Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1460403
ROUND 1 / MARCH 11, 2022 VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK / DE LEON SPRINGS, FLORIDA P102 FLAT TRACK I PROGRESSIVE AMERICAN FLAT TRACK AFT SINGLES Considering his pedigree and sterling amateur career, it would have surprised no one had Kody Kopp earned a victory in his rookie professional season in 2021, as difficult of a task that may be. While he came agoniz- ingly close on more than one oc- casion, he was forced to accept three podiums and Progressive AFT Rookie of the Year honors as consolation. As it turned out, it took Kopp his rookie season plus one race to earn a maiden win as he was simply unstoppable in his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing debut. The 17-year-old was in complete control of the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by Kicker class all evening long at Volusia Speedway Park, proving himself capable of stretching out a big lead in the main with almost zero drama and then doing it all over again following a red-flag reset. Should the opener be an accurate indicator, KTM might have an intrateam championship fight on its hands with '20 & '21 championship runner-up Max Whale finishing second after getting his day off to a relatively sluggish start. A rider who could have some- thing to say about that is 2019 Parts Unlimited AFT Singles champ Dalton Gauthier, who re- turned to the class to represent another singles powerhouse in And fourth place went to Beach's highly touted rookie teammate, Dallas Daniels, the reigning two-time Parts Unlimited AFT Singles champ. Daniels looks to belong already, piloting his Yamaha MT-07 DT to a semifinal victory before collecting a healthy points haul in his maiden attempt at the pinnacle of the sport. The novel nature of the results was only magnified down the or- der where support class stand- out Vance & Hines Harley-David- son's Jesse Janisch clawed his way into podium contention at one point after securing an entry onto the grid via the new Mission Production Twins Challenge. Janisch would later fade back to seventh, finishing one position ahead of fellow Mission Produc- tion Twins pilot Dan Bromley aboard the Vinson Construction/ Viper Air Yamaha but still ahead of the likes of Vanderkooi and GOMR's Brandon Price. Inclement weather during Bike Week robbed the series of a chance for a second race at Volusia Speedway Park. As a re- sult, next weekend's rematch at Texas Motor Speedway should be especially enlightening. Whether the opener's finish- ing order was the result of illu- sion, balance or overcorrection, it's hard to imagine Mees not responding like a champion as things only promise to get more interesting moving forward. battle of the Mission SuperTwins Main. Bauman's younger broth- er, Bronson, powered his way up into second position in his debut aboard the Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R that finished no higher than eighth a year ago. He then successfully fended off a charging JD Beach and his Estenson Racing Yama- ha MT-07 DT to hold the position to the flag. The two came home 2-3 to lock down Progressive AFT's first premier-class podium featuring three different makes since the 2017 season. MYOWNRACE 18 MAX WHALE 2ND SINGLES Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Max Whale has grown into a Parts Unlimited AFT Singles tle threat not just through his raw speed—which is considerable— but also by maturing into a rider who is able to find a way to the front even on his off days. While new teammate Kody Kopp stole the headlines, Whale's workmanlike runner-up may ul mately prove equally important. He said, "My heart rate was pre y high—the track was super gnarly. I struggled a lot today, I started off 15th in qualifying, so I'm su- per pumped to be up here on the box in second. Me and my team put our heads down and worked so hard all day."