Due to the global pandemic, the past two plus years have been, at minimum, strange for everyone inside the Progressive American Flat Track paddock (well, planet really), but it’s been stranger for Max Whale than most.

The 21-year-old Australian has spent the bulk of that time physically cut off from both his home country and his family – a family that had always played a critical role supporting his racing efforts. But rather allow an ascending career to sink, Whale managed to remain focused and elevate it to new heights.

Following back-to-back championship runner-ups in the supremely competitive Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER category, Whale entered 2022 as the unquestioned title favorite with double class champion Dallas Daniels graduating the premier class.

The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing ace currently sits second in the early-season title fight on the strength of three consecutive podium performances. And if he required any further motivation, he’s about to receive a serious boost with his parents, Brett and Kate Whale, scheduled to arrive in the States on Wednesday.

“I haven't seen my mom and dad for the past year-and-a-half,” Max said. “The COVID laws in Australia were very strict all the way through to the end of 2021. It was super hard to go back home and come back to America. It's been tough.

“My dad was here with me before the start of the 2020 season, but he went home when racing got canceled for three weeks... which turned out to be four months. After that, if he tried to come over, there was the risk that he wouldn’t be allowed to go home. So he decided to stay in Australia.

“I went home at the end of 2020, and then for 2021, I came back over here and got the deal with Red Bull KTM. I thought I was going to go home at the end of the season again, but it just didn't happen because it was going to cost too much money.”

The experience forced Max to grow up fast.

“It was super weird for me in 2020. I had never raced in my whole life without my dad being there, let alone on the other side of the world. That was a big eye-opener. And obviously, my mom plays a huge role as well. I still talk to them every second day on the phone to keep them up to date with what's going on and what I'm up to – the fun stuff and just to pretty much reassure them that I'm still alive.”

Max and his parents will finally get a chance to make up for some of that lost time in what'll be a well-timed Progressive AFT binge.

Whale said, “They've planned it out to be here when the racing is the busiest. They'll be here for five weeks and they get five races. They're going to rent a motorhome and pretty much be on tour with me. They're just going to cruise around and see a little bit of the country.”

But even as a professional racer, one can’t live on the road year round. Fortunately, Max was able to turn to the tight-knit dirt track racing community in his time of need.

He explained, “At the start of the pandemic and then still to this very day, I've been living in a small town called St. Jacob, Illinois. For most of my time, I’ve lived with Keith and Jill Singleton, who are the parents of my buddy Matt (Guenther). I raced Matt as an amateur in 2016 and 2017, and then in 2018 we both went pro. I sort of met him my first year and we hung out a little bit. And then the second year over here, I stayed a little bit at their house, and we became really good friends. From there on in, they've helped me out so much, it's incredible.

“And then I also spend a little bit of time at Briar and Shayna's place out in Pennsylvania, and at the start of this year I was with James Rispoli down in Florida. I get around a little bit. I've got a few places that I go to, and I'm very fortunate to have these people that help me out.”

Still, there’s no place like home. Whale will finally get to return to his native Australia before too long.

“As soon as the season is done this year, I'm headed back home. I miss the ocean a lot. I just love the water and the beach. I also miss my friends, obviously my family, and my dog. I haven't seen her in a while. She's getting pretty old, so I hope she's all good for when I get back home.”

But first, there’s still business to attend to, and now’s not the time to lose focus.

Whale kicked his racing into another gear in 2020, taking the Coondoo Cattle Co./Australian Road Services Kawasaki KX450F to second in the championship on the strength of five podiums, including his first-career victory. That performance earned him a coveted spot on the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing squad, who helped him further unlock his potential in 2021. Last season, he led the class with five wins and missed out on the crown by just eight points, denied by the aforementioned Daniels, who's considered a generational talent by many of the sport’s keenest observers.

But even with Daniels now fighting up front in Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle, that doesn’t mean Whale has been free to casually crush the competition.

The thing about generational talents is, they’re supposed to come around just once in a generation. And yet Daniels’ entrance into the professional ranks was closely followed by similarly heralded prospect in Kody Kopp. One key difference is that Whale is teamed with the 17-year-old Kopp, who leads the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles championship fight following a blistering 1-2-1 start to the season.

“Kody is good. He's proven that this year. He's been strong. But I feel like I haven't reached my full potential yet this year. I've got a few things I'm working on myself and hopefully will get a win very soon.”

The two KTM aces have also had their hands full with Turner Racing Honda’s Morgen Mischler, whose rise in recent seasons has mirrored that of Whale’s.

“So far it's been us three. ‘Merg’ is a super good rider. I really enjoy racing with him too. We've had some good battles over the years. He's giving all he's got, and he's going to have some rounds where he'll be hard to beat.

“But you can't count out (Trever) Brunner, (Chase) Saathoff, Dalton (Gauthier)... There's so many fast guys in the group. Chad Cose coming back down. Ryan Wells too. Everyone is going to be really hard, and everyone has certain tracks they're really good at.”

No matter how deep the field or how much he respects his rivals, Whale is going to get antsy if he doesn’t return to the top of the box soon, especially after growing accustomed to winning a season ago.

“Obviously, we go to win races. We don't go there to get second. But seconds and thirds are better than fourths and fifths. The consistency is there, and that's what I've mainly worked on. I knew I needed to be more consistent because that cost me the championship last year. I'm very happy with how the season has gone so far. It's been awesome, but I just want that win.”

As for the future, Daniels’ instant success in Mission SuperTwins hasn’t gone unnoticed, and no one forgets how evenly matched the two were last season. It’s probably worth mentioning that KTM is starting to have an increased presence on the twin-cylinder side of things with a much larger presence being a real possibility not too far down the line.

But that’ll have to wait with Whale already committed to compete in Parts Unlimited AFT Singles through the 2023 season.

“The Red Bull KTM team is just awesome. I love the bikes and I love working with those guys. They're super cool and everyone gets along great. It's been unreal.

“Obviously, one day I want to go the twins route. It's the premier class. Once we get past the next two years, then we'll start thinking about the future. But as of right now, my sights are set on what's right in front of me.

“I've got two more years in the Singles class, and my goal is to win two championships, nothing less. “