| August 15, 2021
Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) was at his crushing best on Saturday night, claiming a lopsided victory in the Mission Foods New York Short Track II presented by Mad Max Indian Motorcycle in Weedsport, New York, August 15.
Jared Mees bounced back to win round two of the New York Short Track doubleheader.
With line choice on the slick Weedsport Speedway surface very much in question for the bulk of the field ahead of the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main Event, Mees rode decisively. The multi-time Grand National Champion went to the high line from the start and made it work to his advantage.
Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) quickly followed suit, utilizing that same line to overtake Friday winner Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Coolbeth-Nila Racing Indian FTR750) and move into second position.
Despite his rivals’ momentum, Halbert remained committed to the low line he took to victory the night before and gradually came under fire from above by Robinson’s Mission Roof System’s teammate, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), as well.
Robinson flashed the pace to offer a potential challenge to Mees at mid-distance but fell back to Halbert and Vanderkooi late after encountering brake issues. Increasing the intensity to the maximum, the three met on the race’s final lap, going side-by-side as they entered the final corner. Vanderkooi split his adversaries as they exited Turn 4 to snatch away runner-up honors at the checkered flag, beating Robinson by a meager 0.003-second gap.
A bruised and battered Halbert was relegated to fourth despite coming home just 0.064 seconds back of second place.
Meanwhile, defending Grand National Champion Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) never really found his footing. After coming together with Robinson early, Bauman tried the low, middle, and high lines to no avail. He was ultimately tracked down and passed by JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), who took the final spot in the top five in the process.
The victorious Mees said, “I always have a lot of passion and heart for what I do but getting a win is always a good thing. I said it earlier, going to win a Mile it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, he should,’ because I’ve got a really good package for a Mile, and I’m older and really experienced. I always had really great success on these slippery, small car tracks, but the last couple years, I kind of lost touch with that and Briar has been killing us with that. So to come out here and actually win a clay Short Track, it feels really phenomenal to get that mojo back again.”
Despite Mees earning his third win of ‘21 and Bauman taking his worst result of the season in sixth, Bauman continues to lead the Mission SuperTwins points standings by a healthy 22-point margin over Mees (197-175). Robinson is third at 168.
AFT Singles
Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Mission Roof Systems KTM 450 SX-F) earned his second-career AFT Singles victory — his first since 2018 — and did so in about the most Morgen Mischler-esque manner imaginable.
Starting from Row 3, Mischler ignored the deep pack of riders scraping down low and instead railed his way around the extreme high line. In just a matter of a couple short laps, Mischler was in the lead and leaving the field in his wake en route to the checkered flag.
The win came only after Mischler had stacked up an incredible 16 podiums (including six this season) between victories.
After taking the cathartic triumph, he said, “I nailed the start and was sitting pretty good. I came out of Turn 4 and was already doing pretty well. Then it was just a matter of how high can we run it? After one or two laps, it was pretty incredible to come through the pack from the third row. It’s great. It was a long three years, but it feels so great to be up here.”
Once Mischler made it clear the high line was the fast line, several riders reconsidered their tactics. One of those riders was Brandon Kitchen (No. 105 Husqvarna Motorcycles/Vance & Hines Husqvarna FC450), who made a late push to overhaul the likes of Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), Trent Lowe (No. 48 WBR/Suzuki Motor of America RM-Z450), and Tanner Dean (No. 38 1st Impressions Race Team Honda CRF450R) to finish as the race’s runner-up and secure his first podium of 2021.
Despite not getting a great start and never settling into a comfortable line, defending champ Daniels still managed to fight his way onto the box. Combined with last night’s victory, his Saturday third not only saw him get his title campaign back on track, but reclaim the championship lead.
Lowe finished fourth, while pre-race title leader Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) minimized the damage by slipping past early leader Dean at the flag to round out the top five.
As a result, Daniels now leads Whale by a narrow two-point margin (178-176).
AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
It was several years in the making, but Cameron Smith (No. 44 Fredericktown Yamaha/Richie Reynolds Racing MT-07) is officially a Progressive American Flat Track Main Event winner.
Smith first showed the potential to run up front in AFT Singles competition as far back as the 2016 season, but he didn’t truly establish himself as a threat to claim the checkered flag until this season. Following a pair of ‘21 runner-ups — including last night’s near miss — Smith at last broke through with a dominant victory.
Holeshot artist Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) didn’t get his usual flier of a start, which altered the completion of the race completely. With Texter running fourth early, Smith slashed past Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Cycles/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) and then tracked down leader Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07).
Smith made his move just past half-distance and did so in style; he powered around the outside of Bromley and then brushed back his opponent’s attempted counter maneuver to lock down first position. Once in front, he dropped the field en route to a 1.270-second margin of victory.
“Oh my gosh, we’re so excited to come out here and get a win finally,” Smith said. “After getting second two times, I think we were ready. We knew we could do it and we showed it tonight. And big thanks to (my crew), they made me feel like I was sailing the ship on dry land, I was so smooth out there.”
Despite being unable to stand and riding in intense pain after injuring his left ankle last night, Gauthier not only soldiered on, he worked past Bromley to improve upon his Friday third with a runner-up result on Saturday.
Unfortunately for Bromley, his slide down the order didn’t end until after the race’s final corner. Texter pulled off a last-gasp move to bump Bromley off the podium altogether after he looked to be in good shape to score a first win of ‘21 over the Main’s opening half.
Ryan Varnes (No. 68 RVR/Rausch Fuel Kawasaki Ninja 650) held off Ben Lowe (No. 25 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) to complete the top five. Lowe’s sixth still came as an impressive performance considering he was forced to start from the back of the pack, burning his provisional start after crashing out of contention in his Semi.
2021 Progressive American Flat Track Championship
New York Short Track 2
Weedsport Speedway
Weedsport, New York
RESULTS (August 14, 2021)
AFT SuperTwins Main (Top 10)
| 1. |
Jared Mees |
(Ind) |
33 Laps |
| 2. |
Jarod Vanderkooi |
(Ind) |
1.472 |
| 3. |
Brandon Robinson |
(Ind) |
1.475 |
| 4. |
Sammy Halbert |
(Ind) |
1.537 |
| 5. |
JD Beach |
(Yam) |
4.993 |
| 6. |
Briar Bauman |
(Ind) |
5.452 |
| 7. |
Davis Fisher |
(Ind) |
6.904 |
| 8. |
Kolby Carlile |
(Yam) |
7.439 |
| 9. |
Bronson Bauman |
(Ind) |
8.337 |
| 10. |
Brandon Price |
(Ind) |
8.956 |
AFT Singles Main (Top 10)
| 1. |
Morgen Mischler |
(KTM) |
21 Laps |
| 2. |
Brandon Kitchen |
(Hus) |
2.213 |
| 3. |
Dallas Daniels |
(Yam) |
2.368 |
| 4. |
Trent Lowe |
(Suz) |
2.963 |
| 5. |
Max Whale |
(KTM) |
3.244 |
| 6. |
Tanner Dean |
(Hon) |
3.427 |
| 7. |
Ferran Cardus |
(Suz) |
5.736 |
| 8. |
Trevor Brunner |
(Hon) |
6.393 |
| 9. |
Michael Inderbitzin |
(Hon) |
7.121 |
| 10. |
Ryan Wells |
(Hon) |
8.122 |
AFT Production Twins Main (Top 10)
| 1. |
Cameron Smith |
(Yam) |
21 Laps |
| 2. |
Dalton Gauthier |
(H-D) |
1.270 |
| 3. |
Cory Texter |
(Yam) |
1.808 |
| 4. |
Dan Bromley |
(Yam) |
1.868 |
| 5. |
Ryan Varnes |
(Kaw) |
5.210 |
| 6. |
Ben Lowe |
(H-D) |
5.829 |
| 7. |
Johnny Lewis |
(R-E) |
8.523 |
| 8. |
Chad Cose |
(H-D) |
8.674 |
| 9. |
Danny Eslick |
(Kaw) |
9.578 |
| 10. |
Jeremiah Duffy |
(Kaw) |
11.042 |
New York Short Track 1
2021 AFT New York Short Track 1 Results. Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Coolbeth-Nila Racing Indian FTR750) beat the odds on multiple fronts to score an inspiring victory in the Mission Foods New York Short Track I presented by Mad Max Indian Motorcycle on Friday night at Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, New York.
Sammy Halbert (69) came out swinging at the New York Short Track 1. He held off Briar Bauman (1) for the win.
Already riding wounded after suffering a broken foot and missing multiple rounds earlier this season, Halbert was forced to sit out the evening’s Mission Challenge following a heavy fall as a result of being taken out in his Semi.
Despite it all, Halbert rose up to grab the lead away from double defending Grand National Champion Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) two minutes into the 10-minute-plus-two-lap Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main Event.
Unsurprisingly, Bauman did not go away that easily. He instantly altered his lines to mimic Halbert’s and went into full-on Friday the 13th stalking mode for almost the entirety of the remainder of the race.
With less than 30 seconds on the clock, Bauman finally threw an attempt up the inside of Halbert, even as the Coolbeth-Nila Racing ace sat tight on the bottom line. The champ grabbed the advantage momentarily, but the combination of a big handful of throttle and ultra-slick surface nearly sent Bauman to the ground.
Halbert went right back by as a result, only to see Bauman return with a similar, albeit more measured strike. Still, Halbert had an answer and successfully countered yet again. He then rebuked any further attempts with some precision bike placement to the flag en route to his 15th career premier-class victory.
“That was awesome — I love it!” Halbert said. “I was fired up to say the least. I just had to focus in and be smart. He was trying those block passes on me and I just had to use my years of experience to keep it on the bottom and not let him get the best of me. I know he’s so aggressive going for these wins, so I did not give him an opening and we brought it home.”
Despite narrowly missing out on a third successive victory, Bauman still managed to expand his title lead to 33 points with seven races remaining.
Meanwhile, Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) ran down the resurgent Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City FTR750) and beat him to the line by 0.307 seconds to secure the final spot on the podium.
Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) came out on top of a four-way fight for fifth, out-dueling an impressive JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) as well as his Mission Roof Systems teammates Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) and Brandon Price (No. 92 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) for the position.
Davis Fisher (No. 67 BMC Racing/Dick Wall 60 Indian FTR750) and home-state hero Kolby Carlile (No. 36 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) rounded out the top ten.
AFT Singles
Reigning AFT Singles king Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) scored a thrilling, last-lap victory over Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) to reignite his title defense with aplomb.
Daniels spent the second half the race clawing his way back up to Brunner, who had somehow managed to eek away from an intense battle for the lead that also included the likes of Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Mission Roof Systems KTM 450 SX-F), Henry Wiles (No. 17 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), Ferran Cardús (No. 377 Roof Systems of Dallas TX/Bullet Strong Racing RM-Z450) and Trent Lowe (No. 48 WBR/Suzuki Motor of America RM-Z450).
With the lines constantly evolving, the final laps saw Brunner and Daniels hugged low and tight and Mischler and Cardús circulating high and wide, all running with nearly equal efficiency. Just when Brunner looked to have a second-career Progressive AFT win within his grasp, Daniels made a last-gasp push to eliminate the distance to his one-time amateur foe.
With a lap-and-a-half to go, Daniels slid up the inside to steal a slight advantage. The two then took the white flag running side-by-side, but the Estenson Yamaha ace held the inside line and made it work to the checkered flag with 0.129 seconds to spare.
Afterward, Daniels said, “These last few weeks have been some of the toughest parts — just getting used to dealing with pressure and not having the finishes we want. (Team manager) Tommy Hayden told me the problem wasn’t going to fix itself, so I said, ‘All right, I’ve to go out there and do something about it.’ And that’s exactly what we did.”
Mischler railed his way to third — his sixth podium on the season and third third-place in succession — while Lowe snatched fourth away from weekend teammate Cardús at the stripe by 0.042 seconds.
Early leader Wiles faded to sixth, finishing one position ahead of championship leader Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE). The seventh-place finish marked the Aussie’s worst result of the season, allowing Daniels to close to within two points heading into tomorrow’s rematch.
AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
Breakaway AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines title leader Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) went wire-to-wire to notch up his fifth victory of the 2021 season.
Among his many strengths as a rider, perhaps the most consequential is Texter’s uncanny ability to bolt off the line and take the holeshot with regularity. He did so again on Friday night and leveraged the clear track to work up an immediate one-second gap. That ultimately proved vital in his efforts to deny a hard-charging Cameron Smith (No. 44 Fredericktown Yamaha/Richie Reynolds Racing MT-07) a maiden Progressive AFT win.
Despite starting with the last pick on Row 2, Smith made quick work of a talented group of pursuers that included Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Cycles/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield Twins FT), and Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07).
He drove up the inside of Gauthier with over four-and-a-half minutes remaining to move into second and then set his sights on the escaping Texter. Over the next several minutes, Smith made up a fraction here and a fraction there. That hard work nearly positioned Smith within striking distance as the two opened the final lap with a group of lappers ahead.
Despite that promise of drama, Texter carved his way through without incident to climb back atop the podium following two consecutive third-place finishes.
“I’m just gonna dig,” Texter said. “I’m going to take advantage of every opportunity to get on the front row and get a holeshot. It was a technical track and I’m happy with this (win). It’s been a long few weeks since Port Royal, and I’m happy to be back up here.”
Gauthier gritted out a podium some six seconds in arrears. The Port Royal HM victor was in serious pain throughout the Main after catching his inside foot in a hole during his Semi but still managed to fight his way to third.
Fourth went to Lewis following a highly entertaining battle with Bromley that saw the two square each other up and trade positions just about every corner deep into the contest. Bromley fell off the chase for the position late and came home a lonely fifth. CN
2021 Progressive American Flat Track Championship
New York Short Track I
Weedsport Speedway
Weedsport, New York
RESULTS (August 13, 2021)
AFT SuperTwins Main
| 1. |
Sammy Halbert |
(Ind) |
32 Laps |
| 2. |
Briar Bauman |
(Ind) |
0.178 |
| 3. |
Jared Mees |
(Ind) |
5.081 |
| 4. |
Bronson Bauman |
(Ind) |
5.388 |
| 5. |
Jarod Vanderkooi |
(Ind) |
6.683 |
| 6. |
JD Beach |
(Yam) |
7.295 |
| 7. |
Brandon Robinson |
(Ind) |
8.778 |
| 8. |
Brandon Price |
(Ind) |
9.090 |
| 9. |
Davis Fisher |
(Ind) |
12.254 |
| 10. |
Kolby Carlile |
(Yam) |
15.008 |
AFT Singles Main
| 1. |
Dallas Daniels |
(Yam) |
21 Laps |
| 2. |
Trevor Brunner |
(Hon) |
0.129 |
| 3. |
Morgen Mischler |
(KTM) |
1.844 |
| 4. |
Trent Lowe |
(Suz) |
3.157 |
| 5. |
Ferran Cardus |
(Suz) |
3.199 |
| 6. |
Henry Wiles |
(Hon) |
3.633 |
| 7. |
Brandon Kitchen |
(Hus) |
4.218 |
| 8. |
Max Whale |
(KTM) |
5.345 |
| 9. |
Tanner Dean |
(Hon) |
6.243 |
| 10. |
Michael Inderbitzin |
(Hon) |
6.952 |
AFT Production Twins Main
| 1. |
Cory Texter |
(Yam) |
21 Laps |
| 2. |
Cameron Smith |
(Yam) |
0.731 |
| 3. |
Dalton Gauthier |
(H-D) |
6.037 |
| 4. |
Johnny Lewis |
(R-E) |
6.667 |
| 5. |
Dan Bromley |
(Yam) |
8.242 |
| 6. |
Ryan Varnes |
(Kaw) |
12.203 |
| 7. |
Ben Lowe |
(H-D) |
12.242 |
| 8. |
Brock Schwarzenbacher |
(Kaw) |
13.215 |
| 9. |
Danny Eslick |
(Kaw) |
14.340 |
| 10. |
David Wiggin |
(H-D) |
15.269 |
