Kody Kopp Collects Career Record Win
Swedesboro, NJ — (June 22) — Mica, Washington rider, Kody Kopp continued his hot streak with a third consecutive American Flat Track Singles win.
Kopp, son of former 2001 American Motorcyclist Association national champion Joe Kopp, seeks a three-peat as champion of the Parts Unlimited American Flat Track Singles presented by KICKER.
The win at Bridgeport Speedway was not only Kopp’s third in succession but was the 20th win of his Progressive AFT career, handing him sole possession of the all-time victory mark in the category.
Overall, in 2024, Kopp has five wins in eight of the 16 series races to date. Other victories have come at Daytona in the 2024 opener as well as Senoia, Georgia.
“That’s why we train through the week because that’s the hardest I’ve ever pushed on a flat track bike,” Kopp told AFT Communications media. “I had a big moment when I was back in third watching Tom (Drane) and Chase (Saathoff) duke it out, and they were going at it. I thought I had no chance.”
Next for Kopp is June 29 at Lima, Ohio where he has won the last two races.
Kody Kopp, (No. 1) battles with Trent Lowe in a recent American Flat Track Singles race. Kopp Racing photo
Justin Cooper Wins At Walla Walla
WALLA WALLA, Wash. — Medical Lake’s Justin Cooper added to his National Hot Rod Association trophy case June 23 at the Walla Walla Dragstrip with a win in the Forest Fincher Fabrication sponsored NHRA Division-6 Super Quick Series event.
Cooper, driving a dragster owned by Tom Clark of Spokane ran a 4.967 elapsed time on a dial-in of 4.95 to beat Jeremy Waterman in the finals by .008 of a second on the eighth-mile track.
Cooper now has a collection of 28 “Wally” trophies, named for the founder of NHRA, Wally Parks.
Driving Tom Clark’s dragster, Medical Lake’s Justin Cooper (3rd from left) won his 28th “Wally” trophy awarded to winners of NHRA-sanctioned races. Cooper’s win came on June 23 at the Walla Walla Dragstrip. Justin Cooper Photo
Unlimited Hydros Begin 2024 At Guntersville June 29-30
Tri Cities, Wash. — A five-race 2024 schedule for unlimited hydroplanes kicks off June 29-30 at Guntersville, Alabama.
Under the leadership of an organization called Hydrotown Group and based in Tri Cities, Wash., the H1 unlimiteds are also scheduled to race at Madison, Indiana, July 5-7; Tri-City Waterfollies, July 26-28; Seattle Seafair, Aug. 2-4 and San Diego Bayfair in San Diego, , September 13-15.
An original schedule released in late 2023 had additional race dates in Penticton, B.C. (date TBD) and Detroit, Michigan, August 23-25. Detroit was to have returned to hosting the Gold Cup which has since moved to San Diego. After a one-year hiatus San Diego returns to the H1 schedule.
“We all have a passion for hydroplane racing and wanted to invest in the promotion of this sport and reintroduce it to a larger audience through enhanced media and sponsorship opportunities,” said Mike Denslow, Chairman of the Board of H1 Unlimited and co-founder of Hydrotown Group.
Historically, H1 Unlimited has attracted some of the largest partners in the country with boats adorned with Budweiser, DeWalt, Kellogg’s and Tide just to name a few, said Shannon Raney, H1 Unlimited Board Member and co-owner of the U-11 Legend Yacht Transport hydroplane.
“Our goal is to re-attract some of those high-level sponsors back to hydroplanes and give them a true VIP experience for their executives, customers and guests while enjoying the most exciting boat racing in the world.”
The new group has obtained obligations from at least six boats pledging to compete in the full series with additional boats currently in discussions.
J. Michael Kelly of Bonney Lake, Wash., drove Beacon Electric to a come-from-behind victories in both the HomeStreet Bank Cup and the APBA Gold Cup and in the 2023 H1 Unlimited Racing Series national championship.
J. Michael Kelly will seek to defend the national H1 title he won in 2023. Beacon Racing illustration
