Mission AFT SuperTwins riders
during the Mission Triple
Challenge at the Lima Half-Mile;
Dallas Daniels (32), Brandon
Robinson (44), Dan Bromley (62),
Briar Bauman (3) [Photo:
American Flat Track/Tim Lester]
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.
(June 27, 2025) – Dallas Daniels
(No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha
MT-07 DT) claimed top honors on
what proved to be a huge night
for Estenson Racing in a
historic Lima Half-Mile
I,
Round 6 of the 2025
Progressive American Flat Track
season, sanctioned by
AMA Pro Racing.
Daniels was in serious need of a
victory at the Allen
County Fairgrounds.
Nearly four months removed from
his last victory and having
witnessed Mission AFT
SuperTwins title rival
Briar Bauman
(No. 3 RWR/Parts Plus/Latus
Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R)
win the last three races in
succession, the preseason
Grand National
Championship favorite
came into Lima, Ohio, desperate
to shift the momentum back in
his favor.
The debut of Mission
Triple Challenge
basically guaranteed an evening
of drama and excitement as the
two squared off for supremacy.
It was the first time the entire
field would face an all-new
format that featured three
successive Main Events – the
first a 10-lap sprint, the
second a 15-lapper that paid
double points, and a decisive
20-lap Main to round out the
evening with triple the points –
the results of which combined to
determine the evening’s overall
winner.
Promising on paper, the concept
delivered in practice.
Main Event 1
The Mission AFT SuperTwins
evening opened in barn-burning
fashion, with Bauman, Daniels,
Brandon Robinson
(No. 44 Mission Roof Systems
Harley-Davidson XG750R), and
Dan Bromley
(No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson
Construction Suzuki GSX-8S)
running four wide whenever they
weren’t intersecting lines.
However, that demonstration of
controlled chaos was brought to
an abrupt halt due to an early
fall by Ben Lowe
(No. 25 Mission Foods/Roof
Systems Yamaha MT-07) that
brought out the red flag.
Daniels took full advantage of
the race reset, sprinting away
to collect a quick 23 points
toward his evening’s combined
tally. He was followed home by
Bauman, who snuck past Robinson
on the last lap.
Bromley picked up fourth ahead
of Max Whale
(No. 18 Moto Anatomy X Powered
by Royal Enfield 650).
Main Event 2
Lessons learned, Main Event 2
was a contest of shifting lines
and shifting strategies.
While Daniels and Bauman tangled
for the lead in the opening
stages, Robinson simultaneously
shot past both and looked to
make a break.
At that point, Main Event 1
winner Daniels appeared to be
best positioned to prevent that
eventuality, while Bauman seemed
to be doing everything in his
power just to cling on in
third.
But in actuality, he was simply
doing his homework. When Bauman
finally unleashed the line he
worked out while out of the
sight of Robinson and Daniels,
he gobbled up the gap and ran
around the outside of both of
his opponents, grabbing the lead
for good with six laps
remaining.
Daniels took notes and dropped
Robinson back to third by the
time they reached the checkered
flag.
Bromley and Whale backed up
their earlier fourths and fifths
with identical results in Main
Event 2.
Main Event 3
A lightning quick start for
Daniels meant precious little
when both Bauman and Robinson
stormed past in one fell
swoop.
While the three broke free from
the pack almost from the jump,
Bauman continued that charge
forward, turning the contest
into a one-man show for a time.
However, after Bauman teased a
potential fourth consecutive
premier-class victory by edging
that advantage up near a second,
Daniels reeled him back in.
Just when the Estenson Racing
ace closed in for the strike
with just five of 20 laps
remaining, Bauman’s machine
seemed to suffer from a slipping
clutch. That allowed Daniels to
effortlessly blast past and
power his way to a third overall
victory in 2025.
With nearly five seconds padding
on Robinson, Bauman was nearly
able to nurse that advantage to
the flag but instead found
himself tracked down and
overhauled in the race’s final
corner.
Still, Bauman’s earlier 2-1
results were strong enough to
fend off Robinson in the overall
tally, holding onto second in
the combined order despite his
final-lap disappointment in Main
Event 3.
Fourth-place in the race went to
Declan Bender
(No. 70 Memphis
Shades/Corbin/OTB Racing Yamaha
MT-07), who closed out a
stirring debut with On the Box
Racing by running down the
on-form Bromley late in Main
Event 3.
However, like Bauman, Bromley
was rewarded for his consistent
performances with a fourth-place
overall finish.
By contrast, Bender’s overall
result of eighth didn’t reflect
the strong impression he made in
Main Event 3, as his combined
tally still put behind
fifth-placed Whale, sixth-placed
Trent Lowe (No.
48 American Honda/Progressive
Insurance Honda Transalp), and
seventh-placed Davis
Fisher (No. 67 Rackley
Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing
KTM 790 Duke).
Daniels said, “The second and
third Mains were just super
tricky for us. The track was
like nothing I've ever seen at
Lima before – super brushed off
and you kind of had to go in and
bump the cushion.
“I was matching Briar there for
a little bit. I'm not sure if he
had a problem or something, but
I had a really good line in
Turns 3 and 4. I had to kind of
go slower to go faster, which
has just never been the case
here before. So it took a little
bit to adapt and, you know,
Briar has been on it all season.
He's won the last three races.
He's been kicking our butt. So
it's good to stop the
bleeding.
“It's going to be a hell of a
season battling with him and the
rest of these guys.”
AFT Singles presented by
KICKER
Meanwhile, Daniels’ teammate,
AFT Singles presented by KICKER
title favorite and
defending Lima Half-Mile winner
Tom Drane (No.
59 Estenson Racing Yamaha
YZ450F), earned his first
victory of the 2025 Progressive
AFT season.
But despite boasting blistering
speed right from the opening
practice, Drane was forced to
battle for it over the course of
three epic Main Events.
Main Event 1
The evening’s first 10-lap
sprint was a two-rider affair
from the start, with
Trevor Brunner (No. 21
American Honda/Mission Foods
CRF450R) scoring the holeshot
and Drane immediately putting
him in his sights. The two
jostled for position for several
laps before the Australian
ultimately seized control and
broke free at the front.
The battle for third was even
more heated. Initially led by
Chad Cose (No.
49 1st Impressions Race Team
Husqvarna FC450), he later gave
way to the freight train that
was Chase Saathoff
(No. 88 RWR/Parts Plus
Honda CRF450R), Tarren
Santero (No. 75 Mission
Roof Systems Honda CRF450R), and
Evan Renshaw
(No. 65 1st Impressions Race
Team Husqvarna FC450).
Saathoff, who started eighth and
finished third, and Renshaw, who
started 12th and finished fifth,
not only scored strong points
hauls toward their combined
tally but improved their chances
by earning better starting
positions for Main Event 2.
Main Event 2
Saathoff’s improved starting
slot did indeed put him in the
mix in the early going of Main
Event 2. But once again, the
race gradually took shape as a
Drane vs. Brunner rematch.
This time around, however, the
Turner Racing pilot had
something for his Estenson
Racing Yamaha-mounted rival.
Once in front, Brunner put up a
fierce defense of the position,
changing lines and refusing to
close the throttle when Drane
slid up alongside and pushed him
up near the fence.
Saathoff stayed close enough in
third to watch the fight in
front of him, while Santero
scooped up a second fourth on
the evening, with rookie
sensation Kage Tadman
(No. 288 Roof Systems/Old Oak
Ranch KTM 450 SX-F) rounding out
Main Event 2’s top five.
Main Event 3
Even a less-than-ideal start
wasn’t enough to prevent Drane
from getting his revenge, both
in the third and final Main and
the round’s overall result.
The Aussie fell back to fifth at
the start while Brunner and
Saathoff locked horns for first.
A quick red flag resulted in a
staggered restart, at which
point Drane immediately pounced
on Saathoff and then quickly
dispatched Brunner as well.
Drane refused to relent, opening
up an advantage of more than
five seconds en route to the
checkered flag.
All of Brunner’s hard work was
derailed when his Honda expired
with less than five laps to go.
Despite a 2-1 run in the Main
Events 1 & 2, the triple points
paid out for Main Event 3 cost
him dearly as he was ultimately
shuffled all the way down to
sixth in the night’s combined
results.
Santero took full advantage of
Brunner’s misfortune, outdueling
Saathoff to leap up to second in
the Main and overall.
Meanwhile, Saathoff turned three
thirds into a combined third.
Next in Main Event 3 and the
overall order were rising stars
Renshaw and Tadman, placing
fourth and fifth, respectively.
Meanwhile, another highly touted
rookie, Walker Porter
(No. 100 American
Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R),
showed well in his pro debut.
Porter regularly pushed up near
the top five and tallied
finishes of 8-9-8 to finish
seventh in his first attempt at
the Progressive AFT level.
Afterward, race winner Drane
said, “It was really good. We
were fast all day. I knew what I
had to do, and once I got past
Trevor, I just had to put my
head down and keep going. It’s
unfortunate that he broke.
“Back home, we do something
similar. We've got five heat
races. So for me, it was no
problem. I just had to chip away
at it, and then ride that last
one like it was the Main because
of the points.
“Thank you to my whole Estenson
Racing Monster Energy Yamaha
team. If it wasn't for them, we
wouldn't be here winning
tonight. And I'm so thankful for
them.”
Next Up:
The stars of Progressive
American Flat Track will be back
in action tomorrow night for the
Lima Half-Mile II. Visit
https://www.tixr.com/groups/meespromotions/events/2-day-lima-2025-125126
to secure your tickets today.
Gates will open for fans at 2:00
p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT) with
Opening Ceremonies scheduled to
begin at 6:30 p.m. ET (3:30 p.m.
PT). For more information,
ticket purchases, and updates,
visit
www.limahalf-mile.com or
call 419-991-1491
For those that can’t catch the
live action from the circuit,
FloRacing is
the live streaming home of
Progressive AFT. Sign up now and
catch every second of on-track
action starting with Practice &
Qualifying and ending with the
Victory Podium at the end of the
night at
https://flosports.link/aft.
FOX Sports
coverage of the Lima
Half-Mile I, featuring
in-depth features and thrilling
onboard cameras, will premiere
on FS1 on
Saturday, July 5,
at 9:30 a.m. ET
(6:30 a.m. PT), with the
Lima Half-Mile II
scheduled to air one week later,
on Saturday, July 12,
at 10:00 a.m. ET
(7:00 a.m. PT).
For more information on
Progressive AFT visit
https://www.americanflattrack.com.
