Cycle News Staff | March 27, 2023
If the Daytona opener provided a strong indication that the Progressive AFT series was headed in the right direction through sheer depth of talent and diversity of equipment, the encore at the inaugural Senoia Short Track offered an equally tantalizing tease of what the sport’s fans could be in store for in 2023, both in terms of bar-to-bar electricity and historical relevance.
From the latter lens, the modern era of motorcycle dirt track racing is defined in large part by reigning Mission SuperTwins king Jared Mees. His career achievements now rival the greatest the Grand National Championships have ever seen, and he continues to operate at the peak of his powers, as evidenced by the number-one plate on the front of his factory Indian FTR750.
Meanwhile, sharp observers have long heralded Dallas Daniels as the future of the sport. They are now being proven correct, as his career trajectory seems to suggest he could one day own multiple Grand National Championships of his own. And impressive as the Estenson Racing Yamaha ace was as a premier-class rookie a year ago, he demonstrated that he has leveled up with a year’s experience under his belt, securing a pair of dominant victories at the ‘23 opener.
The past, present and future were interwoven at Senoia Raceway where the eras of two generational talents overlapped in what may just be the first in a series of memorable showdowns for this year’s crown.
After getting his latest title defense off to a bit of a quiet start in Daytona—where he was actually somewhat fortunate to round up a pair of fourths—Mees cranked up the volume in Georgia. He threw down the fastest laps in practice and qualifying, won his heat and the 5-lap Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, and went into the main event with designs of running away at the front.
The strategy looked to have legs, too, when Mees powered past Daniels’ teammate, JD Beach, on the opening lap and had clear air ahead of him. Mees created early separation, leaving the Yamaha men to scrap over second, with Royal Enfield’s Johnny Lewis, WBR KTM’s Jesse Janisch, Rackley Racing’s Ben Lowe and Mission Roof Systems’ Brandon Robinson in hot pursuit.
While Mees bolted, Daniels wasted little time in overhauling Beach and setting sail after the leader.
Daniels then slowly ate away the gap to first, and once on Mees, he chose to sit and observe until the race hit mid-distance, and the two encountered the first of a succession of lappers.
What then ensued was—in Mees’ words—a “fist fight in a phone booth.” The two went back and forth with crisscrossing lines and evolving strategies, all the while, weaving through slower riders.
While Mees spent more time at the front, Daniels looked to be in control—at least until he wasn’t. The reigning champ reclaimed the lead for the final time just before the clocks hit zero and managed to keep his young challenger behind him over the race’s final two laps, if only just.
Runner-up Daniels said, “It’s hard to out-fox the fox, but I thought maybe I had him where I wanted him. I had a golden-ticket line off [turn] four that was working really good. I didn’t really want to show him. I knew he probably wasn’t going to let me sit behind him, but I did for a long time. We kind of diced it up a little bit, and I had a plan. But I think—actually, I don’t think, I know—I showed him my cards a little early.”
Mees said, “It was a battle. I felt good right out of the truck—fast qualified it, won the dash. I knew going into the main, if I could get a rhythm early, I might be able to pull away. But heck no, Dallas was so strong. He moved around and got by me and got back by me. It was a duel. That was a good battle. That’s what the fans pay to see and it was good to win that fight. When we get into those scraps, I’ve won my fair share of them, and I was thinking, ‘this young kid, he’s going to do something to me on the last lap.’ But we held it together.”
Even with the spotlight on Mees and Daniels, there was plenty of excitement down the order. Despite suffering a huge crash in the opening practice, Robinson charged all the way up to third, only to lose the position to Beach on the final lap.
Rackley Racing’s Davis Fisher backed up his Daytona ST podium with a fifth, finishing just ahead of JMC Motorsports’ Jarod Vanderkooi.
Meanwhile, Rick Ware Racing’s Briar Bauman got shuffled down deep outside the top 10 early but managed to fight his way to seventh aboard the developing Parts Plus KTM 890 Duke. He was followed home by a pair of KTM 790 Dukes piloted by Fastrack Racing’s Bronson Bauman in eighth and the aforementioned Janisch in ninth, while Lowe rounded out the top 10.
Daniels retains the points lead, while Mees moves up to second. As thrilling as their Georgia shootout was, however, it’s far too early to look at this as a two-horse race. Two-time champion Bauman only figures to get stronger as the season unfolds, and it’s worth remembering that Beach was the winningest rider in the class a year ago—especially as the series readies for its first TT next week. Robinson, too, has the tools to remain in contention, and several others are a threat to win on any given weekend.
Grand times for the Grand National Championship, indeed.
2023 American Flat Track Senoia Round 3 Results – SINGLES
The good news at Senoia Raceway for Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Championship hopefuls was that defending champ Kody Kopp was something less than the dominating force he proved to be at the Daytona opener, and on so many occasions a year ago.
The bad news was that his Red Bull KTM teammate Max Whale filled that void with gusto, underlining the 1-2 punch the team comes to the track armed with on a weekly basis.
Kopp spent practice and qualifying outside the top ten, struggling to find a setup that had his bike handling to his liking. He fared a bit better in his heat, finishing fourth, but was not the pre-race favorite heading into the main. That was Whale, who was second fastest in qualifying, and the winner of both his heat and the Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Challenge.
The Aussie made good on his potential, walking away with a relatively easy main-event victory to keep the early-season KTM win streak intact.
Behind, second place was held down throughout by James Ott on the 1st Impressions Husqvarna. Ott took the paddock by storm with a near win in his very first race back in 2019, but he spent the better part of the next four seasons looking to rediscover that form.
He found it in Senoia, looking quick all day and ultimately holding off a charging Dalton Gauthier on the D&D/Certified KTM at bay for second.
Kopp stepped up for the main event and looked like he might even find a way past both Ott and Gauthier late. But his plans were undone by Estenson Racing’s Trevor Brunner, who dropped Kopp to fifth before Kopp could make a move of his own for the podium.
The American Honda trio of Morgen Mischler, Trent Lowe and Chase Saathoff finished 6-7-8, while Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM’s Shayna Texter-Bauman and Ott’s Husqvarna teammate, Chad Cose, completed the top 10.
2023 American Flat Track Senoia Round 3 Results – AFT SuperTwins Main
1. Jared Mees (Ind) 37 Laps
2. Dallas Daniels (Yam) 0.174
3. JD Beach (Yam) 6.563
4. Brandon Robinson (Ind) 6.694
5. Davis Fisher (Ind) 10.009
6. Jared Vanderkooi (Ind) 11.012
7. Briar Bauman (KTM) 12.579
8. Bronson Bauman (KTM) 13.224
9. Jesse Janisch (KTM) 13.874
10. Ben Lowe (Ind) 14.191
2023 American Flat Track Senoia Round 3 Results – AFT Singles Main
1. Max Whale (KTM) 22 Laps
2. James Ott (Hus) 1.483
3. Daulton Gauthier (KTM) 2.225
4. Trevor Brunner (Yam) 2.371
5. Kody Kopp (KTM) 2.548
6. Morgan Mischler (Hon) 3.305
7. Trent Lowe (Hon) 3.866
8. Chase Saathoff (Hon) 4.048
9. Shayna Texter-Bauman (KTM) 6.019
10. Chad Cose (Hus) 6.292
By Chris Martin.
Get all the latest American Flat Track news and results here.