DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.
(March 19, 2024) – Progressive
American Flat Track,
sanctioned by AMA Pro
Racing, returns to
action with the second-ever
Yamaha Senoia Short
Track at Senoia
Raceway in Senoia,
Georgia on Saturday, March 23.
Last year’s inaugural visit
proved to be a stunner, and this
year’s rematch promises to be
yet another as the stage is set
with the series’ major players
arranged in similar positions.
A year ago, reigning
Mission SuperTwins champion
Jared Mees (No.
1 Rogers Racing/SDI
Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750)
rebounded in Senoia following a
podium-less double opener in
Daytona with a virtuoso
performance to defeat points
leader Dallas Daniels
(No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha
MT-07 DT) at the stripe by 0.174
seconds.
That kickstarted a season-long
duel between the two, ultimately
won by Mees who used the Senoia
triumph as a springboard to his
nine–win, 15-podium season that
culminated in a historic ninth
Grand National
Championship.
Now Mees finds himself equally
in need of a bounce back after
opening his quest for an
unprecedented tenth
premier-class crown with sixth-
and fifth-place finishes in
Daytona. By contrast, Daniels
grabbed a share of the points
lead with a double-podium
opener, highlighted by a victory
in the season’s first Main
Event.
Mees and Daniels are far from
the full story, however, as
there is genuine hope that this
year’s title fight will not only
match last year’s incredible
showdown but surpass it with the
inclusion of additional
contenders.
Chief among the prospective
championship hopefuls are
two-time Mission SuperTwins king
Briar Bauman
(No. 3 Rick Ware
Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790
Duke) and co-points leader
Brandon Robinson
(No. 44 Mission Roof Systems
Indian FTR750).
Bauman is in his second season
aboard the Rick Ware Racing KTM
790 Duke, although he’s working
with a new crew and operating a
racebike was heavily overhauled
during the offseason. That said,
even with those changes, he
showed impressive speed in the
opener and has the skills to
fight up front in any and every
given outing.
Robinson, meanwhile, enjoyed a
welcome return to form after
going winless and finishing
outside the championship top
five for the first time since
2018 on both counts. His DAYTONA
ST win provided clear evidence
that he’s primed for a huge year
in ‘24.
At least six brands of
motorcycles have a legitimate
shot to be in the mix for the
top five this weekend
considering their respective
rider/team representation, which
include the likes of
Davis Fisher (No. 67
Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s
BMC Racing Indian FTR750),
Brandon Price
(No. 92 Memphis
Shades/Corbin/OTBR Yamaha
MT-07), Jarod
Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC
Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio
Indian FTR750), Johnny
Lewis (No. 10 Moto
Anatomy X Powered by Royal
Enfield 650), and Dan
Bromley (No. 62 Big Red
Super Twins/Al Lamb’s Dallas
Honda Transalp), along with
rookies Trevor Brunner
(No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti
Racing KTM 790 Duke) and
Max Whale (No. 18 Latus
Motors Racing/Liqui Moly
Harley-Davidson XG750R).
Parts Unlimited AFT
Singles presented by KICKER
Preseason Parts
Unlimited AFT Singles presented
by KICKER title
favorites Kody Kopp
(No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts
Plus KTM 450 SX-F) and
Tom Drane (No. 59
Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F)
opened their ‘24 campaigns with
one win apiece.
Double defending champion Kopp
holds down the familiar position
of points leader by backing up
his win with a third, while
Drane finds himself with some
work to do after crashing on the
final lap of the opener and
being credited with 15th prior
to his victorious rebound the
following night.
While the two will have another
opportunity to square off in
Senoia, neither enjoyed their
finest evening in last year’s
inaugural stop at the circuit.
Kopp finished fifth despite his
usual Short Track supremacy,
while Drane could only manage
13th – albeit it’s worth noting
the result came before the
Australian truly got up to speed
and demonstrated his true
caliber over the season’s final
two-thirds.
While last year’s winner, Max
Whale, has since graduated to
Mission SuperTwins duty, ‘23
Senoia ST podium finishers
James Ott (No.
19 1st Impressions/Media HT
Husqvarna FC450) and
Dalton Gauthier (No. 79
D&D Racing/Certified KTM 450
SX-F) are back and desperate to
finish atop the box this time
around.
The class traditionally offers
up a bevy of potential race
winners. This year is no
exception in that respect with
Chase Saathoff (No.
88 JPG Motorsports Honda
CRF450R), Trent Lowe
(No. 48 American Honda/Mission
Foods CRF450R), Evan
Renshaw (No. 265
American Honda/Mission Foods
CRF450R), and Logan
Eisenhard (No. 66
Hannum’s Harley-Davidson KTM 450
SX-F) only but a few of the
entrants with the skill and
determination to factor up
front.
There will be plenty to keep
fans entertained off the track
as well, starting with a
family-oriented pre-race party
in the Fan Zone from 2:00 p.m.
ET (11.00 a.m. PT) - 6:00 p.m.
(3:00 p.m. PT) the day of the
race. Other features include
numerous vendors, plenty of food
and beverage options, the Kids
Zone, music, extensive
motorcycle parking, and
fireworks display at the end of
the evening.
General Admission
Grandstand tickets are
just $40 (kids 12 and under $5),
and Reserved Grandstand
tickets start at $50 (all ages)
with an option to add a
Pit Pass at a reduced
rate. The Pit Pass grants
access to the General Admission
areas and the Pit area for $60.
Reserved Trackside
Parking and
Multi-Day Camping Passes
are also available to purchase.
New for 2024 is the
Opening Ceremonies Trackside Fan
Experience ($150 all
ages). This ticket option
provides reserved seating with
pit pass access, a guided tour
of, and photo opportunities at,
the infield podium and
start/finish line, infield
viewing of Opening Ceremonies
and the heat races, and a track
talk and photo opportunity with
2016 Grand National Champion
Bryan Smith.
Visit
https://www.americanflattrack.com/events/2024/view/senoia-short-track-2024
to reserve your seats today.
Gates will open for fans at 2:00
p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT) with
Opening Ceremonies scheduled to
begin at 7:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m.
PT). You can catch the
livestream of all the weekend’s
racing activities on
FloRacing. Motorsports
fans can subscribe to FloRacing
to enjoy over 1,000 live
motorsports events in 2024.
FloSports is available by
visiting
https://flosports.link/aft
or by downloading the FloSports
app on iOS, Android, Apple TV,
Roku, Amazon Fire and
Chromecast.
FOX Sports coverage
of the Yamaha Senoia
Short Track, featuring
in-depth features and thrilling
onboard cameras, will premiere
on FS1 on
Saturday, March 31,
at 12:30 p.m. ET
(9:30 a.m. PT).
For more information on
Progressive AFT visit
https://www.americanflattrack.com.
To score the latest gear for the
Progressive American Flat Track
fan, visit our official
merchandise store at
https://aftmerch.com.