There are just three races left in the Progressive American Flat Track season, with a double-header this weekend at the famed Springfield Mile circuit in Illinois. It’s sure to be a pivotal round in the SuperTwins championship fight.
Jared Mees leads the Indian Motorcycle charge coming into Springfield, holding a 6-point advantage over fellow Indian rider Brandon Robinson. Mees would be farther ahead in points if he hadn’t been disqualified from the Sturgis TT round, where he tangled with Brandon Price during the race. KTM rider Briar Bauman, the 2021 and 2022 champ, sits 12 points behind his former Indian teammate Mees.
Sturgis TT Results: Dakota Double For JD Beach
The AFT Springfield Mile will be a challenging event for Mees. He and his wife, Nichole, are Springfield’s race promotors, and his title rivals have both taken victories at the Illinois track. Bauman won last year, while Robinson took a double-header victory in 2013.
If Mees holds his points lead through the final race at Missouri’s Lake Ozark Short Track on September 14, he’ll earn his 10th Grand National championship, breaking a tie with Scotty Parker’s record of nine.
This season will be Indian’s last chance to earn wins and a championship with its FTR750, as new production-based rules will outlaw the race-only FTR in 2025. The FTR been an exceptional racebike, scoring seven consecutive AFT titles from 2017 until now.
So would you like to see an Indian FTR750 atop the box this weekend, or are you rooting for underdogs like Bauman? Whatever happens, it’ll certainly be fun to watch! For more info, read AFT’s press release below.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 27, 2024) – An unexpectedly tight Grand National Championship battle arrives at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois for the Springfield Mile I & II presented by Drag Specialties on August 31-September 1, the penultimate weekend of the 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.
Reigning Mission AFT SuperTwins champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) entered the preceding Arrowhead Brass Sturgis TT eying a realistic pathway to clinching an unprecedented tenth Grand National Championship this weekend at the iconic event he co-promotes with his wife, Nichole. However, an incident that took place while Mees was attempting to charge his way up through the field resulted in a disqualification in Sturgis along with a significantly closer points chase.
Mees now leads second-ranked Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) by just six points and third-placed Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke) by just 12.
Further complicating Mees’ march to history is the fact that both Robinson and Bauman have stood atop the podium at Springfield – Robinson in doubleheader fashion on August 31 and September 1 of 2013 and Bauman the last time the Mission AFT SuperTwins lined up at the venue less than a year ago.
However, the champ is far from defenseless in his mission to retain the #1 plate. One of the sport’s all-time great milers, Mees has repeatedly proven himself up to the task when under pressure, as evidenced by his record-tying nine championships, and at Springfield specifically, where he boasts an incredible eight victories.
Of course, Mees, Robinson, and Bauman won’t be on track alone. Several potential spoilers could play an outsized role in swaying the championship standings one way or the other at a track that lends itself to incredibly close and unpredictable racing. Ten of the most recent 12 Springfield Miles have been decided by under a second. And of those 12, half have seen three riders finish within a second of victory, four with four riders in contention, two with seven or more, and one that featured 10 riders crossing the stripe at the checkered flag separated by less than a second.
During that span, Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) and Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing Mission Foods KTM 790 Duke) have finished on the podium and within a second of victory at Springfield, while Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Sody Ent/OTBR Yamaha MT-07) and Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750) have finished within a second of the win.
Meanwhile, rookies Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing Indian FTR750), Declan Bender (No. 70 GOMR/BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750), and Max Whale (No. 18 Latus Motors Racing/Liqui Moly Harley-Davidson XG750R) are primed to join that list as they return to Springfield armed with the experience of engaging in last year’s huge pack war for victory aboard 450s.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
By scoring his sixth win of the ‘24 season, Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) has put himself in strong position to clinch the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER title early for the third year in succession.
To do so, he need only end the weekend with 25 points in hand (perhaps 26 depending on how tiebreakers continue to shake out). At the moment, his advantage stands at 34 points over Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R) and 40 over Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F).
While the margin separating first from second and third in the championship chase is considerable, that doesn’t reflect the recent reality on track, where Kopp, Saathoff, and Drane have taken two wins apiece over the last six races.
Expect that same sort of competitiveness to continue at Springfield with the likes of Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450), Tarren Santero (No. 75 Vinson Construction/P&M Motorcycles Honda CRF450R), Evan Renshaw (No. 265 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Tyler Raggio (No. 55 Raggio Racing/Sluggo Racing KTM 450 SX-F), and Jared Lowe (No. 63 BigR/Little Debbie Racing Honda CRF450R) liable to turn this into a ten-rider barnburner for the top step on the podium.
How to Watch AFT Springfield Mile
There will also be plenty of off-track activities for fans to enjoy throughout the weekend, including the CAT Command Trailer, numerous vendors, expansive food and beverage options, and dedicated motorcycle parking.
All tickets are $10 off if purchased prior to Wednesday. If you act fast, Infield Standing Room Only tickets remain just $20 (kids 12 and under $5), Reserved Grandstand tickets are $35, and Premium Reserved Grandstand are $45.
Fans also have the opportunity to enjoy a VIP Experience by selecting a special ticket option that provides access to a premier reserved seat in front of the start/finish line and includes food, beverage, and a Pit Pass for $150.
Pit Pass Upgrades are also available for purchase for non-VIP tickets, which provide all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport.
Gates will open for fans at 10 a.m. ET (7 a.m. PT) both days, with Opening Ceremonies set to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. PT) on Saturday and Sunday. You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FloRacing. FOX Sports coverage of the Springfield Mile I & II presented by Drag Specialties will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, September 8. The Springfield Mile I will air at 7 a.m. ET (4 a.m. PT) with the Springfield Mile II scheduled for 11 a.m. ET (8 a.m. PT). For more information on Progressive AFT visit AmericanFlatTrack.com.
