LIMA, Ohio — It took five consecutive Mission AFT SuperTwins victories to make it so, but Briar Bauman (No. 3 Super.com/RWR Harley-Davidson XG750R) at last seized control of the Grand National Championship with a triumphant run in Friday night’s Super.com Lima Half-Mile I.
It was round 8 of the 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.
The win was also Bauman’s fifth at the Allen County Fairgrounds in Lima, Ohio, and one that proved historic on multiple fronts. It was the 39th victory of his illustrious career, moving him into a tie with the iconic Ricky Graham for fifth all time, while also putting him in position to match Graham’s premier-class record of six straight wins tomorrow night.
And believe it or not, Bauman earned those honors despite being the underdog for much of the night.
The Super.com Lima Half-Mile I marked the second of three ‘26 rounds that utilize the Mission Triple Challenge format. First introduced at this very venue a year ago, the Mission Triple Challenge determines the evening’s overall premier-class winner via three successive Main Events – a 10-lap sprint, a 15-lapper that pays double points, and a decisive 20-lap Main that concludes the night with triple the points.
Rookie phenom Kody Kopp (No. 12 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) got the evening program off to a quick start, throwing down the gauntlet in a daylight dash.
Reigning Grand National Champion Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07) spun off into the lead at the green light with the Harley-Davidson-mounted duo of Kopp and Bauman giving chase.
The championship contenders immediately established themselves as the primary players, leaving the remainder of the field a couple seconds in arrears just a few circulations in.
Eager to work his way past, Kopp cuts under Daniels twice, only to see the Yamaha runner counter with the faster line on exit. Undeterred, Kopp made it work on attempt #3 and then grabbed himself some space at the front once out of the roost.
Kopp raced off to a 1.244-second win, while Daniels held off Bauman to finish second. Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke) and Aidan RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust Advisors Harley-Davidson XG750R) proved the best of the rest in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Even with five more laps to contend with and twice as many points on the line, it was more of the same from Kopp in Main Event 2.
Bauman attempted an opening-lap lunge hoping to prevent a second Kopp escape but just missed out on the bid. And while the RWR runner matched the leader’s pace for several laps, by mid-distance Kopp was again racing off into the sunset.
Kopp ultimately claimed the checkered flag with more than three seconds in hand.
Meanwhile, Daniels – who was never really in contention in this 15-lapper – was another two seconds back in third. In fact, the champ had to defend the position from Fisher for a spell, who again finished fourth with RoosEvans back in fifth.
Decorated part-timer Henry Wiles (No. 911 DL Racing/HYMMC Yamaha MT-07) came home sixth while Royal Enfield returnee Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) finished seventh.
Kopp’s dream evening then took a nightmarish turn in Main Event 3. Not only did Bauman beat him off the line, but he was immediately shuffled back behind Fisher and Daniels…
Before long RoosEvans was through as well, and soon enough, it was all too apparent Kopp was suffering from a mechanical issue. That issue ultimately forced him out of the race completely and marred his combined record to an unbalanced 1-1-16.
Bauman never looked back. Daniels recovered from a start-line near-fall to drive forward from sixth to second. He made a respectable push to chase down Bauman, but his rival was simply too strong.
Bauman took the checkered flag 2.611 seconds ahead of Daniels with Fisher another two-plus seconds back in third. The triple points paid by Main Event 3 sealed that same order for the combined results as well, with Bauman (3-2-1) taking the overall win, Daniels (2-3-2) second and Fisher (4-4-3) third.
“I’m bummed for Kody,” Bauman said. “I’ve had that happen, and it doesn’t feel good. I want everyone to know that I want to race everyone at their best, and it’s a bummer that that happened. I think I’m more bummed because my bike was really good – at least I think it was – and I’m ready for tomorrow. We made some huge changes, and we’d kind of been on the same motorcycle for the last several nationals, so this was great.
“We just worked our butts off. This whole Rick Ware Racing Super.com team is so eager. We keep running scared. I will say I wasn’t the fastest guy today, I know that for a fact. That doesn’t sit well, but we didn’t give up on it.”
Kopp’s misfortune dropped him down to fourth in the final Mission Triple Challenge placements and seeking his revenge come Saturday night.
Meanwhile, Wiles (7-6-4) took fifth, while Gauthier (10-7-5) earned sixth in his first ride back with Royal Enfield.
Defending KICKER AFT Singles champion Tom Drane (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450) equaled Kody Kopp for most victories in class history with his 23rd career win in the category. And fittingly, he did so at the Lima Half-Mile where he made his stunning Progressive AFT debut with a runner-up result to Kopp back in 2022, and where he has now won four times in succession.
While Drane was all by his lonesome by the time he hit the stripe for the final time, he had a serious fight on his hands for much of the race.
Walker Porter (No. 10 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) used an extreme high line to sling around the corners and close in on Drane down the straights. He even pulled alongside Drane as the race neared its half-distance, but a minor mistake on the Turner Racing Honda pilot’s part gave the Estenson runner a chance to stretch back open his gap.
That mishap also gave second life to 2025 Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award recipient Bodie Paige (No. 165 BS Ranch/RWR/American Honda CRF450R), who made a Tom Drane-esque Progressive AFT debut on the night.
Paige edged ahead of Porter late to finish second and match fellow Australian Drane’s Lima feat of four years prior.
Porter couldn’t be too upset, however, as he also (at last) claimed his first career pro podium by hanging on in third. And that was in doubt to the very end, as Chase Saathoff (No. 88 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) raced his way up from seventh to finish less than a half-second back in fourth.
Canadian Jordan Beaulac (No. 156 Picotte Motosport/Dofralex GASGAS MC 450F) nipped Kage Tadman (No. 28 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) at the flag for fifth.
The final AFT ProSport 450 Main Event of the season had a distinctly international flair with a field that included a couple fast Canadians capitalizing on a familiar pea-gravel surface and a pair of talented Australians in the States ahead of the fast-approaching 2026 Roof Systems AMA Flat Track Grand Championship amateur nationals to be held at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds from July 5-10.
Among them, Aussie Jed Fyffe (No. 23 Fyffe Racing Yamaha YZ450F) stood tallest, blasting out to a second-plus advantage on the race’s opening lap.
While the race looked to be one for runner-up honors from its earliest stages, Michigan native Charlie Jaques (No. 110 Charlie Jaques Racing KTM 450 SX-F) made a concerted charge to give Fyffe a late-race scare.
Fyffe responded to the challenge, however, regathering to hold on for a 1.202-second margin of victory.
Fellow Australian Neiko Donovan (No. 177 Donovan Racing KTM 450 SX-F) secured the final spot on the box, with Canadian Matéo Racine (No. 23X Picotte Motosport KTM 450 SX-F) finishing fourth.
