Red Bull Ktm’s Kody Kopp extends aft singles points lead after sixth in Kentucky

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Red Bull KTM Factory #racing duo #kodykopp and #maxwhale charged hard at Round 8 of the #2023americanflattrackchampionship, with Whale finishing in fifth position and Kopp sixth in the AFT Singles Main #event. That result allowed defending champion Kopp extended his points lead to 15 following The Red Mile in #kentucky.

After qualifying in ninth, Kopp powered his KTM 450 SX-F to a fourth-place finish in the second Heat race of the #event, with his sights set on the night's Main #event. A challenging 18-lap affair saw Kopp cross the line in sixth position, while managing to extend his lead in the AFT Singles series in the process.

Kody Kopp: "Had an up and down day here in #kentucky, struggled with a few things during the weekend, but as a team we worked hard together to try our best and we ended up with a sixth place. Considering where I was with seven laps to go, sixth is a positive – just need to keep chipping away and work hard over the three-week break."

Red Bull KTM Factory #racing teammate Whale finished qualifying in third position, before crossing the finish line in second place for the opening Heat race of the #event, earning a place in the Dash-for-Cash, where the Australian would finish in P4. A measured ride in the Main #event resulted in a fifth-place result, which has the number 18 sitting fourth in the standings with 10 rounds remaining.

Max Whale: "We made huge improvements here for the #kentucky Red Mile. We worked super-hard in the week and a half off, and I can’t thank the team enough for all the work they do. Started out today on the back foot, but we came through with third in qualifying, second in the Heat, and made it through to the Dash, which is great for extra track time. Then ended up with fifth in the Main after a few mistakes on my end, but I'm happy with the progress we’ve made, and we’ll come out swinging in a few weeks.”

Next Race: DuQuoin Mile – Du Quoin, Illinois – June 17, 2023

Round 8 Results

AFT Singles Main Event
1. Trent Lowe, Honda
2. Chase Saathoff, Honda
3. Tom Drane, Yamaha
OTHER KTM
5. #maxwhale, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
6. #kodykopp, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing
7. Dalton Gauthier, KTM
13. Landen Smith, KTM
14. Shayna Texter-Bauman, KTM
15. Travis Petton IV, KTM
18. Declan Bender, KTM
19. Logan Eisenhard, KTM

2023 AFT Singles Point Standings
1. #kodykopp, 151 points
2. Dalton Gauthier, 136
3. Chase Saathoff, 136
4. #maxwhale, 130
OTHER KTM
11. Justin Jones, 52
12. Shayna Texter-Bauman, 40
13. Travis Petton IV, 40
16. Logan Eisenhard, 28
22. Hunter Bauer, 16
23. Hayden Gillim, 14
24. Landen Smith, 11
25. Declan Bender, 10
26. Clarke Morian V, 10
27. Tanner Dean, 9
32. Olin Kissler, 4