Daniels Returns to the AFT Production Twins Podium at Port Royal

25-07-2021

Daniels Returns to the AFT Production Twins Podium at Port Royal

Estenson Racing’s Dallas Daniels scored a runner-up finish last night in the AFT Production Twins class at the Port Royal Half-Mile. In just his second outing aboard the Yamaha MT-07 in the Progressive American Flat Track Championship, the young rider continues to impress. Mikey Rush led the way for the AFT Singles squad, finishing sixth while Daniels salvaged some points with a ninth-place finish on a tough night for the team. The Mission SuperTwins riders JD Beach and Kolby Carlile also struggled on the slippery track at Port Royal Speedway, ending the night ninth and 13th, respectively.

Dallas got off to a good start from the front row of the AFT Production Twins Main Event and was in the mix up front. Holding down third, it turned into a three-way battle for second with Daniels coming out on top. The 18-year-old was able to build a bit of a cushion and remain unchallenged for the runner-up finish. After scoring the win at the Atlanta SuperTT in his Twins debut earlier this season, the Illinois rider continues to impress by keeping his podium streak rolling in his first Half-Mile race on the twin.

In the AFT Singles Main Event, Rush got off to a good start from the second row of the grid to third. He was battling in a multi-rider pack for that final podium spot and was able to take third and build a bit of a gap early on in the race. As the track got slicker, he was reeled back into the multi-rider fray and shuffled to sixth, where he would finish. Daniels, who was pulling double duty, didn’t get the result he was looking for in his Semi and started from the third row of the grid. He had a decent start in ninth and advanced to eighth but ultimately shuffled back a position.

It was a roller-coaster day for the Mission SuperTwins team, who showed speed earlier in the day when the track had some grip. Carlile had a good first session of practice in third, and Beach was right on the heels of the top three riders in his Semi. Unfortunately, the track changed for the Main Event, and both riders struggled in the slippery conditions. Beach ended the night inside the top 10 in ninth and Carlile 13th.

Estenson Racing heads to Weedsport, New York, on August 13-14 for the New York Short Track doubleheader at Weedsport Speedway.

Tommy Hayden

Estenson Racing Team Manager

“We didn’t have the night that we had hoped for at Port Royal. Dallas had his second race of the year on the Production Twin, also his first time on an oval, and had a great ride. He kind of gained momentum all day and looked like he was getting more and more comfortable and ended the night second. That was definitely a good, strong finish for him in his first oval race. He learned a lot and gained some experience. So, that was definitely the positive of the day.

“Unfortunately, the 450 guys just seemed a little bit off all day. We made some changes, and everyone was trying hard, but we were just having trouble finding the speed here, which is uncharacteristic of our 450 program. We’ll get back to work and come back stronger in New York.

“On the SuperTwins side, it was up and down throughout the day as the track changed in the different practices and qualifying sessions. We showed the speed and looked to be competitive, but unfortunately just had a hard time in the Main Event. So, it’s not the result that we had hoped for here, but we learned some stuff that hopefully will help us at the next race.”

Dallas Daniels

Estenson Racing AFT Singles & AFT Production Twins

“It was a big up-and-down night at Port Royal. This weekend I was riding both classes again, the AFT Production Twins and AFT Singles, and the team had a few new things they wanted me to try out on the twin. I was very happy to do that, and we felt comfortable on it right from the start of the practice day on Friday. We felt like we had a decent setup for the twin on race day but kind of struggled with the 450 all weekend, for whatever reason. I just couldn’t figure out the racetrack; it was slick and technical.

“We did really well on the twin, though, getting second place. We learned a lot and made a lot of headway on the twin’s side, but it was a bad night on the 450 in ninth. It’s definitely not where we want to be, considering my worst finish was fifth before this weekend. We’ve just got to keep going and keep our heads up. We’re going to get back to training this week, regroup, and come out of New York with some good results.”

Mikey Rush

Estenson Racing AFT Singles

“I struggled a little with the slippery track conditions tonight. I started on the second row in the Main and had a good jump off the line, and ran third for a few laps. Unfortunately, as the track got more and more slippery, I dropped back to sixth. It was definitely a tough day for the team, but we are going to keep working and try for better in New York.”

JD Beach

Estenson Racing Mission SuperTwins

“For me, the Main Event was tough with the track being really slick. AFT had been prepping the track one way all day long and putting water down. It was really fun to ride, and it would have some grip when you started out, and then as the water would dry up, it would kind of get slick again. Still, we kind of knew what we were working with. For the Main Events, I guess they kind of changed up their plan a little bit. It’s a bummer because we did have a good night going when the track had some grip. We had a really good Semi; we were fourth, but we were right there with three really fast guys.

“We did what we could in those slippery conditions in the Main and brought it home in ninth. It’s definitely not where we want to be, but we made it through the night and learned something. The next track we go to is a track that I’ve never been to, but I heard it’s slick too. So, that should be interesting. After that, we finally get on some miles, so I’m really looking forward to getting this bike out on a grooved mile and see what it can do.”

Kolby Carlile

Estenson Racing Mission SuperTwins

“It was a very tough day. It started really well in the first practice. The track had some moisture and some grip, and I ended up in third, but it just kind of went downhill from there. In the semi, I had one little thing that I messed up, and it set me back. I didn’t get a great start in the Main Event, but I also didn’t have the pace to keep up. It was a bummer for sure. The track was extremely slippery, and this is kind of what we’ve dealt with in the past when we find ourselves struggling on a track like this.”