Drane claims Silver Dollar ST podium as Whale eighth in SuperTwins

2025 American Flat Track

Silver Dollar Short Track

Images by Tim Lester

AFT Singles- Silver Dollar Short Track

Kage Tadman made a splash at the previous Ventura ST event, as the fourth ever AFT Singles competitor to win his debut race, while Aussie Tom Drane just missed a podium. At this weekend’s Silver Dollar Short Track Tadman proved it was no fluke, making more history as the first rider to also win a second victory following his debut.

If possible, his unprecedented feat was even more impressive in action than the record books will ever show. Tadman isn’t just two for two in AFT Singles Main Events, he’s six for six in Progressive AFT races of any type, standing undefeated following a second consecutive event in which he swept the heat, the Helmet House Challenge, and the Main Event.

And once again, he did so in loose style and breakaway fashion, rendering the competition one for runner-up honors less than a minute into Saturday’s Main.

Last week, Tadman admitted to having exploited something of a home track advantage in Ventura. There was none this time around at what was an unfamiliar circuit and surface to him, and yet the result was identical.

After a second dominant showing, the class’ newest star said, “It was about getting used to a new track. I’ve never been here and don’t really ride these types of tracks much. But I was just trying to get used to it and adapt to the size of the track and the dirt. And I was able to pull off a good win.”

While Tadman again commanded the spotlight, the six-rider battle for second behind him was hugely entertaining as well.

Once it became evident this was another one-rider race for victory, Trevor Brunner defended second position vigorously with Australian Tom Drane initially in pursuit.

By mid-distance, Canadian Hunter Bauer slung his way around the high line and into the catbird seat, even displacing Brunner in second for a brief spell.

Once Brunner re-established himself in second, Drane slotted back up to third and the two stayed in that order to the checkered flag. The runner-up was Brunner’s first podium since returning to both the AFT Singles category and the American Honda-backed Turner Racing outfit.

Despite finding himself in the midst of his longest winless streak since going seven races before earning his first-career AFT Singles victory, Drane also finds himself even more solidly in control of the points race with finishes of 2-3-2-4-3 to kick off his ‘25 campaign.

Today’s third edged him three points further ahead of rival Chase Saathoff, who finished in fifth just behind Bauer.

Ventura podium finisher Tarren Santero came home sixth, despite finishing closer to Brunner on track than Brunner did to Tadman.

Following five rounds, Drane leads Sathoff 84-79, with Brunner still within striking distance at 70. Santero is fourth at 57, followed by the night’s seventh-place finisher, Aidan RoosEvans (52), and Tadman, who stands side-by-side with three-time class king Kody Kopp, who similarly boasts 46 points for going two-for-two in ‘25.

AFT Singles Results

AFT Singles Standings – Top 20

AFT SuperTwins – Silver Dollar Short Track

Briar Bauman’s season has quickly transformed from a feel-good story to an epic tale of domination as he stormed to a third consecutive convincing Mission AFT SuperTwins victory in Saturday’s night’s Silver Dollar Short Track.

That said, even amidst the transformation of the Harley-Davidson XG750R from a winless racebike to a week-in, week-out powerhouse, the feel-good story behind it remains; Bauman and wife, Shayna Texter-Bauman, made the announcement that they are expecting their first child earlier this morning at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California.

That news didn’t inspire any of his rivals to take it easy on him in the evening, however, as title contender Dallas Daniels and the emerging James Ott took the early initiative in the premier-class Main.

Those two waged a contest of contrasting lines and styles aboard their respective Yamahas, with Daniels locked down low and Ott railing up high as they shook free from the pack. Ott’s bolder approach eventually gave him the upper hand, as he assumed the lead some three minutes into the eight-minute and two-lap affair.

Daniels’ subsequent experiments with a higher line only resulted in him getting swallowed up by a charging Bauman, who would also go on to overwhelm Ott less than a minute later.

Davis Fisher was the next to power up the outside of Daniels. The Estenson Racing star regrouped and responded, and their fight saw them track Ott back down and flow past him to turn their scrap into one for second.

Fisher seemed relatively safe in that position late, but one last charge from Daniels made it interesting – to the tune of a 0.061-second differential at the flag. Still, the Rackley Racing rider managed to hold on to earn his best result of the year after earlier finishing third at Daytona.

While Daniels upped his podium streak to 18, he also saw his championship deficit expand as Bauman powered on to stack a third successive victory on his pair of opening week seconds. As a result, the Rick Ware Racing pilot now leads by ten points (107-97) with five races down and 11 to go.

Asked to explain his seeming return to peak Grand National Champion form, Bauman said, “Getting back with Dave (Zanotti) and Michelle (Disalvo), and George Latus giving myself, Shayna, and Rick Ware Racing this opportunity… Look, I know how incredible Dallas is and all of these guys are. I spent the last two years on the downer a little bit; we had a couple wins, but there was no rhythm. It was hoping to finish the Main Events.

“I’m going to ride this high for a little while. It’s been a little bit of time, and I know what it feels like to not be in this position. I’m going to keep it going. I’m going to love it. And to announce that we’re having our first child this morning…. All the credit to my wife, she’s been going through lately. Thank you so much to my whole team for everything. I know I’m on a roll right now, and I’m not going to take it for granted, but I feel really good.”

The fast-starting Ott lost one additional position – that to fourth-place finisher Jarod VanDerKooi – to close out the race’s top five. Ott narrowly avoided fading to sixth, with Brandon Robinson just another 0.180 seconds in arrears at the stripe.

Dan Bromley continued to demonstrate the promise of his developing Suzuki platform in seventh while Max Whale, Logan McGrane and Nick Armstrong rounded out the top ten just behind.

AFT SuperTwins Results

AFT SuperTwins Standings – Top 20

Next Up:

The 2025 Progressive AFT season will resume on Saturday, June 7, with the inaugural Short Track at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri.