2025 American Flat Observe
Springfield Mile I
Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) etched his identify into the document books on Saturday evening in Springfield, changing into the primary non-American champion within the lengthy and storied historical past of Progressive American Flat Observe.
The younger Australian sealed the AFT Singles offered by KICKER title with two rounds nonetheless remaining.
Drane’s path to the crown has been constructed on each velocity and consistency. Week after week, he delivered podium finishes at a price few may match, whereas steadily climbing the all-time wins chart alongside the way in which.
Heading into Springfield, the maths was easy: even when rival Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Mission Meals CRF450R) took the win, Drane solely wanted to carry his Yamaha dwelling inside the highest 9 to clinch the championship.
However settling for ninth place? That’s by no means actually been Tom Drane’s model…
Important Occasion 1
Drane made his intentions clear from the beginning, grabbing the holeshot to open Important Occasion 1 with Brunner slotting in behind him.
They had been joined by 1st Impressions teammates Kage Tadman (No. 288 1st Impressions Race Group Husqvarna FC450), Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Group Husqvarna FC450), and Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Hannum’s HD/Pfanders Racing KTM 450 SX-F) to create a five-rider breakaway on the entrance.
Attempt as they may, nobody may transfer Drane out of first for lengthy, and the Estenson Racing star grabbed the checkered flag with comparatively little drama.
Tadman edged Brunner for second, adopted by Cose and Pfanders.
Important Occasion 2
Tadman powered by Drane on the opening lap, signalling the beginning of a really completely different race for prime honours in Important Occasion 2. The 2 shook freed from the pack nearly instantly, with the lone exception of Cose, who managed to reel the 2 again in and be a part of the struggle for the win.
With Cose lurking simply behind, Tadman and Drane went forwards and backwards all through. Tadman registered his remaining cross for the lead with two to go, whereas Drane returned the favour coming into Flip 1 on the ultimate lap.
Drane’s activity was then made a bit simpler when Cose slipped up the within of his younger teammate as they negotiated Turns 3-4 for the ultimate time.
Behind the Drane-Cose-Tadman 1-2-3, Brunner picked up fourth after popping out on prime of an enormous melee for the place with simply 0.643 seconds separating fourth from tenth.
Important Occasion 3
The decisive Important Occasion 3 noticed its lead pack ebb and move – eight to a few again as much as seven as packs break up and merged. All of the whereas, Drane, Brunner, and Tadman dominated the entrance three positions, repeatedly buying and selling first place.
The 20-lap Important was red-flagged with eight laps to go when fourth-placed Pfanders crashed after getting sucked up within the draft simply as Tadman closed down in entrance of him. The resultant staggered restart modified what was an extended haul right into a dash race with the championship on the road.
From there, an enormous pack caught tight to the flag, however the finish consequence was nonetheless the identical; Drane had a counter for each transfer Brunner and Tadman threw at him, and he took the checkered flag – and the 2025 title with it – by way of a 0.017-second victory over Brunner.
After incomes the #1 plate together with his sixth win of the season, Drane mentioned, “I’ve received a terrific group behind me. I can’t thank any of them sufficient. Tommy (Hayden) and Tim (Estenson) gave me this chance, and I wouldn’t be right here with out them. The entire Estenson Racing group labored laborious all 12 months to get this bike beneath me. And I can’t thank my household sufficient. All of the sacrifices my mum and pa have made for me to be right here is simply superior. It’s wonderful.”
Regardless of getting edged by Drane, Brunner jumped as much as second within the Total outcomes.
In the meantime, Cose once more pipped teammate Tadman for third, each in Important Occasion 3 and the occasion at massive. Pfanders, who fought his method again up into competition from the again of the pack, got here dwelling fifth in Important Occasion 3 and Total.
Whereas the title is now taken care of, Drane nonetheless has an opportunity to tie Dallas Daniels and Kody Kopp for many wins in an AFT Singles season (eight) and Shayna Texter-Bauman for second all-time class race wins (19) earlier than the 12 months is out.
Mission AFT SuperTwins
Simply two factors now separate the Grand Nationwide Championship following an epic and unpredictable Springfield Mile I offered by Drag Specialties, Spherical 14 of the 2025 Progressive American Flat Observe season, sanctioned by AMA Professional Racing.
House-state hero Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) fought via adversity to come back up large within the clutch and reignite his Mission AFT SuperTwins title hopes on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois.
Final Likelihood Qualifier
Issues received mighty severe even earlier than the primary Important Occasion of the Mission Triple Problem. A deep subject full of some high-profile current retirees and part-timers – together with the legendary Jared Mees (No. 1 Howerton Motorsports Kawasaki Ninja 650), Jeffrey Carver, Jr. (No. 123 Blissful Trails Racing, Carver’s BBQ Kawasaki Ninja 650), Brandon Value (No. 92
HRP Racing/Duffs Pace Machine Yamaha MT-07), and Henry Wiles (No. 911 1st Impressions Racing KTM 790 Duke) – pushed a number of the class’ main riders into the Final Likelihood Qualifier throughout qualifying.
That record included title chief Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Elements Plus/Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R), who managed to outlive that close to scare with a slim victory over Max Whale (No. 18 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) within the LCQ.
Fifth-ranked Jarod VanDerKooi (No. 20 Fastrack Racing/Wally Brown Racing KTM 790 Duke) wasn’t so lucky, dropping out of a qualifying place with mechanical woes on the race’s remaining lap. Even worse, he was quickly joined by fourth-ranked Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke), who had dibs on the lone provisional beginning slot resulting from his superior championship positioning. That benefit was awarded by way of the tiebreaker, as each riders got here into Springfield all even at 158 factors.
Important Occasion 1
The brand new-for-‘25 Mission Triple Problem format, which options three successive Important Occasions – a 10-lap dash, a 15-lapper that pays double factors, and a remaining 20-lap Important which concludes the assembly with triple factors – was employed for the third and remaining time this season on Saturday at Springfield.
Nonetheless, it didn’t embrace one in all its designers – 10-time Grand Nationwide Champion Mees – as his day ended prematurely; transmission points encountered throughout qualifying dominated him out earlier than he may even take the grid for Important Occasion 1.
With the modern-day Springfield grasp faraway from the equation – in addition to Fisher, whose backup bike went up in smoke early in Important Occasion 1 – Daniels jumped into first off the road.
Nonetheless, Carver and Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Progressive Insurance coverage Honda Transalp) quickly took management on the head of a seven-rider pack. However simply when it regarded like they may escape right into a struggle of their very own, they had been tracked down by James Ott (No. 19 G&G Racing Yamaha MT-07) who promptly beat them each to the checkered flag.
Daniels held on for fourth, adopted by Value, and Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Programs Harley-Davidson XG750R).
Bauman completed seventh regardless of crossing the stripe simply 0.836 seconds behind Ott.
Important Occasion 2
Important Occasion 2 introduced the motion early and by no means relented. From the beginning, a four-rider lead pack fashioned that includes Carver, Ott, Lowe, and Value, adopted by a heavy-hitting subsequent pack consisting of Daniels, Bauman, Robinson and Declan Bender (No. 70 Memphis Shades/Corbin/OTB Racing Yamaha MT-07) a few second behind.
The race’s form was upended when Carver bumped the elbow of Ott whereas trying to take the lead, immediately remodeling the competition into an eight-rider battle for the win.
At that time, title chief Bauman made his transfer, working his method as much as the lead on the ultimate lap. Whereas he was finally unable to fend off Lowe – who put the Honda Transalp on prime of the field – he did maintain on for second whereas rival Daniels may solely handle seventh.
Value completed third, adopted by Bender, Ott, and Robinson.
Following his second with Ott, Carver got here dwelling behind Daniels in eighth.
Important Occasion 3
A tense and enthralling Important Occasion 3 closed issues out with huge championship implications.
As soon as Important Occasion 2 winner Lowe dropped out with a mechanical, the 20-lapper took form as a five-rider struggle on the entrance with Harley-Davidson-mounted Bauman confronted up in opposition to the Yamahas of Daniels, Bender, Ott, and Value.
Bauman repeatedly featured in first, slicing his method again via each time Bender and Ott – and later Daniels and Value – clawed their method ahead.
Nonetheless, Bauman’s good driving was overmatched by sheer velocity when it mattered essentially the most. Regardless of main with two laps to go, Bauman misplaced out within the remaining shuffle; he was dropped all the way in which right down to fifth on the flag whereas rival Daniels blasted as much as hit the stripe in first.
Value completed second (0.092 seconds), adopted by Ott (0.146), Bender (0.183), and Bauman (0.194). And with triple factors in impact, that re-racked the day’s Total leads to almost the identical order, with Bauman forward of Bender for fourth the one alteration.
Consequently, Bauman’s championship lead has been lowered to simply two factors (280-278). Robinson stays third at 186.
Dallas Daniels
“The start of the day right this moment has simply been the story of the season. It’s been robust, however I’ll let you know one factor, it’s making us a helluva lot stronger. We proved that we don’t quit. That’s the motto for positive. I sort of had my head down after the second Important Occasion, and my dad grabbed me and mentioned, ‘Hey dude, we’re not out of this.’ Briar was so good in (Turns) 3 and 4, I used to be simply nervous. I didn’t know the place to position myself. However when Brandon (Value) received up there, I knew it was time to go. On the final lap, I knew I needed to lower the perfect Turns 3 and 4 I did all day, and I actually felt I did. Successful the Springfield Mile is fairly cool.”
Subsequent Up
Progressive American Flat Observe might be proper again in motion right here in Springfield tomorrow, Sunday, August 31, for the 2025 season’s penultimate spherical, the Springfield Mile II offered by Drag Specialties.
Trending Merchandise
