DAYTONA
BEACH, Fla. (August
5, 2026)
– Reigning champion
Tom Drane (No. 1
Estenson Racing
Yamaha YZ450F)
arrives at the 86th
Sturgis Motorcycle
Rally with yet
another record in
his sights as the
KICKER AFT Singles
competitors prepare
for the Caterpillar
Jackpine Gypsies
Super TT, Round 12
of the 2026
Progressive American
Flat Track season,
sanctioned by AMA
Pro Racing, on
Saturday, August 8.
Drane Storm
Estenson Racing
Yamaha ace Drane has
proven
a nigh-unstoppable
force as of late,
racking up five
consecutive
victories. That run
of success has
vaulted him into
some truly rarified
air as the
Australian continues
to make his case for
consideration as the
greatest rider in
KICKER AFT Singles
history.
The numbers
are increasingly on
his side. Drane now
boasts the most
career wins and the
most consecutive
podiums, among many
other achievements
of significance. Now
he enters Saturday’s
race at the Jackpine
Gypsies Motorcycle
Club in Sturgis,
South Dakota,
needing just one
more victory to
claim a share of the
longest win streak
in class history.
Despite all that, he
might not even be
the pre-race
favorite this week.
Drane has won a lot
of races at a lot of
different venues.
Not only does he
have more overall
victories than
anyone else, he has
the most Mile wins,
the second most
Short Track wins,
and the third
most Half-Mile wins.
However, of those 26
wins just one has
come at a TT.
Granted, it came at
the series’ most
recent, the 2025
Peoria TT, a triumph
that made him just
the sixth to ever
complete the KICKER
AFT Singles Grand
Slam.
Despite having
enjoyed just a
single TT win,
Drane’s background
as a
standout roadracer certainly
has the makeup to
excel at TTs, and he
has
regularly demonstrated the
pace to do so.
While it’s fair to
point out that the
relative infrequency
of the discipline on
the calendar has
presented him with a
limited number of
opportunities to
change the
narrative, it also
makes for a
refreshing change of
pace to be able to
position Drane as
the underdog
following a lengthy
reign as the
resident overdog.
The Rider to
Chase
The rider arguably
most in need of a
huge week
in Sturgis also
happens to be the
one who just so
happened to enjoy a
huge week in Sturgis
one year ago.
Long-time Drane foil
Chase Saathoff (No.
88 1st Impressions
Race Team Husqvarna
FC450) powered to
victory in last
year’s Caterpillar
Jackpine Gypsies
Super TT to round
out a spectacular
1-2-1 week.
Despite having
racked up eight
podiums en route to
a clear second-place
ranking this season,
Saathoff is still
seeking his first
victory of ‘26.
With more than a
full race’s padding
on third-ranked Kage
Tadman (No. 28
American
Honda/Mission Foods
CRF450R), Saathoff
is primed to let
it hang out at a
track he’s previously
conquered with hopes
of finally bringing
Drane’s win streak
to an end.
Vindicated
Last year’s Super TT
was also a
monumental one for
Bradon Pfanders (No.
83 Memphis
Shades/Corbin Seats
Yamaha YZ450F) –
albeit more in
hindsight than in
action.
Pfanders was
credited with third,
marking his first
career Progressive
AFT podium. However,
it didn’t involve a
trip to the podium,
as he crossed the
line in fourth and
was only elevated to
the position after
Aidan RoosEvans was
DQ’d from second.
While likely not how
he envisioned his
first
podium, Pfanders more
than made up for it
when he took his
maiden KICKER AFT
Singles victory at
the DAYTONA double
season opener
earlier this year.
He’s also well set
up to stand upon the
box in Sturgis this
year, having
rediscovered his
form following a
mid-season dip. The
OTB Racing pilot has
reeled in
consecutive finishes
of fifth, fifth, and
sixth and appears
ready to capitalize
at a
track he’s done well
at in the past.
Bounce Back
Candidate
While Pfanders has
gotten his season
back on the track,
preseason title
hopeful Trevor
Brunner (No. 21 KMA
Racing/March
Equipment Yamaha
YZ450F) is looking
for a turnaround of
his own.
Brunner – among the
most decorated
riders the class has
ever known – came
out swinging in ‘26,
claiming four
podiums over the
season’s first five
races, including a
victory at the
Senoia ST.
However, he’s now
mired in an
uncharacteristic
slump that’s seen
him finish eighth or
lower six races
running. Brunner is
obviously capable of
much more, and
perhaps the Super TT
is exactly what he
needs to re-unlock
his potential.
He’s tied with
Saathoff for most TT
wins among active
riders (two). One
more would vault him
into a tie for third
all-time while
giving him a
much-needed boost in
confidence.
Puncher’s
Chance
While Drane has made
it
unlikely-bordering-on-impossible
as of late, the
KICKER AFT Singles
class is still
capable
of springing a
surprise winner at
times.
Tadman did it twice
in 2025, and, as
noted
above, Pfanders pulled
off an upset of his
own earlier this
year.
A win by Tarren
Santero (No. 75 Roof
Systems/Texas
Utility
Studies/Vinson
Construction Honda
CRF450R) might not
even register as a
surprise,
considering how
close he’s come on
multiple occasions
before.
Jared Lowe (No. 63
Big R Racing/Vinson
Construction Honda
CRF450R) was strong
here a year ago,
while Walker Porter
(No. 10 American
Honda/Mission Foods
CRF450R) has made
himself a regular up
near the front at
times this season.
We haven’t yet
gotten a chance to
see how rookies like
Jack Brucks (No. 113
1st Impressions Race
Team Husqvarna
FC450) and Jett
Katarzy (No. 117 1st
Impressions Race
Team Husqvarna
FC450) will fare at
a Super TT, but we
can trust that
long-time Supermoto
ace Bronson Pearce
(No. 132 A1R
Racing/FRA Trust
Yamaha YZ450F) will
be at the top of his
game.
Party Like
You're at the
Sturgis Motorcycle
Rally
The Sturgis
Motorcycle Rally
is regarded
the world over as
one of the planet’s
ultimate party
destinations, and
the revelry will be
overflowing at the
track and throughout
the town. NASCAR
legend Mike Skinner
will serve as Grand
Marshal to help
cement the event’s
elevated status.
And along with the
world-class race
action, the
Caterpillar Jackpine
Gypsies Motorcycle
Club will host the
V-Twin Visionary
Ride-In Bike Show, a
Strider race for
kids, big-screen
viewing, an
abundance of food
and beverage
options, and more.
Act Fast to
Secure Your Seat
A limited number of
General Admission
tickets for the
Caterpillar Jackpine
Gypsies Super TT and
the Caterpillar
Jackpine Gypsies
Short Track are
available for just
$25 each round.
General Admission
Grandstand tickets
are only $53 per
round (kids 12 and
under free with a
paid adult ticket)
with Reserved
Grandstand tickets
available for $64
(all ages). Students
can purchase a GA
Grandstand ticket
for just $20 at the
gate the day of the
event with a valid
ID.
The Harley-Davidson
VIP Experience
($135, all ages),
delivers
H.O.G. members an
unforgettable
evening that
includes exclusive
H-D seating, a rider
meet-and-greet, an
infield tour
complete with podium
photos, and Harley
swag.
Finally, an
exclusive offering –
limited to just 30
guests – is access
to the AFT
Hospitality Tent,
which provides prime
sightlines along
with food and drinks
all day for $125
(all ages).
And if you act fast,
you can save $5 off
the gate price and
be one of the first
500 who’ll snag a
free seat cushion.
Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-jackpine-gypsies-super-tt-191302 to
reserve your seats
for the Caterpillar
Jackpine Gypsies
Super TT.
And visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-jackpine-gypsies-short-track-194954 to
reserve your seats
for the Caterpillar
Jackpine Gypsies
Short Track.
Both days will see
the gates open for
fans at 6:30 p.m.
ET/3:30 p.m. PT with
Opening Ceremonies
scheduled to begin
at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00
p.m. PT.
