First place winner, Briar Bauman (#3 battles it out with 3rd Place Finisher, Jared Mees). Photo by Joseph Seemeyer
by Joe Seemeyer
On Saturday, May 11th, the 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season, founded and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), continued with the Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track at Ventura Raceway in Ventura, California.
For those not familiar with the Ventura Raceway, the Raceway is a 1/5-mile, clay oval racetrack located at the Ventura County Fairgrounds. On a weekly basis the track is home to many types of dirt track racecars including motorcycles, wingless sprint cars, midgets, dwarf cars, stock cars, modifieds, sport compacts, and karts. The track is owned and operated by Jim Naylor.
The Progressive American Flat Track (AFT) is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. Progressive American Flat Track is televised on FOX Sports and streams live via FloRacing.
The Progressive American Flat Track season continued with the contenders from the Mission AFT SuperTwins and Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER championships. The Mission AFT SuperTwins is the pinnacle of dirt track motorcycle racing globally and the professional ranks were formalized in 1954. Riders in this class represents elite teams and skilled athletes who compete at every round of the competition. Each will race on custom-built, twin-cylinder motorcycles generating 90+horsepower race bar-to-bar at speeds in excess of 140 mph.
Starting off the nail-biting excitement of the Mission AFT SuperTwins race, a red flag flew due to a terrifying incident that saw Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) carom off the wall and crash back into the pack. Also included in this incident were Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods KTM 790 Duke), Declan Bender (No. 70 GOMR/BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750), and Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Big Red Super Twins/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Transalp), who completed a full forward flip in the air after contacting the downed Lewis and his machine. Fortunately, all four returned to their feet with Lowe managing to return for the restart (AFT).
Just as quickly as the first red flag was a second flag because of a spill by Ventura, CA hometown hero Kayl Kolkman (No. 98 Yamaha MT-07), who would return for the subsequent restart.
Finally, a third red flag was narrowly avoided when Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) bounced back up from a crash and immediately remounted, allowing the race to continue and at last (AFT).
In the end, Twenty-nine-year-old Californian and two-time Grand National Champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke), who was never challenged on his way to a 4.613-second margin of victory who claimed his first Mission AFT SuperTwins win of the year and his first podium of any kind.
Following Briar Bauman in second was title hopeful and Estenson Racing Yamaha superstar, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) who had pushed his way up from fifth place.
Finishing on the podium in third place was reigning Mission SuperTwins king Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750), from Sebastian, FL.
Completing the Mission AFT SuperTwins top five was Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750) in fourth and Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) in fifth (AFT).
“The Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER class is geared for cultivating young dirt track talent as riders hone their skills enroute to the AFT Twins ranks. Up-and-coming athletes make their mark aboard production-based 450cc single-cylinder motorcycles offering upwards of 60 horsepower. Racing at speeds faster than 115 mph, the stars of tomorrow battle it out on motorcycles produced by Honda, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki, Yamaha and Zaeta.”
The Parts Unlimited AFT Singles podium consisted of Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) in first, Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F) in second, followed by Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) in third (AFT).
The next Flat Track Motorcycle event at the Ventura Speedway is on September 7th. Motorcycle riders and non-riders are encouraged to attend the event. The Progressive American Flat Track race is a phenomenal event for all age groups.
For more information on Progressive American Flat Track, visit www.americanflattrack.com, or on Facebook, X and check them out on Instagram (AFT).
