Estenson Racing’s Ryan Wells took home a fifth-place finish in a rain-delayed race on Sunday, June 2, at the Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky, to score valuable points in the American Flat Track AFT Singles Championship.
The competition was fierce on the clay Mile track. Wells didn’t have an ideal qualifying effort in 11th, but once the racing started, he was in the mix, ultimately scoring a pair of thirds in his Heat and Semi aboard the Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F. He went on to get a good start in the Main Event, but got shuffled back. It didn’t take the 2016 AFT Singles Champion long, however, to find the fast line and get back towards the front. He then was locked in a heated battle for that final spot on the podium and made a good run for it at the end but got drafted at the line and scored fifth. Wells currently sits fifth in the standings at 78 points.
The Estenson Racing squad heads to the Northeast for the first running of the Laconia Short Track during Laconia Bike Week in Loudon, New Hampshire, on Saturday, June 1.
“Overall it was a pretty good day, the first Mile of the year. I had the best starts so far this year, so I was happy with that. I got a really good start in the Main Event, but got shuffled back quick. I didn’t know that the high line was coming in like it was, but once I moved up there, I caught the lead group, but I just didn’t have enough for the podium. We’ll take the fifth and try to improve on some things and hopefully be better the next time.”