DAYTONA
BEACH, Fla.
(August 10,
2026) –
Two days after
claiming the
Mission AFT
SuperTwins title
lead for the
first time this
season, reigning
Grand National
Champion Dallas
Daniels (No. 1
Estenson Racing
Yamaha MT-07)
will put that
narrow advantage
on the line in
Monday’s
Caterpillar
Jackpine Gypsies
Short Track,
Round 13 of the
2026 Progressive
American Flat
Track season,
sanctioned by
AMA Pro Racing.
Monday’s clash
follows on the
heels of
Daniels’
Saturday win at
the Caterpillar
Jackpine Gypsies
Super TT, held
at the same
Jackpine Gypsies
Motorcycle Club
venue albeit in
a very different
guise.
The challenge
and pressure
will only ramp
up as the 86th
Sturgis
Motorcycle Rally
continues to
cast the eyes of
the two-wheeled
world on
Sturgis, South
Dakota.
Powder
Keg
With a day in
between to
transform,
Saturday’s Super
TT layout will
make way for one
of the tightest,
most intense
Short Tracks
in series’ history.
Small enough to
fit inside the
DAYTONA Short
Track, the
Jackpine Gypsies
Short Track
delivers on the
discipline’s
promise of
close-quarters
battle,
desperate
strikes,
lighting quick
passes, and
bar-banging
action.
The proof is in
last year’s
doubleheader.
The two 2025 STs
at the track saw
Daniels and
title rival
Briar Bauman
(No. 3
Super.com/RWR/Rocket
Doctor
Harley-Davidson
XG750R) trade
positions,
paint, and
words.
In the opening
leg of the
doubleheader,
Bauman edged
Daniels in the
Mission Triple
Challenge, with
Bauman winning
the first,
Daniels the
second, and then
Bauman holding
Daniels at bay
to win the third
following a
back-and-forth
affair.
That merely laid
the groundwork
for what was to
come the
following day –
a round that
made concrete
what had been a
mostly
theoretical
rivalry between
the two riders
vying to claim
Jared Mees’
vacated position
atop the sport’s
hierarchy of
power.
In the day’s
Main Event,
Bauman and
Daniels came
together after
Bauman attempted to
square up his
rival and
miscalculated
their respective
trajectories,
leaving Daniels
in the dirt and
the red flags
flying.
At the end of
the night,
Brandon Robinson
(No. 44 Mission
Roof Systems
Harley-Davidson
XG750R) had at
last earned his
first
XG750R-mounted
victory.
Meanwhile,
Bauman battled
up from the back
of the field to
third, and
Daniels slashed
his way up to
fifth – bringing
his historic
23-race podium
streak to a
bitter
conclusion.
That instantly
elevated their
budding rivalry
to a newer,
hotter phase.
While it’s largely
simmered in
2026, the
rivalry could
ignite at any
moment, and the
Jackpine Gypsies
Short Track is a
powder keg where
such things can
happen in an
instant.
Take the
Bull(ring) by
the Horns
While Daniels
and Bauman are
centered as a
result of their
shared Jackpine
Gypsies history
– which includes
their Saturday
1-2 – rookie
Kody Kopp (No.
12 Latus Motors
Racing
Harley-Davidson
XG750R) has been
the rider who
has headed the
points standings
for the bulk of
the season.
Now relegated to
a close second,
Kopp came back
swinging the
one previous time
this season in
which he was
temporarily
removed from the
top of the
order.
And after
finishing off
the box in
consecutive
races for the
first time in
his young
premier-class
career, Kopp
will no doubt be
motivated to
change the
narrative on
Monday.
While Bauman and
Daniels are
certified ST
experts – Bauman
stands as the
all-time leader
with 14 wins in
the category and
Daniels already
tied for sixth
with seven –
Kopp has what it
takes to excel
here as
well. He’s the
KICKER AFT
Singles career
leader with 10
Short
Track wins,
and opened his
Mission
AFT SuperTwins career
with
back-to-back ST
wins at the
DAYTONA season
opener.
Just six points
out of first,
the Latus Motors
Harley-Davidson
prodigy is still
very much in
contention. That
said, he’ll need
to reassert
himself down the
stretch at
tracks Daniels
and Bauman both
eye with
confidence.
Fishing
for Spoilers
The tight title
fight will only
push the top
trio to greater
and
greater heights; it’ll be
up to everyone
else to keep
pace and inject
some
unpredictability
into the
affair.
Any number of
riders could
do so Monday
night. Davis
Fisher (No. 67
Rackley
Racing/Bob
Lanphere’s BMC
Racing KTM 790
Duke) came home
second ahead of
Bauman and
Daniels
following their
controversial
clash here a
year ago.
Trent Lowe (No.
48 American
Honda/Mission
Foods Honda
CB750 Hornet)
showed his
potential at the
circuit by
finishing fourth
in the final leg
of the ‘25
Mission Triple
Challenge.
Henry Wiles (No.
911 DL
Racing/HYMMCO
Yamaha MT-07) –
who is tied for
second alongside
the likes of
Chris Carr and
Jared Mees for
career Short
Track wins at
nine – picked up
a top five here
a year ago.
And Declan
Bender (No. 70
Memphis
Shades/Vinson
Construction
Yamaha MT-07)
looked mighty
strong in the ST
section of the
Super TT
course en route
to his Saturday
fifth.
Drave
Versus Saathoff,
Pt. X
Speaking of
rivalries, none
in the sport are
as consistently
intense as the
one sparking
between reigning
KICKER AFT
Singles king Tom
Drane (No. 1
Estenson Racing
Yamaha YZ450F)
and
second-ranked
Chase Saathoff
(No. 88 1st
Impressions Race
Team Husqvarna
FC450).
Over the years,
the two have
come together
with one or both
hitting the dirt
more times than
pure chance and
similar pace
could possibly
predict.
The only thing
holding their
rivalry back
from reaching
truly epic
proportions is
its one-sided
nature; while
Drane continues
to rewrite the
record books,
Saathoff is
still seeking
his first win of
the 2026
season.
With just a
little better
timing
and perhaps
a bit more
patience,
Saturday might
have been his
best chance to
do so. Instead,
both riders
ended up on the
ground together…
again (as they
also did during
qualifying).
Instead, the
desperation to
get it done
continues to
mount as the
series braces
for the Jackpine
Gypsies Short
Track where they
split top honors
a year ago.
Evenly matched
in Saturday’s
Super TT and
both Short
Tracks here a
year ago, this
one is shaping
up as
yet another
high-profile
duel between
the class’ leading
two contenders.
Seize
the Moment(um)
That, of course,
creates the
potential for
another open
door.
Evan Kelleher
(No. 31
Schaeffer's
Motorsports KTM
450 SX-F)
gleefully
blasted through
one on Saturday,
turning their
rivalry into his
maiden KICKER
AFT Singles
victory. He
could be in the
mix for a
Sturgis double
on Monday; he
picked up one of
his career best
finishes to date
with a sixth at
the 2025
Jackpine Gypsies
Short Track II.
Tarren Santero
(No. 75 Roof
Systems/Texas
Utility
Studies/Vinson
Construction
Honda CRF450R)
finished second
again on
Saturday
and continues to
hammer on the
door in the
search of his
breakthrough
win.
Other well
poised to
succeed are
third-ranked Kage
Tadman (No. 28
American
Honda/Mission
Foods CRF450R),
who finished on
the box twice
here a year ago,
along with
Trevor Brunner
(No. 21 JMC
Motorsports/Fairway
GMC KTM 450
SX-F), who
picked up a race
win in one of
the ‘25 Mission
Triple Challenge
Mains en route
to a pair of
top fives in
Short Track
action at
Sturgis.
And don’t overlook
Bradon Pfanders (No.
83 Memphis
Shades/Corbin
Seats Yamaha
YZ450F). Fresh
off his slice
and dice from
the back row to
the podium, Pfanders finished
fifth here last
year. At the
time that
equaled his best
career
finish. He’s since
developed into a
race winner and
multi-time
podium finisher
– a
record he’ll look
to further on
Monday night.
Party
Like You're
(Still) at the
Sturgis
Motorcycle
Rally
The party is
only getting
started here in
Sturgis. Those
celebrations
will continue
with NASCAR Hall
of Famer and
1989 Cup Series
Champion Rusty
Wallace serving
as the Grand
Marshal of the
Caterpillar
Jackpine Gypsies
Short Track.
Beyond the
excitement
generated by the
greatest dirt
track motorcycle
racers on the
planet, the
Caterpillar
Jackpine Gypsies
Motorcycle Club
will feature
big-screen
viewing, a wide
range of
vendors, an
abundance of
food and
beverage
options, and
much, much
more.
Don’t
Delay
A limited number
of General
Admission
tickets for the
Caterpillar
Jackpine Gypsies
Short Track are
available for
just $25.
General
Admission
Grandstand
tickets are only
$53 (kids 12 and
under free with
a paid adult
ticket) with
Reserved
Grandstand
tickets $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-short-track-194954
to reserve your
seats today.
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.
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.
