Mees Targets Record Tenth Grand National Championship as Progressive AFT Opens ‘24 Season with Daytona Bike Week Doubleheader

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – March 6, 2024 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – Following months of training, preparation, and anticipation, the 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, is now just two days away. And in Daytona Bike Week tradition, the season will kick off in spectacular doubleheader fashion under the lights of the Flat Track at Daytona International Speedway with the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I & II on Thursday, March 7, and Friday, March 8, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

With decades of heroics in its record books dating back to 1954, each new battle for the fabled Grand National Championship is historic by definition. 2024 has the potential to go down as one of the most significant as reigning Mission SuperTwins king Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) attempts to upgrade his already lofty status from legendary to immortal.

Mees has an unprecedented tenth Championship squarely in his sights, needing just one more title triumph to reset one of the sport’s foundational records once thought unbreakable. However, it’ll likely prove one of the most difficult of his remarkable career, a fact that could very well be underlined in the Daytona opener.

Despite his lengthy list of accomplishments, Mees has yet to conquer the DAYTONA Short Track. That reality is in sharp contrast to rising title challenger Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), who dominated the event last year, a feat that served as a springboard to a spectacular sophomore season in which he very nearly toppled Mees in his quest for a ninth Grand National Championship. And Daniels only figures to be that much more formidable in ‘24 as he continues to gain confidence and experience.

Another rival standing in the path of Mees is two-time Mission SuperTwins champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 Parts Plus/Jacob Companies KTM 790 Duke), who toiled in ‘23 with the expectation of being rewarded for those efforts in ‘24. Bauman managed to win a pair of races last season even as he tamed a KTM 790 Duke that was still early in its development. The hard-earned knowledge gleaned last season should allow him to once again emerge a full-blown championship contender.

The obstacles Mees will need to overcome do not end with Daniels and Bauman. The 2024 field is loaded with the greatest motorcycle dirt trackers on the planet, including premier-class Main Event winners Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob…