RAPID CITY, S.D. (August 8, 2018) – As the old adage goes, you win some, you lose some. Still on a high from his big win at the Buffalo Chip TT, Estenson Racing’s Jake Johnson was hoping for a back-to-back win during the American Flat Track Sturgis Rally doubleheader. But with no title on the line, Estenson Racing’s Jake Johnson was counting on the magic of the ‘ol Harley-Davidson XR750 to dig up some pay dirt at the Black Hills Half-Mile. Unfortunately, the gamble didn’t pay off.
While things didn’t quite pan out, that didn’t put a dent in the two-time Grand National Champion’s newly regained confidence. There were flashes of brilliance throughout the day, but as the track got faster and faster, Johnson quickly realized he was at a disadvantage with his chosen weapon. Although the cards dealt that night didn’t play in his favor and he ended up with a 15th-place finish, it was worth it for Johnson to try a wild card; and it was also nice to give the XR another whirl.
Jake Johnson – AFT Twins #5:
“Well, we kind of took a gamble a little bit, riding the XRs, but it didn’t quite go as planned. The day started out really good. The track started out dry and slick, which I think was good for us, but it just kind of declined for us as the track got more moisture, and faster. Ultimately, it kind of went how I thought – it was either it going to be great or not so great. And it wasn’t so great.
“Obviously, Sunday night was great, and we had flashes of brilliance today, but just had too many issues and just didn’t have the speed. As far as the championship I think I moved up to ninth after Sunday night, but if you ain’t first, you’re last. So, you know, ninth or 12th or whatever it is in the points, none of that really means anything to me unless it’s first. Like I said, we have nothing to lose and took a gamble and kind of went against the grain today. It just didn’t work out.”
Catch the race on NBCSN, August 18 at 5:00 p.m. ET.
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