DAYTONA
BEACH, Fla. (August
8, 2026) – Reigning
Grand National
Champion Dallas
Daniels (No. 1
Estenson Racing
Yamaha MT-07) put
himself in prime
position to defend
that title with a
commanding ride in
Saturday night’s
Caterpillar Jackpine
Gypsies Super TT,
Round 12 of the
Progressive American
Flat Track season,
sanctioned by AMA
Pro Racing.
It was the second
successive season in
which Daniels
registered a clutch
performance during a
critical junction at
the legendary
Jackpine Gypsies
Motorcycle Club in
Sturgis, South
Dakota.
Daniels left little
doubt in the first
of two Mission
AFT SuperTwins Mains
to be waged during
this year’s 86th
Sturgis Motorcycle
Rally, streaking out
to the lead from the
start and opening
up a second-plus
advantage before the
race had truly
fallen into shape.
The only moment the
result
seemed in question
happened two minutes
in when Daniels
caught his boot in
the dirt and was at
risk of being tossed
from his machine.
But he wasn’t, and
the
fact he’d already
assembled a
1.665-second lead
allowed him to
safely settle back
in and resume an
otherwise
master-class
performance.
By the end, the
Estenson Racing
superstar stacked up
a 6.784-second
margin of victory.
While jubilant in
its wake, his
TT expertise is no
secret, and he made
clear the week’s
bigger test is yet
to come.
He said, “I knew I
was strong coming
in here. I knew this
was probably
my strongest track
on the schedule,
just because this is
what I grew up on.
There is a certain
thing when you come
with confidence.
Things just come a
little bit easier.
“But it’s been a
long year. It’s been
tough. I’m tired of
getting beat. I want
to turn this thing
around. I feel like
I want to be the
guy. I am the guy. I
have the #1 on my
bike for a reason,
and we just haven’t
been delivering. Not
really me or the
team – but us as a
group. We came
together and did
some testing. It
doesn’t really apply
to tonight; Monday
will be the telltale
for us. But
regardless, I knew
this back half of
the season was going
to be good for
me.”
Two-time series king
Briar Bauman (No. 3
Super.com/RWR/Rocket
Doctor
Harley-Davidson
XG750R) looked to be
a match (or nearly
so) for Daniels
heading into the
contest. However, an
early challenge from
Dalton Gauthier (No.
79 Moto Anatomy X
Powered by Royal
Enfield 650) forced
him to focus behind
rather than ahead,
allowing Daniels to
pull off his
escape.
Bauman freed himself
from Gauthier’s
grasp in relatively
short order. But
even when fully
focused on the task,
he was unable to do
anything about
Daniels’ gap other
than watch it grow.
Gauthier, meanwhile,
remained in third to
the end, handing
Royal Enfield its
second-ever
premier-class
podium, adding to
the one he claimed
for the marque at
the Orange
County Half-Mile back
in 2024.
Fourth was taken by
former points leader
Kody Kopp (No. 12
Latus Motors Racing
Harley-Davidson
XG750R). He actually
posted the fastest
time in qualifying
but struggled to
find the necessary
space to overtake in
both his heat and
the Main.
While he
hounded Gauthier for
a spell, the chance
to fight his way to
a top-three finish
evaporated when he
suffered a near fall
that required a
borderline
miraculous save just
prior to halfway.
Despite remaining upright,
Kopp lost several
seconds in the
aftermath but had
built up enough
padding on fifth to
not lose his
position.
Fifth through tenth
were jammed up tight
deep into the
contest, only
breaking apart once
Declan Bender (No.
70 Memphis
Shades/Vinson
Construction Yamaha
MT-07) and Henry
Wiles (No. 911 DL
Racing/HYMMCO Yamaha
MT-07) forced their
way through on Trent
Lowe (No. 48
American
Honda/Mission Foods
Honda CB750 Hornet)
in rapid
succession.
Bender would then
fight off Wiles to
claim the final spot
in the top five.
Behind, Lowe refused
to allow anyone else
through, while Davis
Fisher (No. 67
Rackley Racing/Bob
Lanphere’s BMC
Racing KTM 790
Duke),
Aidan RoosEvans (No.
26 Bubba
Boswell/Smokey
Mountain
Harley-Davidson
XG750R), and Hunter
Bauer (No. 24 G&G
Racing Yamaha MT-07)
rounded out the top
ten.
While their ordering
has been altered,
the title fight is
still a tense
three-rider affair
at the top. Daniels
now leads with 226
points, while Kopp
(220) and Bauman
(214) remain close
enough to pounce as
early as Monday
night’s Caterpillar
Jackpine Gypsies
Short Track.
KICKER AFT
Singles
Evan Kelleher (No.
31 Schaeffer's
Motorsports KTM 450
SX-F) scored a
breakthrough victory
in a drama-soaked
KICKER AFT Singles
Main Event.
While Kelleher leapt
out to the lead on
the opening lap,
there would be a
litany of happenings
before he could take
the checkered flag
back from that
position.
Initially it
appeared he would
just prove a
temporary obstacle
for AFT Singles
title fighters Tom
Drane (No. 1
Estenson Racing
Yamaha YZ450F) and
Chase Saathoff (No.
88 1st Impressions
Race Team Husqvarna
FC450).
The championship
contenders worked
their way past
Kelleher on
successive laps and
then opened up a gap
on third – a gap
which they used to
further their
long-running feud.
Saathoff, who
was hunting his
first win of ‘26,
closed in on Drane
and attempted an
ambitious strike
with a
minute-and-a-half remaining.
Saathoff collided
with Drane while
angling for an
inside move in the
tight transition to
the pavement
section. The two
went down locked
together, adding yet
another chapter to
their high-profile
rivalry (after
crashing together
earlier in the day
as well).
Kelleher sped past
as Drane and
Saathoff attempted
to pick up their
bikes but wasn’t in
the clear just yet.
He came under fire
from an equally
hungry Tarren
Santero (No. 75 Roof
Systems/Texas
Utility
Studies/Vinson
Construction Honda
CRF450R), who also
hoped to seize upon
this golden
opportunity to claim
a maiden Progressive
AFT victory.
Despite a number
of heart-stopping
moments, Kelleher
ultimately held
strong by 0.529
seconds.
The result was not
just the Schaeffer's
Motorsports runner’s
first-career win, it
was also his first
series podium full
stop.
He said,
“I’ve worked a long
time for
this. It’s relieving
more than anything.
All the hard work,
the money, the
travel, so much
sacrifice my
family did for me.
You start to wonder
if it’s all worth
it… And it’s worth
it.”
Third went to
Bradon Pfanders (No.
83 Memphis
Shades/Corbin Seats
Yamaha YZ450F), who
blitzed his way to
the box despite
being forced to do
so from the back of
the
grid. Pfanders showcased the
pace to contend for
the win all day, but
a heat race run-in
with Trevor Brunner
(No. 21 JMC
Motorsports/Fairway
GMC KTM 450 SX-F)
forced both into the
LCQ.
Brunner made
out nearly as well,
finishing fifth with
Walker Porter (No.
10 American
Honda/Mission Foods
CRF450R) splitting
them up in fourth.
Jared Lowe (No. 63
Big R Racing/Vinson
Construction Honda
CRF450R) and Kage
Tadman (No. 28
American
Honda/Mission Foods
CRF450R) came home
sixth and seventh.
Next Up
Progressive
AFT isn’t done at
the 86th Sturgis
Motorcycle Rally
just yet. The
world’s top
motorcycle dirt
trackers will be
back in action on
Monday night for the
Caterpillar Jackpine
Gypsies Short
Track.
Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2026-jackpine-gypsies-short-track-194954
to reserve your
seats today.
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 Caterpillar
Jackpine Gypsies
Super TT, featuring
in-depth features
and thrilling
onboard cameras,
will premiere on FS1
on Saturday, August
22, at 11:30 a.m. ET
(8:30 a.m. PT), with
the Caterpillar
Jackpine Gypsies
Short Track set to
air the following
day, Sunday, August
23, at 12:00 p.m. ET
(9:00 a.m. PT). The
full listing of
American Flat
Track’s television
premieres can be
found at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports.
