I was interviewing AFT privateer Shawn Baer a couple of days ago and he mentioned the Mega Mile race. We ran some photos from it in the magazine years ago and I couldn't remember why the race hadn't gone back there. I did remember it was a 1.25-mile oval out east, but had forgotten it was called Colonial Downs and was in Virginia. A search threw up this pretty incredible race footage from 2014.
There are lots of familiar names in the race, being only five years ago, but lots have changed. It's pre-FTR750. Brad Baker is number one and on a Harley. Johnny Lewis is on a KTM. Both Cory and Shayna Texter make the Expert Twins Main, the first sister and brother to do it. Possibly the last ever to do it. Shayna's on the Latus Motors Triumph Bonneville. Cory's on a Kawasaki. Jake Shoemaker always seems to put up a good fight when he turns up at races. I wish I knew more about him. There are five different models of engine in the main: H-D, Kawasaki, KTM, Triumph, Suzuki. Jeffrey Carver's on a Suzuki SV1000. I wont' say who won, but the same model of engine fill all three podium places.
The start of the race is a grade A clusterf*ck. Then there's a restart. The race, is cut from 25-laps to 15, presumably for track conditions. The roost is as heavy as a Black Sabbath riff.
Make the time to watch it.