DAYTONA
BEACH, Fla. (July 9,
2026) –
History is being
rewritten on a per
race basis as the
KICKER AFT Singles
championship arrives
for the Appalachian
Harley-Davidson
Williams
Grove Half-Mile.
Tom Drane (No. 1
Estenson Racing
Yamaha YZ450F) will
be in the
spotlight once
again as Progressive
American Flat Track,
sanctioned by AMA
Pro Racing, makes
its long-awaited
return to Williams
Grove Speedway in
Mechanicsburg,
Pennsylvania, this
Saturday, July 11.
The Battle
for the ‘Books
With each successive
triumph, Drane not
only separates
himself from the
2026 field of
title hopefuls, he puts
himself more and
more in direct
conflict with
the class’ all-time
greats.
With six
races remaining on
the season slate,
Drane already has a
strong claim as the
most decorated rider
in KICKER AFT
Singles history. In
fact, only
luminaries Kody Kopp
and Dallas Daniels
can muster any sort
of argument to the
contrary.
Here’s how the three
stack up in the key
categories:
Championships
Kopp: 3*
Daniels: 2
Drane: 1 (with a
41-point lead on the
path toward #2)
Main Event
Victories
Drane: 25*
Kopp: 23
Daniels: 13
Mile Wins
Drane: 9*
Kopp: 1
Daniels: 0
Half-Mile Wins
Kopp: 11**
Drane: 7
Daniels: 5
Short Track
Wins
Kopp: 10*
Drane: 7
Daniels: 6
TT Wins
Daniels: 3
Kopp: 1
Drane: 1
(Kopp and Drane are
two of the six
riders to complete
the KICKER AFT
Singles Grand Slam)
Notable Win
Streaks
Daniels: 6*
Drane: 5
Kopp: 4
Active Win
Streaks
Drane: 4 (active
streak)
Notable
Podium Streaks
Drane: 14*
Drane: 9
Kopp: 8
Daniels: 7
Kopp: 6
Single
Season Wins
Daniels: 8**
Kopp: 8**
Drane: 8**
Kopp: 7
Drane: 7
Kopp: 6
Drane: 6 (active)
Daniels: 4
Drane: 4
*Denotes most ever
in class history
**Denotes tied for
the most ever in
class history
While the
numbers generally
slant in the
direction of Kopp
and Drane, Daniels’
candidacy is buoyed
in part by the fact
that
he participated in
just 40 KICKER AFT
Singles races
compared with 69 for
Kopp and 61 (and
counting) for
Drane.
Still, Drane is
looking pretty
good in
this comparo,
and he’s got time
left to run up the
score.
Of course, the real
battle won’t transpire until
he graduates to the
Grand National
Championship, where
Kopp and Daniels are
currently ranked
first and second in
this year’s
title fight.
While the two have
set the bar sky
high, to date Drane
has succeeded with
flying colors. And
his teaser of a
Mission
AFT SuperTwins performance
last year in
Springfield suggests
that he’s equally
capable of making a
seamless transition
to the premier
class.
Gloves Off
for Saathoff
Throughout Drane’s
KICKER AFT Singles
career, Chase
Saathoff (No. 88 1st
Impressions Race
Team Husqvarna
FC450) has served as
his primary rival
and foil.
Saathoff’s stats
have suffered as a
result of the large
shadow cast by
Drane’s historic
greatness. If not
for Drane, Saathoff
would likely be the
one making a run at
the record books.
In fact, already
this season,
Saathoff has
finished second to
Drane on four
occasions – the
latest by 0.088
seconds – as he
continues to hunt
his first win of
‘26.
In an attempt
to turn the tide,
Saathoff has ridden
for three different
teams on two
different makes of
equipment and done
so under the
tutelage of some of
the most
accomplished and
experienced figures
in the paddock,
including ten-time
Grand National
Champion Jares
Mees.
While he’s yet to
fully crack the
code, this
experience should
bode him well in his
own premier-class
future, as he
continues to learn
to adapt and
interpret the advice
of a number
of sources.
And even if masked
by Drane (again),
Saathoff has things
rolling pretty
well at the
moment. He comes
into Williams Grove
riding an active
six-race podium
streak, which ties
him for the ninth
longest in class
history.
Who Will
Step Up?
In recent weeks,
Bodie Paige (No. 165
RWR/American
Honda/BWR Ranch
Honda CRF450R) burst
onto the scene in
sensational fashion,
notching up podium
finishes in each of
his three
Progressive American
Flat Track rides.
While he looks to
have the makings of
a bonafide star, the
young
Australian won’t be
racing the weekend.
That creates a bit
of space for others
to emerge from the
pack.
Teammates Kage
Tadman (No. 28
American
Honda/Mission Foods
CRF450R) and
Walker Porter (No.
10 American
Honda/Mission Foods
CRF450R) have
impressed mightily
on multiple
occasions this
season,
although they’ll be
looking to recapture
that fire after
coming up short of
the podium the last
couple times out.
The ever-present
Tarren Santero (No.
75 Roof
Systems/Texas
Utility
Studies/Vinson
Construction Honda
CRF450R) continues
to seek his first
career victory,
while Trevor Brunner
(No. 21 KMA
Racing/March
Equipment Honda
CRF450R) is in need
of a big weekend
after enduring
something of a rough
patch of late.
All four are big
league talents with
plenty of
motivation. They’re arguably
the most likely to
step forward and
make a run for the
checkers this
weekend, but here
are two more to
consider…
Home Stand
Pennsylvanians
Bradon Pfanders (No.
83 Memphis
Shades/Corbin Seats
Yamaha YZ450F) and
Logan Eisenhard (No.
66 Eisenhard
Racing/Pags
Powersports KTM 450
SX-F) will look to
use this weekend’s
home race as an
opportunity to make
a big impression.
Both riders came out
swinging in ‘26.
Eisenhard was one of
the heroes of the
DAYTONA opener,
where he threw down
the fastest lap in
qualifying, won his
heat, and scored
a top-five result in
the Main.
Pfanders took his
turn in the
spotlight the
following day,
breaking through to
claim his maiden
Progressive AFT
victory.
While both have
struggled to match
that season-opening
form, Pfanders in
particular has come
on as of late,
stringing together a
pair of top fives
his last two times
out.
Eisenhard looked
capable of pushing
for the top five as
well, qualifying on
the front row of his
heat race, but bike
issues prevented him
from taking part
this past
Sunday. He’ll now attempt to
translate that speed
into a maiden podium
with his home fans
cheering him on
this weekend..
Buid.Train.Race…Celebrate
The Williams
Grove Half-Mile represents the
2026 Royal
Enfield Build.Train.Race.
(BTR) season finale
as the program
completes its
seventh season of
highlighting,
celebrating, and
encouraging the
involvement of women
in flat track
racing.
Emma Gottsch (No. 5
Royal Enfield/Parts
Unlimited/Arai/Alpinestars)
holds the advantage
with three wins and
a runner-up in the
four races to date.
Meanwhile,
Julia Heess (No. 13
Royal Enfield/Parts
Unlimited/Arai/Alpinestars)
has given Gottsch
all she could handle
on more than one
occasion this
season, racking up
three seconds and a
third in the
process.
However, the series’
most recent winner
is none other
than Madicela Rodriguez
(No. 113 Royal
Enfield/Parts
Unlimited/Arai/Alpinestars),
who secured the win
at the series’
penultimate round in
Nashville.
Flat Trackin’ Fun
for the Whole Family
Fans of all ages
will be entertained
for the entire day
at the Williams
Grove Half-Mile.
Beyond the
spectacular racing,
the event will
feature big-screen
viewing, numerous vendor displays,
a Kid Zone, and a
wide variety of food
and beverage
options.
General Admission
tickets are just
$40, while Reserved
Grandstand Seating
and Premium Reserved
Grandstand Seating
are available for
$50 and $60,
respectively. Kids
12 and under receive
$15 off all ticket
options.
Additionally,
students can get
their ticket for
just $30 at the door
with a valid ID.
The Pit Pass
add-on provides fans a
chance to get an
up-close look at
the racebikes and
meet the riders and
their teams.
The H-D VIP
Experience includes
GA seating with full
pit access,
dedicated VIP H-D
motorcycle parking,
a guided tour of the
infield podium and
start/finish line –
photo ops included –
a meet-and-greet
with the
Harley-Davidson
riders,
and exclusive swag.
The H-D VIP
Experience
is available for
$135, along with
the option to
be purchased as a
$95 add-on to
upgraded seating
options.
Fans who choose to
camp can reserve a
spot for $50.
To purchase tickets
for the Appalachian
Harley-Davidson
Williams
Grove Half-Mile,
visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-williams-grove-half-mile-185952.
For more information
about Appalachian
Harley-Davidson,
visit https://appalachianharley-davidson.com.
Gates will open for
fans at 3:00 p.m.
ET/12:00 p.m. PT on
Saturday with
Opening Ceremonies
scheduled to begin
at 7:05 p.m. ET/4:05
p.m. PT.
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 Appalachian
Harley-Davidson
Williams
Grove Half-Mile,
featuring in-depth
features and
thrilling onboard
cameras, will
premiere on FS1 on
Saturday, July 25,
at 11:30 a.m. ET
(8:30 a.m. PT). The
full listing of
American Flat
Track’s television
premieres can be
found at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports.
