DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — This is it. The historic 2022 Progressive American Flat Track campaign will conclude in high-stakes style with this weekend’s Mission Volusia Half-Mile Finale I & II presented by Daytona Dodge and Zo CBD at Volusia Speedway Park October 14-15.
Following a season of twists and turns, there remains much drama yet to play out in the Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle title fight. Just 22 points separate the top four contenders with 100 points still in play, providing each of them realistic pathways to this year’s crown.
Reigning champion Jared Mees enters the showdown with a 16-point advantage, making him the favorite to once again claim the throne. He also comes in with the knowledge that he has just a small margin for error lest he leave himself vulnerable to being usurped by any of the three leading challengers.
First among them is second-ranked Dallas Daniels, who has more than lived up to the hype in his maiden premier class season. An already an all-time great rookie effort could be made all that much greater if it ends with the No. 1 plate in hand.
Daniels’ plans could be either helped or hindered by the presence of his Estenson Racing Yamaha teammate, J.D. Beach, who is only two points further back and still very much within striking distance himself. Beach leads the class in race wins with four and two more may very well be required to have any hope of winning it all. Only one rider can claim the championship, but if Daniels and Beach are arguing for position on track in front of Mees, that only increases their respective odds.
While two-time champion Briar Bauman saw his title hopes dimmed with his 16th-placed DNF last time out, they remained alight. Should Bauman twice repeat his victorious performance at the 2022 opener held at this very same venue, he is guaranteed to leap past both Daniels and Beach. More crucially, he would then be poised to steal the title away from Mees should the champ twice repeat his season-opening fifth.
Meanwhile, riders as gifted as Brandon Robinson, Jarod Vanderkooi, and Bronson Bauman are looking to end their seasons on a high note and could serve to create more opportunity for movement in the standings as a result.
And as if there wasn’t already enough on the line, the Mission Volusia Half-Mile Finale I & II will serve as the final two rounds of the Progressive Triple Crown. Whichever Mission SuperTwins rider collects the most combined points from the Progressive Laconia Short Track and this weekend’s twin Main Events will collect a $25,000 prize, providing quite the additional incentive for the entire field.
Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines
As exciting as the Mission SuperTwins title fight promises to be, the Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines championship battle should prove equally riveting.
The clutch victory of defending class champion Cory Texter at the Drag Specialties Cedar Lake Short Track, combined with the third-place finish of Jesse Janisch, allowed Texter move to within nine points of Janisch in the points race.
That margin could prove critical. With 25 points awarded for each win and 20 given for second, Texter has reclaimed control of his own destiny; he’ll ride off into retirement with a third Mission Production Twins title should he score a double win this weekend.
While a less than ideal development for Janisch, it makes things easier in some ways. Rather than counting points, he can keep his focus on winning races and beating Texter, just as he has all season long. Janisch has six wins in the year and outpaced his rival here at the opener, suggesting that Texter will have a big challenge in front of him to reel back the ten points he needs to overcome the Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson ace.
It’s not quite as simple as a winner-take-all scenario, however. It’s worth remembering the Volusia opener was in fact won by Nick Armstrong, who is still motivated to lock down third place in the standings.
There are also fellow ‘22 race winners James Rispoli, Mickey Rush, and Billy Ross to consider, not to mention Dan Bromley, who has finished ahead of Texter and/or Janisch a combined eight times in six attempts this season.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
While the newly crowned Kody Kopp ended the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER title chase by locking the championship up two rounds early, there is still plenty to race for this weekend.
Five riders are still mathematically alive in pursuit of runner-up honors. Trevor Brunner and Morgen Mischler lead that chase, separated by just a single point (222-221) in second and third, respectively.
Former class champ Dalton Gauthier is just nine points back of Brunner in fourth (213 points), meaning a double win would slingshot him all the way to second regardless of what Brunner or Mischler achieve in response.
Max Whale (206 points) and, especially, Trent Lowe (189 points) have more difficult paths to second overall, but either would likely be happy enough to end the year atop the podium no matter their final championship placement.
While the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles grid is always loaded with potential spoilers, this weekend may have its ultimate example in Kopp himself. Freed up from any championship concerns, the class conqueror will be able to push as hard as he’d like in hopes of getting back to his winning ways. It’s been nearly three months since Kopp last took the checkered flag first, but he’s in with a shot at equaling Dallas Daniels’ single-season class record of eight wins.