The AFT Budds Creek Half-Mile on May 16 saw Briar Bauman claim his third American Flat Track victory in a row aboard the Harley-Davidson XG750R, and it was the first race of the season for rookie and points leader Kody Kopp to finish off the podium.
Right off the jump, Bauman got out in front of reigning champ Dallas Daniels, who was soon passed by Chad Cose. While Daniels fought to get around Cose, Bauman extended his lead in the front. Daniels found his way past Cose, who then had to contend with Kopp who was looking to overtake him for the 3rd-place finish. Kopp got close but couldn’t manage to get past Cose.
Kopp’s first SuperTwins season has shot him to the top of the standings from the very first double-header at Daytona, where he won both races. The Daytona races were followed by three 2nd-place Short Track finishes before his 4th-place finish at Budds Creek. Despite this outstanding start, Daniels and Bauman are creeping up on him in the standings. Kopp still leads with 117 points, with Daniels close behind at 110, followed by Bauman at 108.
Next up is the Appalachian Harley-Davidson Williams Grove Half-Mile at Williams Grove Speedway on May 23. Find more information in the press release below.
Find all of American Rider‘s racing coverage here
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 16, 2026) – The rolling Briar Bauman (No. 3 Super.com/RWR Harley-Davidson XG750R) upped his win streak to three with yet another dominant outing, the latest coming at the Budds Creek Half-Mile in the inaugural Parts Unlimited ThrottleFest presented by Carter CAT, Round 6 of the 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.
The Main Event of the four-day event hosted by Budds Creek Motocross Park in Mechanicsville, Maryland, was expected to be a showdown involving Bauman, reigning Grand National Champion Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07), and Mission AFT SuperTwins points leader Kody Kopp (No. 12 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R).
And arguably it was, in a sense, albeit one effectively decided in the opening seconds of the race.
Bauman and Daniels went elbow-to-elbow as they disputed the holeshot. Bauman ultimately had the superior positioning aboard his Rick Ware Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R, which not only forced Daniels to accept second but resulted in him getting shuffled back to third by an opportunistic Chad Cose (No. 49 PRO Roofing/Parker Racing Yamaha MT-07).
The Estenson Racing Yamaha ace would spend the next six minutes attempting to uncover a path back around Cose. And by the time he finally managed to do so, Bauman was more than three seconds clear at the front.
Bauman negotiated his way through heavy traffic over the final couple of laps, allowing Daniels to slash the deficit down to 2.208 seconds, but the outcome was never truly put in doubt.
After Daniels worked his way past and disappeared in second, Cose shifted his attention to Kopp, who was creeping up from fourth. Despite Kopp’s late push, the Californian held on to the spot by a nerve-wracking 0.210 seconds, securing Cose’s first premier-class podium in eight seasons.
Hunter Bauer (No. 24 G&G Racing Yamaha MT-07) and Aidan RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust Advisors Harley-Davidson XG750R) joined Kopp to put rookies fourth, fifth, and sixth.
Meanwhile, Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods Honda CB750 Hornet), Morgen Mischler (No. 13 IFS Waste Services/D&D Cycles Aprilia Tuareg 660), Cameron Smith (No. 34 Fredericktown Yamaha/Thee Kathy Gray Yamaha MT-07), and Declan Bender (No. 70 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) closed out the top ten.
Bauman’s surge has shifted the Grand National Championship outlook, closing the margin separating the top three dramatically in recent weeks.
While Kopp continues to lead with 117 points, Daniels (110) and Bauman (108) are now both well within striking distance in second and third.
After scoring the 37th Mission AFT SuperTwins win of his career, the two-time Grand National Champion said, “There’s something about doing it with a crew you thoroughly enjoy doing it with… We just work at it. We weren’t the quickest all day. We were a bit off. But they turned that thing upside down. I’ll be upfront – we didn’t change a clicker on the motorcycle the last two Nationals except for gearing. And today we threw the toolbox at that thing, and we found it. I’m just proud of my whole Rick Ware Racing team.”
Next Up
Progressive American Flat Track will leave Mechanicsville, Maryland, and go directly to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, for the Appalachian Harley-Davidson Williams Grove Half-Mile at Williams Grove Speedway on Saturday, May 23. Purchase your tickets today.
How to Watch
FloRacing
For those that can’t catch the live action at the track, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive American Flat Track. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2026. FloSports is available online or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.
FS1
FOX Sports coverage of the Silver Dollar Short Track, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, May 10, at 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT). The full listing of American Flat Track’s television premieres can be found at the American Flat Track website.
