Kolby Carlile made a podium appearance for the Estenson Racing Twins team in the first AFT Production Twins race of 2019 at Saturday’s Texas Half-Mile. His teammates JD Beach and Jake Johnson, who both compete in American Flat Track’s premier class, continued to make progress on the newly developed Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT, scoring a top-10 finish in AFT Twins.
Carlile stayed consistent all day in the all-new AFT Production Twins class. He qualified third, finished third in his Semi and ultimately third in the Main, with a charge forward to the end. Although the 2017 AFT Singles Champion was aiming for more, it was a step forward in the development of the new bike.
That progress forward was felt by Carlile’s teammates in the AFT Twins class. While there’s still work to be done, both Johnson and Beach felt the team was making the right steps forward. Johnson got the holeshot in his Semi, but conditions on the latter half of the track were a challenge and the two-time Grand National Champion finished sixth. Beach got a decent start in his Semi, as well, but also crossed the line in sixth. In the Main, Beach got off to a flying start from the second row of the grid to fifth. The conditions were tough, and Beach and his teammate Johnson crossed the line, ninth and 10th, respectively.
The Estenson Racing squad heads west to their home race in Chandler, Arizona, next Saturday, April 27, for the first running of the Super TT.
Jake Johnson – AFT Twins #5:
“We just needed shorter races. All kidding aside, our starts were good, but we just struggled. I felt good. Where the track was smooth, we were good, but getting through the bumps in turns three and four, that’s one of the things that kind of killed me all night.
“After Atlanta, it’s an improvement. Still not where I want to be or where I think we should be, but we’ve just got to keep working. We’ll get there, just need to sort a few things out. I think we have an idea of what we need to do. Keep testing, keep trying, and keep inching forward.”
JD Beach – AFT Twins #95:
“I think it was a good night. We made the Main, so that was good. Our start was good, as well. I think it helped to get up with the guys up front and see what their bikes were doing compared with ours. I definitely saw some stuff. It’s a new bike. We’re making improvements. They’re small, but they’re there. We’ll just keep working on it.”
Kolby Carlile – AFT Twins #136:
“That was probably the least happy I’ve been with a podium just because I went in with the mindset that I was going to win. I want to win, and nothing would have been okay with me unless I won. That’s the mindset you got to have. This isn’t the premier class. This is a stepping-stone. I’m here to win races and the championship. At the same time, it’s a long season. We learned a lot. I’m racing against guys with a bit more experience than I do, so I need to be happy with how it started. A podium’s a great start. It’s good to get some recognition for the team and build from there.”