2021 AMERICAN FLAT TRACK SEASON PREVIEW
P64
Feature
young to compete in any other
class.
Last season, the 17-year-old
prodigy won more than half the
season's races in what is typically
an exceptionally deep and unpre-
dictable affair en route to clinch-
ing the crown with three races
remaining on the schedule.
Whether the target on his back
will be large enough to offset
his immense talent is yet to be
determined.
His key challengers largely fall
into one of two groups.
The first is made up of ex-
premier-class heroes who now
front factory-tied efforts in a
class that's become increasingly
important to the manufacturers.
American Honda-backed Turner
Racing boasts single-cylinder
ringer Henry Wiles, Estenson
Racing lines up Mikey Rush
alongside Daniels and Red Bull
KTM Factory Racing brings back
the class' all-time winningest
rider, Shayna Texter-Bauman.
The second group consists of
riders approximately Daniels' age
(or even younger), who have the
potential to blossom in similar
fashion. Those prospects include
WBR/American Suzuki's Trent
Lowe, who finished his second
season as a pro ranked inside
the championship top five, along
with teenaged race winners Bran-
don Kitchen (Husqvarna Motorcy-
cles/Vance & Hines) and Trevor
Brunner (American Honda/
United Rentals Honda).
There's also Kody Kopp—the
son of 2000 Grand National
Champion Joe Kopp and reigning
(Right) JD Beach
hopes that
another season
of fine tuning the
Estenson Racing
Yamaha MT-07 will
yield more wins
in 2021. (Below)
Estenson Racing
Yamaha's Dallas
Daniels has to
again be the
favorite to come
away with the
2021 AFT Singles
Championship, but
it won't be easy.
