Story and photos from americanflattrack.com

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 in Lima, Ohio.

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.

Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) finished in sixth just ahead of Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) and Davis Fisher (No. 67 Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750).

Cory Texter (No. 100 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) was the top Mission Production Twins Challenge entrant in ninth, while Brandon Price (No. 92 Pro One Industries/Mission Foods KTM Duke 890) rounded out the top ten in his first ride aboard the KTM.

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.”

Billy Ross (No. 109 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) proved his win at Laconia was no fluke by following up that maiden victory with a second-career podium. It didn’t come easily, however, as he only just managed to fend off a charging Cameron Smith (No. 34 Thee Cathy Gray/Al Barker Yamaha MT-07).

Smith, who boasted terrific speed all day, encountered unwelcome bike issues just prior to the start and was forced to move to the back of the grid. Despite that, Smith powered through the pelting roost of the field to finish in fourth, just over a half-second back of the box.

Cole Zabala (No. 51 Memphis Shades/Corbin/Vinson Yamaha MT-07) finished another two seconds back, equaling his best finish of the year in fifth.

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.

Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) came home fourth, while James Ott (No. 19 MediaHT/G&G Racing KTM 450 SX-F) won out in a tight scrap for fifth ahead of Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and Morgen Mischler (No. 13 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R).

As a result of Kopp’s win and Mischler’s seventh, Kopp now boasts a rather hefty 31-point advantage (155-134) in a quickly tilting title fight.

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.

Next Up:

The 2022 Progressive AFT season picks right back up next weekend with the Mission New York Short Track presented by Mad Max Indian Motorcycle at Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, New York, on Saturday, July 2. Gates will open for fans at 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT ahead of the evening’s Main Event program. Visit https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3764/ to reserve your tickets today.

You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FansChoice.tv. FansChoice.tv provides free-to-view livestreaming of Practice and Qualifying. FansChoice.tv subscribers will then be able to watch the drama unfold from Opening Ceremonies through the Semis, Main Events, and podium celebrations. FansChoice.tv offers two subscription options, granting unlimited access to premium AFT content. Monthly subscriptions start at just $7.99, while a six-month subscription is available for $44.99.

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

To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com.

How to Watch:

FOX Sports and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of Progressive American Flat Track. For the 2022 season, all races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. FansChoice.tv provides livestreaming coverage of every Progressive AFT round at http://www.FansChoice.tv.