day in imperious fashion, pretty
much from start to finish.
Kopp was frequently com-
pared to Dallas Daniels during
his rise up through the amateur
ranks. And as lofty as the expec-
tations may have been, Kopp's
second pro season is comparing
favorably to Daniels,' in which he
scored blowout Parts Unlimited
AFT Singles title victory.
In 2020, Daniels took eight
wins and nine podiums in 15
races en route to an early title
wrap. Kopp is performing on par
with—or even a little ahead of—
that pace thus far in '22, boast-
ing four wins and six podiums
in seven races. If he continues
along the trend, Kopp could
soon be joining Daniels in the
premier class.
Kopp's only hiccup of the day
also provided some hope that
he could be in for some bigger
challenges before advancing into
the premier class. The 17-year-
old made a minor mistake late
in the Al Lamb's Dallas Honda
Challenge, opening the door for
16-year-old Australian Tom Drane
to swoop in and steal away the
$2500 prize awarded for win-
ning the four-lap dash-for-cash.
Riding a Waters Autobody
Racing KTM, Drane made a
huge impression in his Progres-
sive AFT debut, backing up his
dash win with a convincing run-
ner-up effort in the main. While
Drane was originally slated to
make just a one-race Stateside
appearance, it wouldn't be a
shock to see him return sooner
rather than later.
ROUND 7 / JUNE 25, 2022
ALLEN COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS / LIMA, OHIO
P90
FLAT TRACK I PROGRESSIVE AMERICAN FLAT TRACK CHAMPIONSHIP
JD Beach has never done
well at Lima but turned
that around by leading
early and holding on for
a fifth-place finish on the
Estenson Yamaha.
