Cole Zabala has firmly established himself a force to be reckoned with, notching up multiple podium finishes in recent seasons. The Illinois resident’s passion for bicycling as a child inspired him to put a motorcycle on his Christmas wish list. It wasn’t long after unwrapping his new ride that he was lining up on local racetracks and establishing himself a local hotshot in hare scrambles and TTs. Zabala first raced a genuine flat tracker in 2014 and turned pro just two years later. He’s been a top-ten Parts Unlimited AFT Singles race finisher each season since, and added a Mission Production Twins top ten in 2018 for good measure. Zabala took his game to the next level in ‘20, earning a Parts Unlimited AFT Singles runner-up finish at the Indy Mile and then added another podium in Charlotte for good measure. He was even stronger over the course of the full ‘21 season, finishing the year ranked inside the championship top ten, thanks to five top fives including a runner-up finish at the Peoria TT. Zabala transitioned full-time to Mission Production Twins competition in ‘22 and finished the year ranked fifth on the strength of a pair of podiums among his seven top-five results. He returned to the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles class in ‘23 where he earned a pair of top-ten finishes among his 12 points-paying results. The naturally athletic Zabala was also a standout high school wrestler. That experience allowed him to further hone his balance, body control, and competitive nature. These days, he trains on two wheels across a number of disciplines, riding motocross, woodland, and sand circuits to prepare for the Progressive American Flat Track season.