Progressive AFT Stars Prepare to Shine at Mission Texas Half-Mile presented by Roof Systems

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 15, 2022) – The 2022 Progressive American Flat Track season will pick right back up following its highly entertaining opener with the Mission Texas Half-Mile presented by Roof Systems at the Dirt Track at Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 19 in Fort Worth, Texas.

The stop in Dallas-Fort Worth carries increased significance on multiple fronts. For spectators, it presents the rare opportunity of witnessing two of the world’s most historic motorsports series at the same venue on a single weekend, as the NTT IndyCar Series will compete in the XPEL 375 the following day at Texas Motor Speedway.

And for the paddock, the event represents the home round for some of the sport’s most actively engaged partners, including Mission Foods, Roof Systems of Dallas, TX, and Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda.

The results of the season-opening Volusia Half-Mile certainly set an interesting stage heading into Round 2. Oftentimes, it’s only the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main Event victor who leaves a given round satisfied.

It’s hard to imagine any of the opener’s top four – winner Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750), second-placed Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R), third-placed JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), and fourth-placed rookie Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) – being anything less than genuinely enthused with how they kicked off their respective ‘22 campaigns.

That leaves some key players looking to strike back at Texas Motor Speedway, most notably reigning Mission SuperTwins champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750), who finished fifth at Volusia Speedway Park. Mees is a proven master of the Dirt Track at Texas Motor Speedway, having won the series’ most recent two stops at the venue.

Other established powers looking for redemption are Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) and Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), who finished sixth and ninth, respectively, this past weekend. Both riders are more than capable of finishing Saturday’s race atop the podium, and they have a bit of extra motivation performing at their team’s home race.

Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines

Nick Armstrong (No. 60 Competitive Racing Frames/Lessley Brothers Yamaha MT-07) served up the opener’s biggest surprise with an impressive victory in the Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines Main Event. Armstrong, who’s demonstrated plenty of ability on multiple occasions in the past, will have the opportunity to establish himself a legitimate contender with a similar effort in Fort Worth.

Dan Bromley (No. 62 Vinson Construction/Viper Air Yamaha MT-07) and Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) are already at that level and proved themselves to be frontrunners once again as the new season got underway. The two also showed the potential of the Mission Production Twins Challenge as they mixed it up with some big names in the premier-class Main as well.

And, as in the premier class, the Mission Foods/Roof Systems-backed pilots will be looking to their sponsors’ home round to get their title campaigns rolling. Ben Lowe (No. 25 Helipower Racing/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson XG750R) and Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) finished the opener in sixth and seventh, respectively, will be aiming for more this upcoming Saturday night.

It’s also worth remembering that the last time the series’ raced at Texas Motor Speedway, Texter made history alongside his sister, Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750), when the two became the first siblings to win Progressive AFT Main Events on the same evening.

Among the other riders worth monitoring are Chad Cose (No. 49 DPC Racing/Voodoo Ranger Harley-Davidson XG750R), Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), Ryan Varnes (No. 68 Schaeffer’s Motorsports/Rausch Fuel & Oil KTM 890 Duke) and Kolby Carlile (No. 36 KC36 Las Vegas Harley-Davidson XG750R).

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER

Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE), Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE), and Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) came into the season as popular picks to claim the 2022 Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER title, and they did nothing to dispel their early status as championship favorites with a 1-2-3 performance at the opener.

The three figure to spend a lot of time up front this season, and it will be up to the remainder of the field to prevent them from dominating the podium. As always, there’s no lack of talent with the capacity to do exactly that in the always loaded class.

Trent Lowe (No. 48 Mission Foods/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda CRF450R), who finished just off the podium in Volusia, falls into that camp of riders looking to impress in front of his sponsors. Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) and Aiden RoosEvans (No. 26 Southern Illinois Motorsports Honda CRF450R) also got off to strong starts while leaving some room for improvement.

A couple of rookies made their spoiler potential obvious with eye-catching debuts. Chase Saathoff (No. 106 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) and Tyler Scott (No. 170 Briggsauto.com/Martin Trucking KTM 450 SX-F) showcased race-winning speed in their maiden professional rides and only expect to get stronger with additional experience and opportunity.

Along with the on-track action, there will be an abundance of additional attractions on Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway, including live music, vendors, and a Kids Zone.

Fans are also invited to attend the Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Pre-Party on Friday night where they can meet their favorite teams and riders at the dealership from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. local time.

Visit https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3691 to purchase your tickets for the Mission Texas Half-Mile presented by Roof Systems today. General Admission Grandstand tickets are $40 and kids 12 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Fans who would like to be centrally located nearest to the start/finish line can select seats in the Premium General Admission Grandstand for just $10 more. There’s also the option to host a group of up to 20 people in one of the private, climate-controlled Indoor Suites, which are available to rent for $1,500. Paddock Access Upgrades are also available for purchase, providing all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport.

Gates will open for fans at 3:30 p.m. local time with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT ahead the evening’s Main Event program. You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities free via Facebook up until Opening Ceremonies. Fans can then purchase access to watch Opening Ceremonies, Semis, Main Events, and podium celebrations via Facebook Paid Online Events for $3.99 if purchased 24 hours or more in advance, or $4.99 if purchased on the day of the event.

The Mission Texas Half-Mile will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, March 27, at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT., including exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary.

For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com. To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com.

How to Watch:

FOX Sports and Facebook are the official homes for coverage of Progressive American Flat Track. For the 2022 season, all 18 races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. Viewers can watch livestream coverage of every round in the Facebook mobile app, Facebook desktop site or on the Facebook Watch mobile app. To watch the livestream on TV, fans can download the Facebook Watch TV app, or cast to a TV from the Facebook mobile app. Facebook Watch is available through Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, and Xbox One.