VOLUME ISSUE MARCH , P107
Mission Roof Systems' Bran-
don Robinson got immediate
redemption following his first
winless campaign since 2018.
Meanwhile, Briar Bauman
showed promise on a Rick Ware
Racing KTM 790 Duke that
was heavily reconfigured over
the offseason, Brandon Price
showed he still has the skills to
challenge for wins with the all-
new On The Box Racing outfit,
and reigning Mission Super
-
Twins Champion Jared Mees
collected a serviceable points
haul at a track that's never been
especially kind to him.
On that front, the Daytona
double opener was never likely
to shine an especially bright
spotlight on what's destined
to be the major story of the '24
title fight—the Indian Motorcycle
superstar's attempt to become
the first rider in the sport's long
history to earn a 10th Grand
National Championship. How
-
ever, even less likely was the
possibility that the opener's
primary story would be the spot
-
light placed on a semi-retired
rider and a five-decade-old race
platform.
BY CHRIS MARTIN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LARRY LAWRENCE
S
eason openers gener-
ally serve to reset not just
the points standings but
the narrative. They shed light
on which storylines from the
previous year may continue to
develop and which may have
shifted more radically while hint-
ing at the possible shape of the
season to come.
In that sense, the Royal
Enfield Short Track at Daytona
I & II checked pretty much all
the requisite boxes for the 2024
Progressive American Flat Track
season. Estenson Racing Ya
-
maha's Dallas Daniels came out
swinging as he did in '23, while
IN AFT OPENER
STARTED