So far this season, Briar Bauman has achieved the stronger results. Five rounds into the championship he had been on the podium at every race, including a victory during the season-opening Daytona TT, and was leading the standings.
Bronson Bauman had a slower start to the season with only one top-five result in the first five events.
“A couple of times we’ve found ourselves bummed because we got second place,” Briar Bauman said. “And when you are at that point, where winning is the only thing that makes you happy, then you know you’re in a great spot.
“My team has done such a great job; they’ve put me in a good spot every time I line up for a main event. I don’t think anyone was expecting this (leading the championship) except us,” he added. “Hopefully, we can keep building on what we’re doing and we’ll be in a good position at the end of the year.”
One wonders how the brothers will treat one another on the race track when the time comes that they battle for victory.
“The closest we’ve been together on the track was at Daytona on the first lap,” Bronson Bauman said. “He actually missed a shift and I passed him. He’s my brother and I want him to win and all that, but I want to win just as bad as he does. I’ll be happy if I can get by him because I know I’ll be running up front.”
Briar Bauman admits when he comes upon little brother on the track he’s not going to be as aggressive as he would be against most other competitors.
“It might be a little different, I’ve got to be honest,” Briar said. “Obviously, the goal is to get by anyone who’s ahead of you, but you have your favorites that you might be a little easier with versus some guys who you might not have a problem bumping into and knocking off the line.”
For Bronson Bauman, especially, the contrast from being a privateer to a factory rider has been an amazing change.
“The support of the factory team is unbelievable,” Bronson Bauman said. “Last year I was pitting out of the back my own van. Now I’ve got a great team behind me. They always have their ears open and listen to what I say. The team works like a well-oiled machine. Everyone is on top of the part they have to play and are always looking for that little extra to make things better.”
Bronson Bauman is a normal sized guy for a motorcycle racer, but Briar Bauman stands more than six feet tall and towers over many of his competitors. He’s as lean as he can get, but he can’t do anything about being tall. Surprisingly, when it comes to racing, he says his size is not always a negative.
“It can definitely hurt you, especially on the miles,” Briar Bauman explained. “I have to be careful to not put on any extra weight. But while my height can hurt me on the bigger tracks, it can actually help me with leverage on the bike on the smaller tracks and TTs.”
The brothers have moved out of California. Briar Bauman lives in Pennsylvania with his girlfriend and fellow racer, Shayna Texter, while Bronson Bauman lives in Illinois. Thus, the races give the two the chance to not only work together as teammates, but reconnect as brothers and catch up with what’s going on in each other’s lives.
Briar Bauman already has national wins to his credit and Bronson Bauman says he loves it when his brother is atop the podium.
Briar Bauman was hoping to see his younger brother get his first victory at the premier AFT Twins level, and that victory came June 15 in New Hampshire.
“It’s the greatest feeling you can ever have as a motorcycle racer,” he said. “We’ve done this all our lives and winning nationals is the ultimate goal other than winning championships. I’m sure it will happen for him. For me, I was getting closer and closer and getting podiums and I really wanted to win. It seemed when I was so focused on it, it didn’t happen. Then all of a sudden you get a win and sometimes it’s when you least expect it.”