Cycle News Staff | June 20, 2021
2021 Oklahoma City Mile 2 Results. Progressive American Flat Track legend Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) returned to the top of the podium at Remington Park in an overwhelming show of force in Saturday’s Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City OKC Mile II presented by KICKER in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
It spoke volumes that even when utterly uncomfortable and unsatisfied on the cushion Mile the night before, Mees still managed to finish on the podium. A happier Mees proved substantially better than that in the rematch, sweeping into the lead on the opening lap of the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main Event and never looking back.
Mees’ path to victory was made somewhat easier when Friday victor Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) was slowed by an ailing clutch in his Semi and was forced to start from the back row of the Main as a result. Despite that start-line handicap, he still managed to power around the outside off the line and slot into fourth position in the early going.
Robinson then overtook Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) and Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) in successive corners and set his sights on race-leader Mees, who was 1.1 seconds up the track.
The best he could do, however, was match Mees’ pace for a stint. And eventually, the multi-time Grand National Champion broke Robinson’s pursuit altogether.
Instead, the Mission Roof Systems ace found himself under assault late by Bauman, who closed on his rear wheel in the race’s late stages. No matter how close Bauman got, however, Robinson was ultimately protected by a heavy roost that blasted the double defending Grand National Champ whenever he thought to attempt a move past into second.
The victory was Mees’ fourth in five attempts at the OKC Mile and his 18th Mile win in all.
Afterward, he said, “I’m back. Last night, I just wasn’t myself. I rode real tight and tense and my arms got locked up. I just wasn’t myself. I came in today and didn’t make many adjustments to the bike — a couple of adjustments to the Öhlins shock — and just let her go.
“I just charged into the corners harder… I felt so good out there. I have to give a huge shout-out to my entire team for backing me.”
Further back, Vanderkooi put together a fourth consecutive top-four result, while Robert Pearson (No. 27 Rackley Racing/John Franklin Indian FTR750) overcame Brandon Price (No. 92 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) to claim the final spot in the top five.
Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City FTR750), Kolby Carlile (No. 36 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), and Davis Fisher (No. 67 BMC Racing/Dick Wall 60 Indian FTR750) completed the top ten.
AFT Singles
Last season’s second- and third-ranked AFT Singles riders went head-to-head over first position in Saturday night’s 450cc thriller; Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) and Henry Wiles (No. 17 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) broke away from the pack from the start and proceeded to engage in a race-long duel for the win.
Friday dominator Wiles appeared to have the upper hand pretty much throughout — at least until Whale stormed in and executed a final-lap slingshot down the back straight. Both riders then desperately searched for traction while negotiating Turns 3 and 4 for the last time, their bikes bucking and weaving the entire way. Wiles came off the final turn just a bit stronger, but not quite strong enough — his attempt to draft back by failing by just 0.054 seconds at the flag.
Aussie Whale said, “Henry passed me on lap 2 or lap 3 and I had his roost every lap from then on in. I was catching him a lot in Turns 1 and 2, but he had me mastered in 3 and 4 all day. I knew if I could pass him, it had to be on the backstretch coming off 1 and 2. I got it done. I made a little mistake in 4 but ended up holding Henry off.
“I want to give a huge shout-out to my team — this is awesome!”
A four-wide dogfight for third featuring Hunter Bauer (No. 124 NKR Canada/Waters Autobody Racing KTM 450 SX-FFE), Mikey Rush (No. 15 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), and Brandon Kitchen (No. 105 Husqvarna Motorcycles/Vance & Hines Husqvarna FC450) was ultimately won by the supremely consistent Daniels on his 18th birthday.
Kitchen finished fourth while quick-study Bauer rounded out the top five in what was the Canadian’s debut Mile weekend. Rush’s sixth was his worst result of 2021 and saw him slip from second to third in the points (102), as he now trails both reigning champ Daniels (112) and 2020 runner-up Whale (102).
Meanwhile, Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) finished a rather remarkable seventh after somehow escaping both concussion and broken bones in his terrifying Friday fall.
AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) assumed full control of the AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines championship fight with a third consecutive class win.
Unlike Friday night’s blowout, Texter had to fight it out to claim the checkered flag on Saturday. Early on, he appeared in danger of watching Chad Cose (No. 49 Voodoo Ranger/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) run off at the front. Powered by pent-up aggression after sitting out Friday night with a broken bike, Cose utilized an almost comically high line to overhaul Texter on a borrowed XG750R (courtesy of Latus Motors and Vance & Hines).
That line gradually went away from Cose, however, and the steady speed of Texter brought him back into contention. After a bit of back and forth, Texter retook the lead and shook free, seemingly destined to walk away to a fourth win in six races.
And that win ultimately came, but not until after surviving a late-race scrap with a charging Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Cycles/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R), who actually drafted into the lead with one minute remaining on the clock.
Texter immediately countered Gauthier’s move and eked out enough of a gap to prevent a second offensive en route to a 1.594-second margin of victory.
“I’ve been through it all — I’ve won and lost — so I’ve been battle-tested,” Texter said, “Chad had incredible speed today, but I knew if I could keep him close I could find something there toward the end. But he was haulin’ — I didn’t think I’d pull this one off today. And Dalton — that’s the kind of Dalton that I know. He brought it. I didn’t know anyone was behind me, and I thought I heard a bike so I glanced over and there he was! I kicked it up another gear. It feels great. To do this on Father’s Day weekend is incredible for me as a father.”
Cose narrowly held on to the final spot on the box, edging Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) by 0.295 seconds.
Veteran racer Patrick Buchanan (No. 71 Smith Racing/Scooter’s Bar & Grill Kawasaki Ninja 650) completed the top five, finishing just over a half-second in front of Friday night’s maiden podium finisher, Cameron Smith (No. 44 Mike Butler Racing/Cornerstone Masonry Group Honda CRF450R).
Meanwhile, the luckless Ryan Varnes (No. 68 RVR/RoyBuilt Don’s Kawasaki Ninja 650) — who suffered a mechanical DNF while in contention for Friday night’s win — was struck down by misfortune yet again on Saturday. This time around, Varnes was forced to retire prior to the start due to another bike issue after having earned the pole position. CN
Progressive American Flat Track Championship
Round 6 of 16
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Remington Park
RESULTS (June 19, 2021)
AFT SuperTwins Main
1. |
Jarod Mees |
(Ind) |
20 Laps |
2. |
Brandon Robinson |
(Ind) |
2.443 |
3. |
Briar Bauman |
(Ind) |
3.068 |
4. |
Jarod Vanderkooi |
(Ind) |
5.801 |
5. |
Robert Pearson |
(Ind) |
16.343 |
6. |
Brandon Price |
(Ind) |
17.592 |
7. |
Bronson Bauman |
(Ind) |
24.646 |
8. |
Kolby Carlile |
(Yam) |
25.808 |
9. |
JD Beach |
(Yam) |
25.827 |
10. |
Davis Fisher |
(Ind) |
26.526 |
AFT Singles Main
1. |
Max Whale |
(KTM) |
14 Laps |
2. |
Henry Wiles |
(Hon) |
0.054 |
3. |
Dallas Daniels |
(Yam) |
8.172 |
4. |
Brandon Kitchen |
(Hus) |
8.291 |
5. |
Hunter Bauer |
(KTM) |
10.458 |
6. |
Michael Rush |
(Yam) |
10.472 |
7. |
Trevor Brunner |
(Hon) |
10.814 |
8. |
Cole Zabala |
(Hon) |
10.847 |
9. |
Trent Lowe |
(Suz) |
11.906 |
10. |
Kody Kopp |
(Hon) |
13.172 |
AFT Production Twins Main
1. |
Cory Texter |
(Yam) |
14 Laps |
2. |
Dalton Gauthier |
(H-D) |
1.594 |
3. |
Chad Cose |
(H-D) |
6.387 |
4. |
Dan Bromley |
(Yam) |
6.683 |
5. |
Patrick Buchanan |
(H-D) |
7.832 |
6. |
Cameron Smith |
(Yam) |
8.509 |
7. |
Ben Lowe |
(H-D) |
11.270 |
8. |
Dylan Bell |
(H-D) |
25.190 |
9. |
Danny Eslick |
(Kaw) |
33.032 |
10. |
Jeffery Lowery |
(Kaw) |
13 Laps |
AFT SuperTwins Point Standings
1. |
Briar Bauman |
(Ind) |
114/1 win |
2. |
Brandon Robinson |
(Ind) |
107/2 wins |
3. |
Jared Mees |
(Ind) |
105/2 wins |
4. |
Jarod Vanderkooi |
(Ind) |
93 |
5. |
JD Beach |
(Yam) |
86/1 win |
6. |
Bronson Bauman |
(Ind) |
75 |
7. |
Brandon Price |
(Ind) |
70 |
8. |
Kolby Carlile |
(Yam) |
69 |
9. |
Davis Fisher |
(Ind) |
65 |
10. |
Robert Pearson |
(Ind) |
62 |
Oklahoma City Mile 1 (June 18)
2021 Oklahoma City Mile 1 Results. Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) became the first rider to earn a second Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle victory this Progressive American Flat Track season with a clutch performance in Friday evening’s Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City OKC Mile I presented by KICKER at Remington Park in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Robinson controlled the lead and held a gap to second from the first lap onward. However, the nerves required to pull off the victory were considerably greater than that fact might suggest; Robinson was forced to overcome injury, an extremely physical racetrack, and a fast-closing Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) to emerge victorious in the end.
At one point late in the race, Robinson saw his nearly two-second advantage slashed to around a half-second. Despite that pressure, Robinson regrouped and ultimately stretched it back out to 1.744-seconds by the time he sailed past the checkered flag. While Robinson certainly did his part by remaining calm, precise, and rapid, Bauman effectively conceded the race in the end after nearly being caught out by the extremely fast yet risky lines he had previously exploited to claw back into contention.
Robinson, meanwhile, continued to make the case that he belongs right alongside reigning Grand National Champion Bauman and multi-time series king Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) when it comes to the current premier-class pecking order. Besides owning more wins than any other rider this season, Robinson also boasts his Chicago Half-Mile fall-to-fourth-place ride that was as impressive as any win, along with three out of five victories in this season’s $5000 Mission Challenge shootouts.
After the race, Robinson said, “This might be the most tiring track we go to all year. This was brutal, and with the bummer at Joliet and sustaining a knee injury there, I’ve been on the couch for three weeks. Fitness is huge here, so big thanks to my trainer, Dick Tibbits; he helps me out a lot with everything I’ve been going through with the injury and just trying to be as ready as we can. And a huge thank you to Mission Foods, Roof Systems, HCRR, and my crew chief Ben Evans; they had this thing dialed in from the time we unloaded. I could not be happier to be a part of this program.”
While Mees saw his three-race win streak at the OKC Mile snapped, he did keep alive his perfect podium record at the venue. A poor start pretty much eliminated any chance at victory from the very beginning, but he quickly made up multiple positions to establish himself a clear third.
Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) added a fourth-place finish to his back-to-back runner-up results, while Brandon Price (No. 92 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) overcame Kolby Carlile (No. 36 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) in their tilt for fifth. ‘Mile Master’ Bryan Smith (No. 4 Crosley/Howerton Motorsports Indian FTR750) had earlier been a part of that fight but was forced to pull out at mid-distance.
Further back, Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City FTR750), Robert Pearson (No. 27 Rackley Racing/John Franklin Indian FTR750), JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) and Davis Fisher (No. 67 BMC Racing/Dick Wall 60 Indian FTR750) rounded out the top ten.
AFT Singles
After getting off to a bit of a quiet start in 2021, Henry Wiles (No. 17 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R) made plenty of noise on Friday night with a blowout victory in the evening’s AFT Singles Main Event.
Wiles was in a class of his own from the start, ripping out to immediate advantage and never looking back en route to a 3.157-second margin of victory.
While Wiles erased all drama for the win before any could settle in, there was still plenty of action to be found in a spirited fight for second. Estenson teammates Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and Mikey Rush (No. 15 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) diced it up with one another early before being joined in the fray by the always entertaining Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Mission Roof Systems KTM 450 SX-F).
Contrasting lines led to a series of tight passes and unpredictable action before Daniels ultimately shook free over the race’s final two laps.
Mischler split Daniels and Rush up in the results to finish third, bringing Rush’s perfect season podium record to an end while allowing Daniels just a bit of space at the top of the championship order.
One of Wiles’ teammates, Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), missed the Main Event after going down in an on-track incident while leading his Semi. The other, Cole Zabala (No. 51 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R), finished in fifth, winning out in a multi-rider fight for the position with Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) and Brandon Kitchen (No. 105 Husqvarna Motorcycles/Vance & Hines Husqvarna FC450).
Race winner Wiles said, “Right from the first practice I knew we had some real good pace. I knew my biggest competition throughout the day was going to be my teammate (Brunner), but unfortunately he got caught up coming out of a corner and had a pretty nasty crash. I hope Trevor is doing well, and hopefully he can get back out here tomorrow and we can race it up at the front.
“I’m really just stoked. It’s no secret we’ve been struggling. We thought we’d come out swinging from Round 1, and it’s just been a struggle. I’ve got to thank my mechanic and sponsors and all the people that help out this team. They’ve really been busting their butts, and I couldn’t be happier with the result tonight.”
AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07) went wire-to-wire to secure his third victory of the still-young AFT Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines season.
The 2019 class champ took the critically important holeshot and translated it into an unchallenged victory. While the roost of the Remington Park cushion Mile left his competitors covered in dirt and their number plates virtually unreadable, Texter shone just as bright in red, white, and blue at the checkered flag as he was on the starting line.
Texter said, “It’s amazing. My plan was to go out and do half the race really hard, set a good pace, and then chill the last few laps and save energy for tomorrow. This is for my dad — it’s been eleven years and I miss him. It’s Father’s Day weekend so this is a tough one for me. So this is for my dad, Randy, and my little boy, Cruise — he makes Father’s Day a lot better than it used to be.”
Ryan Varnes (No. 68 RVR/RoyBuilt Don’s Kawasaki Ninja 650) suffered a mechanical DNF moments after moving into second while looking like the only rider with any chance of running down Texter.
That left Cameron Smith (No. 44 Mike Butler Racing/Cornerstone Masonry Group Honda CRF450R), Jeremiah Duffy (No. 42 Sammy O Racing/Geiger Construction Kawasaki Ninja 650), and Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) to sort of the remainder of the podium before Texter. Raising the stakes significantly was the fact that both Smith and Duffy were hoping to come away with their maiden Progressive AFT podiums.
That honor ultimately went to Smith, who raced from Row 2 to second place. Bromley came home just behind in third to complete an all-Pennsylvanian, all-Yamaha podium.
Duffy survived a couple of major moments and a near-miss with Bromley to finish fourth, while 2019 AFT Singles champ Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Cycles/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) rounded out the top five.
A disappointed Chad Cose (No. 49 Voodoo Ranger/Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) — who entered the weekend second in the points on the strength of a win and two runner-ups — was forced to watch from the fences after suffering a mechanical issue with his machine earlier in the evening. The Californian expects to be back in action on Saturday night. CN
Progressive American Flat Track Championship
Round 5 of 16
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Remington Park
RESULTS (June 18, 2021)
AFT SuperTwins Main
1. |
Brandon Robinson |
(Ind) |
20 Laps |
2. |
Briar Bauman |
(Ind) |
1.744 |
3. |
Jarod Mees |
(Ind) |
8.054 |
4. |
Jarod Vanderkooi |
(Ind) |
10.879 |
5. |
Brandon Price |
(Ind) |
19.873 |
6. |
Kolby Carlile |
(Yam) |
28.585 |
7. |
Bronson Bauman |
(Ind) |
28.791 |
8. |
Robert Pearson |
(Ind) |
29.296 |
9. |
JD Beach |
(Yam) |
37.327 |
10. |
Davis Fisher |
(Ind) |
42.800 |
AFT Singles Main
1. |
Henry Wiles |
(Hon) |
25 Laps |
2. |
Dallas Daniels |
(Yam) |
0.550 |
3. |
Morgen Mischler |
(KTM) |
0.722 |
4. |
Michael Rush |
(Yam) |
2.462 |
5. |
Cole Zabala |
(Hon) |
4.155 |
6. |
Max Whale |
(KTM) |
5.191 |
7. |
Brandon Kitchen |
(Hus) |
6.347 |
8. |
Kevin Stollings |
(Hon) |
6.402 |
9. |
James Ott |
(KTM) |
6.528 |
10. |
Shayna Texter-Bauman |
(KTM) |
6.757 |
AFT Production Twins Main
1. |
Cory Texter |
(Yam) |
14 Laps |
2. |
Cameron Smith |
(Yam) |
2.126 |
3. |
Dan Bromley |
(Yam) |
2.523 |
4. |
Jeremiah Duffy |
(Kaw) |
5.796 |
5. |
Dalton Gauthier |
(H-D) |
6.098 |
6. |
Ben Lowe |
(H-D) |
7.259 |
7. |
Patrick Buchanan |
(H-D) |
17.475 |
8. |
Danny Eslick |
(Kaw) |
17.616 |
9. |
Dylan Bell |
(H-D) |
29.268 |
10. |
Kevin Stollings |
(Kaw) |
35.264 |