Beach. The multi-time road rac-
ing champion suffered through a
nightmarish season a year ago—
one in which he was excited
to just crack inside the top 10.
And yet on this season-opening
Friday, Beach guided the team's
MT-07 DT to a semifinal victory,
a dash for cash runner-up, and
"For the first time ever in my
entire career, I nailed a hole-
shot," Robinson said. "The time
I needed it, I got it. I just got into
a tempo and never cracked."
The even stronger argument
that 2021 is a different battle-
field was the equally convincing
form of Estenson Yamaha's JD
IIIMY OWN RACE:
20 JAROD VANDERKOOI
(8-7) SUPERTWINS
Jarod Vanderkooi flashed the speed many
predicted in his switch from long- me
factory Harley-Davidson rider to Indian
privateer. Unfortunately, a variety of
mishaps and mechanical issues pre-
vented him from fully capitalizing on that
form. "I felt pre y good in qualifying, but
I made a rookie mistake in the semi—I
fried the clutch on the star ng line," he
said of his Friday effort. "I was a li le
too eager, too early, and didn't let the
race play out. So I had to go to the back
row for the main event. I took off from
last and worked up to sixth, but we had
a short mechanical there on the last lap
and fell back two posi ons."
FLAT TRACK
PROGRESSIVE AMERICAN FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUNDS 1-2 / MARCH 12-13, 2021
VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK / BARBERVILLE, FLORIDA
P76
13 MORGEN MISCHLER
(7-3) SINGLES
A er narrowly missing out on mul ple
victories in 2020 in duels with Dallas
Daniels, Morgen Mischler finally beat his
rival in a last-lap sprint to the checkered
flag. It wasn't for the win, but there was
some sense of vindica on in edging out
the reigning class champ for the podium.
"That was one crazy main if I'm being
honest," he said. "There was a lot of
bumping and a li le bit of banging. The
pace was rolling, and we were in the
mix from the beginning. We made some
passes around the outside per usual. It's
an honor to be on the podium, especially
a er a race like that."
Brandon Robinson opened the 2021 AFT
Championship with a win on Friday night.
