DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.
(January 24, 2023) –
Progressive American
Flat Track is proud to
announce that Thom Duma
Fine Jewelers (TDFJ)
will serve as the
Official Jeweler of Progressive
AFT for a tenth
consecutive season in 2023.
During that decade-long
collaboration, TDFJ has become
inextricably linked with the
series. In the opening days of
the partnership, it established
the now-cherished tradition of
awarding each season’s champions
with handcrafted, commemorative
rings.
Over the years, TDJF has
continued to elevate the
tradition, most notably in 2021,
when Tom Duma Jr. and his team
of world-class jewelers elected
to wait until each championship
was decided in order to produce
a one-of-a-kind, solid-gold
masterpiece custom-designed for
each champion, featuring their
name and image alongside the
traditional #1 and an array of
diamonds, to properly celebrate
their achievement.
That tradition has been further
refined for 2023; for the very
first time, the previous
seasons’ title-winners will be
awarded their rings at the
following season’s opener,
making this season’s epic
DAYTONA Short Tack I & II that
much more monumental. The award
ceremony is certain to remind
this year’s Mission
SuperTwins presented by S&S
and Parts
Unlimited AFT Singles presented
by KICKER championship
contenders
exactly what’s on the line as
they begin their quests to
receive their own rings at the
‘24 season opener.
“It is an honor and privilege to
design and manufacture the
championship rings again this
year,” said Duma. “I will work
directly with both champions at
the end of the season to create
design elements unique to them.
Each ring will be a
one-of-a-kind reminder of the
battle they had in 2023 to
declare them the best in the
world.”
“The championship rings are
stunning – designed and created
with a deep passion and
understanding of both fine
jewelry and our sport that
literally no one else in the
world but Tom Duma can boast,”
said Gene Crouch, COO of AMA Pro
Racing. “I’ve seen first-hand
just how much the rings mean to
the champions who receive them
and we’re looking forward to
seeing what Tom dreams up for
the competitors to chase this
year.”
While ten years of partnership
is certainly noteworthy, both
Thom Duma Fine Jewelers’ storied
history and Duma’s connection to
the sport reach much further
back in time. TDFJ was
originally founded in the late
1800s before being acquired by
Tom Duma Sr., nearly seven
centuries ago. Tom Duma Jr.,
enjoyed a professional racing
career in Progressive AFT racer
from 1976 to 1981. A year before
hanging up his helmet, Tom Jr.
began to learn the business from
the ground up, working alongside
his father, before eventually
taking over the business
himself.
Eager to connect his two worlds,
Duma created the “Racer Series,”
a line of race-inspired jewelry,
including steel shoe pendants,
motorcycle tire Pandora-style
beads, checkered flag racing
jewelry, racing number pendants,
and more.
“It is an honor and privilege to
design and manufacture the
championship rings again this
year,” said Duma. “I will work
directly with both champions at
the end of the season to create
design elements unique to them.
Each ring will be a
one-of-a-kind reminder of the
battle they had in 2023 to
declare them the best in the
world.”
The complete line is available
for purchase online at
www.TDFJ.com, and you can
contact Duma personally via
email at
contact@tdfj.com.
The 2023 Progressive American
Flat Track season will launch
with the hugely anticipated
return of the DAYTONA
Short Track I & II at
Daytona International
Speedway on March
9-10.
For more information on
Progressive AFT visit
https://www.americanflattrack.com.
How to Watch:
FOX
Sports and FansChoice.tv are the
official homes for coverage of
Progressive American Flat Track.
For the 2023 season, all races
will premiere in one-hour
telecasts on FS1 during highly
desirable weekend time slots.
The complete schedule can be
viewed at
https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports.
FansChoice.tv provides
livestreaming coverage of every
Progressive AFT round at
http://www.FansChoice.tv.
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