DAYTONA
BEACH, Fla.
(August 22,
2026) – Spearheaded
by the efforts
of Dallas
Daniels (No. 1
Estenson Racing
Yamaha MT-07)
and Tom Drane
(No. 1 Estenson
Racing Yamaha
YZ450F),
Estenson Racing
Yamaha pulled
off a clean
sweep of
victories at the
79th World
Famous
Caterpillar
Peoria TT
presented by
Walters Brothers
Harley-Davidson,
Round 14 of 16
for the 2026
Progressive
American Flat
Track season,
sanctioned by
AMA Pro Racing.
And as it was,
both headlining
wins at the
Peoria
Motorcycle Club
in
Peoria, Illinois, were
of significant
consequence.
Daniels closed
out the day’s
proceedings by
coming out on
top of a tense
duel with
Mission
AFT SuperTwins’
rival Briar
Bauman (No. 3
Super.com/RWR/Rocket
Doctor
Harley-Davidson
XG750R).
The
premier-class
Main Event saw
the reigning and
former Grand
National
Champions go
head-to-head for
the entirety of
the 10-minute
and two
lap affair.
Bauman grabbed
the holeshot but
Daniels was
restless in
second,
repeatedly
looking for a
way up the
inside in the
track’s first
and last
corners.
After being
rebuffed by
multiple
crisscrossing
square-ups,
Daniels made his
intended
maneuver stick
with just under
six
minutes remaining on
the clock.
The Estenson
Racing Yamaha
ace grabbed
a couple tenths in
a hurry and
threatened to
shake free.
However, Bauman
found his second
wind as the laps
wound down and
the two
encountered
lapped traffic.
At that point,
the Rick Ware
Racing pilot
closed right
back in on
Daniels’ rear
wheel, eying a
final-lap lunge
with the
checkered flag
in sight.
Instead, Daniels
held his line
and raced his
way to a
0.325-second
margin of
victory.
The win was
especially
rewarding for
Daniels, who
grew up in
nearby Mattoon,
Illinois,
dreaming of days
like this. He
said, “That
was probably
the toughest
Main Event of my
career. I got
off in second,
but that
was actually
good. I was
watching Briar
and seeing where
I was a little
bit better. He
was making a few
mistakes, and I
snuck by. I
tried to be
smooth, but
it wasn’t super
smooth. He was
right on me,
I kind of
pulled a gap,
but then he
reeled it back
in. I could hear
him sizing up a
move, and I
tried to do
anything I could
to not let it
happen.
“It feels great.
The bike was
just flawless.
And you know,
Briar is really
good here… just
like Chris
(Carr), Henry
(Wiles), and JD
(Beach)
– he’s one of
those guys. He
was trying to
take the reins
on taking this
place over, and
I knew he was
going to
be really
tough to
beat. I’m so
pumped to get
the job
done. It’s amazing.”
Third title
contender, Kody
Kopp (No. 12
Latus Motors
Racing
Harley-Davidson
XG750R), had his
work cut out for
him after being
forced through
the LCQ due to
losing his chain
landing the jump
while leading
his heat race.
Despite this
disadvantage,
Kopp somehow
slotted his way
up into fourth
on the opening
lap of the Main
Event. However,
he was unable to
translate that
into genuine
contention,
quickly
losing the
position to
Davis Fisher
(No. 67 Rackley
Racing/Bob
Lanphere’s BMC
Racing KTM 790
Duke), who then
reeled in Peoria
legend Henry
Wiles (No. 911
DL Racing/HYMMCO
Yamaha MT-07).
Fisher finally
made his way
through on Wiles
with less than a
minute
remaining, as
Kopp looked to
pull off a
similar feat.
The Latus Motors
Harley runner
came up just
short, with
Fisher earning
the final spot
on the box,
while Wiles edged
Kopp for fourth
by a scant 0.044
seconds.
“Fast Boy from
Illinois” Declan
Bender (No. 70
Memphis
Shades/Vinson
Construction
Yamaha MT-07)
finished sixth,
with Dalton
Gauthier (No. 79
Moto Anatomy X
Powered by Royal
Enfield 650),
Hunter Bauer
(No. 24 G&G
Racing Yamaha
MT-07), Chad
Cose (No. 49
Parker
Racing/Pro
Roofing Yamaha
MT-07), and Kole
King (No. 80
King
Performance/Motul KTM
790 Duke)
rounding out the
top ten.
As a result of
his momentous
triumph, Daniels
now boasts a
commanding
20-point
advantage in his
Grand National
Championship
defense with
just the
Caterpillar
Springfield Mile
I & II to go. He
currently sits
at 272 points,
followed by
Bauman (252) and
Kopp (249).
KICKER
AFT Singles
The KICKER AFT
Singles class
promised yet
another epic
clash with Drane
in position to
successfully
defend his class
crown, and his
archrival,
home-state hero
Chase Saathoff
(No. 88 1st
Impressions Race
Team Husqvarna
FC450), hoping
to stay alive by
defending his
home turf.
That promise was
broken when it
became clear
Drane wanted no
part of any
further drama,
while Saathoff
got saddled with
his own.
While the
Estenson Racing
Yamaha ace
powered off with
the holeshot,
Saathoff
initially found
himself behind
the visiting Max
Whale (No. 18
Australian Road
Services/Heaton
Plant & Pipeline
KTM 450 SX-F).
While Saathoff rectified
that situation
in short order,
he suffered a
bobble in the
last corner of
the opening lap.
That mishap cost
him the
position, time,
and any
realistic chance
of challenging
Drane.
Drane ran a
clean race at
the front,
clocking up a
record-tying
eighth victory
to lock down his
second
consecutive
KICKER AFT
Singles title.
He said,
“It’s been a
great season –
eight wins so
far, which
is really cool.
We didn’t really
change anything.
We rode the same
bike all day…
The track just
kept
getting better
and better, and
I kept feeling
better and
better. I knew I
had to go out
there and try to
win, so I put my
head down the
first half of
the race and got
a gap. I kept
looking back and
just tried to
manage the gap.
I didn’t need to
do anything
silly and
brought the
championship
home.”
Countryman Whale
served as a de
facto bodyguard,
keeping Saathoff
corralled behind
him for
the remainder of
the race to
claim a
runner-up finish
in his first
attempt of the
‘26 season.
With the top
three positions
well out of
reach, several
riders were in
contention for
fourth. That
position ultimately
went to Tarren
Santero (No. 75
Roof
Systems/Texas
Utility
Studies/Vinson
Construction
Honda CRF450R)
despite the
attempts of Kage
Tadman (No. 28
American Honda/Mission
Foods CRF450R),
Bradon Pfanders (No.
83 Memphis
Shades/Corbin
Seats Yamaha
YZ450F), and
company.
Pfanders finished
fifth, while
Tadman
ultimately
dropped back to
eighth. Between
them, Trevor
Brunner (No. 21
JMC
Motorsports/Fairway
GMC KTM 450
SX-F) and Jared
Lowe (No. 63 Big
R Racing/Vinson
Construction
Honda CRF450R)
picked up sixth
and seventh,
respectively,
while Evan
Kelleher (No. 31
Schaeffer's
Motorsports KTM
450 SX-F) and
Walker Porter
(No. 10 American
Honda/Mission
Foods CRF450R)
completed the
top ten.
Now with 264
points, Drane
holds an
unassailable
lead with two
rounds remaining.
Saathoff has a
strong grasp on
second at 215,
while Tadman
(182), Santero
(193), and
Brunner (170)
all retain slim
yet mathematical
shots at that
spot.
Dan
Bromley AFT
ProSport 450
Invitational
While Daniels’
and Drane’s wins
garnered the
headlines, it
was actually
the KICKER AFT
Singles champ’s
younger brother,
Sam Drane (No. 7
Estenson Racing
Yamaha YZ450F),
who kicked off
the Estenson
Racing Yamaha
sweep.
The rising star
rounded out a
dominant day of
his own with a
fittingly
dominant
performance in
the Dan Bromley
AFT ProSport 450
Invitational.
Even amongst an
all-star
collection of
amateurs invited
to compete in a
race organized
in memory of the
late Dan
Bromley, Drane
proved himself
in a class of
his own in
Peoria.
After topping
the charts in
practice, both
qualifying
sessions, and
his heat race,
the Australian
kept right on
rolling through
the Main Event.
Drane took
the holeshot and
systematically
built up his
lead across the
12-lapper, ultimately
taking the
checkered flag
with a
5.020-second
margin of
victory.
The win was
Drane’s fourth
in the inaugural
season of
AFT ProSport 450
competition.
Jake Paige (No.
55 Paige Racing
GASGAS MC 450F)
and Adam
Costan-Wood (No.
88 Turner Racing
Honda
CRF450R) attempted to
keep Drane in
sight early
before shifting
focus to their
fight for
second.
Paige had gotten
away in that
position but
soon found
himself facing
constant and
intense pressure
from
Costan-Wood.
That carried on
right up the
final stripe,
where Paige just
managed to hold
Costan-Wood at
bay by 0.071
seconds to
complete an all
Australia 1-2.
Behind, Dillon
Durelle (No. 58
Durelle Racing
Yamaha YZ450F)
worked his way
past
Cody Mishey (No.
26
Team Mishey Racing
Honda CRF450R)
to score fourth,
with Mishey holding
on to complete
the top five.
Next Up
It all comes
down to this:
The 2026 Grand
National
Championship
will be decided
at the series’
crown jewel –
the Caterpillar
Springfield Mile
I & II, at the
Illinois State
Fairgrounds in
Springfield,
Illinois, on
Saturday,
September 5 and
Sunday,
September 6.
For tickets
visit:
