In 2024,
Brandon Robinson (44) and Jared
Mees (1) battle it out at the
Lima Half-Mile with Briar Bauman
(3) close on their heels
[Photo: American Flat
Track/Tim Lester]
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.
(June 23, 2025) – The
stars of Progressive
American Flat Track,
sanctioned by AMA Pro
Racing, are gearing up
for this weekend’s hugely
anticipated Lima
Half-Mile I & II at the
Allen County Fairgrounds
in Lima, Ohio, on
Friday, June 27, and Saturday,
June 28.
In the Presence of
Royalty
Even in retirement, the presence
of Jared Mees
was destined to loom large over
this year’s Mission AFT
SuperTwins title
fight.
Mees not only left on his own
terms last year, he did so in
the most spectacular way
possible, winning his final race
in a season that culminated with
an unprecedented tenth
Grand National Championship.
Quite naturally, the defining
story of the 2025 season was
always going to be
the battle to assume
Mees’ throne, and thus, even in
absence, he gets mentioned on a
near-weekly basis.
However, that’ll ramp up
considerably this weekend with
Mees in attendance, presiding
over the festivities as the
event’s co-promotor alongside
his wife and former GNC
competitor Nichole Mees.
Challenge Accepted
Mees’ continued influence on the
sport extends beyond the
attempts of his former rivals to
fill his void or by way of his
race promotion. He’s helped to
usher in yet more history by
playing a key role in devising
the Mission Triple
Challenge format set to
debut this Friday night.
As a brief refresher, here’s a
reminder of how the Mission
Triple Challenge will work:
Race 1:
A fast and furious 10-lap sprint
where riders race for points (23
for 1st, 19 for 2nd, and so on).
The results? Not just bragging
rights—they also set the stage
(aka the starting grid) for Race
2.
Race 2:
Fifteen laps of
adrenaline-packed action where
the stakes are doubled. Riders
earn twice as many points as in
Race 1 (46 for 1st, 38 for 2nd,
and so on). With twice the
reward and grid positions for
the final race on the line, the
tension is sky-high.
Race 3:
The grand finale! Twenty laps of
high-octane action with triple
the points of Race 1 up for
grabs (69 for 1st, 57 for 2nd,
and so on). The stakes couldn’t
be higher as riders battle for
ultimate glory.
At the end of Race 3, all
points are tallied to crown the
night’s overall top three in
each class. And if there’s a
tie? It all boils down to who
came in clutch and delivered the
best finishing position in Race
3.
But even broken down and laid
out, we still don’t know exactly
how it’ll play out in practice.
For example, will strategies
vary alongside race length –
i.e. could we be in for a
non-stop, all-out brawl in Race
1 with a more tactical affair to
round out the evening in Race
3?
Seems reasonable enough, but we
just don’t know.
Better yet, neither do the
racers. As much as overall race
strategies are unknown, each
racer is likely to have their
individual take on how things
should work, which will
then be tested by how it
actually does.
Over time, as the Mission Triple
Challenge rounds stack and the
data accumulates, some consensus
regarding best practices may
eventually take shape.
But as for this Friday night?
Buckle up.
Clash of the Pea-Gravel
Titans
Lima is an ideal venue to host
the inaugural Triple Challenge.
It’s both physically and
strategically demanding and
widely viewed as among the most
coveted wins a Mission
SuperTwins pilot can attain.
History also shows it’s a place
where the best and brightest
outshine the rest, with the
legendary trio of Scott
Parker (seven wins),
Mees (five
wins), and Chris Carr
(four wins) ranking 1-2-3 in
career Lima Half-Mile triumphs.
It’s only fitting then that this
year’s races will feature a trio
of modern-era Lima masters in
Briar Bauman
(No. 3 RWR/Parts Plus/Latus
Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R),
Brandon Robinson
(No. 44 Mission Roof Systems
Harley-Davidson XG750R), and
Dallas Daniels
(No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha
MT-07 DT).
Bauman comes in with the points
lead on the strength of a
three-race win streak. He also
happens to own three previous
Lima wins, all coming on
different makes of equipment (Kawasaki,
Indian, and
KTM). This
weekend presents an opportunity
to make it four as he rolls in
on the Harley-Davidson
XG750R.
Should Bauman continue his tear
and sweep this weekend’s
doubleheader, he’ll boast the
second longest win streak in
Grand National Championship
history, trailing only
Ricky Graham, who took
six Main Events in succession
during his epic 1993 title
season.
Neither four nor five will come
easily, however. This year’s
Short Track-centric schedule was
a significant factor in RWR
electing to field the H-D. That
has proven to be a wise decision
to date, however, Half-Miles in
general and Lima in particular
are different tests entirely.
Plus, he’ll need to overcome
both Robinson and Daniels, among
others, to do so.
Robinson himself is a two-time
winner at Lima, claiming top
honors in 2016 on a
Harley-Davidson XR750
and again in 2022 on an
Indian FTR750. He’s
consistently strong at the
circuit, claiming finishes of
first, second, third, and fourth
in his most recent four
attempts.
And while Daniels has just the
one Lima Half-Mile win, it came
one year ago in devastating
fashion. Despite calling off the
dogs late, he still won by
nearly six-and-a-half seconds.
Now riding an 18-race podium
streak, the Estenson Racing ace
figures to be good everywhere –
and that’s why he remains the
title favorite in the eyes of
many. The shift away from Short
Tracks to a pair of Half-Miles
and a Mile may present a golden
opportunity for Daniels to reset
and take a second shot at
asserting the sort of dominance
so many expected from him before
the ‘25 campaign got underway.
The Big Four
Any discussion regarding the
season’s evolving Grand National
Championship fight would be
incomplete if it failed to
include Davis Fisher
(No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob
Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790
Duke).
In fact, Fisher ranks just
behind Bauman and Daniels and
ahead of Robinson in the points,
leapfrogging the Mission Roof
System pilot with an impressive
second-place effort last time
out.
Fisher’s ‘25 finishes of
fourth-third-fourth-seventh-and-second
mark the best five-race run of
his career, and he only expects
to get better as he gets more
seat time on the KTM 790 Duke.
While Lima has not typically
proven overly kind to Fisher, he
has managed to finish fourth
here twice in the past,
including last year when he ran
down Bauman to steal the
position.
Upset Alert
The uncertainty of the Triple
Challenge may up the odds of an
upset this weekend.
If so, who is most likely to
deliver it?
Jarod VanDerKooi
(No. 20 Fastrack
Racing/Wally Brown Racing KTM
790 Duke) is an easy answer.
He’s rapidly rounding into form,
having earned three straight top
fives (including a podium) in
his last three outings.
And while the odds are
admittedly longer, don’t
discount the likes of
James Ott (No. 19 G&G
Racing Yamaha MT-07),
Max Whale (No. 18 Moto
Anatomy X Powered by Royal
Enfield 650), Trent Lowe
(No. 48 American
Honda/Progressive Insurance
Honda Transalp) and Dan
Bromley (No. 62 Memphis
Shades/Vinson Construction
Suzuki GSX-8S), all of whom have
demonstrated front-running form
at times early this season.
You Ask, The Riders
Answer
Lima’s fanbase has a reputation
for being among the most
knowledgeable to be found
anywhere in the nation. And
they’ll have an opportunity to
add to that knowledge base via
the Rider Q&A
session that will be included in
each day’s Fan Party,
which will run for approximately
an hour directly preceding
Opening Ceremonies.
That won’t be the only
attraction keeping spectators
entertained between action on
track. There will be music, a
bouncy house for kids, numerous
vendors, and plenty of food and
beverage options, along with
extensive motorcycle parking.
And fans who come out a day
early can watch some of the
future stars of the sport
perform for free with a day of
amateur racing scheduled for
Thursday, June 26.
Get Your Tickets Today
and Save Some Cash
Fans can save $10 by purchasing
their tickets in advance with
prices slated to return to their
standard rate starting on
Wednesday, June 25. If you act
fast, General Admission
Bleacher tickets are
still $35 each night (kids 12
and under free with a paid adult
GA ticket) with Reserved
Grandstand
tickets $40 and Premier
Reserved Grandstand
$45. Meanwhile, fans who
purchase the two-day ticket save
an additional $5 (two-day
General Admission:
$65/two-day Reserved:
$75/two-day Premier
Reserved: $85).
Those who purchase either a
Reserved ticket or a Premier
Reserved ticket will have the
option to add the VIP
Experience upgrade for
a combined $150. New for 2025,
the Lima VIP Experience includes
a trackside meet-and-great with
dirt track legend Jared
Mees, infield access
for the Opening Ceremonies and
heat races, all-day pit access,
a climate-controlled VIP lounge,
and free VIP parking.
Camping is also available at the
Allen County Fairgrounds on a
first-come, first-served basis.
Tent Camping is
free while RV/Trailer
Camping, including
water and electric hook-ups, is
$50 per night (cash only).
To purchase Lima
Half-Mile I tickets,
click HERE.
To purchase Lima
Half-Mile II tickets,
click HERE.
And to save $5 by purchasing
Friday and Saturday tickets
together for the Lima
Half-Mile I & II,
click HERE.
Gates will open for fans at 2:00
p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT) with
Opening Ceremonies scheduled to
begin at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m.
PT) on both days. For more
information, ticket purchases,
and updates, visit
www.limahalf-mile.com or
call 419-991-1491
How to Watch
FloRacing
For those that can’t catch the
live action from the circuit,
FloRacing is
the live streaming home of
Progressive AFT. Motorsports
fans can subscribe to FloRacing
to enjoy over 1,000 live
motorsports events in 2025.
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.
FS1
FOX Sports
coverage of the Lima
Half-Mile I, featuring
in-depth features and thrilling
onboard cameras, will premiere
on FS1 on
Saturday, July 5,
at 9:30 a.m. ET
(6:30 a.m. PT), with the
Lima Half-Mile II
scheduled to air one week later,
on Saturday, July 12,
at 10:00 a.m. ET
(7:00 a.m. PT).
For more information on
Progressive AFT visit
https://www.americanflattrack.com.
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