2024 American Flat Track Texas Half-Mile Results

| May 1, 2024

By virtue of equal parts passion and investment, Roof Systems of Dallas, Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda and Mission Foods, have granted the Dallas-Fort Worth area an undeniable gravitational pull on the Progressive American Flat Track world despite lacking any real prior claim as a hotbed of the sport.

Brandon Robinson at 2024 AFT Texas Half-Mile — **Brandon Robinson extended his SuperTwins points lead with his second victory of the season.**

By Chris Martin | Photography by Tim Lester & Kristen Lassen

Jerry Stinchfield, CEO of Roof Systems of Dallas, Texas, team owner of the Mission Roof Systems team, and sponsor of countless riders, is a pivotal figure in this transformation. Yet, his primary team has yet to taste victory on home soil.

And by virtue of equal parts determination and daring, that finally changed in 2024, even if the Dallas-Fort Worth area was largely uncooperative in that pursuit, presenting 40-plus mph winds and intermittent rain showers on the night.

In fact, the Mission SuperTwins main event was pushed forward on the schedule in order to improve its chances of getting it in, with the weather threatening to shut the whole thing down.

That frantic, hurried vibe flowed right into the early parts of the race, which saw expected title fighters, Jared Mees—he of nine Grand National Championships—and Dallas Daniels—the widely acknowledged heir apparent—make a quick break at the front.

Jared Mees (1) at 2024 AFT Texas Half-Mile — **Jared Mees (1) led early on then made a run at Robinson near the end of the race but came up just short of winning.**

But before they could turn the Texas Half-Mile into yet another personal showdown, Mission Roof Systems ace Brandon Robinson came storming up from behind, exploiting a high line he observed Rick Ware Racing KTM’s Briar Bauman utilize in the preceding Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge to good effect.

Mees and Daniels were battling hard among themselves when Robinson powered around them both in quick succession, setting up a protracted three-way fight at the front.

“The main event was a scramble,” Robinson said. “I was the only guy without a bike because we were making a last-second gear change. But with that rain coming down, we figured the track would be a little slower and added a tooth, and that was key in the outcome of the race.

“I almost fell back to fourth. It took me about two laps to get into my groove, but once I found the higher line, I was able to ride right around the guys. It was kind of crazy. It was a cool feeling.”

Robinson actually looked to have the measure of both, slipping away at the front before Mees summoned up a charge to position himself back to within striking distance in the race’s waning moments. It turned out Mees’ comeback was fueled in part by misfortune on Robinson’s part—a development that put Roof Systems’ designs for the top of the podium very much at risk.

“I was thinking, ‘Okay, we’ve got this.’ And then with four minutes to go, we lost brakes, which was not fun. This is not a track to lose brakes on at all. So, for about two minutes, I was holding on for dear life and trying to not make a mistake.”

Dallas Daniels (32) at 2024 AFT Texas Half-Mile — **Dallas Daniels (32) was an early leader but ended up third.**

The brakes came back in just in time, allowing Robinson to repel a last-corner overtake and claim the checkered flag twelve-hundredths of a second ahead of Mees. Daniels came home third, a few tenths further back as he sat ready to pounce should Robinson and Mees tangle in conditions ripe for drama.

Robinson credited the Mission Roof Systems crew with helping him get his team their first premier-class DFW victory. “The team was good today. They kind of bailed me out of a spot a few times today, making some changes—and the right changes—a few times. Man, that was the longest 25 laps I think I’ve ever done.”

Mees gave it a shot at the end. “It was one of those things,” he said. “I got out to the lead but really didn’t get to hold the lead for very long at all. Dallas got right back by me and shuffled me back, and then at one point Brandon got a pretty good gap on me. I just tried to put laps together to get to him, and I got to him. But as soon as I did, I about highsided off his back wheel off turn four. That just killed my options for later on when I recaught him. When I did, the checkered flag was there. It’s a bittersweet one. There was a lot of chaos out there, but it made for a good main event.”

Bauman flashed the pace to contend throughout the day as well but didn’t have it on tap for the main event. He spent the race battling with the second group, coming home just behind Rackley Racing’s Davis Fisher in fifth.

Max Whale at 2024 Texas Half-Mile — **Latus Motors Harley-Davidson’s Max Whale continued to impress as a rookie with his seventh-place finish.**

Fairway Ford’s Jarod Vanderkooi was sixth, with impressive rookie Max Whale putting the Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750 in seventh. The remainder of the top 10 consisted of OTBR’s Brandon Price, Moto Anatomy X Royal Enfield’s Johnny Lewis, and another rookie in GOMR’s Declan Bender.

While notable, Robinson’s triumph in Texas is not a geographically isolated incident. Now a quarter way into the 2024 season, the Pennsylvanian, who went winless in 2023, sports a perfect podium record, a series’ leading two victories, and the Grand National Championship lead.

Maintaining that position will be a tall order, especially with a pair of TTs looming on the schedule, but Robinson has no plans to let up now. All gas, no brakes.

Chase Saathoff (88) at 2024 AFT Texas Half-Mile — **It might’ve taken a little longer than expected but Chase Saathoff (88) finally nabbed his first Singles victory.**

AFT Singles

The flat track community has been projecting Chase Saathoff as an eventual (multi-time) Progressive AFT race winner since his amateur days, even prior to being named the Nicky Hayden AMA Horizon Award Winner in 2021.

Saathoff himself has been dreaming of that first win far longer, no doubt. That was a dream that had slowly twisted into a recurring nightmare, as the long-awaited maiden victory eluded him by fractions of a second time after time, the JPG Motorsports pilot reeling in six runners-up among 12 podiums, the majority of those coming in the near-miss variety.

But no matter how much or how long he dreamed, it’s unlikely Saathoff ever imagined it coming in the manner it finally did.

Kody Kopp at 2024 Texas Half-Mile — **Double-defending champion Kody Kopp put the Rick Ware Racing KTM in second place.**

Saathoff controlled the race from beginning to end, despite several opportunities for it to be ripped from his grasp, thanks to slick and windy conditions that helped spur on three red flags.

The Illinois native held strong throughout, however, and was a much deserving winner when the race was finally called complete with a minute still remaining on the clock.

Whether or not it transpired the way he would have liked, Saathoff is now a Parts Unlimited AFT Singles race winner. And with that first-win obstacle now removed, he can turn his attention to quickly adding to it with some more conventional victories.

Tom Drane (59) and Kody Kopp at 2024 AFT Texas Half-Mile — **Tom Drane (59) and Kody Kopp battled for second place. Kopp got around Drane for the position.**

Double-defending champion Kody Kopp put the Rick Ware Racing KTM second, while his Estenson Racing Yamaha-backed rival Tom Drane was credited with third.

The final red flag came out following an incident that collected highly touted rookie Evan Renshaw, who replaced Saathoff on the American Honda-backed Turner squad, and FRA Trust Advisors’ Aidan RoosEvans, in their fight for top-five positions.

Trent Lowe at 2024 Texas Half-Mile — **Turner Honda’s Trent Lowe finished up with solid fourth-place points**

That elevated siblings Trent (Turner Honda) and Jared (BigR, Little Debbie Racing) Lowe to fourth and fifth, respectively.

Kopp continues to lead in his search for a championship threepeat by a healthy margin, boasting 92 points to Saathoff’s 75 and Drane’s 69.CN