Mission AFT SuperTwins riders
Dallas Daniels (32) and Davis
Fisher (67) lead James Ott (19)
and Briar Bauman (3) during
Practice at the DuQuoin Mile
July 5th.
[Photo: American Flat
Track/Tim Lester]
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.
(July 15, 2025) – Progressive
American Flat Track,
sanctioned by AMA Pro
Racing, will at last
arrive in Wheatland, Missouri,
for the inaugural Short
Track at Lucas Oil Speedway
this Friday, July 18.
Back Again for the Very
First Time
Originally scheduled for early
June, inclement weather forced a
mid-July return for the
Grand National Championship.
Everything stated ahead of the
postponed round regarding the
series’ 20th all-time visit to
Missouri still holds true.
Progressive AFT will finally
make its debut appearance at the
spectacular Lucas Oil Speedway,
which is well established as a
Midwestern mecca of four-wheel
dirt track racing. Known as the
“Diamond of Dirt Tracks,” Lucas
Oil Speedway boasts a 3/8-mile
clay oval, a 1.2-mile offroad
track, a go-kart circuit, and
Lake Lucas for drag-boat
racing.
The facilities and amenities are
equally impressive, making the
venue a most deserving setting
to play host to the world’s
greatest motorcycle dirt track
racers on Friday night.
Halfway Home and Right
Back Where We Started
With eight races down and eight
races to go, the Mission
AFT SuperTwins title
fight is currently separated by
the second tiebreaker.
Prior to the start of the
season, there was some concern
that the series – which is
typically defined by its
trademark close-fought title
fights – might be forced to take
a temporary hiatus from that
status.
Despite winning a record ten
premier-class titles,
Jared Mees usually did
so in nail-biting fashion, his
blowout championship wins in ‘17
and ‘18 being very much the
exception. In fact, Mees spent
nine of the last eleven years of
his career locked in highly
competitive and endlessly
entertaining championship
battles.
The last six of those were spent
attempting to first fend off
Briar Bauman
(No. 3 RWR/Parts Plus/Latus
Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R)
and then later Dallas
Daniels (No. 32
Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07
DT).
The introduction of an
all-production-based ruleset in
2025 led many to believe that –
while the right move for the
series for the long term – there
could be some short-term pain
associated with it coming in the
form of the potential dominant
pairing of Daniels and his
well-developed Yamaha MT-07 DT.
That has not been the case.
As brilliant as Daniels has been
(as evidenced by 21 straight
podiums), Bauman has been
equally so. Mees’ former foils
have found each other and are
now actively assembling their
own rivalry – one that could
potentially define the series
for the next decade or so.
Just how evenly matched did the
Daniels/Yamaha and Bauman/Harley
combos prove to be over the
season’s opening half?
162 points for Bauman. 162
points for Daniels.
Four wins for Bauman. Four wins
for Daniels.
Beyond that, Bauman currently
holds the tiebreaker with three
runners-up to Daniels’ two.
Meanwhile, Daniels has the
slight edge in consistency, with
a worst result of third to
Bauman’s fifth – the only result
for either rider to end up off
the box all year long.
A look ahead at the eight
remaining races suggests an
equally fierce second half. It’s
easy to project minor advantages
for one or the other at specific
tracks, but it’s nearly
impossible to discern an obvious
window for either to shake free
of the other.
Production Rules Have
Proven as Productive as
Predicted
While Bauman and Daniels have
turned this into a two-rider
fight at the top of the points
standings, there has been plenty
of shine to go around, both for
other riders and for other
manufacturers.
While still seeking his first
win on the XG750R,
Brandon Robinson (No.
44 Mission Roof Systems
Harley-Davidson XG750R) has
reliably been the third-best
rider on the scene, and it seems
only a matter of time before he
finally puts the #44 Harley on
top of the box.
James Ott (No.
19 G&G Racing Yamaha MT-07) and
Declan Bender
(No. 70 Memphis
Shades/Corbin/OTB Racing Yamaha
MT-07) joined Daniels to
complete a Yamaha lock-out of
the podium at DuQuoin, proving
beyond any shadow of doubt that
Daniels and Estenson Racing are
not the only ones who can turn
the MT-07 into a formidable flat
tracker.
Worries that KTM would lose
relevance in Mission AFT
SuperTwins due to the defection
of Bauman and Rick Ware Racing
to Harley’s camp have shown to
be ill-founded as a result of
the respective performances of
Davis Fisher
(No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob
Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790
Duke) and Jarod
Vanderkooi (No. 20
Fastrack Racing/Wally Brown
Racing KTM 790 Duke). While both
riders come into Lucas Oil
Speedway looking for a
bounce-back effort, they’ve
enjoyed some stellar moments
early in the days on the KTM.
Fisher ranks fourth in the
points on the strength of a
runner-up, third, and four
top-four finishes, while VDK is
fifth with a third, a fourth,
and a fifth.
Trent Lowe (No.
48 American Honda/Progressive
Insurance Honda Transalp) has
consistently demonstrated the
promise of Honda’s entry in the
premier class, logging three
sixths already in his first-full
season of premier-class
competition.
Dan Bromley
(No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson
Construction Suzuki GSX-8S),
meanwhile, has been spectacular
on the Suzuki on more than one
occasion. While he does have a
fourth and a fifth to show for
his efforts, he’s flashed
podium-caliber speed on the
GSX-8S.
Max Whale (No.
18 Moto Anatomy X Powered by
Royal Enfield 650) has already
finished inside the top five in
the first half of his first
season with Royal Enfield. And
like Bromley, Whale has shown
there is room for further growth
with moments suggesting there is
plenty more to come.
And don’t forget about Kawasaki.
Henry Wiles
(No. 911 J&M Logging/Ray C’s
Harley-Davidson Kawasaki Ninja
650) put a Ninja on the box at
the season opener. And more
recently, Dalton
Gauthier (No. 79 Racing
Unlimited/Parts Bros/D&D Cycles
Kawasaki Ninja 650) piloted one
to sixth last time out at
DuQuoin.
Pretty much everyone above
should only improve with more
time to adapt and dial in their
equipment.
Eight down and eight to go?
Bring it on.
Go Party, Go Play, and
Go Kart
Fans who come out to the track
on Friday night will find no
shortage of entertainment
options beyond just the
world-class racing.
The Fan Party –
complete with a Rider
Q&A session – will run
from 5:00 p.m. local time right
up until Opening Ceremonies at
7:00 p.m.
Those in attendance will also
have a chance to take advantage
of the on-site go-karting, the
Diamond Bar, DJ’d music, a
multitude of vendors lining the
midway, Jumbotron viewing,
designated motorcycle parking,
and a variety of food and
beverage options.
Seats, Suites, and Fan
Experiences
General Admission
Grandstand tickets for
the Short Track at Lucas
Oil Speedway are just
$25 (kids 12 and under free with
a paid adult ticket), while
Reserved Grandstand
tickets are available for $40
(all ages). Students can
purchase a GA Grandstand
ticket for just $20 at the gate
the day of the event with a
valid ID.
There are multiple options to
enjoy the facility’s 21 VIP
Luxury Suites, starting with an
Individual Suite
ticket ($99), which includes a
private outdoor box seat along
with access to the indoor
lounge.
Private Indoor Suites
are available for groups of up
to 18 ($2000) and 27 ($3000),
both of which include infield
group experience with a guided
tour of the infield podium and
start/finish line, photo op
included, and early race viewing
from the infield.
Also available for purchase is
the Opening Ceremonies
Trackside Fan Experience
($99), which includes reserved
seating, a guided tour of the
infield podium and start/finish
line, photo op included, and
up-close viewing of Opening
Ceremonies and a portion of the
night’s race action.
Finally, fans have the option to
purchase the Practice
Viewing Trackside Fan Experience
as a $25 upgrade to a GA
Grandstand or Reserved
Grandstand ticket, which
provides a guided tour of the
infield podium and start/finish
line, photo op included, and
up-close viewing of a practice
session.
Visit
https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2025-lucas-oil-short-track-141381
to reserve your seats today.
Gates will open for fans at 3:30
p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT with
Opening Ceremonies scheduled to
begin at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m.
PT.
How to Watch
FloRacing
For those that can’t catch the
live action from the circuit,
FloRacing is
the live streaming home of
Progressive AFT. Motorsports
fans can subscribe to FloRacing
to enjoy over 1,000 live
motorsports events in 2025.
FloSports is available by
visiting
https://flosports.link/aft
or by downloading the FloSports
app on iOS, Android, Apple TV,
Roku, Amazon Fire and
Chromecast.
FS1
FOX Sports
coverage of the Short
Track at Lucas Oil Speedway,
featuring in-depth features and
thrilling onboard cameras, will
premiere on FS1
on Sunday, August 10,
at 11:00 a.m. ET
(8:00 a.m. PT).
For more information on
Progressive AFT visit
https://www.americanflattrack.com.
