Carlile was in impressive form all day long on the Allen County Fairgrounds pea-gravel cushion Half-Mile. The New Yorker finished second in his Semi to earn himself a first-ever entrance into the Mission Challenge dash for cash. He then successfully hustled his Yamaha MT-07 DT into fifth early in the Main Event before making a late charge that saw him nearly steal away fourth at the checkered flag, falling just 0.073 seconds short in that bid.
By contrast, Beach spent the bulk of his day playing catch-up with bike setup. A gamble for the Main paid off in the form of a markedly improved machine, which allowed him to find his level in the early stages of the Main. From that point forward, he effectively ran out the clock before confirming a seventh-place finish. The resultant points haul was more than enough to keep the multi-time road race champion ranked firmly inside the Mission SuperTwins championship top five.
Daniels jockeyed for position aboard his YZ450F throughout an exciting AFT Singles Main, engaging in a race-long multi-rider tussle for fourth. By the race’s midpoint, the reigning AFT Singles Champion was shuffled down to seventh, but he regrouped to execute a pair of clutch overtakes to secure fifth in the end. That upward advancement allowed Daniels to hold on for a tie atop the championship points order, a distinction built upon a victory, four podiums, and seven top-fives in seven races this season.
Meanwhile, the typically consistent Rush was unable to find his footing at Lima. He was buried in the roost from the start of the AFT Singles Main, climbing to 10th en route to an uncharacteristic 12th. Despite his difficulties on the day, the Californian is still within striking distance of the championship lead thanks to his early-season excellence.
Following three races in just over a week, Estenson Racing will now get a chance to catch its collective breath and regroup before returning to action at the DuQuoin “Magic” Mile in DuQuoin, Illinois, on July 17.
