Trevor Brunner (21) celebrates
winning the AFT Singles
presented by KICKER class Main
Event at Lucas Oil Speedway on
July 18
[Photo: American Flat
Track/Kristen Lassen]
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.
(July 31, 2025) – The
Jackpine Gypsies Short
Track I & II will see
the AFT
AdventureTrackers™ make
their long-awaited return and
play host to an evolving
AFT Singles presented by KICKER
championship fight as
Progressive American Flat Track,
sanctioned by AMA Pro
Racing, kicks off an
action-packed week at the
85th Sturgis Motorcycle
Rally with the
Jackpine Gypsies Short Track I &
II, on Monday, August
4, and Tuesday, August 5, at the
Jackpine Gypsies
Motorcycle Club in
Sturgis, South Dakota.
Never a Doubt
Was there ever any doubt?
At Lucas Oil Speedway,
Trevor Brunner (No. 21
American Honda/Mission Foods
CRF450R) managed to extend his
career-long streak of winning at
least one race in each of his
AFT Singles campaigns. And he
did so in thrilling last-lap,
last-corner fashion following an
epic clash with title fighters
Tom Drane (No.
59 Estenson Racing Yamaha
YZ450F) and Chase
Saathoff (No. 88
RWR/Parts Plus Honda CRF450R).
Okay, maybe there was just a
hint of doubt – especially
pulling off that win after Drane
jumped out the early lead.
Brunner continues to establish
himself as among the sport’s
most decorated 450cc riders.
Since joining the pro ranks
after winning Nicky
Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon
Award honors in 2019,
Brunner has been named AFT
Singles Rookie of the Year,
finished inside the championship
top five on four occasions,
climbed his way up to seventh
all-time in career race wins,
and stands as one of just five
riders to achieve the
Grand Slam in the
category.
Really, the only major
achievement thus far eluding him
is the #1 plate.
With former class rivals
Dallas Daniels and
Kody Kopp no
longer a concern, 2025 was
expected to be his best shot
yet.
Brunner is still in the hunt,
but the road to the title is
looking steeper by the round.
Second-ranked Saathoff is well
within reach, now 12 points
ahead and seven rounds
remaining.
Drane, however, is a relatively
distant 35 points out. And worse
yet, Drane shows very few signs
of making things easy on Brunner
– or Saathoff for that matter.
When the Australian saw his
class-record nine-race podium
streak halted earlier this year,
he immediately went about
assembling an active five-race
streak that ranks tenth best
all-time.
While time is running out for
those in pursuit of Drane,
there’s plenty of opportunity
for movement this week. With
three races in five days, a full
69 points will be up for grabs
in Sturgis.
Three Races in Five?
Make That Five in Five
Three rounds in five days is
correct, but five races in five
days is more accurate, as the
Jackpine Gypsies Short
Track I will utilize
the Mission Triple
Challenge format.
In its debut, Brunner proved
himself capable of beating Drane
to the checkered flag – teasing
what was to come – even if Drane
ultimately walked away with
overall top honors and maximum
points in Lima.
But one small mishap in any of
the three Main Events on Monday
could prove pivotal in this
year’s championship battle.
New to All
Kage Tadman
(No. 288 Roof Systems/Old Oak
Ranch KTM 450 SX-F),
Walker Porter (No. 100
American Honda/Mission Foods
CRF450R), and the rest of this
year’s standout rookie class
will find themselves on somewhat
more leveled ground this week in
Sturgis.
The Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle
Club’s Short Track will be new
to all, offering the first-year
riders a chance to compete while
not also facing the additional
challenge of coming to grips
with a venue at which their
opponents are already well
acquainted.
Even minus that help, Tadman has
scooped a pair of wins this year
and seemed to have a realistic
shot at a third at Lucas Oil
Speedway before a mechanical
problem knocked him out of the
running in the Main Event’s
opening lap.
Porter, meanwhile, is motivated
to get on the podium and do so
as quickly as possible.
Could the rookies turn the
class’ power dynamics upside
down again this week?
Happy Hunting Grounds
Even if the tracks are
different, a return to the city
where he earned his first-career
AFT Singles podium one year ago
is likely a welcome one for
Tarren Santero
(No. 75 Mission Roof Systems
Honda CRF450R).
Santero is in the midst of
something of a mini-slump,
having finished 17th, eighth,
and eighth, in his most recent
three races. That said, he still
ranks fourth in the standings,
thanks in large part to grabbing
his second- and third-career
podium finishes earlier in the
year.
But he’s going to have to return
to that form in a hurry if he
wants to remain in fourth and
hold off the big pack of riders
currently embroiled in a rapidly
advancing fight for fifth.
Gimme Five
Just ten points separate
Aidan RoosEvans (No. 26
FRA Trust/ATV’s and More Yamaha
YZ450F), Evan Renshaw
(No. 65 1st Impressions Race
Team Husqvarna FC450), and
Bradon Pfanders
(No. 83 Hannum’s HD/Pfanders
Racing KTM 450 SX-F), who rank
fifth through seventh.
And as mentioned above, that
scrap is effectively one for
fourth, with RoosEvans now just
six points back of Santero.
But while fourth may be the goal
(at least considering how far
out in front Drane, Saathoff,
and Brunner are), eleventh isn’t
out of the question for any of
them either.
Tadman and Jared Lowe
(No. 63 Big R/Little Debbie
Racing Honda CRF450R) are just
four points back of Pfanders and
within single-race striking
distance of Santero.
And while there is some distance
back to tenth-ranked
Hunter Bauer (No. 24
Vinson Construction/Reel Medics
Yamaha YZ450F) and
eleventh-ranked Chad
Cose (No. 49 1st
Impressions Race Team Husqvarna
FC450), both riders have shown
the ability to make up piles of
points in a hurry when on their
game.
Adventure Awaits
The AFT AdventureTrackers are
back following their massively
successful debut in Sturgis last
year and will be here for the
next four rounds.
.jpeg)
