for me this year. I am confident in my abilities and we're going to keep things fun this year at Halbert Bros Racing." Even with the added momentum his goals for the 2011 season remain pretty much as they always have explains Halbert – "its one race at a time." "For the last few years the goal has been to be Grand National champion, that doesn't change, but do I have a couple new personal goals, first being to ride mistake free races. I always give it one-hundred percent effort so that's not an issue, but when I attempt to give it even more than that, that's when there's problems. So, my goal is to do my best without pushing beyond that limit, and to always be happy and content with my results." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
