Tom Drane podiums at Daytona – Top 10s for Whale in SuperTwins

2025 American Flat Track – Daytona I & II

AFT Singles Daytona I

Not that any of them needed it, but three-time AFT Singles king Kody Kopp provided the class’ current crop of championship hopefuls a reminder of exactly whose #1 plate they were chasing.

While Kopp is committed to proving himself a national-caliber roadracer this season, his talents on dirt remain elite. With an open weekend in his preseason pavement prep, Kopp pulled together a last-minute effort to participate in the Progressive AFT opener and didn’t miss a beat.

A less-than-ideal start allowed Kopp to underline that message as he worked his way past the up-and-coming Tarren Santero, ‘24 title rival Tom Drane, and finally ‘19 class champ Dalton Gauthier on his way to the front.

Once there, Kopp set sail en route to his fourth career triumph in Daytona. However, his eventual trip to the top step of the podium was momentarily delayed due to a late-race red flag.

That stoppage could be traced all the way back to a disastrous start saw title hopeful Chase Saathoff left standing still at the green light with his arms waving while the rest of the grid powered by. His subsequent charge up through the field eventually saw him clash with Chad Cose, leaving both riders on the ground.

Kopp survived the staggered restart without suffering any unwanted drama, while Drane managed to steal second from Gauthier in the shuffle.

Kody Kopp

“It feels awesome. I just can’t stay away from it. I’m transitioning to roadracing, and it’s a big step. It’s challenging, and I’m really excited about the challenge. But I couldn’t stay away. I live 15 minutes away from here now, and Bob Lanphere wanted to put this thing together, and we got it done. Huge thanks to Bob, and Kenny (Roberts) and Arney (Wick) from my roadrace program for giving me the go ahead to do this.”

Fourth was taken by the returning Trevor Brunner, who edged young Bradon Pfanders and Santero for the position.

Evan Renshaw finished seventh in his first race with 1st Impressions Husqvarna while Saathoff managed to slash his way up to eighth to salvage a decent result after being forced to restart from the back of the grid.

Aidan RoosEvans and Jared Lowe rounded out the top ten.

Earlier in the evening, Emma Gottsch opened the Main Event program with a victorious performance in her Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. debut. She was flanked on the podium by Taia Little and Mallory McGill.

AFT Singles Daytona I Results

AFT Singles Daytona II

24 hours spent by the field hoping to find a solution to combat the Thursday form of reigning-but-not-defending AFT Singles champion Kody Kopp ultimately proved fruitless. In fact, the class’ three-time champ was even more dominant on Friday night.

An increase in the level of difficulty with the track’s surface and visibility only served to widen the margin separating Kopp from his would-be challengers. Operating on another level, the new Talent Cup competitor was quite easily the fastest rider in every practice and qualifying session and then won both his heat and the 1st Impressions AFT Singles Challenge going away.

The only hitch in his evening was a shock crash he suffered while working the sighting lap ahead of the Main Event. No worries – Kopp popped back up, straightened out his handlebars, grabbed the holeshot, and pulled an immediate gap at the front.

Up by 1.5 seconds in the race’s opening minute, Kopp continued to pile it before finally taking the checkered flag with nearly five seconds in hand.

Already the all-time winningest rider in AFT Singles history, Kopp came into the week with 21 wins to his name and leaves Daytona with a career tally of 23. That puts him four victories up on second-ranked Shayna Texter-Bauman and a full ten ahead of the next closest riders (premier-class ace Daniels and ‘19 class champ Gauthier).

Kody Kopp

“I’ve never won a race after crashing on the sight lap! There’s a first for everything. That start was hectic because my lever was bent to the moon, so I couldn’t really feel anything. But we straightened it out and went for it. I couldn’t ask for a better week to come back and have some fun with the boys. Now it’s time to go lean on the asphalt and keep learning over there.”

Even beyond Kopp’s runaway, the contest was a rather processional one; the entire top five – Chase Saathoff, Tom Drane, Dalton Gauthier, and Bradon Pfanders – ran their own races pretty much throughout.

There was more significant (and more typical) fighting further down the field. Tyler Raggio held off Trevor Brunner, while Tarren Santero slashed his way up from the back of the field after being forced to burn his provisional start in the season’s opening week.

Evan Renshaw was the final rider remaining on the lead lap in ninth, while rookie Ethan Kitchen rounded out the top ten.

Even though Kopp technically leads with a perfect 46-point opener, the effective title lead falls to Drane, who put together a solid effort to open his ‘25 title campaign with 35 points. Gauthier is next with 30, one point up on championship hopeful Saathoff at 29.

Meanwhile, in the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) Main Event, Taia Little got her revenge in the rematch, narrowly fending off Thursday winner Emma Gottsch to take the checkered flag first. Mya Maffei completed the podium in third.

AFT Singles Daytona II Results

AFT Singles Standings – Top 20

AFT SuperTwins Daytona I

The first round of the post-Jared Mees era saw preseason AFT SuperTwins title favourite Dallas Daniels do what many expected and claim victory under the lights of the Flat Track at Daytona International Speedway in Thursday’s season-opening Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I. How it was achieved, however, came as a genuine surprise.

In fact, it was anything but a day of domination for Daniels, despite the fact that he’d won three of the previous four Main Events at the venue. If anything, the Estenson Racing ace was relatively quiet throughout practice and qualifying, starting the Main Event from Row 2 after failing to qualify for the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge.

Instead, the star of the show for all but the final minute of the Main Event was Briar Bauman, who appeared on the verge of guiding the Harley-Davidson XG750R to its maiden premier-class victory.

New to the bike but reunited with crew chief Dave Zanotti and mechanic Michelle Disalvo at Rick Ware Racing, Bauman was smooth and in control on a very tricky track. He put his name atop the charts during practice, qualifying, and the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, before storming off into the lead at the start of the Main.

Daniels showed renewed signs of life as soon as the race that mattered most got underway, diving under front-row qualifiers Davis Fisher, Henry Wiles, and Brandon Robinson in rapid succession to move into second

However, even with clear air in front of him, Daniels didn’t appear to have the measure of Bauman, who stretched the gap out to over a second deep into the contest. That all changed as the two encountered lapped traffic, which allowed the Yamaha pilot to erase the distance and then execute a pass for the lead with just 35 seconds remaining on the clock.

A rare bobble on Bauman’s part then provided Daniels with the breathing space he needed to make it four wins in his last five tries in Daytona Beach.

The victory also marked Daniels first win since before the training accident that ended his title chances a season ago.

Dallas Daniels

“I hate that everybody has to hear my sob story again, ‘I broke my leg leading the championship (last year).’ I mean, it sucked. It sucked so bad. It sucked so bad for me, but even more for the team. It’s one of those things when you’re lying at home, and you wonder if you’ll ever be able to do it again. Even though I was on the podium those last three races, you still wonder. 

“And then I show up here at Daytona – a place that I love and do well at usually – and I was just on the struggle bus all day long. No matter what changes we made, I just could not get comfortable. But my team… this win is because of the team. They just kept working and kept working. When I went out there for that warm-up lap, I knew I had something for them. But how impressive was Briar? The dude gets on a different bike that has never won, and he was the toughest competition. He’s going to be tough all year.”

Third place went to 40-year-old Wiles, who was brandishing the unfamiliar #911 instead of his usual #17, which was unavailable to him due to not competing last season. The time away didn’t steal any of his speed or aggression, a fact he proved convincingly while overcoming Fisher in an intense mid-race scrap for the final podium position.

Still, Fisher held on for a strong fourth-place debut on the KTM, while Robinson made it two XGs in the top five.

Brandon Price, who finished as the runner-up in last year’s opener, came home sixth. Meanwhile, Jarod VanDerKooi, Trent Lowe, Max Whale, and James Ott finished seventh through tenth, respectively.

Those results meant that six different makes of equipment (Yamaha, Harley-Davidson, Kawasaki, KTM, Honda, and Royal Enfield) were represented in the top ten in the first race featuring the new all-production based ruleset.

A seventh (Suzuki), clocked the second fastest time in practice before a promising event met a premature end for Dan Bromley, who was unable to compete after suffering a deep cut that required medical attention.

AFT SuperTwins Results

AFT SuperTwins Daytona II

Dallas Daniels opened his 2025 Grand National Championship campaign in perfect double-victory fashion by completing the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I & II sweep on Friday night. However, he was forced to do so in a manner that yet again promised an incredible Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, to come.

After stealing Thursday’s victory from Briar Bauman despite struggling pretty much all day long, Daniels was more in his expected Mission AFT SuperTwins title favourite form throughout Friday’s program.

Daniels continued that trend by breaking free early in the Main Event while Bauman found himself caught up in a four-rider melee that also included Henry Wiles, Sammy Halbert, and Davis Fisher.

By the time Bauman established himself in second, Daniels had a cushion of nearly 1.4 seconds at the front. But just when Bauman started to whittle away at that advantage, he was forced to play defense after Fisher came charging up in third. That chase/defend accordion continued to play out in both directions, with Bauman freed up again when Wiles closed on Fisher from fourth.

But Bauman’s golden opportunity to give the XG750R its maiden premier-class win didn’t come until the leaders hit traffic – the exact situation that cost him Thursday’s win with their positioned swapped.

And in fact, the RWR star managed to momentarily grab the lead with just 20 seconds remaining on the clock. However, his Estenson Racing Yamaha-mounted rival countered in the very next turn and managed to hold his adversary at bay over the final two laps to prevent the reversal of fortunes.

Dallas Daniels

“Man, I thought last night was the toughest I ever had to ride, but I think tonight beat that. I had a really good night going – won the heat race, won the (Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge). I was feeling really good. I got a really good start and was out front. But I could just feel the pressure coming in. I was keeping an eye out, and I knew he was getting closer and closer… It was just such a nailbiter. Brian rode a hell of a race, gave me a good battle, and it was super fun.”

Fisher came home in third, equaling his ‘24 podium total in the season’s opening week. Combined with his Thursday fourth, Daytona proved a seamless transition for Fisher who was expected to take more time to come to grips with his Rackley Racing KTM after spending the previous seven seasons on an Indian.

The experienced duo of Wiles and Halbert earned fourth and fifth, respectively, pushing down a handful of strong title contenders in the process. That list was headlined by Brandon Robinson, who took sixth, and Jarod VanDerKooi, who finished seventh.

Dan Bromley returned to action after suffering a laceration to his foot on Thursday and did so most impressively with an eighth-place result aboard his Suzuki.

Meanwhile, Trent Lowe and Max Whale made it a remarkable seven different manufacturers in the race’s top ten as the premier class’ new production-only ruleset shine in their debut.

Daniels has the early title advantage following Rounds 1 & 2 after grabbing the maximum of 46 points in Daytona. He’s followed by Bauman at 38 with Fisher and Wiles locked even in third at 30.

AFT SuperTwins Daytona II Results

AFT SuperTwins Standings – Top 20

Next Up:

The 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season will resume in three weeks’ time with the Yamaha Senoia Short Track on Saturday, March 29 at Senoia Raceway in Senoia, Georgia.