Kody Kopp (middle) took first in the Singles Class followed by Tom Drane (left) and finishing third was Chase Saathoff (right) at the Lima Half Mile Saturday night.
Photos courtesy of Brent Pierce
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A rejuvenated Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) earned his first victory of the 2022 Progressive American Flat Track season in Saturday’s Mission Lima Half-Mile at the Allen County Fairgrounds.
Over the few several seasons, Robinson has established himself as the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle rider most likely to steal the occasional win away from class dominators Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) and Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750).
However, on this night, Robinson had to overcome the challenge of the series’ newest star in Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) to get to the checkered flag first. The rookie looked to be the race favorite prior to the Main but gave himself a big task by getting shuffled down from pole to sixth at the start.
So instead, it was Daniels’ teammate, JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), who took point early on despite searching for pace all day long. Beach actually gapped the field by nearly a second in the early going before the likes of Robinson, Bauman, Mees, and Daniels really got rolling.
Robinson was the first one by and built up a one-a-half-second lead of his own by the time Daniels arrived in second with some six minutes remaining on the clock. The Yamaha pilot steadily ate away at that gap, drawing near enough to crisscross in front of Robinson momentarily with his low-to-high line with less than three minutes remaining.
The Mission Roof Systems rider was up for the challenge, adjusting his line to tighten his grip on the race. Daniels eventually conceded, allowing Robinson to secure the win with a 2.766-second margin of victory.
The breakthrough was Robinson’s second Lima triumph, the first coming back in 2016. Afterward, he said, “We needed this. This year has been an absolute struggle for us… My team hasn’t given up, and they gave me a great motorcycle. All the guys pitch in and make this fun. Man, I needed this big. I can’t wait to go to the next one now.”
Reigning champion and current points leader Mees worked his way past Bauman late to round out the podium, while Beach came home in fifth behind the two works Indian runners. Mees’ championship advantage was reduced slightly as a result; he now leads Daniels 139-127, while Bauman (115) and Beach (112) remain solidly in contention.
Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
In recent weeks, defending Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines champion Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) has been quietly keeping his hopes for a third and final class crown alive by clawing his way to gritty seconds, thirds, and fourths on nights he just didn’t have the speed to contend for the win.
Texter was anything but quiet on Saturday night at Allen County Fairgrounds, however, registering a lopsided victory to narrow the gap to title leader Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) to just a single point (132-131).
Texter, Janisch, and Ben Lowe (No. 25 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) exploited the multiple nature of the circuit to each take a turn at the lead on the opening lap of the Main Event. But by lap two, Texter had seized control and he would never relent.
Janisch both kept Texter honest and minimized the damage with a steady ride to second at a track he’s never completely gelled with.
The win was Texter’s second of the season and his (and Yamaha’s) first ever at Lima. He said, “I’ve been coming here since I was two years old – maybe younger. Last year, I was all angry on the podium. I knew I could do better here. I rode really hard at the beginning and then just brought it home. This is my last Lima, and this is one I’m going to miss. It’s such an iconic track. It feels amazing to finally win here.”
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
With each successive race, Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) continues to further the case that he’s the odds-on favorite to claim this year’s Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER crown.
At Lima, Kopp scored a second consecutive blowout victory, his fourth win among six top-twos in just seven attempts this season. The emerging superstar gapped the field within a single lap and then piled it on from there, ultimately winning with more than four seconds in hand.
Kopp’s mastery was reminiscent of that of his father, 2000 Grand National Champion Joe Kopp, who won at the circuit three times.
The secret? Kody said, “Holeshots win races here, especially in this Lima pea-gravel. So we did our job and got a good start, and that’s pretty much all we had to do, honestly.”
While there was little drama in deciding the podium, the race still proved to be a spectacular showcase for the future stars of the sport. Joining 17-year-old Kopp in the spotlight were a pair of 16-year-old phenoms.
Australian Tom Drane (No. 359 Construction Supply Specialists/ICCONS KTM 450 SX-F) earned a remarkable runner-up result in his Progressive AFT debut while Rookie of the Year hopeful Chase Saathoff (No. 106 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) scooped up his second consecutive third-place finish.
No other rider finished within 16 seconds of the runaway Kopp.
The Mission Lima Half-Mile will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, July 3, at 11:00 a.m. ET/8:00 a.m, PT, including exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary.
