Orange County Half-Mile - Daniels Dominates, Kopp Makes History
Orange County Fair Speedway, Middleton, NY
Progressive AFT Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, Round 7 - June 15, 2024
Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) was precise to the point of perfection in his blowout win in the Mission SuperTwins while reigning Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) etched himself yet another prominent position in the history books …
Mission AFT SuperTwins
While slippery conditions and continually altering lines kept the world’s elite motorcycle dirt track racers guessing all day long, championship leader Daniels was composed and in control throughout.
After sitting atop the leaderboard in practice and qualifying, and then winning his heat and the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, Daniels merely needed to get off the line clean and then do his thing in the Main. Once he did, Daniels’ second triumph of the season was a drama-free 5.293-second margin of victory.
By contrast, nine-time champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) had a frustratingly off day, finishing fifth. Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke) scored second, with Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) third and Billy Ross (No. 29 Mission Foods/Digitrace Kawasaki Ninja 650) fourth.
Mees fifth was the only FTR750 in the top five, and one of five in a top ten that included two Yamaha MT-07s and one top five each for the KTM 790 Duke, the Royal Enfield 650 and the Kawasaki Ninja 650.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Presented by KICKER
Already with a strong claim as most decorated rider the category has ever seen, Kody Kopp furthered his argument by equaling Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) for most career Parts Unlimited AFT Singles wins by scoring his 19th triumph in just his 58th attempt.
Second-ranked Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R) and third-ranked Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) finished in their championship standing order at the conclusion of a relatively processional affair, despite early fireworks.
Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) extended that championship mirror to fourth after tracking down New Yorker Justin Jones (No. 91 J&H Racing Husqvarna FC 450), fifth.
There were five Honda CRF450R riders in the top 10, with two KTMs, plus the Husqvarna badged FC 450), and a pair of Yamaha YZ450F riders.
Next Up will be the June 22 Bridgeport Half-Mile (Swedesboro, NJ) and June 29 Lima Half-Mile (Lima, OH). After Illinois, for the Memphis Shades sponsored July 6 DuQuoin Mile and the July 28 Peoria TT, the series then heads west again - for a unique Double Header at the 85th Sturgis Rally.
First up will be the Black Hills Half-Mile at the Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, SD, on August 6 and then the all-new, innovative Sturgis TT on a Half-Mile course in downtown Sturgis, on August 11 - the final day of the Rally. Starting and finishing at the Harley-Point between Lazelle and Main Street, the race will see the debut of a new concept - a Tracker Class for production based ADV bikes.
After Sturgis it is back to Illinois for a Springfield Mile Double Header on August 31 and September 01, with the final race now confirmed as a September 14 series debut Short Track at the Lake Ozark Speedway at Eldon, Missouri, during the Lake of The Ozarks Bike Week.