2024 American Flat Track Round 9 Results.The Full Details…

It took until the first race of its second half, but the 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season may have found its framing narrative. The year is—at least for now—defined by Dallas Daniels, be it for his eventual coronation or the pursuit of his rivals to prevent it.

This emerging reality had been effectively obscured to date on multiple fronts: Mission Roof Systems’ Brandon Robinson had more wins, reigning and nine-time Grand National Champion Jared Mees had the spotlight that naturally accompanies the quest for a record 10th crown, and two-time series champ Briar Bauman had sufficiently reminded the world of his vast talent, including when he left Daniels in his wake to win in Ventura.

Partially hidden in those highlights was that Daniels came into Lima on top of the points, buoyed by a perfect eight-race podium record, while all his rivals had finished off the box on multiple occasions, including at least once outside the top five.

Jared Mees at 2024 AFT Lima Half-Mile

This all came much more clearly into focus in Ohio, where Daniels performed an absolute masterclass on the Allen County Fairgrounds’ pea-gravel Half-Mile, an arduous battleground cherished for its propensity to separate contender from pretender.

And there was only one contender for victory at this year’s stop in Lima. Daniels rocketed into the lead off the line and blasted away at the front. Robinson did everything in his power to stop it from happening and was admirable in his efforts only to allow the Estenson Racing pilot to pull a few tenths per circulation.

But once Robinson accepted the inevitable, Daniels ripped away by more than a half-second a lap throughout the middle stages of the race before lapping his way inside the top 10 and cruising to the win in the end.

Brandon Robinson at 2024 AFT Lima Half-Mile

Despite backing off, Daniels ended the night with his first career Lima victory (taken by 6.478 seconds) along with a 21-point championship advantage, a not inconsiderable margin considering that he’s downright miserly in giving points back, generally from second and third place, even on his bad days.

Whether it was part of the plan or not, Daniels’ torrid early laps grew his championship advantage that much more; Robinson’s high-energy push to keep pace early left him vulnerable to attack from Mees late. Indeed, Robinson ultimately surrendered second place to Mees but still retained the runner-up position in the standings by a two-point margin over the defending champion.

Bauman, meanwhile, lost a bigger chunk of ground by finishing fifth. The Rick Ware Racing runner held fourth for almost half the race but was beaten to the spot by Rackley Racing’s Davis Fisher.

Memphis Shades-backed Brandon Price came home sixth, followed by JMC Motorsports’ Jarod Vanderkooi and Royal Enfield substitute (replacement?) rider Dalton Gauthier. CTR’s Chad Cose and RVR’s Cameron Smith rounded out the top 10 despite finishing off the lead lap.

,Davis Fisher at 2024 AFT Lima Half-Mile

Afterward, the dominant Daniels said, “What a crazy day. I wasn’t that comfortable out of the gate, but I kept getting better and better and better. In the [Mission #2Fast2Tasty] Challenge, I just rode like an idiot and ended up second. I knew I just had to get a good start and do as many good laps right away as I could, and that’s exactly what I did to pull a gap.

“It feels so awesome to conquer Lima. A lot of bad dudes have won here in the past. I’m so happy I won here. Just a great night for the team.”

 

jSuperTwins podium at 2024 AFT Lima Half-Mile

“Dallas got the holeshot, and man, he put a big dig in at the beginning,” Robinson said. “I think he dug the whole entire race. He just left us. He whupped our ass, to be honest. I tried so hard to stay with him at the beginning, and I think I blew myself up. I was charging so hard and just losing a little bit, a little bit. And that was all it was. I can’t be mad about it—we tried our best.”

Daniels has little time to savor this one with DuQuoin looming, and Mees is no doubt licking his chops with the season at last, arriving at a big track where he can flex his Mile might.

,nSingles Main at 2024 AFT Lima Half-Mile n

SINGLES

Daniels’ dominant display in the premier-class main event didn’t so much make the night for Estenson Racing as it did to add to a celebration already underway. His win came on the heels of a tense and much-needed victory earned by his young teammate, Tom Drane, minutes earlier.

The gifted Australian came into the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles main with the same basic game plan as Daniels, even if they played out differently.

He did manage to cut underneath rival Chase Saathoff on the JPG Motorsports Honda and swipe the lead on the opening lap, then stretch open a good second-and-a-half gap at the front by the race’s midpoint. But that’s when the chase really kicked off, with double defending champion Kopp dispatching Saathoff and setting off after Drane.

Kopp’s body language and raw speed made it clear he was relishing the challenge. That push saw him successfully close the gap, fighting his way back up to Drane’s rear wheel. However, before he could make his move into first, the two both blasted by a downed rider and weathered the pea-gravel storm of multiple packs of lapped riders.

Tom Drane (59) at 2024 AFT Lima Half-Mile
Tom Drane (59) made it an Estenson Yamaha sweep by winning the Singles main.

The Yamaha pilot came out of the other side of the confusion with his leadership position restrengthened, allowing him to claim a third victory of the season, while bringing Kopp’s KTM-powered win streak to a close at three.

Drane said, “To be able to get this win feels so good. I can’t thank my whole team enough for all the effort they’ve put in and all the training we’ve done so we can race so hard the whole race. I could feel Kody coming towards the end there, and I had to really put those last few laps together.”

“I’ve never been that bummed after a second place,” Kopp said. “I made up so much time on him. Hats off to Tom—the last three years, it’s been one or the other of us. But sometimes, you just don’t have the down-the-straight speed, and that’s what you need. We’re still chugging along. I’m bummed this ends the win streak because I felt good in that main event.”

Saathoff finished third, picking up a sixth podium in his last seven races, while Turner Honda’s Trent Lowe finished fourth, his sixth successive top five.

1st Impressions/Media HT’s James Ott continued to round into form, narrowly missing out on stealing fourth from Lowe. Meanwhile, Lowe’s rookie teammate, Evan Renshaw, matched his best Progressive AFT finish to date in sixth after running fourth for the first 15 of 21 laps.

James Ott at 2024 AFT Lima Half-Mile
1st Impressions/Media HT’s James Ott appears to be close to his ’23 form again, logging three top fives in his last four races after failing to finish inside the top five in the opening five races of the season.

FRA Trust Advisors’ Aiden RoosEvans, Raggio/Sluggo Racing’s Tyler Raggio, ECG Racing’s Travis Petton, and Hannum’s Harley-Davidson’s Logan Eisenhard finished seventh through 10th, respectively.

Kopp continues to lead large, holding a 204-172 advantage over Drane, with Saathoff four further points back at 168.CN

2024 American Flat Track Round 9 Results

SUPERTWINS (Top 10)

  1. Dallas Daniels (Yam) 26 Laps
  2. Jared Mees (Ind) 6.478
  3. Brandon Robinson (Ind) 7.444
  4. Davis Fisher (Ind) 10.015
  5. Briar Bauman (KTM) 12.623
  6. Brandon Price (Yam) 17.610
  7. Jarod Vanderkooi (Ind) 21.453
  8. Dalton Gauthier (RE) 22.332
  9. Chad Cose (Yam) 25 Laps
  10. Cameron Smith (KTM) 1.000

SINGLES (Top 10)

  1. Tom Drane (Yam) 21 Laps
  2. Kody Kopp (KTM) 0.472
  3. Chase Saathoff (Hon) 4.229
  4. Trent Lowe (Hon) 15.061
  5. James Ott (Hus) 15.208
  6. Evan Renshaw (Hon) 16.148
  7. Aidan RoosEvans (Yam) 16.527
  8. Tyler Raggio (KTM) 21.283
  9. Travis Petton (KTM) 24.520
  10. Logan Eisenhard (KTM) 26.614

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