Progressive AFT Stars Home in on Texas Half-Mile
Get On! Moto Fest sets the stage for exciting weekend at Texas Motor Speedway.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 18, 2021) – The 2021 Progressive American Flat Track season resumes with this weekend’s Mission Foods Texas Half-Mile presented by Roof Systems at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas on Saturday, May 22.
The trip to Dallas-Forth Worth carries heightened significance for a significant portion of the paddock as it represents the home round for two of the sport’s strongest allies and partners in Mission Foods and Roof Systems of Dallas, TX. The two companies combine to sponsor nearly twenty riders up and down the field, including several frontrunners on the emerging powerhouse Mission Roof Systems squad who will be especially motivated to come up big this weekend.
However, as usual, the path to victory in Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle is likely to run through Grand National Championship favorites Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) and Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750).
However, while still extraordinarily formidable, neither Bauman nor Mees has their usual aura of invincibility about them at this moment; Mees is on the mend from a knee injury that limited him at the Atlanta Super TT while defending champ Bauman is still seeking his first win of 2021.
The continued performance of JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) will be under the microscope as well. Following a difficult 2020 season, Beach has already logged a win and runner-up finish in 2021 and leads the Grand National Championship as a result.
The Mission Roof Systems trio of Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) and Brandon Price (No. 92 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) are among the most likely to contend for victory at their team’s home race. Robinson, who has won three of the most recent five premier-class Main Events dating back to the 2020 finale, finished third and fourth the last two times out at Texas Motor Speedway. Vanderkooi, meanwhile, is fresh off a career-best runner-up result in Atlanta, and Price has flashed race-winning potential more than once in his young Mission SuperTwins career.
AFT Singles
Even in its short history on the Progressive AFT schedule, Texas Motor Speedway has played host to more than its fair share of history.
In 2019, Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) and Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Roof Systems Yamaha MT-07) became the first siblings to win Progressive AFT Main Events on the same evening when Texter-Bauman took the AFT Singles Main and Texter did the same in AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines.
Texter-Bauman has been nearly perfect in three previous trips to Texas Motor Speedway, winning in 2017 and 2019, and only missing out on the sweep in 2018 after finishing as the race’s runner-up by 0.094 seconds.
That narrow defeat came at the hands of Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Mission Roof Systems KTM 450 SX-F), who will look to defend the honor of Mission Foods and Roof Systems on the undercard.
Reigning champion and ‘21 points leader Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) must be considered a pre-race favorite as well, just as he is pretty much whenever he takes to the starting grid.
Of course, it is AFT Singles, which means there are another dozen or more riders who carry legitimate race-winning hopes into the weekend.
AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
2019 AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines champion Texter issued his original claims for the title at that season’s Texas HM. He dominated the season opener at Texas Motor Speedway and went on to win the next two races as well, setting the stage for his ultimately successful title run.
Despite displaying a valiant effort to repeat in 2020, Texter is now seeking to reclaim the crown after finishing as the class’ runner-up a year ago. A return to the top of the podium in Fort Worth would help solidify his position; he currently leads the title fight but by just a single point over Chad Cose (No. 49 Voodoo Ranger/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) and Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07).
Spectator safety remains the top priority and Progressive AFT has worked closely with local health and government officials toward those ends. For more on the specific precautions being undertaken, please consult the Progressive AFT Events Health & Safety FAQ.
Tickets are available for purchase at https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3326/#selectTickets. That includes the “Get On! American Flat Track SuperTicket,” which provides the full weekend experience of attending both the Texas HM and the first annual Get On! Moto Fest for just $39 (GA Grandstand) or $49 (Premium GA Grandstand).
The Get On! Moto Fest is organized by Comoto (Revzilla/J&P Cycles/Cycle Gear), America’s largest powersports aftermarket retailer. It will celebrate the spirit of riding in a full weekend of two-wheeled entertainment from May 21 through May 23 at Texas Motor Speedway. Among a massive line-up of special events will be the world debut of Volcon’s first off-road electric motorcycle, custom bike competitions, demo rides from BMW, Indian, Kawasaki, and more, plus test rides of e-bikes from Super73 and STACYC for kids, and learn-to-ride instruction for newcomers.
This is in addition to the race day activities at the track, which include live music from Chasing Neon, KTM demo rides, numerous vendors, free motorcycle parking, and the Astro Invitational.
Standard race-day only GA Grandstand tickets are $29 (children 12 and under free with the purchase of an adult ticket), with Premium GA Grandstand $39 (children 12 and under $20). Tickets are going fast with premium sections already selling out.
Gates will open for fans at 4:00 p.m. local time with Opening Ceremonies set to begin at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. Live coverage of the entire weekend’s racing activities will be available on any device for only $1.99 a month via TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.
The Mission Foods Texas Half-Mile presented by Roof Systems will air on NBCSN on Saturday, May 29, starting at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT. The broadcast will include exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary.
For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.
