DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 03, 2025) – We are now just days away from the opening of a new era of the Grand National Championship. The 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, will kick off under the lights of the Flat Track at Daytona International Speedway with the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I & II on Thursday, March 6, and Friday, March 7, in Daytona Beach, Florida. 

While much is new, the tradition of the season-opening Daytona Bike Week doubleheader endures, as the event remains a centerpiece attraction for the 84th annual Daytona Bike Week and the 500,000 motorcycle enthusiasts it attracts annually to the area. This season will see the world’s greatest motorcycle dirt track racers vie for the throne vacated by the retirement of ten-time Grand National Champion Jared Mees. And they’ll do so under revised rules of engagement, as Progressive AFT’s premier Mission AFT SuperTwins class moves forward with all-production based regulations, prompting significant change up and down the grid.

From Hunter to Hunted 

The exit of Mees shifts the target firmly over to his former chief rival, Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), who has been saddled with the burdened of odds-on favorite status even without the honor of carrying the #1 plate. 

For what it’s worth, Daniels himself isn’t a big fan of the many predictions in his favor. Earlier this offseason he said, “I don’t like hearing, ‘Oh, you’re the favorite. You’re definitely going to win next year… Your bike is the best bike. Blah, blah. blah.’ That’s not true. The guys I’m racing against are really good, and they’re going to have good bikes. I think it’s a great time for flat track. It’s a deep field, and it’s going to be an exciting year. We’ve got to do our job and show up ready.” 

But whether he wants it or not, the opposition views him as the primary obstacle standing in their way, and all will be doing their very best to take down the presumed heir apparent. 

He’s not entirely unfamiliar with the role, having successfully defended his title in AFT Singles presented by KICKER competition back in 2021. But a quest for the Grand National Championship is on a different level altogether in terms of profile and pressure, particularly when it represents an attempt to complete a life-long goal for himself – one that would also mark the first ever premier-class title for Estenson Racing and the first for Yamaha in more than 50 years.  

Whatever level of pressure there may be, don’t feel sorry for Daniels. Pity the opposition. 

Read the full story HERE.

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A New Era Ignites: 2025 Progressive AFT & Mission AFT SuperTwins Roar Into Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 03, 2025) – Similar to the situation in the Mission AFT SuperTwins class, this year’s AFT Singles presented by KICKER title fighters are preparing to battle to claim a vacated throne. 

With back-to-back-to-back class king Kody Kopp leaving his crown undefended, the AFT Singles class is destined to have its power dynamic remade, a process that will begin in earnest this week as the 2025  Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, opens with the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I & II at the Flat Track at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, March 6, and Friday, March 7, in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Rivalry 

The preseason co-favorites to assume the mantle are a pair of the sport’s most acclaimed rising stars, Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and Chase Saathoff (No. 88 RWR/Parts Plus Honda CRF450R). 

Adding to the natural drama that results from any championship contest – and making matters that much more entertaining – is the fact that they already share something of a budding rivalry.  

At least some degree of animus is likely unavoidable due to just how evenly they are matched on track. In the series’ most recent 27 races, Drane and Saathoff have finished one position in front of the other on 14 separate occasions. 13 of those were for at least one podium position. 12 of those saw them both land on the box. And six times they finished first and second, including in the final three races of 2024. 

However, their rivalry is perhaps best defined by two occasions on which they did not finish one in front of the other. 

At last season’s DAYTONA Short Track opener, the two clashed on the final lap while disputing third. The resultant contact dropped Saathoff to fourth, while Drane hit the ground and would ultimately be scored down in 15th position. 

And then at the Silver Dollar Short Track, Drane again came out the worst of an incident that occurred while the duo ran second and third that brought a red flag. Saathoff carried on to a second-place finish, while Drane was forced to claw his way up from the back of the field to secure sixth. 

Simple mathematics delivers a follow-up gut punch to Drane. Had he managed to take even third in both races (with second seemingly a realistic possibility each time), he would have accumulated 17 more points toward his championship efforts ((18-5)+(18-14)). 

Why is that so important? Well, as a quick reminder, Drane lost the championship to Kopp by 15 points (339-324). 

Drane returns with the same powerhouse Estenson Racing Yamaha team that’s fielded him the past two seasons. Saathoff, meanwhile, continues his long association with Bryan Bigelow and Honda, but now takes over for Kopp in the championship-winning slot at Rick Ware Racing. 

Their joint presence alone makes for a fascinating title outlook. But they are not alone nor has the class’ reigning king disappeared altogether. 

Read the full story HERE.