And this list
becomes all the
more impressive if
you include
transplants as
well…
Home Cookin’
Chief among the
home-state heroes is
two-time Grand
National Champion
Briar Bauman (No. 3
Super.com/RWR/Rocket
Doctor
Harley-Davidson
XG750R).
It’s a tough beat
for the opposition
that Bauman was able
to kickstart a
five-race win streak
with back-to-back
victories in front
of his home fans at
Ventura Raceway and
Silver Dollar
Speedway, and he’ll
now look to start
another in front of
his home fans at
Williams Grove
Speedway on the
other side of the
country.
While a native of
Salinas, California,
Bauman resides in
Pennsylvania and has
made the state his
home for essentially
half of his life at
this point. And if
you think Bauman’s
four
consecutive California
wins is indicative
of how fiercely he
defends his home
turf, get a load of
his race record in
Pennsylvania:
The Rick Ware Racing
star enters this
weekend boasting a
six-race win streak
in Pennsylvania,
including two at
Port Royal (‘21 and
‘22) and
four straight at
Williams Grove (‘18,
19, and ‘20x2).
In fact, the last
time he failed
to stand atop the
podium inside the
state’s borders was
in 2017, when he
finished third to a
pair of factory
Indians while aboard
a private Kawasaki.
And Bauman
could definitely
use some
home cookin’ about
now. Earlier this
season, he trailed
Kopp by 22 points
but surged to take
the lead courtesy of
the aforementioned
five straight
victories.
He now finds himself
20 points
back of Kopp and
aiming to win his
way back out of a
hole yet again. And
with some friendly
tracks
ahead, he’s certainly
capable of pulling
it off.
The Title
Leader and the Title
Defender
You know the
Pennsylvania of it
all looms large when
we get this far
before mentioning
Mission
AFT SuperTwins points
leader Kody Kopp
(No. 12 Latus Motors
Racing
Harley-Davidson
XG750R) or reigning
Grand National
Champion Dallas
Daniels (No. 1
Estenson Racing
Yamaha MT-07).
Kopp’s latest
achievement puts him
in rarified
air. He’s now tied
with Jim Rice, Dave
Aldana, and Steve
Eklund for second
all-time in terms of
rookie GNC Main
Event wins at
three.
If he continues
along this
trajectory, Kopp
will have a strong
claim for the most
impressive rookie
season the sport has
ever witnessed. And
the fact
that he’s doing so
while pit up against
a pair of peak-level
Grand National
Champions in Bauman
and Daniels makes
it all the
more impressive.
Kopp’s title chances
received a huge
boost with his win
in DuQuoin, which
not only padded his
advantage
but demonstrated just
how much progress
the XG750R has made
in terms of its Mile
prowess. That’s a
pivotal development
considering the
season will be
decided with a
doubleheader in
Springfield.
Meanwhile, Daniels
continues to hang in
there, still only
eight points back
despite the
lingering
feeling he’s yet to
completely hit his
stride in ‘26.
Whatever the
situation, you can
always trust
that he’ll fight and
claw his way for
every point possible
in a
Mees-ian fashion.
And like Bauman,
some of his favorite
tracks are just
ahead. Daniels could
yet be unleashed
before this year is
out.
Catching
Fire
Even following weeks
in which Davis
Fisher (No. 67
Rackley Racing/Bob
Lanphere’s BMC
Racing KTM 790 Duke)
finished outside the
top five, or even
top ten, we
repeatedly warned
that he could catch
fire and mix it up
with the title
contenders at any
moment.
That moment has
arrived with Fisher
logging three
consecutive podiums,
including a
runner-up just 0.012
seconds removed from
victory a few days
back.
A fully competitive
Fisher not only
makes things that
much
more interesting, it creates
the possibility for
bigger point swings
from week to week.
While he’s nearly
70 points out of the
title fight himself,
he still has a role
to play
in determining who
gets crowned this
year’s Grand
National Champion.
There are several
others in the field
who could make a
similar impact in
any given race.
Already this year,
Aidan RoosEvans (No.
26 FRA Trust
Advisors
Harley-Davidson
XG750R) and Chad
Cose (No. 49 Parker
Racing/Pro Roofing
Yamaha MT-07) have
finished on the
box.
Meanwhile, Trent
Lowe (No. 48
American
Honda/Mission Foods
Honda CB750
Hornet), Ben Lowe
(No. 25 Rackley
Racing/Roof Systems
KTM 790 Duke),
Declan Bender (No.
70 Memphis
Shades/Vinson
Construction Yamaha
MT-07), and Hunter
Bauer (No. 24 G&G
Racing Yamaha MT-07)
are just four more
of the 14 riders who
have finished fifth
or better at least
once this season.
And here’s one who
hasn’t that you
should still keep an
eye out for this
weekend: KICKER AFT
Singles ace Tarren
Santero (No. 75 Roof
Systems/Vinson
Construction/Mission
Foods
Harley-Davidson
XG750R) is set to
make his Mission
AFT SuperTwins debut
in wild card duty
this weekend.
Flat Trackin’ Fun
for the Whole Family
Fans of all ages
will be entertained
for the entire day
at the Williams
Grove Half-Mile.
Beyond the
spectacular racing,
the event will
feature big-screen
viewing, numerous vendor displays,
a Kid Zone, and a
wide variety of food
and beverage
options.
General Admission
tickets are just
$40, while Reserved
Grandstand Seating
and Premium Reserved
Grandstand Seating
are available for
$50 and $60,
respectively. Kids
12 and under receive
$15 off all ticket
options.
Additionally,
students can get
their ticket for
just $30 at the door
with a valid ID.
The Pit Pass
add-on provides fans a
chance to get an
up-close look at
the racebikes and
meet the riders and
their teams.
The H-D VIP
Experience includes
GA seating with full
pit access,
dedicated VIP H-D
motorcycle parking,
a guided tour of the
infield podium and
start/finish line –
photo ops included –
a meet-and-greet
with the
Harley-Davidson
riders,
and exclusive swag.
The H-D VIP
Experience is
available for $135,
along with
the option to
be purchased as a
$95 add-on to
upgraded seating
options.
Fans who choose to
camp can reserve a
spot for $50.
To purchase tickets
for the Appalachian
Harley-Davidson
Williams
Grove Half-Mile,
visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-williams-grove-half-mile-185952.
For more information
about Appalachian
Harley-Davidson,
visit https://appalachianharley-davidson.com.
Gates will open for
fans at 3:00 p.m.
ET/12:00 p.m. PT on
Saturday with
Opening Ceremonies
scheduled to begin
at 7:05 p.m. ET/4:05
p.m. PT.
How to Watch
FloRacing
For those
that can’t catch the
live action at the
track, FloRacing is
the live streaming
home of Progressive
American Flat Track.
Motorsports fans can
subscribe
to FloRacing to
enjoy over 1,000
live motorsports
events in
2026. FloSports is
available by
visiting https://flosports.link/AFT2026 or
by downloading
the FloSports app on
iOS, Android, Apple
TV, Roku, Amazon
Fire and
Chromecast.
FS1
FOX Sports coverage
of the Appalachian
Harley-Davidson
Williams
Grove Half-Mile,
featuring in-depth
features and
thrilling onboard
cameras, will
premiere on FS1 on
Saturday, July 25,
at 11:30 a.m. ET
(8:30 a.m. PT). The
full listing of
American Flat
Track’s television
premieres can be
found at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports.
