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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. September 14, 2024 – Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) put the finishing touches on what may prove the final and most convincing argument in support of his claim as the greatest rider in the history of Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing: an unprecedented tenth Grand National Championship.
Mees did exactly what he needed to – and then some – at Lake Ozark Speedway to secure this crowning achievement as the 2024 season came to its conclusion with the inaugural running of the Parts Plus Lake Ozark Short Track presented by Arrowhead Brass & Arby’s in Eldon, Missouri.
Racing before a packed house with some 125,000 motorcycle enthusiasts flooding the area for the 18th Annual Lake of the Ozarks Bikefest, the Mission AFT SuperTwins Main Event was loaded with talented riders motivated to end their respective ‘24 campaigns on a high note.
And yet still no one could compare to Mees on this night, just like so many other nights before it. Despite requiring just three points to clinch his record tenth title, the Indian Motorcycle hero grabbed the holeshot and battled it out over the race’s opening stages with second-ranked Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), the only rider retaining even the slimmest mathematical chance of stealing away the #1 plate.
But by the contest’s halfway point, Mees had shook free at the front, shifting the race’s epicenter of drama back to Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), whose season-long podium streak was in serious threat after the Estenson Racing ace found himself mired down in ninth.
However, Daniels systematically worked his way forward while Robinson duked it out with Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750) for second. Daniels eventually made his way up to their scrap, displacing Robinson and then Vanderkooi, all the while drawing shockingly near to Mees as the contest reached its final circulation.
But that’s as far as Daniels’ charge would carry him. Mees held on to finish the season – and potentially his career – on top in practically every sense, winning the season finale by 0.423 seconds over his young rival.
Vanderkooi earned the final spot on the podium, with Robinson and Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke) rounding out the top five. Rookie Declan Bender (No. 70 GOMR/BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750) finished sixth, followed by Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Sammy Halbert (No. 69 OnlyFans/Castrol/Kings Kustoms/LZ Racing Harley-Davidson XR750), Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing Indian FTR750), and Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing Mission Foods KTM 790 Duke) to complete the top ten.
Mees’ résumé is far too extensive to list here in full, but in brief, tonight’s championship triumph updates his Grand National Championship victory tally to now include 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. He also ranks first or second in the career wins rankings for Half-Miles, Short Tracks, Miles, and total GNC Main Event victories.
Mees, who elevated an already Hall-of-Fame-worthy career to stratospheric heights once he joined forces with Indian Motorcycle in 2017, sent the marque’s remarkable FTR750 out in appropriate fashion this season. Tonight’s championship secures the bike a perfect eight-for-eight record in Grand National Championship battles in what will go down as one of the most dominant eras the sport has ever witnessed from both man and machine.
In the end, Mees earned the 2024 Mission AFT SuperTwins title with 311 points, followed by Robinson at 280 and Daniels at 276.
After claiming an unprecedented tenth Grand National Championship, Mees said, “It was a goal. Everybody would say it was a dream, but it was a goal. I made my dream my goal and worked hard at it. It hasn’t even sunk in yet. I had a big points lead coming in here, but there was only one way to go out the way I want to go out, and that was by winning this damn race.
“I can’t say enough for my entire team. Kenny (Tolbert), Bubba (Bently), Jimmy (Wood), you guys have won me a lot of races and a lot of championships. I definitely wouldn’t be as successful without you three and all my sponsors. Indian Motorcycle – I took their very first win in 2017, I opened that book for them, and tonight I got to close it for them. I can’t say enough for that company…
“So many people contributed to my program over these years. I feel like I could have this microphone until tomorrow morning and talk about my career and all the people who were in it to make me successful. I just want to say thank you.”
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
As if Mees’ record-breaking achievement wasn’t enough to secure the ‘24 finale’s place in the sport’s annals, Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) closed out the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER season by securing the 450cc equivalent.
Needing to merely avoid catastrophe, Kopp actually jumped out into the lead to open the decisive final contest. However, once Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R) and then Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) drove underneath him, Kopp seemed to reevaluate his strategy, dropping down to fifth before settling back in.
With Saathoff powering away out front, Kopp wicked his pace back up, pouncing on Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and Evan Renshaw (No. 265 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) in rapid succession to slot back into a podium position.
He then carried that momentum past Lowe and began the difficult task of closing the gap to Saathoff when a red flag flew as a result of a Travis Petton IV (No. 82 ECG Racing/A.M Ortega KTM 450 SX-F) fall with less than a minute remaining on the clock.
That development changed the complexion of the race completely, transforming it into a wild bar-to-bar affair to the flag. Lowe led initially before Saathoff and Drane took their season-long rivalry to the front of the pack. Kopp was again shuffled back to fifth where he could have easily stayed to collect his third #1 plate, but instead he made a final push to claim third ahead of Renshaw and Lowe.
Meanwhile, the season’s final victory went to Drane over Saathoff by 0.061 seconds, handing the Australian bragging rights for most wins on the season at seven in the process.
Drane said, “I was able to bounce back (after a bad start). That restart really helped me there at the end. I was able to fight back and had a good battle with Chase. It was good to finally get something back on him after all the stuff he’s done to me this year. I can’t thank my team enough for all their effort all year.”
Kopp ultimately took the crown with a grand total of 339 points to Drane’s 324 and Saathoff’s 318. And like Mees in the premier class, he now stands alone in the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles record books. Following the completion of his third successive title run, the Rick Ware Racing star now owns more championships (three) and more race victories (22) than anyone in the category’s history, while also holding either sole possession or a share of first place all-time in terms of Short Track, Half-Mile, and single-season victories.
The conquering Kopp said, “I couldn’t be more proud of my Rick Ware Racing team. It’s been a dream season. I would have loved to get a win there, but those guys at the front were riding a little over the top, and I wasn’t going to play that game. We had a championship to win, and that was way more important… It’s a dream come true. Who knows what will be after three?”
Finally, Shasta L'Heureux (No. 67 Royal Enfield) completed the 2024 season for Royal Enfield’s successful and popular Build. Train. Race. (BTR) program by claiming her first-career victory in the class with perpetual frontrunners Kenzie Luker (No. 17 Royal Enfield) and Taia Little (No. 11 Royal Enfield) rounding out the podium.
FOX Sports coverage of the Lake Ozark Short Track, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, September 22, at 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT).

https://www.americanflattrack.com/results/default

Link to a great article in the Bedford, Indiana Times-Mail about Jackie Mitchell and

the Bultaco riders from this area.

Willow Springs International Raceway Is For Sale

Greg Owen Interviews

Don LaRue's Web Site of National Numbers

http://www.amanationalnumber.com

Old VFT Photos from home page

I found this photo sequence I took a few years ago of Brandon Bergen at Willow.

Photos page

Lodi 100cc TT National

Link to coverage and results

Lodi - Nite before the Mile

Sammy honored Dominic Colindres, who won last years race,

2019 Events & Results
Mecom Las Vegas Auction January 25	Trailblazers Banquet April 7	Eddies WCDTS Willow Springs May 4
Eddies WCDTS Willow Springs May 5	SCFTA Framer Shootout May 10	AFT Perris National May 11
Lodi Nite Before The Mile August 9	AFT Sacramento Mile August 10	Sacramento Mile - Sunday Amateur August 11

2018 Events & Results
Trailblazer Banquet April 7	Lake Cachuma British Bike Rally June 1	SCFTA Round 2 P.........................erris

2017 Events & Results
Trailblazers Banquet April 22	Lodi - Nite Before The Mile May 19	Sacramento Mile May 20
Dan Rouit Memorial Open House May 21	Las Vegas Auction June 1	Eddie's British Bike Rally June 2
Eddie's WCDTS Willow Springs October 1

2016 Events & Results
MX'ers at Perris January 24	SCFTA Round 1 Perris February 13	SCFTA Round 2 Perris March 12
Trailblazers Banquet April 23	SCFTA Round 3 Perris April 23	SCFTA Round 4 Perris May 14
SCFTA Round 5 Perris May 15	Lodi - Nite Before the mile May 20	SCFTA Round 6 Perris June 4
SCFTA Round 7 Perris July 16	SCFTA Round 8 Perris August 6	SCFTA Round 9 Perris September 10
WCVDT Willow Springs October 1	WCVDT Willow Springs October 2	SCFTA Round 10 Perris October 15
Old School Scrambles November 20	.	.

2015 Events & Results
Del Mar Short Track February 14	SCFTA Round 1 Perris March 28	Trailblazers Banquet April 11
SCFTA Round 2 Perris April 18	SCFTA Round 4 Perris May 15	Cal Expo GNC May 30
Cal Expo CFTA Vintage - Amature May 31	SCFTA Round 5 Perris June 20	SCFTA Round 7 Perris July 25
SCFTA Round 8 Perris August 15	SCFTA Round 10 Perris October 10	SCFTA Round 11 Perris November 14
AMA National - Las Vegas November 20	Joe Kopp race report from Las Vegas November 20	Nicky At Perris February 13
Bultaco Astro Cup September 5	.	.

2014 Events & Results
SCFTA Round 1 Perris February 15	SCFTA Round 3 Perris March 15	San Jose Indoor March 29
Trailblazers Banquet April 5	SCFTA Round 4 Perris April 5th	SCFTA Round 5 Perris May 17
SCFTA Round 7 Perris July 26	Cal Expo GNC July 26	Castle Rock August 1
Castle Rock August 2	Castle Rock August 2	SCFTA Round 8 Perris August 23
SCFTA Round 10 Perris October 10	Speedway -World Championship October 11	SCFTA Round 11 Perris November 8