DAYTONA
BEACH, Fla. (June
25, 2026) – The
emerging stars of
Progressive American
Flat Track,
sanctioned by AMA
Pro Racing, will
continue to
highlight the bright
future of the sport
when the KICKER AFT
Singles and AFT
ProSport 450 classes
resume their
respective clashes
at the Allen County
Fairgrounds, host of
the Super.com Lima
Half-Mile I & II
presented by Drag
Specialties, in
Lima, Ohio, on
Friday, June 26, and
Saturday, June 27.
All Aboard
While it took nearly
a half season for
the championship
outlook to take
shape, you can
almost feel reigning
KICKER AFT Singles
champion Tom Drane
(No. 1 Estenson
Racing Yamaha
YZ450F) building up
that trademark
freight train-like
momentum at this
point.
With three victories
on the year and a
20-point title
advantage, the
Australian comes
into the venue that
has defined his
power more than any
other poised to
truly seize control.
Drane first burst
onto the Progressive
AFT scene with a
stunning runner-up
debut at Lima back
in 2022. He’s only
furthered his
mastery over the
challenging
pea-gravel circuit
in the time since.
In that first race,
Drane finished
second to current
Mission AFT
SuperTwins title
leader Kody Kopp by
some four seconds.
In 2023 – Drane’s
first full season in
the series – he came
second to Kopp
again, this time by
a margin of
two-and-a-half-seconds.
In 2024, Drane beat Kopp
by nearly a
half-second.
And last year, the
Estenson Racing
Yamaha star
completely dominated
the proceedings,
winning both the
final leg of the
Mission Triple
Challenge and
Saturday’s Main
Event by over five
seconds.
Should Drane repeat
that sort of form
with another Lima
sweep, he’ll not
just extend his lead
to more than a full
race’s payment of
points, he’ll
overtake Kopp for
the all-time KICKER
AFT Singles wins
record.
He’d also make a
compelling argument
regarding the wisdom
of Estenson Racing
granting him a
handful of
premier-class wild
cards entries down
the stretch this
season.
En Garde
That same weekend
Drane made his
runner-up debut in
‘22, Chase Saathoff
(No. 88 1st
Impressions Race
Team Husqvarna
FC450) backed up his
first-career KICKER
AFT Singles podium
with a second,
finishing third to
Kopp and Drane at
Lima.
He’s also continued
to excel at the
track, notching up
four podiums in
five-career
attempts. He’s been
embroiled with a
heated rivalry with
Drane over that
time, as the two
have traded wins,
paint, and barbs
over the years.
Trevor Brunner (No.
21 KMA Racing/March
Equipment Yamaha
YZ450F) has largely
been in that same
orbit as well,
despite opening his
KICKER AFT Singles
career a couple
years earlier and
then spending one
season away
garnering Mission
AFT SuperTwins
Rookie of the Year
honors.
But Brunner has been
a regular
frontrunner as well,
winning races in all
six of his seasons
in the class,
including this one.
This year, however,
has threatened to
upset the power
dynamic with a
potential changing
of the guard taking
effect. As Saathoff
continues to seek
his first victory of
the year, and
Brunner comes to
Lima following a
pair of
disappointing
outings, second-year
ace Kage Tadman (No.
28 American
Honda/Mission Foods
CRF450R) has claimed
two wins and a
runner-up over the
last four races,
leaping up past both
in the points in the
process.
Tadman, Saathoff,
Drane won’t want to
spend too much time
arguing over second
place, however.
Drane is still the
primary target, and
all three will need
to come up huge this
weekend if they hope
to slow him down.
Santero
Watch
The Lima
doubleheader will
provide two more
chances for Tarren
Santero (No. 75 Roof
Systems/Vinson
Construction Honda
CRF450R) to at last
get his first career
Progressive AFT
victory.
Fifth-ranked Santero
has been knocking on
the door for nearly
two full seasons at
this point. This
weekend presents a
real opportunity for
Santero, considering
he finished as the
runner-up in last
year’s Mission
Triple Challenge
overall results.
Similarly,
sixth-ranked Walker
Porter (No. 10
American
Honda/Mission Foods
CRF450R) continues
to hunt his first
pro podium, an
accomplishment that
has only narrowly
eluded him for
multiple weeks on
end.
Porter made his
Progressive AFT
debut here last year
and did so in
impressive fashion,
collecting a
top-five result in
his very first
weekend.
Young Brucks
Turner Racing
teammates Tadman and
Porter are far from
the only first- and
second-year riders
making waves.
Rookie Jack Brucks
(No. 113 1st
Impressions Race
Team Husqvarna
FC450) has finished
inside the top ten
in five of his seven
starts, including
three finishes of
sixth or better.
His ascendent
teammate, Jett
Katarzy (No. 117 1st
Impressions Race
Team Husqvarna
FC450), is even
newer on the scene,
having recently
graduated from AFT
ProSport 450
success. Despite
transitioning from
the amateur ranks up
to the pros
midseason, Katarzy
has lived up to the
team’s name by
making the Main
Event in his first
two attempts.
Meanwhile, 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) – who both
first broke into the
KICKER AFT Singles
top ten at Lima a
year ago – have
continued to work
their way up the
order more regularly
as they accumulate
valuable experience.
And keep an eye on
Dylan Cunningham
(No. 252 Scott
Stump/Joel Laub KTM
450 SX-F), who comes
into Lima having
converted his first
two Main Event
qualifications into
consecutive top-ten
finishes.
Keeping Up
with the Joneses
Meanwhile, the field
is stocked up with
established runners
hoping to reassert
themselves.
The likes of Justin
Jones (No. 91
Fairway Ford Chevy
GMC Yamaha YZ450F),
Bradon Pfanders (No.
83 Memphis
Shades/Corbin Seats
Yamaha YZ450F),
Jared Lowe (No. 63
Big R Racing/Vinson
Construction Honda
CRF450R), Evan
Kelleher (No. 31
Schaeffer's
Motorsports KTM 450
SX-F), and Logan
Eisenhard (No. 66
Eisenhard
Racing/Pags
Powersports KTM 450
SX-F) have all
enjoyed their
moments this season,
but it’s been a
minute since any of
them really pushed
for podium
contention.
Perhaps this will be
the weekend one (or
more) of them
reminds the usual
suspects exactly
what they’re capable
of on their day.
No Sleep
Till DuQuoin
The all-new AFT
ProSport 450 class
will make one last
appearance this
season as the
nation’s top
amateurs make their
final preparations
before heading to
DuQuoin, Illinois,
from July 5-10 for
the 2026 Roof
Systems AMA Flat
Track Grand
Championship.
The class has helped
raise the profile of
a number of heralded
prospects, including
race winners Sam
Drane (No. 7
Estenson Racing
Yamaha YZ450F), Adam
Costan-Wood (No. 88
Turner Racing Honda
CRF450R), Bayne
Nantz (No. 313 Nantz
Bros Racing KTM 450
SX-F), and the
aforementioned
Katarzy.
Will another rising
star add their name
to that list and
carry some extra
momentum into
DuQuoin?
Three-Day
Weekend
Fans will have
plenty to keep them
entertained beyond
the world-class
on-track excitement.
There will also be
music, a bouncy
house for kids,
numerous vendors,
and plenty of food
and beverage
options, along with
extensive motorcycle
parking.
And spectators are
invited to get the
party started a day
early, as Thursday
at the track will
spotlight the future
stars of the sport
with a
AMA-sanctioned
Mission Foods CTR
Showcase Event,
which will feature
the 450 Road to AFT
clash that will set
the grid for
Saturday’s AFT
ProSport 450 season
finale.
Act Fast to
Save Your Cash
General Admission
Bleacher tickets are
just $45 each night
(kids 12 and under
free with a paid
adult GA ticket)
with Reserved
Grandstand and
Premier Reserved
Grandstand tickets
priced at $55 and
$60, respectively.
Meanwhile, fans who
purchase a two-day
ticket will save $5.
The Pit Pass add-on
($40/day) provides
fans a chance to get
an up-close look at
the race bikes and
meet the riders and
their teams.
Fans looking to take
things to the next
level can choose the
VIP Experience
add-on ($150 per day
or $280 for two
days, seats
included) to gain
access to a
climate-controlled
VIP room with a
catered meal, five
alcoholic beverages,
and a Pit Pass.
Camping is also
available at the
Allen County
Fairgrounds. The
camping sites, which
are accessible off
Harding Highway and
include water and
electric hookups,
are available on a
first-come,
first-served basis
at $50 per night
(Wednesday night
through Saturday
night).
To purchase Lima
Half-Mile I
tickets, click
HERE.
To purchase Lima
Half-Mile II
tickets, click
HERE.
And to save $5 by
purchasing Friday
and Saturday tickets
together for the
Super.com Lima
Half-Mile I & II, click
HERE.
Gates will open for
fans at 2:00 p.m. ET
(11:00 a.m. PT) with
Opening Ceremonies
scheduled to begin
at 6:40 p.m. ET
(3:40 p.m. PT) on
Friday. On Saturday,
Gates will open at
2:30 p.m. ET (11:30
a.m. PT) with
Opening Ceremonies
slated for a 6:30
p.m. ET (3:30 p.m.
PT) start. For more
information, ticket
purchases, and
updates, visit www.limahalf-mile.com or
call 419-991-1491
How to Watch
FloRacing
For those that can’t
catch the live
action at the track,
FloRacing is the
live streaming home
of Progressive
American Flat Track.
Motorsports fans can
subscribe to
FloRacing to enjoy
over 1,000 live
motorsports events
in 2026. FloSports
is available by
visiting https://flosports.link/AFT2026 or
by downloading the
FloSports app on
iOS, Android, Apple
TV, Roku, Amazon
Fire and Chromecast.
FS1
FOX Sports coverage
of the Super.com
Lima Half-Mile I,
featuring in-depth
features and
thrilling onboard
cameras, will
premiere on FS1 on
Sunday, July 5, at
1:00 p.m. ET (10:00
a.m. PT). The Lima
Half Mile II will
air the following
Sunday, July 12, at
12:00 p.m. ET (9:00
a.m. PT). The full
listing of American
Flat Track’s
television premieres
can be found at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports.
