JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (May 9, 2022) - 1st Impressions Race Team announced today it has signed Chad Cose to compete aboard a Honda CRF450R in the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER class for the remainder of the 2022 Progressive American Flat Track season.

A seat on the four-rider effort opened up following the injury of Michael Lainhart at Texas Motor Speedway. Lainhart suffered a tibial plateau fracture and torn meniscus after colliding with a bike that went down directly in his path and now faces several months of recovery.

Despite the disappointing setback, 1st Impressions Race Team was fortunate to land the services of a rider as accomplished and motivated as Cose.

The Californian boasts more than a decade of professional experience, during which he has continually improved his racecraft and speed. Over the past five years in particular, Cose has established himself as a genuine front-running force across all three Progressive AFT classes.

He took his career to new heights in 2018, earning a first-career premier-class podium finish among his 12 top-ten finishes to secure sixth place in the Grand National Championship. He then took the undercard by storm, winning races in Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines and Parts Unlimited AFT Singles in 2019 while finishing the season ranked inside the top five in both categories.

He continued his winning ways in 2020 and 2021, highlighted by championship runner-up honors at the conclusion of his ‘21 Mission Production Twins campaign.

In his new position with 1st Impressions Race Team, Cose will focus all his efforts on Parts Unlimited AFT Singles with the goal of securing the team a maiden victory in its third year of competition.

Team Owner Eric Hoyt said, “Leading up to this season, (Team Manager) Sandriana (Shipman) and I were set on fielding a four-rider team. Due to the unfortunate injury of Mikey Lainhart at the Texas round, we were left a rider short in our team roster. After discussions with Chad it was agreed that he would be a great full-time addition to the team for the remainder of the season. We are excited to welcome him to the 1st Impressions Race Team.”

Five-time Progressive AFT race winner Cose said, “I’m really excited and grateful for the opportunity to race for the 1st Impressions Race Team. I have a great relationship with Eric, and I’m anxious to see what we can do together. I feel they have taken a step forward each year as a team, and I’m confident they will provide me with bikes capable of contending for race wins.

“I’m also looking forward to the challenge of racing the singles class. The class is ultra-competitive and full of young talent hungry to win. The whole team has already been super accommodating. It’s pedal to the floor to have us in a really good spot for the Kentucky mile doubleheader.”

Cose will make his 1st Impression Race Team debut at the Mission Red Mile Doubleheader presented by Indian Motorcycle of Lexington on May 28-29 in Lexington, Kentucky.

Falken Tires Back as Official Light Truck Tire of Progressive AFT

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 2, 2022) – Progressive American Flat Track is pleased to confirm that Falken Tires will be the series’ Official Light Truck Tire for a third consecutive season in 2022.

Falken Tires is a long-time standout in the world of motorsport, with impressive performances across numerous disciplines, including the Lucas Off Road Racing Series, Ultra 4, USCA, and SCCA, the 4 Hours of Nürburgring, and the Formula Drift Championship Series, where it earned Tire Manufacturer of the Year honors in 2017.

That shared connection to motorsports, along with the natural, overlapped audience of dirt track fans and light truck owners, has made for a highly successful partnership. Falken Tires continues to spur the growth of Progressive AFT by featuring it on Falken Digital TV, which streams motorsports content, automotive news, and behind-the-scenes information on the latest Falken Tires developments to the thousands of Falken dealers across the United States.

“Falken is excited to return as the Official Light Truck Tire of Progressive American Flat Track,” said Jonathon Bradford, Falken Tires’ Sr. Manager of Motorsports and Events. “As we enter our third year with the series, it has proven to be a great outlet to showcase our products and promote the connection with our sister brand, Dunlop Motorcycle Tires.”

Based in Rancho Cucamonga, California, Falken Tires offers several lines of tires designed to excel in the most demanding conditions, including the AZENIS, ESPIA, RUBITREK, WILDPEAK, WINTERPEAK, and ZIEX families of tires. Originally founded in Japan in 1983 to be the flagship high-performance radial brand of Ohtsu Tire and Rubber, Falken Tires carries forward that tradition by maintaining its focus on the development of Ultra-High Performance (UHP) tires and support of motorsports competition.

“Progressive AFT is proud to continue our partnership with Falken Tires,” said Gene Crouch, COO of Progressive American Flat Track. “Falken Tires is the leader in high-performance tire technology for light trucks, among other markets, and a large portion of our fanbase relies on their products. They share our passion for motorsports and have been an ideal partner as we continue to introduce the sport to an even larger audience.”

Progressive AFT will battle at a Mile for the first time in 2022 and do it twice with the Mission Red Mile presented by Indian Motorcycle of Lexington doubleheader on Memorial Day weekend at The Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky, on May 28-29. Visit https://store.americanflattrack.com/ebooking/ticket/view/id/3722/ to reserve your tickets now.

For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com. To score the latest gear for the Progressive American Flat Track fan, visit our official merchandise store at https://store.americanflattrack.com.