30.05.2022
Rounds 4 and 5 - American Flat Track Championship
LEXINGTON, Ky. – In an exciting double-header Memorial Day weekend serving as Rounds 4 and 5 of the 2022 American Flat Track Championship, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team made a double podium appearance in the AFT Singles class with teammates Kody Kopp and Max Whale splitting the celebrations at the Red Mile I and II in Lexington, Kentucky.
With close racing action all weekend long in the AFT Singles class, the Red Bull KTM teammates battled together up front on both days. On Saturday, points leader Kody Kopp qualified sixth and he went to work in Semi 2 to secure third. Lining up on row two for the Red Mile I Main Event, the young rider got off to a sixth-place start, holding steady until he was able to push his way into fourth nearing the halfway mark. Making a late-race charge, Kopp powered his KTM 450 SX-F into a podium spot, finishing just .053 seconds behind the leader, with teammate Whale close behind at the checkered flag.
Whale, the third-place qualifier, finished one spot ahead of Kopp in Semi 2, giving him a nice bout of confidence and a front row start for the Main Event. He got off the line in third, bouncing between third and fourth throughout the first half of the race before slipping to fifth and sixth later on. On the final lap, he turned up the intensity, making it up to fourth, where he crossed the line battling his teammate aboard his KTM 450 SX-F.
On day two, Kopp got off to a fifth-place start in the Red Mile II Main Event before facing pressure and dropping back to seventh. A red flag incident involving his teammate stopped the race after a few laps and the riders regrouped for a restart, where Kopp was able to power his way into third early on. Nearing the end of the race, Kopp shuffled back-and-forth in the tight podium battle up front and it all came down to the last few laps when teammate Whale interjected himself into the mix. Kopp put up a good fight but he wasn’t able to make the pass and took the checkered flag in fourth, right on the heels of his teammate, for his first time off the podium in 2022.
Whale, who was inadvertently involved in the red flag restart earlier in the race, picked himself up off the ground and set up near the back for the restart. Although a little banged up, the Aussie managed to quickly work his way up to 11th by the halfway point. As the race progressed, he picked off riders one-by-one to catch up to the rear wheel of his teammate in fourth. Whale passed Kopp before the white flag, and it was an all-out battle to the finish with Whale prevailing to secure his fourth podium of the season.
Kody Kopp: “Overall, it was a good weekend in Kentucky. I finished second and fourth. We have a lot of tracks coming up that are going to really suit our style, and I'm really looking forward to that. I can't thank the team enough for the work they're putting in behind the scenes. It might not have showed with a win this weekend, but a second fourth was a lot.”
Max Whale: “It was an awesome weekend. It definitely had its ups and downs but all-in-all, it was good for the team. On night one, I feel like I rode better than fourth but still a good end result. Night two, we started off good, I was running in third-place and had a racing incident with another rider and it set me back on the restart. I hurt my knee but it should be good and I ended up coming through the pack and getting third. It was a great weekend; I can’t thank the team and everyone who helps us enough.”
After four rounds, Kopp holds the lead in the AFT Single Championship standings and Whale sits in third.
Next Race: Laconia Short Track – Loudon, New Hampshire – June 11, 2022
Results – The Red Mile I and II
AFT Singles Main Event (Round 4 – Red Mile I)
1. Morgen Mischler, Honda
2. Kody Kopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
3. Trent Lowe, Honda
4. Max Whale, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
OTHER
9. James Ott, KTM
16. Travis Petton IV, KTM
17. Hunter Bauer, KTM
AFT Singles Main Event (Round 5 – Red Mile II)
1. Dalton Gauthier, Honda
2. Morgen Mischler, Honda
3. Max Whale, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
4. Kody Kopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
OTHER
9. Hunter Bauer, KTM
10. James Ott, KTM
11. Travis Petton IV, KTM
AFT Singles Point Standings (After Round 5)
1. Kody Kopp, 105 points
2. Morgen Mischler, 101
3. Max Whale, 89
OTHER
11. James Ott, 39
13. Travis Petton IV, 29
15. Hunter Bauer, 22
16. Ryan Wells, 18
18. Tanner Dean, 11