DAYTONA
BEACH, Fla. (June
23, 2026) –
The 2026 Grand
National
Championship will
reach and exceed its
midpoint at a
doubleheader event
of particular
prestige and
consequence – the
Super.com Lima
Half-Mile I & II
presented by Drag
Specialties – at the
Allen County
Fairgrounds in Lima,
Ohio, on Friday,
June 26, and
Saturday, June 27.
Featuring the
Mission Triple
Challenge format on
Friday and a
conventional slate
on Saturday, Rounds
8 and 9 of the ‘26
Progressive American
Flat Track season,
sanctioned by AMA
Pro Racing, are
destined to have
massive implications
on this year’s
remarkably tight
Mission AFT
SuperTwins title
fight.
Points
of/and Pride
VIctory at the
fabled Lima
Half-Mile ranks as
among the most
coveted for any
motorcycle dirt
tracker – aspiring
or established. Its
pea-gravel
battlefield and
fervent fanbase
makes for a unique
atmosphere, which is
only enhanced by the
monumental challenge
the venue presents.
There’s a reason the
winningest riders at
Lima also happen to
be the winningest
riders in the
history of the
sport, full stop.
Seven of Scott
Parker’s 94 career
premier-class wins
were taken here, as
were five of (Lima
co-promoter) Jared
Mees’ 78 and four of
Chris Carr’s 78.
It’s not enough to
be fast at Lima, a
racer must also be
fanatically fit and
supremely focused to
have any shot at
winning, which makes
the accomplishment
that much more
rewarding.
Two-time Grand
National Champion
Briar Bauman (No. 3
RWR/Jacob
Construction/Parts
Plus Harley-Davidson
XG750R) is all of
those things, a fact
made evident by his
Lima track record.
Bauman is tied with
Carr for third in
career Lima
victories with four,
and, quite
remarkably, he’s
done so on four
different makes of
racebike – Kawasaki,
Indian, KTM, and
Harley-Davidson.
Should he claim one
more this weekend,
he’ll move into a
tie with the
legendary Ricky
Graham for fifth
all-time in total
premier-class
victories at 39. And
if he sweeps the
weekend, he’ll move
past Graham in
career wins and into
a tie with him for
the most-ever
consecutive
premier-class
victories at six
straight.
While it’s hard to
bet against Bauman,
his Mission AFT
SuperTwins rivals
have their own
reasons to be
optimistic coming
into the weekend.
Reigning class king
Dallas Daniels (No.
1 Estenson Racing
Yamaha MT-07) has
won two of the last
three races here,
including last
year’s 1-2-1
conquering of the
Mission Triple
Challenge.
It’s to Daniels’
credit and his
adversaries’ peril
that he has been
just a tick off most
of the season and
yet is still just
ten points back in
the title fight.
However, neither
Bauman nor Daniels
lead the way as the
season approaches
its midpoint. That
status is claimed by
rookie phenom Kody
Kopp (No. 12 Latus
Motors Racing
Harley-Davidson
XG750R). Kopp has
earned the position
via six finishes of
first or second in
the year’s first
seven races.
However, both of his
wins came in the
2026 double opener
in DAYTONA more than
three months back.
The Latus Motors
Harley-Davidson ace
will be looking to
change that this
weekend in Lima – a
personal favorite of
his like DAYTONA –
and a track where he
previously
registered a pair of
blowout wins in
KICKER AFT Singles
competition.
Second
(Half) Chance
While Kopp, Bauman,
and Daniels are
locked into a
10-point
championship clash,
no other rider is
within even 50
points of third.
It’s perhaps a bit
harsh to suggest
everyone else’s
seasons have gone
off the rails, but
it’s fair to say
they haven’t gone
exactly to plan
either.
As the Lima
Half-Mile represents
both the end of the
season’s first half
and the start of its
second, the weekend
is as good a time as
any for a new
beginning for this
talented collection
of potential
spoilers.
Davis Fisher (No. 67
Rackley Racing/Bob
Lanphere’s BMC
Racing KTM 790 Duke)
came into ‘26 with
legitimate hopes of
making this a
four-way title
fight.
Unfortunately, he’s
been held back in
large part by poor
luck despite
routinely showing
the outright speed
to run up front.
Kopp’s win in early
March was also the
last time Fisher has
been on the box.
That’s a long time
for a rider of
Fisher’s caliber.
Trent Lowe (No. 48
American
Honda/Mission Foods
Honda CB750 Hornet)
hasn’t enjoyed the
breakthrough season
both desired and
expected after last
year’s second-half
flourish. The
Indiana native
scored two sixths at
Lima last year –
which matched his
best finish to that
point in the year
before he really
kicked things up a
notch down the
stretch. Perhaps a
repeat is in order.
OTB Racing teammates
Brandon Price (No.
92 Memphis
Shades/Vinson
Construction Yamaha
MT-07) and Declan
Bender (No. 70
Memphis
Shades/Vinson
Construction Yamaha
MT-07) have
struggled to make as
strong an impression
as they would have
liked due to injury,
misfortune, and a
simple lack of form.
However, the team
has started to find
its way as of late,
Bender in
particular. He’s
steadily marched his
way up the order,
going from DNQ to
16th to 14th to 12th
(twice), to fourth
last time out.
Bender also came
home fourth at Lima
a year ago and will
be looking to
continue his upward
trajectory this
weekend.
Rookie Evan Renshaw
(No. 95 Moto Anatomy
X Powered by Royal
Enfield 650) has had
to scrape and claw
just to make the
Mains, an indication
of just how deep the
current field is.
However, now with a
half season of
premier-class duty
under his belt to
acclimate to the
bike and the
competition, he’s
poised to settle in
and allow his
natural ability to
shine through.
Others have their
own stories of mixed
first-halfs,
including the likes
of Chad Cose (No. 49
Parker Racing/Pro
Roofing Yamaha
MT-07), Ben Lowe
(No. 25 Rackley
Racing/Roof Systems
KTM 790 Duke),
Hunter Bauer (No. 24
G&G Racing Yamaha
MT-07), and Dalton
Gauthier (No. 79
Parts Bros/D&D
Cycles/Fairway Ford
Aprilia Tuareg 660).
The primary
exception may be
Aidan RoosEvans (No.
26 FRA Trust
Advisors
Harley-Davidson
XG750R), who
probably couldn’t
have asked for a
much smoother start
to his premier-class
career. While
outside of title
contention,
RoosEvans has reeled
in five top-six
results, including a
first official
Progressive AFT
podium at the Silver
Dollar Short Track.
RoosEvans also has
Lima expert Jeffrey
Carver, Jr., in his
corner, which could
give him an edge
this weekend.
Part-Time
Runners
Things haven’t gone
exactly to plan for
Dan Bromley (No. 62
Memphis Shades/Lisa
Niner Racing Suzuki
GSX-8S) either.
He took a pretty
heavy fall in the
season’s opening
weekend and sat out
the next few races.
Bromley has since
returned to
(part-time) action
and has it in him to
make waves this
weekend in Ohio. A
year ago, he was
seriously quick on
the Suzuki at Lima,
notching up a
combined fourth
(4-4-5) in the
Mission Triple
Challenge.
Bromley is set to
compete on Saturday
before completing
his season in his
home state at the
Appalachian
Harley-Davidson
Williams Grove
Half-Mile on July
11.
The season has been
less kind still to
another
Pennsylvanian in
Brandon Robinson
(No. 44 Mission Roof
Systems
Harley-Davidson
XG750R), who is out
for the remainder of
the season as he
recovers from the
injuries he
sustained in
Ventura.
That’s a tough beat
for the Mission Roof
Systems outfit on a
weekly basis but
particularly so at
Lima, where Robinson
has won twice
previously.
They’ve got the best
possible replacement
in place, however,
in Jarod VanDerKooi
(No. 20 Mission Roof
Systems
Harley-Davidson
XG750R), who
finished on the
podium here back in
2021.
Three-Day
Weekend
Fans will have
plenty to keep them
entertained beyond
the world-class
on-track excitement.
There will also be
music, a bouncy
house for kids,
numerous vendors,
and plenty of food
and beverage
options, along with
extensive motorcycle
parking.
And spectators are
invited to get the
party started a day
early, as Thursday
at the track will
spotlight the future
stars of the sport
with a
AMA-sanctioned
Mission Foods CTR
Showcase Event,
which will feature
the 450 Road to AFT
clash that will set
the grid for
Saturday’s AFT
ProSport 450 season
finale.
Act Fast to
Save Your Cash
General Admission
Bleacher tickets are
just $45 each night
(kids 12 and under
free with a paid
adult GA ticket)
with Reserved
Grandstand and
Premier Reserved
Grandstand tickets
priced at $55 and
$60, respectively.
Meanwhile, fans who
purchase a two-day
ticket will save $5
(General Admission
$65, Reserved $85,
and Premier Reserved
$95).
The Pit Pass add-on
($40/day) provides
fans a chance to get
an up-close look at
the racebikes and
meet the riders and
their teams.
Fans looking to take
things to the next
level can choose the
VIP Experience
add-on ($150 per day
or $280 for two
days, seats
included) to gain
access to a
climate-controlled
VIP room with a
catered meal, five
alcoholic beverages,
and a Pit Pass.
Camping is also
available at the
Allen County
Fairgrounds. The
camping sites, which
are accessible off
Harding Highway and
include water and
electric hookups,
are available on a
first-come,
first-served basis
at $50 per night
(Wednesday night
through Saturday
night).
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
Super.com 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 6:40 p.m. ET
(3:40 p.m. PT) on
Friday. On Saturday,
Gates will open at
2:30 p.m. ET (11:30
a.m. PT) with
Opening Ceremonies
slated for a 6:30
p.m. ET (3:30 p.m.
PT) start. For more
information, ticket
purchases, and
updates, visit
www.limahalf-mile.com
or call 419-991-1491
