02.07.2023

KODY KOPP SPRINTS TO SECOND-STRAIGHT AFT SINGLES VICTORY AT WEST VIRGINIA HALF-MILE

Round 11 – American Flat Track Championship
This press release has: 4 Images
MINERAL WELLS, W. Va. – Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Kody Kopp has taken his second AFT Singles victory in a row at Round 11 of the 2023 American Flat Track Championship, with Max Whale racing to a sixth-place finish in the West Virginia Half-Mile Main Event.
This latest win marks 18-year-old Kopp’s fifth of the season, as he extends his AFT Singles Championship advantage to 40 points over teammate Whale, who is currently sitting in second position.

In what was a dominant day for the defending champion, Kopp opened the round by posting the fastest time in the combined qualifying sessions, before powering his KTM 450 SX-F to P1 in the opening Heat race. Further success was then found in the Dash-For-Cash, where he finished P2, before charging to another instrumental win in the 21-lap Main Event.

Kody Kopp: "It was a great weekend of racing for us here in West Virginia! I went P1 in qualifying for the first time since Daytona, so that was a good feeling, and just kept the ball rolling from Lima. Won the heat race, ended second in the Dash by a tiny margin, and then in the Main Event, I got the holeshot, led the first couple laps and... pretty much the same story as Lima. Stayed back until about lap eight, got close enough and made the move, clicked off my laps and controlled things from there. So, a huge night for points, huge night for confidence, and we'll keep it rolling into New York."

Red Bull Factory Racing KTM teammate Whale posted the fourth-fastest time in qualifying, before second place in his Heat race also saw him earn his way into the Dash-For-Cash. The Australian would finish fourth in that, before going on to score a hard-fought sixth-place result in the Main Event.

Max Whale: "I consider this race one of my strong ones, so I was looking forward to coming here. Started off the day strong with P4 in qualifying, and I was just up there in every session, had good pace. I finished second in my heat, got into the Dash, then when it came down to crunch time I just didn't really have the speed... struggled a bit, ended the night in sixth, and actually for the first time this year, I've gone backwards. We'll keep pushing hard, it's racing, so we'll knuckle down for the remaining rounds."

Next Race: Orange County Half-Mile – Middletown, NY – July 8, 2023

Round 11 Results

AFT Singles Main Event
1. Kody Kopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
2. Trevor Brunner, Yamaha
3. James Ott, Husqvarna
OTHER KTM
6. Max Whale, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
9. Dalton Gauthier, KTM
12. Logan Eisenhard, KTM
14. Travis Petton IV, KTM
18. Shayna Texter-Bauman, KTM

2023 AFT Singles Point Standings
1. Kody Kopp, 216 points
2. Max Whale, 176
3. Chase Saathoff, 173
OTHER KTM
5. Dalton Gauthier, 166
11. Travis Petton IV, 59
12. Justin Jones, 52
13. Shayna Texter-Bauman, 51
18. Hunter Bauer, 38
20. Logan Eisenhard, 36
23. Declan Bender, 18
24. Hayden Gillim, 14
25. Landen Smith, 13
26. Clarke Morian V, 12
28. Tanner Dean, 9
34. Olin Kissler, 4
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Images (4)

KODY KOPP - RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING
2 500 x 1 667 © Tim Lester
KODY KOPP 03 - RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING
2 000 x 1 333 © Tim Lester
KODY KOPP 04 - RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING
2 000 x 1 333 © Tim Lester
MAX WHALE - RED BULL KTM FACTORY RACING
2 000 x 1 333 © Tim Lester

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