AFT’s Mission Triple Challenge Set For Lima

LIMA, Ohio — The stars of Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, are gearing up for this weekend’s hugely anticipated Lima Half-Mile I & II at the Allen County Fairgrounds June 27-28.

Even in retirement, the presence of Jared Mees was destined to loom large over this year’s Mission AFT SuperTwins title fight.

Mees not only left on his own terms last year, he did so in the most spectacular way possible, winning his final race in a season that culminated with an unprecedented tenth Grand National Championship.

Quite naturally, the defining story of the 2025 season was always going to be the battle to assume Mees’ throne, and thus, even in absence, he gets mentioned on a near-weekly basis.

However, that’ll ramp up considerably this weekend with Mees in attendance, presiding over the festivities as the event’s co-promotor alongside his wife and former GNC competitor Nichole Mees.

Mees’ continued influence on the sport extends beyond the attempts of his former rivals to fill his void or by way of his race promotion. He’s helped to usher in yet more history by playing a key role in devising the Mission Triple Challenge format set to debut this Friday night.

As a brief refresher, here’s a reminder of how the Mission Triple Challenge will work:

Race 1: A fast and furious 10-lap sprint where riders race for points (23 for 1st, 19 for 2nd, and so on). The results? Not just bragging rights—they also set the stage (aka the starting grid) for Race 2.

Race 2: Fifteen laps of adrenaline-packed action where the stakes are doubled. Riders earn twice as many points as in Race 1 (46 for 1st, 38 for 2nd, and so on). With twice the reward and grid positions for the final race on the line, the tension is sky-high.

Race 3: The grand finale! Twenty laps of high-octane action with triple the points of Race 1 up for grabs (69 for 1st, 57 for 2nd, and so on). The stakes couldn’t be higher as riders battle for ultimate glory.

At the end of Race 3, all points are tallied to crown the night’s overall top three in each class. And if there’s a tie? It all boils down to who came in clutch and delivered the best finishing position in Race 3.

But even broken down and laid out, we still don’t know exactly how it’ll play out in practice. For example, will strategies vary alongside race length – i.e. could we be in for a non-stop, all-out brawl in Race 1 with a more tactical affair to round out the evening in Race 3?

Better yet, neither do the racers. As much as overall race strategies are unknown, each racer is likely to have their individual take on how things should work, which will then be tested by how it actually does.

Over time, as the Mission Triple Challenge rounds stack and the data accumulates, some consensus regarding best practices may eventually take shape.

But as for this Friday night? Buckle up.

Lima is an ideal venue to host the inaugural Triple Challenge. It’s both physically and strategically demanding and widely viewed as among the most coveted wins a Mission SuperTwins pilot can attain.

History also shows it’s a place where the best and brightest outshine the rest, with the legendary trio of Scott Parker (seven wins), Mees (five wins), and Chris Carr (four wins) ranking 1-2-3 in career Lima Half-Mile triumphs.

It’s only fitting then that this year’s races will feature a trio of modern-era Lima masters in Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Parts Plus/Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R), Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), and Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT).

Bauman comes in with the points lead on the strength of a three-race win streak. He also happens to own three previous Lima wins, all coming on different makes of equipment (Kawasaki, Indian, and KTM). This weekend presents an opportunity to make it four as he rolls in on the Harley-Davidson XG750R.

Should Bauman continue his tear and sweep this weekend’s doubleheader, he’ll boast the second longest win streak in Grand National Championship history, trailing only Ricky Graham, who took six Main Events in succession during his epic 1993 title season.

Neither four nor five will come easily, however. This year’s Short Track-centric schedule was a significant factor in RWR electing to field the H-D. That has proven to be a wise decision to date, however, Half-Miles in general and Lima in particular are different tests entirely.

Plus, he’ll need to overcome both Robinson and Daniels, among others, to do so.

Robinson himself is a two-time winner at Lima, claiming top honors in 2016 on a Harley-Davidson XR750 and again in 2022 on an Indian FTR750. He’s consistently strong at the circuit, claiming finishes of first, second, third, and fourth in his most recent four attempts.

And while Daniels has just the one Lima Half-Mile win, it came one year ago in devastating fashion. Despite calling off the dogs late, he still won by nearly six-and-a-half seconds.

Now riding an 18-race podium streak, the Estenson Racing ace figures to be good everywhere – and that’s why he remains the title favorite in the eyes of many. The shift away from Short Tracks to a pair of Half-Miles and a Mile may present a golden opportunity for Daniels to reset and take a second shot at asserting the sort of dominance so many expected from him before the ‘25 campaign got underway.