American Flat Track West Virginia Half-Mile

West Virginia Motor Speedway

Mineral Wells, West Virginia

July 1, 2023

Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Challenge Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Trevor Brunner (Yam), 4 laps

2. Kody Kopp (KTM), -00.033 second

3. James Ott (Hus), -00.161

4. Max Whale (KTM), -01.024 seconds

 

 

Provisional Mission SuperTwins Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Davis Fisher (Ind), 4 laps

2. Jared Mees (Ind), -00.219 seconds

3. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -00.732

4. Briar Bauman (KTM), -00.755

 

 

Provisional Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Morgan Monroe (Roy), 8 laps

2. Zaria Martens (Roy), -00.428 second

3. Kenzie Luker (Roy), -02.778 seconds

4. Makenna Hiatt (Roy), -07.783

5. Shasta L’Heureux (Roy), -10.750

6. Morgan Piller (Roy), -16.447

7. Justine Marsh (Roy), -24.079

8. Anna Serena (Roy), -31.872

9. Mia Reese (Roy), -1 lap

10. Moriah Hummer (Roy), -1 lap, 10.894

 

 

Provisional Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Kody Kopp (KTM), 21 laps

2. Trevor Brunner (Yam), -00.612 second

3. James Ott (Hus), -02.024 seconds

4. Trent Lowe (Hon), -03.088

5. Chase Saathoff (Hon), -05.760

6. Max Whale (KTM), -05.959

7. Tom Drane (Yam), -07.312

8. Chad Cose (Hus), -10.977

9. Dalton Gauthier (KTM), -11.180

10. Jared Lowe (Hon), -12.994

11. Morgen Mischler (Hon), -13.346

12. Logan Eisenhard (KTM), -14.921

13. Cole Zabala (Hon), -17.133

14. Travis Petton (KTM), -17.295

15. Tarren Santero (Hon), -18.030

16. Tyler Raggio (Yam), -19.009

17. Aidan RoosEvans (Hon), -19.037

18. Shayna Texter-Bauman (KTM), -21.157

19. Hunter Bauer (Hon), -9 laps, DNF

 

 

Provisional Mission SuperTwins Main Event Results (all on Dunlop tires):

1. Jared Mees (Ind), 25 laps

2. Briar Bauman (KTM), -00.609 second

3. Dallas Daniels (Yam), -03.481 seconds

4. JD Beach (Yam), -03.748

5. Davis Fisher (Ind), -04.316

6. Dan Bromley (Yam), -04.660

7. Jarod Vanderkooi (Ind), -05.843

8. Johnny Lewis (Roy), -10.058

9. Henry Wiles (Ind), -12.909

10. Jeffery Lowery (Yam), -13.268

11. Brandon Robinson (Ind), -13.779

12. Ben Lowe (Ind), -15.632

13. Bronson Bauman (KTM), -15.970

14. Kolby Carlile (Yam), -16.084

15. Cameron Smith (Yam), -17.591

16. Ryan Wells (Roy), -22.314

17. Cody Johncox (Yam), -23.862

18. Brandon Price (KTM), -24.037

19. Billy Ross (Kaw), -9 laps, DNF

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by American Flat Track:

Mees Outlasts Bauman, Equals Parker at West Virginia Half-Mile

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 1, 2023) – Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750) delivered a performance for the ages in Saturday night’s All Seasons Powersports West Virginia Half-Mile, in what proved to be a memorable return for Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, to Mineral Wells, West Virginia, after nearly two decades away.

Mees came to West Virginia Motor Speedway for the first time since 2006 with an opportunity to match fellow legend Scott Parker’s mark for most Half-Mile wins in the long history of the Grand National Championship.

But to do so, he understood that he was going to have to overcome the combined challenge of Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle title leader Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), Lima Half-Mile conqueror Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke), and Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge winner Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) after the four went bar-to-bar minutes earlier in the four-lap dash for cash.

The potential adversaries whittled down almost immediately, however, as Fisher wheelied away his prime starting slot from pole and dropped to sixth. Meanwhile, Daniels was only one position further up the order and slotted in behind fellow Yamaha runners JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) and Dan Bromley (No. 62 HRP Racing/Memphis Shades/Mike Vinson/Corbin Yamaha MT-07).

That left just Bauman alone to prevent Mees from escaping at the front. The Rick Ware Racing hero did well to demonstrate his recent success was down to more than simply capitalizing on a series of racetracks well suited to his bike’s strengths, tracking the factory Indian ace down to show him a wheel at half-distance.

However, Mees’ relentless excellence ultimately won the day, allowing him to stretch open some breathing space late. In the end, he secured his record-tying 35th-career HM win with a 0.609-second margin of victory.

Afterward, Mees said, “It feels really good – this is like my favorite one so far this year. I didn’t feel like we were the fastest guy lining up for that Main Event. We made some game-changing decisions after the dash with the Öhlins rear shock. With not trying something like that all day, you don’t know exactly what to expect, but I have a lot of faith in my team. It was a super finesse-y track – it was really easy to make a mistake and lose your momentum. I thought Briar and Davis were the guys to beat. But I hit my marks every lap, moved around to figure out where Briar was catching me, got my spot and felt the motorcycle hook up and move forward.”

Behind, Daniels’ season-long podium streak came under serious threat. He was pressed hard to work his way around Beach and Bromley before being forced to fight his way back up to third after Bromley contacted his rear wheel with four minutes remaining. Both riders came close to hitting the dirt following the incident, which allowed Beach to steal third and Fisher to close in to make for a four-way sprint for the final spot on the box.

Daniels ultimately rebounded to keep his perfect top-three run intact. In doing so, he also held on to his points lead, albeit by a slim five-point margin over reigning champion Mees (237-232). Beach followed his teammate home fourth. Fisher picked up fifth, while part-timer Bromley only had a sixth-place finish to show for his impressive outing.

Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750) charged the entire distance in an attempt to make it a five-way scrap for the podium before earning a relatively close seventh. Likewise, Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) slashed up to eighth, despite starting from the back of the pack after suffering a mechanical issue during his heat race.

Henry Wiles (No. 17 BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750) and Jeffery Lowery (No. 223 Lowery Racing/Gray Hogs Yamaha MT-07) rounded out the top ten.

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER

Defending Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champ Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) once again showcased his Half-Mile mastery by scoring the seventh victory of his young career at the distance on Saturday night.

And like last week’s win, this one came with considerable effort. From the start, Kopp was embroiled in an evolving melee with Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450).

With multiple lines working, the three moved up and down the track as they exploited their preferred angles of attack while looking for any possible edge over one another.

Brunner pushed into the lead at mid-distance and held a half-second advantage at one point. However, the KTM star put his head down, reeled the Estenson Racing pilot back in, and kept up the momentum once he stormed past on the high line.

With a minute remaining on the clock, Kopp held a similar gap of his own, which he then managed to the checkered flag.

Kopp said, “The goal all day was to get a good start and try to split… we didn’t do that. Trevor got a great start, and he had a pace that was hard to keep up with. He had this line through 3 and 4 that had us skimming the Airfence every lap. I couldn’t figure that corner out, but I felt like we had him covered in 1 and 2. By the end of it, we kept digging and figured some things out and charged hard. This was a fun track and a fun race.”

Brunner finished as the race’s runner-up to earn his first podium since the season opener. He followed by Ott, who faded slightly late en route to his third top three of the season.

Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), who joined the battle for the lead momentarily, took a lonely fourth. Meanwhile, his Turner Racing Honda teammate, Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), won out in a scrap for fifth over Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) and Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F).

With five wins to his name in ‘23, Kopp has rebuilt a commanding lead in his title defense, now leading by 40 points (216-176) over Whale. Brunner’s big night sees him move into a tie with Saathoff for third at 173 points.

Next Up:

The 2023 Progressive American Flat Track’s run of four consecutive Half-Miles continues with next weekend’s inaugural Orange County Half-Mile at Orange County Speedway in Middletown, New York, on Saturday, July 8. Visit https://www.americanflattrack.com/events/2023/view/orange-county-half-mile-2023 to reserve your seats today.

For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FansChoice.tv is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://www.fanschoice.tv.

FOX Sports coverage of the All Seasons Powersports West Virginia Half-Mile, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, July 8, at 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT).

For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.

About Progressive American Flat Track

Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on Progressive American Flat Track, please visit us on the web, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram and catch all the Progressive American Flat Track racing action on FOX Sports.

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by KTM Factory Racing:

KODY KOPP SPRINTS TO SECOND-STRAIGHT AFT SINGLES VICTORY AT WEST VIRGINIA HALF-MILE

Round 11 – American Flat Track Championship

 

 

MINERAL WELLS, W. Va. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kody Kopp has taken his second AFT Singles victory in a row at Round 11 of the 2023 American Flat Track Championship, with Max Whale racing to a sixth-place finish in the West Virginia Half-Mile Main Event.

This latest win marks 18-year-old Kopp’s fifth of the season, as he extends his AFT Singles Championship advantage to 40 points over teammate Whale, who is currently sitting in second position.

In what was a dominant day for the defending champion, Kopp opened the round by posting the fastest time in the combined qualifying sessions, before powering his KTM 450 SX-F to P1 in the opening Heat race. Further success was then found in the Dash-For-Cash, where he finished P2, before charging to another instrumental win in the 21-lap Main Event.

Kody Kopp: “It was a great weekend of racing for us here in West Virginia! I went P1 in qualifying for the first time since Daytona, so that was a good feeling, and just kept the ball rolling from Lima. Won the heat race, ended second in the Dash by a tiny margin, and then in the Main Event, I got the holeshot, led the first couple laps and… pretty much the same story as Lima. Stayed back until about lap eight, got close enough and made the move, clicked off my laps and controlled things from there. So, a huge night for points, huge night for confidence, and we’ll keep it rolling into New York.”

Red Bull Factory Racing KTM teammate Whale posted the fourth-fastest time in qualifying, before second place in his Heat race also saw him earn his way into the Dash-For-Cash. The Australian would finish fourth in that, before going on to score a hard-fought sixth-place result in the Main Event.

Max Whale: “I consider this race one of my strong ones, so I was looking forward to coming here. Started off the day strong with P4 in qualifying, and I was just up there in every session, had good pace. I finished second in my heat, got into the Dash, then when it came down to crunch time I just didn’t really have the speed… struggled a bit, ended the night in sixth, and actually for the first time this year, I’ve gone backwards. We’ll keep pushing hard, it’s racing, so we’ll knuckle down for the remaining rounds.”

Next Race: Orange County Half-Mile – Middletown, NY – July 8, 2023

Round 11 Results

AFT Singles Main Event

1. Kody Kopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

2. Trevor Brunner, Yamaha

3. James Ott, Husqvarna

OTHER KTM

6. Max Whale, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing

9. Dalton Gauthier, KTM

12. Logan Eisenhard, KTM

14. Travis Petton IV, KTM

18. Shayna Texter-Bauman, KTM

 

2023 AFT Singles Point Standings

1. Kody Kopp, 216 points

2. Max Whale, 176

3. Chase Saathoff, 173

OTHER KTM

5. Dalton Gauthier, 166

11. Travis Petton IV, 59

12. Justin Jones, 52

13. Shayna Texter-Bauman, 51

18. Hunter Bauer, 38

20. Logan Eisenhard, 36

23. Declan Bender, 18

24. Hayden Gillim, 14

25. Landen Smith, 13

26. Clarke Morian V, 12

28. Tanner Dean, 9

34. Olin Kissler, 4

 

 

 

More, from a press release issued by Indian Motorcycle:

WIRE-TO-WIRE WIN FOR INDIAN MOTORCYCLE RACING AND JARED MEES AT WEST VIRGINIA HALF-MILE

Reigning SuperTwins Champion Continues the Push for His Ninth-Career Grand National Championship

MINNEAPOLIS (July 5, 2023) – In what proved to be a memorable return for Progressive American Flat Track (AFT) at the West Virginia Half-Mile, Indian Motorcycle Racing and reigning SuperTwins Champion Jared Mees secured their sixth win of the 2023 American Flat Track (AFT) season.

In the night’s Main event, it was Mees who took the whole shot and battled with Briar Bauman for the first half of the race before extending his lead to over half a second. The battle for third was bar-to-bar and tire touching throughout the race. Mees relied on his racing prowess leading from start to finish, crossing the finish line.609 seconds ahead of Bauman.

“It feels really good – this is like my favorite one so far this year. I didn’t feel like we were the fastest guy lining up for that Main Event, said Mees. “We made some game-changing decisions after the dash with the Öhlins rear shock. With not trying something like that all day, you don’t know exactly what to expect, but I have a lot of faith in my team. It was a super finesse-y track – it was really easy to make a mistake and lose your momentum. I thought Briar and Davis were the guys to beat. But I hit my marks every lap, moved around to figure out where Briar was catching me, got my spot and felt the motorcycle hook up and move forward.”

The win marked a record-tying 35-career half-mile victories, and just five points behind the season’s point leader. With seven races remaining, Mees is poised to make a strong push to reach Scott Parker’s record-holding nine career Grand National Championships.

The 2023 American Flat Track season continues July 8 for the Orange County Half-Mile at the Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, NY.

For more information on Indian Motorcycle Racing, visit IndianMotorcycle.com and follow along on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®

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