| April 25, 2023
For the second time in this early Progressive AFT season, defending Mission SuperTwins Champion Jared Mees rebounded from disappointment to post a statement victory. And each time the living legend adds another win to his name, he bolsters an already-ironclad Hall of Fame résumé, with Saturday’s win at Devil’s Bowl Speedway being no exception.
By Chris Martin | Photography by Tim Lester
Mees found himself fourth early on, hung up behind a trio of Yamaha MT-07s piloted by Estenson Racing teammates JD Beach and Dallas Daniels, along with HRP Racing’s Dan Bromley. As the track got slicker following the sun’s retreat, extreme high and low lines proved semi-viable options with little to choose from in between. Mees and Daniels may have preferred the low line but both learned to exploit the skyway in order to overhaul holeshotter Beach before settling back into a race for victory at the bottom.
Unlike their Senoia showdown, there was no flurry of passes. But the faceoff still had some real tension about it as Mees fought to manage a small gap that Daniels repeatedly ate into before losing time again as the title fighters tightroped their way around on a tricky and unforgiving surface.
Behind, Beach and Bromley eventually fell into the clutches of Mission Roof Systems’ Brandon Robinson, Rackley Racing’s Davis Fisher and Parts Plus/Jacob Companies-backed Briar Bauman with a five-rider fight breaking out for the final spot on the box.
Beach went from podium contention to 17th in an instant when that low line bit him, forcing him to lose the front. Instead, third went to a still-sore Robinson, who was in dire need of a strong result at his team’s and primary sponsors’ home round following two consecutive outings in which practice crashes negatively impacted his efforts.
Bauman came home fourth on the developing Rick Ware Racing KTM 890 Duke after being stuck in eighth for much of the contest’s opening half. Meanwhile, Fisher rounded out fifth, while Bromley held on for a respectable sixth.
Just behind, JMC Motorsports’ Jarod Vanderkooi, Fastrack Racing’s Bronson Bauman, Rackley Racing’s Ben Lowe and G&G Racing’s Kolby Carlile completed the top ten.
But once again, the spotlight shone brightest on Mees and Daniels as they further ingrained the feeling that we’re being treated to an overlapping of eras dominated by generational talents.
Mees’ victory was the 34th of his career on half-miles, moving him to within a single win of the all-time half-mile record posted by the iconic Scott Parker.
“I was kind of a little worried coming into here,” Mees admitted. “In 2020, I was way off pace. But I started off really good right off the bat today. The track was good, but it started changing—it got way less grippy throughout the main event. It was a really hard race to win. You had to be so cautious in turn 1 and the transition into turn 2. It was a good win for us. Dallas is riding so good, riding so strong. I’ve got to put everything together so perfectly to be matching his pace and beating him. It kind of sucks to be honest, he’s not giving me any breathing room.”
In fact, each week it’s becoming more and more apparent that Dallas Daniels is a problem. Unlike Mees, Bauman and Beach, the second-year premier-class gladiator has shown no real weaknesses or made any major mistakes so far this season. He’s demonstrated race-winning speed at short tracks, TTs and half miles alike, and carries the knowledge that he was a two-time main event winner on miles even as a premier-class novice in 2022.
Five rounds in, he’s finished no worse than second in any given race, an achievement which has allowed him to accumulate an early 17-point advantage over Mees.
Mees, for his part, has managed to outduel Daniels in two consecutive straight fights. But it’s starting to look like he’s going to need to continue to do that with regularity or risk seeing Daniels further entrench himself atop the standings.
Occasionally, an all-time great athlete who is as accomplished as Mees requires a serious challenge to stay focused and motivated. Well, now he’s got one, and the fans of the sport are that much richer for it.
SINGLES
The American Honda-backed Turner Racing Honda squad came into 2023 with high hopes of wresting the title away from Red Bull KTM in 2023 after finishing second and third in the points a year ago.
While championship runner-up Dalton Gauthier left to form his own KTM satellite effort this season, Turner Racing turned up with another fearsome threesome, adding the talented Trent Lowe to holdovers Morgen Mischler and Chase Saathoff.
The early-season results failed to match the hype or expectations, as the squad had just a solitary Saathoff third-place finish in Daytona to point to for podium production through the year’s opening four rounds.
That changed in a big way in Dallas, as the Turner Hondas duked it out amongst themselves, formation flying 1-2-3 at the front at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Ultimately, Lowe shook free, at last earning his maiden Progressive AFT victory after multiple seasons spent logging podiums. Saathoff looked like the rider many expected to see in ‘23, finishing in second, while multi-time main event winner Mischler at last stepped onto the box for the first time this season.
Reigning champion Kody Kopp and his primary title challengers, D&D/Certified KTM’s Gauthier and Red Bull KTM teammate Max Whale, were quiet until they weren’t. Either mired near the bottom of the top ten or outside of it altogether, all three charged their way forward throughout the race.
Kopp wound up in fourth and right on Mischler’s rear wheel, while Whale took fifth after outdueling Estenson Racing Yamaha’s Trevor Brunner for the spot with Gauthier one position back in seventh. CN
My Own Race
Dan Bromley #62, 6th Place SuperTwins/14th Place Singles
Even in part-time competition, HRP Racing’s Dan Bromley routinely reminds us that he is one of the most talented dirt trackers in the world. He did so again at the Dallas Half-Mile, racing up front with the likes of Jared Mees, Dallas Daniels and JD Beach over the main event’s opening half before finishing in sixth. Bromley said, “Coming in I felt really good. We had high hopes. In the heat race, I was right with JD (Beach) and almost made the dash. I felt really comfortable on the twin. We made a line work that nobody was riding. I was really excited about that. I think a few riders behind me kinda followed me and used it against me later on in the main event, so I may have showed my cards a little too soon. All-in-all we had a good day. I believed that I could be up there in the top five, and now I know I can.”
JD Beach #95, 17th Place SuperTwins
Estenson Racing Yamaha’s JD Beach saw a strong day end in miserable fashion. After running top three pretty much the entire event and battling for a podium late in the main, Beach lost the front and tumbled all the way down the order to be credited with a 17th-place result in the end. Beach said, “When the sun was out, we were going good and improving the bike. But as soon as the sun went down, I don’t know what it was, but I felt like I was on ice. The team worked really hard and we kept fighting. In the main, when I got the holeshot, I knew I wasn’t going fast, but I tried to stay on the bottom of the track and just be smooth. When I got passed by Jared (Mees) and Dallas (Daniels), I just tried to run there in third. Going into one, I just got into the loose dirt and lost the front. It was just gone and that was all she wrote. It was a bummer. That’s the first main I’ve ever crashed out of, so it sucks. But we’ll regroup and go race the short track.”
Morgen Mischler #13, 3rd Place Singles
An early-season title contender a year ago, Turner Racing Honda’s Morgen Mischler suffered through a difficult start to ‘23, winding up 10th or lower in three of the opening four races. He and his team rallied to a huge night in Dallas, with Mischler completing the podium sweep for the squad in third. He said, “We got a solid start, finally. We got to lead a couple laps, which was good. The whole time I was in front, I was being hounded by Chase [Saathoff] and just couldn’t ever really seem to shake him. And then Trent [Lowe] poked a wheel past. Going into three, I just had too wide a line to make up that real estate. From there I just tried to play catch-up and almost launched myself off the track. But we’re moving in the right direction. It felt so good to get back up there on the podium. It feels like it’s been a long time, so to get this as a payoff is all right. We’re looking forward to what’s next and just trying to build momentum.”
Kody Kopp #1, 4th Place Singles
Despite his dominant run through the half-miles en route to his title triumph a year ago, Kody Kopp didn’t ever really find his groove until the second half of the main event in Dallas. After running near the bottom of the top ten, the Red Bull KTM star slashed his way up through the field, coming up just a couple fractions of a second short of a podium. His day ended in a strange way however, when he accidentally took out teammate Max Whale on the cool down lap. Kopp said, “It was definitely a dogfight. I think I was 11th on the lap charts on lap 1. To come through the pack, having to pass the best riders in the Singles class, built a lot of confidence. The Honda guys were checked out—they rode really well. I’m happy with fourth. We’re carrying a lot of momentum into Ventura. That’s a little cushion short track, so it’ll be right up my alley. Apologies go out to Max (Whale). I was congratulating Trent Lowe on the back straightaway and we got together. I wasn’t even looking. I was looking to get Trent a little fist bump and Max and I hit.”
AFT SuperTwins Main
- Jared Mees (Ind) 29 Laps
- Dallas Daniels (Yam) +1.107
- Brandon Robinson (Ind) +6.199
- Briar Bauman (KTM) +6.435
- Davis Fisher (Ind) +8.158
- Dan Bromley (Yam) +10.625
- Jarod Vanderkooi (Ind) +11.601
- Bronson Bauman (KTM) +15.600
- Ben Lowe (Ind) +17.929
- Kolby Carlile (Yam) +18.063
AFT Singles Main
- Trent Lowe (Hon) 24 Laps
- Chase Saathoff (Hon) +1.244
- Morgen Mischler (Hon) +1.541
- Kody Kopp (KTM) +1.713
- Max Whale (KTM) +2.474
- Trevor Brunner (Yam) +4.464
- Dalton Gauthier (KTM) +5.024
- Chad Cose (Hus) +5.425
- Shayna Texter-Bauman (KTM) +5.875
- Tom Drane (Yam) +6.115