VOLUME ISSUE MARCH , P117
That leaves Mission Roof Systems' Brandon
Robinson as the third head of Harley's hydra.
However, if we can reconfigure the Greco-Roman
mythological analogy, it might be better to see
the Pennsylvanian as a flat track demigod; while
he hasn't consistently reached the heights of the
sport's Mount Olympus residents, he stands on a
level above its mere mortals.
Robinson's collective accomplishments will some
-
day land him in the AMA Hall of Fame. And to his
credit, he's assembled that quality of résumé while
competing during the overlapping eras of Jake John-
son, Mees, Bauman and now Daniels. But that fact
has left precious little margin for error in the hunt for
an elusive maiden Grand National Championship.
Robinson can beat anyone on his day. However,
it's proven considerably more difficult to maintain a
title-winning pace across all four disciplines for the
entirety of a season. Looking ahead to this season,
Meanwhile, a second formidable monster
has emerged from the wake of Daniels' defeat
of Bauman. Latus Motors has retained the
services of Zanotti and Disalvo and will field
a separate XG750R-based effort in '26. They'll
take the pedigree of four GNCs, and nearly
40 premier-class main-event wins, and apply
that knowledge toward the development of
heralded premier-class prospect Kody Kopp.
Back in their amateur days, Daniels and Kopp
were frequently described as the future of the
sport. Well, that future is now. Kopp, naturally,
is a huge talent, a record-smashing, three-time
AFT Singles Champion who is returning to the
Progressive AFT scene full-time in 2026 after
spending most of last season road racing un-
der the watchful eye of "King" Kenny Roberts.
Kopp's 6-foot-2 frame suggests he'll be
even better suited to a big twin than he was
to a 450, and definitely better than a tiny
350cc Talent Cup machine. While it might be
a stretch to expect title contention in his first
SuperTwins season, multiple podiums and
even a win or two are reasonable expecta
-
tions. He'll also add excitement as a super
spoiler, ready and able to take vital points at
a moment's notice.
(Above) Briar Bauman (3) will be in Daniel's
rear-view mirror all season long. (Right) Bauman
is expected to be Daniel's biggest threat for the
SuperTwins number one plate.
