Challenging Weekend for Red Bull KTM’s Shayna Texter at the Williams Grove Half-Mile

MECHANICSBURG, PA – September 14, 2020 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Shayna Texter and the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team returned to racing on Friday and Saturday with two action packed nights of the Williams Grove Half-Mile, serving as rounds seven and eight of the 16-race American Flat Track Championship. Texter battled through a challenging weekend in her home state of Pennsylvania to round out the first half of the 2020 season ninth overall in AFT Singles points as she sets optimistic sights on the second half of the series.

On Friday, the multi-time AFT Singles race winner lined up in Semi 2, where she got off to a seventh-place start aboard her KTM 450 SX-F. She diced back-and-forth between the seventh and eighth positions, where she ultimately secured an eighth-place transfer into the Main Event. With a fourth-row start position for the main, Texter got off to a 15th place start but she immediately began charging through the pack to overtake ninth by the halfway mark. She struggled to find enough grip to excel forward in the final laps but she held on to finish in 11th in Round 7.

Texter: “In Friday’s Main Event, had a great jump off the line and was up battling, moving forward and I felt great on the bike. We had some moisture in the track to start the main so that was nice and I was moving up to eighth or so and then I lost grip and just went into survival to the end.”

With Round 8 the next day, Texter and the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team returned to Williams Grove Speedway on Saturday for night two of racing. With a third-row starting position in Semi 1, Texter powered her way up to eighth and put in eight consistent laps to secure the final transfer spot. In the Main Event, she began in 11th on the opening lap and from there she fought just outside the top-10 for most of the race. With about seven laps to go, she felt her grip slipping away once again and she dropped a few positions back to ultimately finish 15th.

Texter added, “On day two, we battled with grip again and the track was even drier so we tried a whole bunch of configurations but couldn’t quite get it dialed in. We made a pretty bold change for the Main Event and I had a great start but towards the end we lost grip again and started going backwards. I’m obviously bummed and frustrated on the weekend but all we can do is keep working, keep our heads up and charge into Texas to try to make up the points that we lost this weekend.”

Next Races: September 25-26, 2020 – Dallas Half-Mile I & II

AFT Singles Main Event (Round 7 – Williams Grove Half-Mile I)

1. Michael Rush, YAM
2. Dallas Daniels, YAM
3. Ryan Wells, KTM
4. Morgen Mischler, KTM
OTHER
11. Shayna Texter, KTM
15. James Ott, KTM

AFT Singles Main Event (Round 8 – Williams Grove Half-Mile II)

1. Dallas Daniels, YAM
2. Trent Lowe, HON
3. Tanner Dean, HON
OTHER
6. Morgen Mischler, KTM
9. Wyatt Anderson, KTM
10. Brandon Kitchen, KTM
15. Shayna Texter, KTM
16. James Ott, KTM

AFT Singles Point Standings (After Round 8)

1. Dallas Daniels, 133 points
2. Henry Wiles, 119
3. Max Whale, 114
OTHER
5. Brandon Kitchen, 90
9. Shayna Texter, 73
11. Morgen Mischler, 71
12. Ryan Wells, 58
17. James Ott, 36

Source: KTM North America, Inc.