Contenders Aplenty as Progressive AFT Arrives at Lima Half-Mile

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – June 27, 2024 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – The 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, kicks off its second half with the fabled Lima Half-Mile presented by Indian Motorcycle and Drag Specialties at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio on Saturday, June 29.

The opening half of the ‘24 season makes for a fascinating showdown this weekend, especially when considered in conjunction with past history at Lima.

Three of the four leaders in the ongoing Mission AFT SuperTwins title fight have taken multiple race wins at the Lima Half-Mile. That list is headed by nine-time Grand National Champion, Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750), who boasts five prior victories in the race, the first of which came 19 years ago today.

Meanwhile, two-time class champ Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke) has taken three Lima Half-Mile wins on three different makes of equipment. His first came in 2017 on a Kawasaki, his second in 2021 on a factory Indian, and last year saw him claim KTM’s maiden twin-cylinder victory in the premier class.

And it’s best not to overlook Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), as he’s repeatedly demonstrated with his class-leading three race wins in 2024, the most recent coming just days ago. Robinson also happens to be a two-time winner at Lima, including just two years ago.

That leaves Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), the current Mission AFT SuperTwins championship leader, as the sole rider among the four leading contenders without a Lima Half-Mile victory to his name. However, a closer inspection shows that in his two attempts, he’s twice been the fast qualifier and he’s twice finished a fighting second. With a perfect podium record on the line and driven by the sting that accompanies a defeat of 0.086 seconds this past weekend, Daniels is as strong a bet as any to stand atop the podium this weekend.

Can any of the remainder of a stacked field mix it up with Mees, Bauman, Robinson, and Daniels this weekend? Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Sody Ent/OTBR Yamaha MT-07), Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750), Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750), and Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing Mission Foods KTM 790 Duke) have all shown the capacity to do so on numerous occasions in…