Red Bull KTM’S Kody Kopp Finishes Out AFT Season with 2 Podiums

Crowned the 2022 American Flat Track (AFT) Singles Champion at Round 15, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Kody Kopp capped off the season with strong performances at the Volusia Half-Mile doubleheader finale in Barberville, Florida. Kopp captured the win at the penultimate round on Friday, following it up with a second-place finish at the season finale on Saturday. His teammate, Max Whale, scored a pair of top-five finishes on the weekend.

Starting from the front row of the grid in Semi 1, Kopp got off to a fourth-place start. He tried to challenge for a podium spot but remained in the position throughout the duration of the race, finishing fourth. He also led all four laps of the Dash for Cash, taking the win. When it came time for the Main Event, Kopp lined up on the second row, and the 17-year-old quickly charged his way up to second. It wasn’t long before he overtook the lead position and dominated the rest of the race aboard his KTM 450 SX-F, leading the rest of the 24 laps.

In the finale on Saturday, Kopp got off to a second place start in Semi 2. He then dropped to third for a bit before regaining the position before the checkered flag waved. Kopp started in the front row of the grid in the Main Event and powered his way into second immediately. He then overtook the leader and led until the final lap, despite two red flags and restarts. Kopp was put to the test on the second restart, but he held strong for a podium result in the last race of the season with a second-place finish.

Kopp said, “With a championship already wrapped up, it was easier to push to my max limit again and finish the season on a high note. We didn’t start out the best with qualifying either days, but it was awesome to end that missing-the-podium-streak that we’d had going for three months, and it was nice to win my seventh national of the year on Friday. A double-podium is no better way to end this year. Just want to give it up to my team! These guys put in a heck of an effort all year long, and it’s awesome to bring them their first championship — and me too. I’m just super excited to run that number one next year.”

Whale had a great start to the penultimate round, capturing third in qualifying — just 0.088 seconds behind the top qualifier. In Semi 1, he got off to a third place start and quickly moved into second within a couple of laps. He then rode a steady race to finish second. Whale also competed in the Dash for Cash, scoring third. In the AFT Singles Main Event, he positioned himself fifth off of the start. Despite challenging his competitors multiple times, he wasn’t able to gain a position on the half-mile track. When the checkers flew, he was in fifth.

On Saturday, Whale quickly settled into second place in Semi 2. He held the spot for the majority of the race but ultimately finished just behind his teammate, rounding out the podium. Whale got off to a fifth place start in the Main Event. The track proved difficult to pass on, and he remained in the spot for the entirety of the race.

Whale said, “The last two rounds of the AFT series were good. We had had a couple of good sessions in qualifying and practice but really struggled once the night came. Night one, I got fifth and I had to really fight for it. Then night two, I showed some really good pace early on in the day. I had a pretty good semi — ended up third battling with Kody [Kopp] for second. In the Main Event, we had a secondary start and ended up with another fifth again. Super hard track to pass, but we were right there with the leaders. Thank you very much for the great season.”