Riding a Harley-Davidson XR750 motorcycle, Baker led the final 21 laps of the 25-lap main to complete a dominating sweep of the event. Baker also posted the fastest lap in qualifying, won his heat race and then won the Dash for Cash bonus race before winning the main, his first victory of the 2015 season, by 2.658 seconds.
“My Harley-Davidson was fast and set up perfectly for this track, thanks to all the hard work by the Factory Harley-Davidson crew,” said Baker, who had not won previously at Lima. “The Lima half-mile will test your fitness and your courage. I just put the hammer down and stuck to my line. This is one of the most satisfying wins of my career.”
Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle Wrecking Crew rider Jared Mees finished fourth at Lima aboard the Rogers Racing Las Vegas H-D/Blue Springs H-D Harley-Davidson XR750 motorcycle and moved into first place in the GNC1 season standings. Wrecking Crew rider Kenny Coolbeth did not finish the main on the Zanotti Racing Harley-Davidson XR750, and dropped from first to third in the standings.
After five of 16 races on the AMA Pro Harley-Davidson GNC1 schedule, Mees leads with 77 points, followed by Briggs Auto Harley-Davidson rider Sammy Halbert with 74 points, Coolbeth with 69 points and Baker in fourth place with 68 points.
The race at Lima was run on Sunday afternoon after heavy rains soaked the track before action scheduled for Saturday evening could begin. In the main, Baker passed Zanotti Racing Harley-Davidson rider Henry Wiles to take the lead on lap four, only to have the race stopped for a crash on the next lap. Baker immediately reclaimed the lead on the re-start and used a “high-low” line on the rough-and-dusty Lima pea gravel track to pull away from the pack.
“I always feel good on a cushion track like Lima,” said Baker, the 2013 AMA Grand National champion. “Early in the race, I came into the corners wide and got set and turned before the apex so I could ride across the ruts rather than fight my way through them. That gave me more time on the straights to take advantage of my Harley-Davidson power.”
Halbert spent the last 10 laps of the race battling with Briar Bauman, who finished third.
The Harley-Davidson Wrecking Crew riders will be back in action July 4 at the Du Quoin Mile at the State Fairgrounds in Du Quoin, Ill.
