DAYTONA
BEACH, Fla. (April
30, 2026) – The
KICKER AFT Singles
championship fight
that will continue
with the Silver
Dollar Short Track
this Saturday, May
2, in Chico,
California, is
shaping up to be
among the most
competitive and
compelling in
years.
Silver Dollar
Speedway stands as
one of the West
Coast’s most revered
auto racing dirt
track venues. Now
set to host
Progressive American
Flat Track,
sanctioned by AMA
Pro Racing, for the
third consecutive
season, the track is
fast building a
similar reputation
in the two-wheeled
world. This weekend
presents another
opportunity to add
to that budding
legacy.
Four for
Four
As the KICKER AFT
Singles campaign
heads into the fifth
round of the season,
the class has yet to
see a repeat
winner.
Defending class
champion Tom Drane
(No. 1 Estenson
Racing Yamaha
YZ450F) holds down
the early-season
points lead. That
comes as no
surprise. However,
the Australian has
not been the
dominant figure to
start this season
that he was to end
last season.
Drane raised the bar
a year ago, and his
rivals have
responded. But like
his Estenson Racing
teammate and fellow
reigning champion,
Dallas Daniels,
Drane’s week-in,
week-out consistency
can be his hallmark
even in stretches
when the
wins don’t come as
readily
as he’d prefer.
While that strength
keeps Drane the firm
title favorite, the
spotlight has – at
least for the moment
– shifted to rising
star Kage Tadman
(No. 28 American
Honda/Mission Foods
CRF450R).
Tadman burst onto
the scene in 2025 by
winning his first
two professional
races, sweeping the
West Coast double at
Ventura Raceway and
Silver Dollar
Speedway.
The Salinas,
California, native
is attempting to
pull off the same
feat again in
‘26. He’s halfway
there, now days
removed from earning
his third-career win
after holding Drane
at bay in last
Saturday’s Ventura
Short Track.
Senoia Raceway
winner Trevor
Brunner (No. 21 KMA
Racing/March
Equipment Yamaha
YZ450F) was rolling
at Ventura, at least
until an imperfect
launch in the Main
dashed his designs
of snatching
consecutive
victories. That
missed opportunity
was clearly chafing
at Brunner, and
he rides at his best
when he’s got that
edge.
Meanwhile, the
season’s other
winner,
Bradon Pfanders (No.
83 Memphis
Shades/Corbin Seats
Yamaha YZ450F),
could use a big
result to add to his
DAYTONA triumph.
While Pfanders is no
doubt focused on
adding a second (and
third and fourth,
etc.) win to his
career tally as
quickly as possible,
even when he’s not
battling at the
front, he continues
to serve as an
example of the
opportunity that
exists for a rider
to emerge and
collect a maiden win
on any given
weekend.
On the
Chase
Few would have
predicted there
would be four
different KICKER AFT
Singles race winners
in the season’s
first four races.
Fewer still would
have guessed that
Chase Saathoff (No.
88 1st Impressions
Race Team Husqvarna
FC450) would not be
among those four.
There’s nothing
wrong with Saathoff,
as evidenced by his
two podiums. But one
can imagine the
title hopeful is
growing more than a
little tired
watching his rivals
celebrate atop the
podium, especially
from the outside
looking in as was
the case following
last weekend’s
sixth.
Saathoff finished
second to current
Mission
AFT SuperTwins championship
leader Kody Kopp at
Silver Dollar
Speedway two years
back. In other
words, this might be
a prime setting for
the 1st
Impressions Husvarna pilot
to up
the class’ winners run to
five for five.
California
Dreamin’
Tarren Santero (No.
75 Roof
Systems/Vinson
Construction Honda
CRF450R) was a dark
horse pick to
finally get his
first career KICKER
AFT Singles win this
past weekend at
Ventura Raceway.
It wasn’t to be. A
crash in his heat
race forced him
through the Last
Chance Qualifier and
placed him on the
back row for the
Main Event. He
completed the
opening lap of the
race outside the top
ten and remained in
that general
vicinity for the
opening quarter of
the event.
Santero gradually
picked up steam and
picked off riders as
he did, ultimately
ending up a strong
fifth. While
impressive,
Santero isn’t gunning
for fifths.
Fortunately for the
Petaluma native, he
has another shot
to at last
breakthrough in
victorious fashion
and do so with his
friends and family
cheering him on.
While racing much
further from home,
Indiana’s Jared Lowe
(No. 63 Big R
Racing/Vinson
Construction Honda
CRF450R) would be
perfectly content to
get his first win –
or even podium –
while the series
completes its West
Coast swing.
Lowe looked as
strong as he
ever has last
weekend, running
either first or
second throughout
practice,
qualifying, and his
heat race, before
leading Main Event
laps for the time in
his KICKER AFT
Singles career.
Lowe continued to
race inside the top
three past
half-distance before
settling into
fourth. It was a
shame
he couldn’t celebrate
that standout form
on the podium.
Still, it should
serve as a
confidence booster
and provide him some
real momentum to
carry into this
weekend’s rematch.
And Beyond…
There are plenty of
other riders well
poised to spring a
surprise.
Justin Jones (No. 91
Fairway Ford Chevy
GMC Yamaha YZ450F)
is currently
enjoying a career
renaissance and
hoping to cement
that triumphant
return to form with
an actual triumph.
Meanwhile, there are
several young riders
looking
to accomplish what
Jones did back in
2015 when he got his
first win. That long
list includes the
likes of Jack Brucks
(No. 113 1st
Impressions Race
Team Husqvarna
FC450), Walker
Porter (No. 10
American
Honda/Mission Foods
CRF450R), Logan
Eisenhard (No. 66
Eisenhard
Racing/Pags
Powersports KTM 450
SX-F), Evan Kelleher
(No. 31 Schaeffer's
Motorsports KTM 450
SX-F), Ryder Reese
(No.
41 Fasthouse/Smoking
Butcher Coffee KTM
450 SX-F FE) and
Skylar Sentell (No.
60 R&D Racing/Hoffer
Performance KTM 450
SX-F).
Future Pros
The Progressive
American Flat Track
paddock
has immediately embraced
the all-new
AFT ProSport 450
class,
which provides promising
amateurs an
opportunity
to showcase their
talent before a
national audience of
fans and insiders.
A number of the
sport’s biggest and
most influential
teams have gotten
involved, backing the
efforts of some
talented
stars-in-the-making.
Estenson Racing’s
Sam Drane (No. 7
Estenson Racing
Yamaha YZ450F) has
taken a pair of
wins, while 1st
Impressions
Husqvarna’s
Jett Katarzy (No. 17
1st Impressions
Husqvarna FC450) was
victorious last time
out. And Turner
Honda’s Adam
Costan-Wood (No. 88
Turner Racing Honda
CRF450R) finished
4th while making his
debut this past
weekend.
However, the beauty
of the class is the
fact that its
tightly restricted,
stock-based regs
reduce the financial
barriers associated
with entry. This
allows riders
without the support
of a powerhouse team
to complete on level
terms. Talent shines
above all.
Nearly half of this
year’s podiums have
gone to racers whose
team name is their
own. That list
includes Bitz-Hay
Racing’s Ryder
Bitz-Hay (No. 14
Bitz-Hay Racing KTM
450 SX-F), who is
the only rider to
finish on the box in
all three rounds
this season.
Sweet!
The event will be
overloaded with
activities from
start to finish, on
and off the track.
World of Outlaws
legend and Silver
Dollar Speedway
co-owner Brad Sweet
will serve as Grand
Marshal. Fans will
also be treated to
multiple Thrashed
Kids Freestyle Shows
throughout the
day.
Attendees can also
expect a multitude
of vendors, big
screen viewing,
designated
motorcycle parking,
and a variety of
food and beverage
options.
Your Ticket,
Please
General Admission
Grandstand tickets
for the Silver
Dollar Short Track
are just $40 (kids
12 and under free)
while Reserved
Grandstand tickets
($65, all ages), Pit
Grandstand tickets
($80, all ages), and
Trackside Box
tickets ($95, all
ages) offer upgraded
viewing
experiences.
And if you use the
promo code
“RESERVED25” at
checkout, you can
get one Limited
Reserved Grandstand
Ticket discounted to
$25.
And for $135 ($95 as
a ticket add-on),
you can get the
Harley-Davidson VIP
Experience, which
includes dedicated
VIP H-D motorcycle
parking, access to
an exclusive
grandstand seating
section, a
meet-and-greet with
the Harley-Davidson
racers, and a guided
tour of the infield
podium and
start/finish line,
photos opps included.
Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-silver-dollar-short-track-168776 to
reserve your seats
today.
Gates will open for
fans at 6:00 p.m.
ET/3:00 p.m. PT with
Opening Ceremonies
scheduled to begin
at 10:00 p.m.
ET/7:00 p.m. PT.
