26.06.2022

TWO-IN-A-ROW FOR RED BULL KTM’S KODY KOPP AT THE LIMA HALF-MILE

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Round 7 - American Flat Track Championship
LIMA, Ohio – For the second consecutive round, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kody Kopp dominated the AFT Singles competition, sweeping everything from pole position to the Main Event victory, with an impressive performance at Saturday’s Lima Half-Mile in Ohio.
 
Coming off a triumphant Short Track victory at Laconia, Kopp didn’t break stride as he stepped into Round 7 of the American Flat Track Championship full-speed ahead. The young rider was comfortable from the start, claiming the top spot in AFT Singles qualifying. With a great start from pole position in Semi 1, Kopp immediately charged to the front and he led from start to finish on the wide open “cushion” track.
 
In the Main Event, Kopp shot off the line to capture the holeshot and early race lead. Keeping his KTM 450 SX-F wide open for all 21 laps, the 17-year-old series points leader maintained his stance for the entire eight minutes plus-two-laps, claiming his fourth victory of the 2022 season.
 
Kody Kopp: “Two-in-a-row! We had another great day of riding and the bike was pretty dialed in from the start. It got pretty gnarly, the track conditions were deep, and I just used my ability to ride through rough tracks to my advantage. We had a good battle in the dash with Australian Tom Drane and he actually edged us out, and that fired me up pretty good for the Main Event so we put our head down and went to work. We’re at our fourth win of the season, which is pretty crazy if you ask me. It’s an unreal feeling. This team works so well together and the bikes are spot on every weekend. We’ve got a long way to go but we’re going to keep charging and keep pushing because we can’t let up!”
 
Kopp’s closest competitor all day was 16-year-old Australian rider, Tom Drane, who had a stand-out performance in his first AFT round of the season. After besting Kopp in the dash, Drane kept his KTM 450 SX-F within a second of the race leader for most of the Main Event, ultimately finishing four seconds back for a respectable runner-up result.
 
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Max Whale is still recovering from a knee injury sustained earlier this season. Whale’s recovery time is day-to-day at this point and the Australian native hopes to return to racing within the next couple of rounds.
 
Next Race: New York Short Track – Weedsport, New York – July 2, 2022
 
Round 7 Results – Lima Half-Mile
 
AFT Singles Main Event
1. Kody Kopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
2. Tom Drane, KTM
3. Chase Saathoff, Honda
OTHER
5. James Ott, KTM 
9. Hunter Bauer, KTM
14. Travis Petton IV, KTM

AFT Singles Point Standings (After Round 7)
1. Kody Kopp, 155 points
2. Morgen Mischler, 124
3. Dalton Gauthier, 102
OTHER
5. Max Whale, 89
8. James Ott, 58
13. Hunter Bauer, 41
14. Travis Petton IV, 34
20. Ryan Wells, 18
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Red Bull KTM Factory Racing - Lima Half-Mile
5 184 x 3 456 © AMA Pro Racing
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing - Lima Half-Mile
5 472 x 3 648 © AMA Pro Racing
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing - Lima Half-Mile
5 472 x 3 648 © AMA Pro Racing

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