The stars of Progressive American Flat Track return to scenic Ventura Raceway for an oceanside showdown this Saturday, May 11. 

How To Watch American Flat Track at Ventura

FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive American Flat Track. Complete coverage of this Saturday’s Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track at Ventura Raceway will kick off with the day’s first practice session at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m. PT). Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action live at http://flosports.link/aft. 

FOX Sports coverage of the Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, May 19, at 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT). 

And Here’s To You, Mr. Robinson 

It was just a few weeks ago that we published a feature of which the basic premise was that – even with all the justified hype surrounding the Grand National Championship rematch featuring Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) versus Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) – one shouldn’t overlook the fact that there is another. 

That other being, of course, Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke). And while that very much remains a salient point, now is probably the time to point out that there is an other another. 

2024 Mission AFT SuperTwins title leader Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750), who has been very good for a very long time, may just be on the cusp of a career year. 

Despite his mounting successes, Robinson has been, perhaps, somewhat underrated and almost certainly underappreciated. It’s not that his ability has gone unrecognized or that he hasn’t gotten his due, but rather, it's simply a result of never really being “the guy.” 

That’s been especially true in recent seasons when the guy has been the guy. Robinson’s era has seen its spotlight largely spoken for by a superstar making a serious run at Greatest of All Time consideration. And even as that reign approaches its eventual end, there are a pair of heirs apparent already staking their claim in the line of succession. 

So, it’s been in a somewhat understated manner in which Robinson has quietly gone about creating his own legacy. This year’s early flourish came following a winless ‘23. But last year’s lack of victories was an aberration. Prior to that, the Pennsylvanian had notched up two or more wins in four consecutive seasons, with this year’s fast start righting the ship more than anything else. 

And even if obscured in Mees’ shadow, if you’re very good for a very long time, eventually, you’ll become historic in your own right. 

Stacked up, Robinson’s career victory tally is now 15 and counting. That puts him tied with the likes of Mert Lawwill and Sammy Halbert, tucked solidly inside the top 30 all time with the top 20 not all that far off.  

That’s some pretty elite company considering that the Grand National Championship has been waged for seven decades. Just how elite? Consider that of the last 14 riders he’s passed or equaled on the all-time wins list, 12 have already been enshrined in the AMA Hall of Fame (Lawwill, Brad Andres, Gene Romero, Jim Rice, Mike Kidd, Cal Rayborn, Fred Nix, Terry Poovey, Everett Brashear, Alex Jorgensen, Ronnie Jones, and Doug Chandler) and the other two (Halbert and Kevin Atherton) will be soon enough. 

The big question now is just how sustainable Robinson’s remarkable early-season form will prove moving forward. This is not the ideal time to hope to sneak up and steal a Grand National Championship, not with Mees’ sights set on an unprecedented tenth GNC and Daniels driven to obtain his first. 

Those two are not only fast enough to battle for the win on any given weekend, they are relentlessly consistent enough that it should be expected they will contend for the win on every single weekend.  

And that includes the TTs, a discipline on which Robinson has traditionally suffered, at least by comparison. While the TTs are only two of 16 rounds, still, that’s two of 16. There is unlikely to be much, if any, margin for mistakes or even finishes toward the bottom of the top ten for a title hopeful looking to claim the 2024 Mission AFT SuperTwins crown. 

With all that said, Mees and Daniels have both brought it as expected to start the season and yet Robinson stands atop the order. That alone is worth acknowledging and celebrating. It’ll be fun to see how the title fight continues to develop starting with this weekend’s Ventura Short Track.   

Rookie Watch 

Another major league talent whose capabilities have been at least partially hidden in the shadows is Mission AFT SuperTwins rookie Max Whale (No. 18 Latus Motors Racing/Liqui Moly Harley-Davidson XG750R). 

Whale had the misfortune to come up through the ranks during the back-to-back arrivals of Daniels and Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) in the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles class. Still, it was clear to anyone paying attention that the Australian had a bright future in the premier class, and that his physical stature suggested he might even be better when muscling around a bigger and more powerful bike. 

Just four races in and Whale is already turning heads. He comes into Ventura having logged three consecutive top tens, with his most recent being his best outing yet. At Texas Motor Speedway, he notched up a career-best seventh place after dicing with a number of riders he grew up idolizing.  

That seventh also happened to be the top result for any rider on a Harley-Davidson XG750R since Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Fastrack Racing Mission Foods KTM 790 Duke) earned that same placement during the 2022 season-ending weekend at the Volusia Half-Mile. 

Whale is just one of a promising collection of rookies in a class that is notoriously difficult to break into and make an immediate impression. 

Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing KTM 790 Duke) has taken a pair of top tens himself, while Declan Bender (No. 70 GOMR/BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750) just grabbed his first this past weekend. 

It seems only a matter of time before Morgen Mischler (No. 13 Big Red Super Twins/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Transalp) joins that group after battling to do so in Texas. 

The future looks bright with this new blood joining the class and more rising stars on the way. 

The Hunt for 503 

While Whale’s seventh was the best result for an XG750R in over a year, it was, of course, not the best result for a Harley-Davidson of any type in that time frame. 

Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Dodge Bros. Racing/Castrol Harley-Davidson XR750) will be back in action this weekend looking to give the iconic Harley-Davidson XR750 its 503rd victory after demonstrating that possibility was all too real in the Daytona double opener. 

There, Halbert was the rider to beat – more overdog than underdog – despite the XR’s most recent triumph coming more than six seasons back. On both nights at Daytona, Halbert topped practice and qualifying sessions, won the #Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, and led the most laps.  

While the fact that Halbert is a certified Daytona demon no doubt played a role in that stellar performance, he was quite competitive on the XR750 at Ventura Raceway a year ago as well.  

Consider 503 in play. 

The Unconventional Double 

Ventura native Kayl Kolkman (No. 98 Underground Suspension/Öhlins USA Yamaha MT-07) has an outside chance at pulling off the rare single header double podium.  

Kolkman is rather a unique case in that he only races Progressive AFT events sporadically yet maintains the potential to challenge up front just about any time he does. Dating back to 2016, he’s averaged less than four starts per season, and yet, he’s finished inside the top ten in each season he’s competed (he sat out the 2020 pandemic year). Among those top tens include a podium and a pair of fourths. 

While last year’s Main Event at his home race didn’t play out in his favor, Kolkman certainly demonstrated the pace to add another top result during the inaugural Ventura Short Track; he posted the fastest time in Practice 1, Practice 2, and Qualifying 2, and then finished fourth in Heat 2. 

He’s back in action this year, and he’s got another dog in the fight. Kolkman’s primary role in the 2024 Mission AFT SuperTwins championship is supporting title hopeful Robinson’s bid as his full-time suspension tech with the Mission Roof Systems outfit. And that doesn’t change just because he’s racing this weekend. 

Kolkman will be pitted next to Robinson this weekend while pulling double duty. The two have been working in unison in advance in an attempt to pre-dial Robinson in as much as possible before the event to help ease that burden just a bit.