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Mees Targets Record Tenth Grand National Championship as Progressive AFT Opens ‘24 Season with Daytona Bike Week Doubleheader 

The 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season will kick off in spectacular doubleheader fashion with the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I & II. Read More

Before Our Eyes 

The primary storyline of 2024 is obvious to all. Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) enters the new season boasting three consecutive Mission SuperTwins titles, which has put him in position to break one of the foundational records in all of motorsport. 

Scott Parker’s tally of nine Grand National Championships was once – and not all that long ago – viewed as all but unapproachable. Mees has not only approached it, he’s equaled it.  

As for his chances of attaining GNC #10, well, Mees pretty much has to be considered the preseason favorite to retain the #1 plate and rewrite the record books in the process. 

That said, it’s important that we not treat the ‘24 campaign as a season-long coronation, nor a tenth title as an inevitability. On paper at least, this year’s battle is set to be among the stiffest of Mees’ career, and simultaneously, his single best chance to get it done. 

The reasons behind those seeming contradictions are the same: Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) and Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke). 

Over its long history, the Grand National Championship has largely been the domain of Grandmasters – riders who have ruled over the sport for years on end before ultimately passing the baton to the next transcendent talent. 

In fact, dating back to its origins as a season-long championship in 1954, just eleven riders have accounted for 50 Grand National Championships, approximately 70% of the total awarded. 

For the moment, this trend leans in the Indian superstar’s favor. However, it could just as easily turn to work against him. 

In only his second premier-class season, Daniels registered one of the strongest, most consistent campaigns in recent memory, one that required Mees to summon up an all-time great year to narrowly best him. And Estenson Yamaha’s young ace only figures to continue to grow in strength year after year. 

Meanwhile, Bauman, who had previously pushed Mees to the brink – and twice defeated him – for the sport’s ultimate prize, stepped back from active title contention in ‘23 in order to lay the groundwork for a prolonged title push from ‘24 onwards. The potential he showed on the KTM a year ago suggests he’s primed for a serious return to championship form moving forward. 

As stated above, Mees remains the favorite until proven otherwise. And maybe he won’t stop at ten. However, if ‘24 marks the dawn of a new Grandmaster era – one that sees Daniels embark on his own run of Grand National Championships or one that sees Bauman kick off a new title stack – it shouldn’t be regarded as a massive shock. 

Whatever the outcome, Progressive AFT fans should consider themselves fortunate to witness this historic clash of titans. 

Dark Horse Stable 

Are there any other riders in the premier class who could prove to be legitimate championship threats? 

That’ll have to be proven over time, but the class certainly does not lack for race-winning talent beyond the big three.  

Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750), Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing Mission Foods KTM 790 Duke), and Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) have all earned premier-class wins during the course of their careers.  

And all but Lewis have been on the box and finished inside the championship top five in recent seasons. To his credit, Lewis did manage to pilot the Royal Enfield Twins FT to a Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge victory over Mees and Daniels at Orange County last season. 

Beyond that grouping, even if not a factor to fight for the crown, Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Dodge Bros. Racing/Castrol Harley-Davidson XR750) could yet prove to be a factor in the fight for the crown. A multi-time Main Event winner himself, Halbert’s limited schedule removes him from contention. However, his ability to fight up front (particularly in the Daytona ST where he’s won more races than any other rider), combined with an indifference to the season-long ambitions of the would-be title fighters, could mean that he’ll have a larger role to play in this before all is said and done. 

Diversity In Action 

A pair of red, white, and blue Hondas piloted by Dan Bromley (No. 62 Big Red Super Twins/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Translap) and Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Big Red Super Twins/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Translap) mark a most welcome return for Honda to the premier class. 

Their addition is a high-profile example of an impressively diverse list of machinery boasted by this weekend’s entry list. 

Consider that eight distinct race platforms representing seven different manufacturers will be in action at Daytona (in alphabetical order): 

• Harley-Davidson XG750R 
• Harley-Davidson XR750 
• Honda Translap 
• Indian FTR750 
• Kawasaki Ninja 650 
• KTM Duke 790 
• Royal Enfield Twins FT 
• Yamaha MT-07 

Breaking the Logjam 

The highly unusual situation of two generational-type talents not only joining the pro ranks in rapid succession, but both electing to defend their titles as opposed to immediately jumping up to the premier-class ranks has impacted progression class-wide. 

2024 represents a correction in that regard with multiple top-tier racers stepping up to full-time Mission SuperTwins duty. Along with the aforementioned Mischler, Max Whale (No. 18 Latus Motors Racing/Liqui Moly Harley-Davidson XG750R) and Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing KTM 790 Duke) will be out to prove their mettle against the best of the best this season. 

Together, that trio combined for 19 single-cylinder victories. And if not for the two generational-type champions, they would have accounted for ten more. 

Some riders are more naturally suited for the bigger, more powerful twins. With that in mind, it’s quite possible we haven’t seen the best of Mischler, Whale, or Brunner just yet. 

The same is true of Declan Bender (No. 70 GOMR/BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750), who is also making the transition, albeit under somewhat differing circumstances. The reigning Progressive AFT Rookie of the Year only just started to hint what he was capable of at the pro ranks late last season and will now look to transform that strong conclusion into an effective springboard to Mission SuperTwins competition. 

Triple Threat… 

“Triple threat” could alternatively refer to Kody Kopp’s (No. 1 Latus Motors/BMC/WBR KTM 450 SX-F) pursuit of an unprecedented third Parts Unlimited Singles presented by KICKER title or the three-headed monster most likely to stand in his path. 

As we’ll discuss shortly, Kopp has a chance to thoroughly rewrite the class record books, but he’ll be posed with big task ahead of him as the trio of Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R), Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) all figure to build upon their combined six-win, 24-podium 2023 campaign. 

Drane seems especially ripe for ascension as he powers into his second full season in Progressive AFT after effectively matching Kopp over the second half of last season. 

…And Beyond 

Potential challengers for the class title – and race wins in particular – do not end with those four riders of course. This year’s Parts Unlimited AFT Singles field features a former champion in Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450 SX-F), the class’ all-time winningest rider in Shayna Texter-Bauman (No. 52 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F), and a rider on the verge of earning his first in James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450). 

And don’t sleep on newcomer Evan Renshaw (No. 265 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), the 2023 Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award winner. Renshaw has the talent and support to make an immediate impact on the class similar to the man

Record Watch 

Mees’ hunt for GNC #10 is the headliner, but that’s not the only significant movement we could see in the record books this season. 

While Parker still has a large (if not entirely safe) advantage in terms of career Main Event wins, Chris Carr’s position in second on that list has certainly come under threat with Mees now just six wins back. 

If Mees is to do that, it seems very possible he’ll also match or even surpass Carr for second in career Mile victories, where he currently sits two wins back. 

Grand National Championships: 

1. Scott Parker/Jared Mees 9 

3. Chris Carr 7 

4. Carroll Resweber 4 

5. 7 riders tied at 3 

Main Event Wins:  

1. Scott Parker 94 

2. Chris Carr 78 

3. Jared Mees 72 

4. Jay Springsteen 43 

5. Ricky Graham 39 

Mile Wins: 

1. Scott Parker 55 

2. Chris Carr 29 

3. Jared Mees 27 

4. Bubba Shobert/Bryan Smith 25 

Victory Tour 

Kopp, meanwhile, has a strong chance of not only setting the new championship mark in Parts Unlimited AFT Singles competition, but ending the ‘24 campaign as the class’ all-time winningest rider overall and in the Half-Mile discipline. 

Championships 

1. Dallas Daniels/Kody Kopp 2 

3. 11 riders tied at 1 

Main Event Wins 

1. Shayna Texter-Bauman 19 

2. Kody Kopp 15 

3. Dalton Gauthier/Dallas Daniels 13 

5. Ryan Wells 9 

Half-Mile Wins 

1. Shayna Texter-Bauman  11 

2. Kody Kopp 9 

3. Dallas Daniels 5 

4. 4 riders tied with 4