Cycle News Staff | July 23, 2023
Dallas Daniels came out on top of a first ever American Flat Track event at the Bridgeport, New Jersey Half mile. The Estenson Racing Yamaha rider took his first win in several races to put himself back on top of the championship points lead.
Daniels’ triumph came by a scant 0.095 seconds over his Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle title rival, Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Racing FTR750), with JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), and Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) all in contention for a win.
Dallas Daniels (32) took his first ever AFT SuperTwins Half-Mile win at the Bridgeport, New Jersey Half-Mile. The Estenson Yamaha rider also kept his 2023 podium streak alive and took the points lead back from Jared Mees. Photography by Tim Lester.
The victory couldn’t have been better timed for the Estenson Racing ace, as he simultaneously halted Mees’ momentum and reclaimed the title lead, if only by two points (280-278). The outcome was arguably even more important for his psyche after he’d wound up second in a series of prior head-to-head matchups with the legendary rider.
Mees, who controlled the middle portion of the race after getting past early leader Beach, was unable to drop the pack the way he did last time out. That’s in part due to the fact that Beach, Daniels, and Fisher – all desperate to prevent that escape from transpiring – continued to attempt to slide underneath Mees. Those attempts would occasionally see a rider other than Mees sneak into first momentarily but never in a way that the lead change stuck.
Jared Mees continued his strong form with a second-place finish in New Jersey. The Indian rider led much of the race and came up just short of another win.
That is until Daniels worked out a high line that allowed him to roll through the corners and power down the straights. That line eventually allowed him to storm past Mees and immediately open a small advantage.
But the cagey Mees adapted and closed back in for one last strike. That came in the race’s final corner, where the champ attempted a slide up on the leader’s flank, but Daniels kept it pinned and held Mees at bay by just fractions of a second at the line.
The win was Daniels’ first-ever Half-Mile triumph in the premier class, moving him to within a TT win of the Grand Slam. It also saw him up his season-long podium streak to 13 in the process.
“It’s been one heckuva year,” a jubilant Daniels said. “These Half-Miles are kind of the kryptonite for the Yamaha and for me on a twin. I remember on the 450, I won like six Half-Miles in a row in 2020, but when I got on a twin, it was kind of difficult.
“Jared has just been kicking our butt. He won every Mile and almost all the Half-Miles. This is his forte right here. I had to reach back and grab that one. I was so nervous. That top – you’ve really got to roll it. It’s all about momentum. For a couple laps, I was just trying to get in the lead so I could do it. I knew once I cleared their front, I could roll. It just feels so good. It’s so awesome.”
Beach, Fisher, and Robinson finished third through fifth, respectively, with Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke) leading the second half of the top-ten in sixth.
Dallas Daniels (center) was joined by Jared Mees (left) and JD Beach on the Bridgeport Half-Mile podium.
Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Indian FTR750) came home in seventh, followed by Henry Wiles (No. 17 BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750), Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750), and Cameron Smith (No. 34 Martin Trucking/Fredericktown Yamaha MT-07).
2023 Bridgeport New Jersey Half-Mile American Flat Track Results – SuperTwins Main Event
| 1. |
Dallas Daniels |
(Yam) |
32 Laps |
| 2. |
Jared Mees |
(Ind) |
0.095 |
| 3. |
JD Beach |
(Yam) |
0.423 |
| 4. |
Davis Fisher |
(Ind) |
0.812 |
| 5. |
Brandon Robinson |
(Ind) |
2.224 |
| 6. |
Briar Bauman |
(KTM) |
3.282 |
| 7. |
Jarod Vanderkooi |
(Ind) |
6.885 |
| 8. |
Henry Wiles |
(Ind) |
9.659 |
| 9. |
Ben Lowe |
(Ind) |
10.517 |
| 10. |
Cameron Smith |
(Yam) |
10.799 |
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) continued the torrid start to his Progressive AFT career, scoring a third Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER victory in just 14 attempts.
After dominating his heat and Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Challenge, the young Aussie came into the Main Event as the strong favorite to end the evening atop the box. And while that ultimately proved true, he had to earn it.
Tom Drane took his third AFT Singles main event win in his rookie season. The Estenson Yamaha rider had to work his way through the field from a fifth-place start.
Drane found himself mired in fifth following a less than ideal opening lap. He then had to work to erase the gap and systematically fight his way through Jared Lowe (No. 63 Mission Foods/Helmet House Honda CRF450R), Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team/Husqvarna Racing FC450), and Chase Saathoff (No. 88 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) before finally shifting his sights to the race-long leader.
That happened to be his teammate, Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), who had pulled more than a second on the field in his bid to secure a first win of the season.
Drane pushed Brunner’s hope back at least another weekend. He reeled in his Estenson Racing stablemate and then threw a series of slide jobs at him before finally overhauling him in a pass that saw the two make contact mid-corner.
Once out front, the Drane freight train continued full steam ahead and he took the checkered flag with nearly a second in hand.
Drane said, “I was just working the whole race, trying to catch up. And then right towards the end I got close enough to make the move – I didn’t mean to run into him, but that’s just racing. I can’t thank the whole team for all the work they put in throughout the day. Their work makes this all possible. I’m going to keep it going, keep the confidence up, and go into the next race just like this one.”
Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) made it two Aussies in the top three, finishing off his charge up from seventh with a last-corner overtake of Saathoff to steal away the final spot on the podium.
Tom Drane (center) was joined by Estenson Yamaha teammate Trevor Brunner (left) and bellow Australian Max Whale on the podium at the Bridgeport Half-Mile.
Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) executed an impressive climb of his own, battling his way from the LCQ and an early 13th-place position to round out the top five.
Lowe’s run up through the field came at the expense of reigning class champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F), who was a tick off his usual form most of the night.
The Red Bull KTM star finished sixth after winning the previous three races. But despite the minor dip in form, Kopp still boasts a commanding championship lead, which now stands at 45 points (255-210) over Saathoff. Brunner is a close third with 208 points, while the surging Drane closed to within striking distance of second as well at 207.
2023 Bridgeport New Jersey Half-Mile American Flat Track Results – Singles Main Event
| 1. |
Tom Drane |
(Yam) |
26 Laps |
| 2. |
Trevor Brunner |
(Yam) |
0.827 |
| 3. |
Max Whale |
(KTM) |
1.103 |
| 4. |
Chase Saathoff |
(Hon) |
2.005 |
| 5. |
Trent Lowe |
(Hon) |
3.156 |
| 6. |
Kody Kopp |
(KTM) |
5.214 |
| 7. |
Morgen Mischler |
(Hon) |
5.254 |
| 8. |
Chad Cose |
(Hus) |
6.230 |
| 9. |
Jared Lowe |
(Hon) |
6.667 |
| 10. |
Shayna Texter-Bauman |
(KTM) |
7.367 |
Get the complete 2023 Bridgeport, New Jersey Half-Mile American Flat Track results here.
Get all the latest American Flat Racing news and results here.
The Peoria TT is next up for the Progressive American Flat Track Championship. The Peoria Motorcycle Club in Peoria, Illinois will host one of the most historical two-wheel motorsports on the calendar on July 30, 2023.
