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Ascot Riders




 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).


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garnold@mecum.com

      

Back On Track Web Site                   Back On Track Facebook

    

 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


https://www.thedrive.com/news/iconic-willow-springs-international-raceway-is-for-sale

https://bangshift.com/-bill-huth   







   Click on the year for VFT page




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





http://vft.org/Archives-Men-Info/9-HowardBarnes/HowardBarnes.html

 



https://hondanews.com/




https://www.cycleworld.com/everett-brashear


https://www.cycleworld.com/authors/kevin-cameron/


https://www.cycleworld.com/flat-track-racing-finer-points






Vintage Flat Tracker Archives and Info!



Link to Ascot Riders List




Building A Modern Flat Tracker: The MT-07 DT Story

https://superbikeplanet.com/story/134





                                


Trailblazers 74th Annual Banquet
Held at the Carson Events Center, Carson, California
April 7th, 2018


Link to Banquet  Photos       Link to Bike Show Photos






Added new Street Trackers

Street Tracker Index Page


       

       
 
     

Greg Owen Interviews


 http://www.youtube.com/ Jim McMurren


http://www.youtube.com/ Dan Rouit






Web Site    Facebook


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,

by running Dominic's number.

Link Lodi results and more photos





2022 Open House Photos

https://www.facebook.com/ClovisFlatTrack

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


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.


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

Race Pages Index Page from previous years