DAYTONA BEACH, FL – July 26, 2022 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – While the opening nine rounds of the 2022 Progressive American Flat Track seasonplayed out on oval dirt tracks of all sizes, the second half will kick off on Saturday, July 30, with the first TT. And it’s not just any TT, it’s the World Famous SC2 Peoria TT presented by Country Saloon.
Set in the Peoria Motorcycle Club’s scenic natural amphitheater inPeoria, Illinois, and boasting history and tradition that’s nearly unrivaled across two-wheeled sport, the Peoria TT easily ranks among the most prestigious races on the Progressive AFT slate.
Reigning Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) has accomplished almost every possible goal in his Hall-of-Fame-worthy career, but victory at the Peoria TT has proven just outside his grasp.
While Mees has finished as the race’s runner-up on multiple occasions, he’ll enter this year’s 75th edition of the fabled race as the underdog. Despite his vast skill and past success, Mees will be faced with perhaps the most stacked premier-class Peoria TT field in recent memory.
His three closest championship rivals all carry high hopes into Peoria. Second-ranked Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) won the race in 2019 and enters the weekend riding high after two consecutive victories. Third-ranked Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) is the home track hero who scored his first career professional win at the venue in dominant fashion. And fourth-ranked JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) won last year’s Peoria TT by more than three seconds to claim his fourth win of the series’ most recent five TTs.
If the opposition didn’t look formidable enough already, “King” Henry Wiles (No. 17 Willy Built Kawasaki Ninja 650) is set to make his Progressive AFT return this weekend. Wiles is the most successful rider in the race’s history, assembling an incredible 14-race win streak from 2004-2018.
Other riders who could have say include ‘19 race runner-up Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) and last year’s fourth-place finisher, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), not to mention the Mission Production Twins Challenge entrants, who have the potential to prove particularly potent in Peoria.
Chief among the aforementioned group is Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines title leader Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R).
Janisch’s three-prior undercard Peoria TT victories is what earned him his shot on the Vance & Hines XG750R initially with the team in need of an injury replacement as it headed to the venue a year ago. Janisch has since shed his reputation as a TT specialist with the sort of all-around excellence required to build a title lead in a season thus far absent of TTs, but that discipline-specific expertise remains.
A year ago, Janisch finished third in his first-ever ride on the bike. He’s much more at home aboard it now and should only prove that much more formidable. And he’ll need to be in order to overcome last year’s winner and second-place finishers, Dan Bromley (No. 62 Vinson Construction/Viper Air Yamaha MT-07) and Ben Lowe (No. 25 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Yamaha MT-07).
With Janisch expecting to make hay, the weekend will be of equal importance to defending champion Cory Texter (No. 1 G&G Racing/Yamaha Racing Yamaha MT-07), who currently sits on point out of first.
Others who could make his life difficult include the returning Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) and Cole Zabala (No. 51 Memphis Shades/Corbin/Vinson Yamaha MT-07), who have each previously demonstrated impressive TT chops.
The Peoria TT will be the ultimate test of Kody Kopp (No. 12 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE)’s recent Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER invincibility. Kopp certainly has the skill to extend his four-race win streak in Peoria, flashing front-running pace a year ago before ultimately finishing down in ninth position.
The 17-year-old has taken his game to another level in ‘22, and as such, he’s expected to be a serious player. However, he’ll be contending with a field anxious to bring his run of unmitigated success to a halt, led by the likes of last year’s Peoria TT winner Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE) and 2017 DAYTONA TT winner Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 American Honda/Progressive Insurance CRF450R).
The race also traditionally presents an opportunity for some riders ranked outside the top ten to work their way into the mix, including teammates Ferran Cardús (No. 377 Roof Systems of Dallas/Bullet Strong Racing Honda CRF450R), who finished on the podium a year ago, and Jacob Lehmann (No. 14 Roof Systems of Dallas/Bullet Strong Racing), who was triumphant here back in 2014.
Visit https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3695 to reserve your tickets today. General Admission tickets are just $35 with kids 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult. There’s also the VIP Admission ticket that includes access to the Turn 1 VIP Lounge available for $125 (all ages).
Gates will open for fans at 10:00 a.m. ET/6:00 a.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. ET/11:30 a.m. PT ahead of the day’s race program.You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FansChoice.tv. FansChoice.tv provides free-to-view livestreaming of Practice and Qualifying. FansChoice.tv subscribers will then be able to watch the drama unfold from Opening Ceremonies through the Semis, Main Events, and podium celebrations. FansChoice.tv offers two subscription options, granting unlimited access to premium AFT content. Monthly subscriptions start at just $7.99, while a six-month subscription is available for $44.99.
The SC2 Peoria TT presented by Country Saloon will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 7, at 11:30 a.m. ET/8:30 a.m. PT, including exclusive features, cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage, and expert commentary.
For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com. To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com.
FOX Sports and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of Progressive American Flat Track. For the 2022 season, all races will premiere in one-hour telecasts on FS1 during highly desirable weekend time slots. The complete schedule can be viewed at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. FansChoice.tv provides livestreaming coverage of every Progressive AFT round at http://www.FansChoice.tv.
Progressive American Flat Track is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on Progressive American Flat Track, please visit us on the web, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram and catch all the Progressive American Flat Track racing action on FOX Sports.
Source: Progressive American Flat Track
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