Mees Strikes Back in Texas
AFT Round 2 - Texas Half-Mile
Reigning AFT SuperTwins Champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) rebounded from his Round 1 fifth place at the Daytona season opener to take the win at the Mission Texas Half-Mile presented by Roof Systems at the Dirt Track at Texas Motor Speedway on March 19.
SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle
Mees looked virtually unbeatable all night long, making it clear that anybody who wants to take his #1 plate from him is going to have to race hard. Mees drove underneath a quick-starting JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) to take control of the Main Event while still in its opening stages.
The defending champ pulled clear and cruised to the checkered flag, only suffering a minor scare when Beach (second) and his third placed Estenson teammate, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), used traffic and their own battle for second to reduce the gap to back under a second over the race's final two laps.
The AMA says that the Yamaha 2-3 was another sign that the series' attempts to balance the field are working as hoped, while also providing positive feedback for Estenson Racing with regard to its offseason MT-07 DT upgrades.
It also underlined the potency of the talented Beach-Daniels tandem. That was made especially clear when Mission SuperTwins rookie Daniels not only diced with fourth placed two-time class champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750), but got the better of him.
With Vanderkooi, Robinson and Fisher in fifth, sixth and seventh respectively, it fell to Bronson Bauman to bring home the leading H-D XG750R in eighth, ahead of Brandon Price in ninth on an FTR750 and Ben Lowe on an XG750R in 10th.
Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
While reigning Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines champion Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) got his own title defense off to a bit of a quiet start at Daytona, all it took was a return to the scene of his maiden class victory in 2019 to get back to the top of the podium in Texas.
Ben Lowe (No. 25 Helipower Racing/Mission Foods Harley-Davidson XG750R) kept Texter honest in the final leg of the Main and was well positioned to capitalize on any mistake. While that mistake never came, Lowe did finish as the runner-up, earning a strong result at his primary sponsors' home round.
The still-mending Kolby Carlile (No. 36 KC36 Las Vegas Harley-Davidson XG750R) rounded out the podium. He did so only after fending off last weekend's surprise winner, Nick Armstrong (No. 60 Competitive Racing Frames/Lessley Brothers Yamaha MT-07), who finished fourth, with new class contender Cole Zabala (No. 51 Memphis Shades/Corbin/Vinson Yamaha MT-07) in fifth, followed by Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield Twins FT) sixth.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Best known for epic, come-from-behind rides exploiting the high line, Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) won in the complete opposite fashion on Saturday night. After beating polesitter Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) into the opening corner, Mischler immediately set about what would ultimately prove to be a race-long defense of the low line.
Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) took second from teammate Morgan Mischler third, with Mischler's teammate Dalton Gauthier fourth and Michael Inderbitzen (No. 54 1st Impressions Services of Florida Honda CRF450R) fifth.
There is a five week gap now until after Easter when the 2022 season makes an inaugural AFT stop at the I-70 Motorsports Park, Odessa, Mi., Saturday, April 23 (Round 3); then another five week gap until Red Miles I & II at Lexington, Ky., on May 28 & 29 (Rounds 4 & 5), after which regular weekly or alternate weekly racing gets going for the summer with the Laconia Short Track (Round 6) at Loudon, Nh., on June 11.
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