AFT Singles presented by KICKER Showdown Set for Yamaha Senoia Short Track

Rising Stars Look to Take Charge in Round 3

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – March 26, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – The AFT Singles presented by KICKER class comes into this weekend’s Yamaha Senoia Short Track, Round 3 of the 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, just waiting for a rider to take charge.

The early title fight is compressed at the top among the season-long contenders as exiting triple champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Bob Lanphere/KTM/Fastrack Racing KTM 450 SX-F) stole away maximum points in his sensational one-off ride in the Daytona double opener.

Kopp’s performance leaves the full-time field unsettled and motivated as it arrives at Senoia Raceway in Senoia, Georgia, this Saturday, March 29.

Moving On, Moving Forward 

Preseason title favorites Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) and Chase Saathoff (No. 88 RWR/Parts Plus Honda CRF450R) came into the ‘25 season more than ready to take the mantle from Kopp.

And the archrivals had done well to prove they had earned their positions atop the class’s remade hierarchy, kicking the three-time champion to the pavement (literally) with three consecutive 1-2 finishes to end the 2024 season.

Or so they thought. Kopp returned to one of his best tracks and did the business. But there’s little time to lick their wounds; Drane and Saathoff will need to immediately put Daytona behind them and refocus on the larger fight ahead.

Mirror, Mirror…

We’ve previously pointed out how eerily similar the situation Drane finds himself in now is to that of his Estenson Racing Yamaha teammate, Dallas Daniels, albeit in different classes.

In brief: both riders are seeking redemption after losing out on potential title runs a year ago due largely to misfortune. And both riders are left to do so without the opportunity to at last overcome the reigning champion they long strove to defeat.

And here’s yet another way in which they are similar. While Daniels broke the record for most consecutive Mission AFT SuperTwins podiums in the sport’s modern era at the ‘25 season opener, Drane is poised to pull off the same feat in AFT Singles competition this weekend.

Here’s the list of 5+ race podium streaks in AFT Singles history:

Tom Drane: 8 (2024-2025 ACTIVE)

Kody Kopp: 8 (2024)

Chase Saathoff: 7 (2023)

Dallas Daniels: 7 (2020)

Davis Fisher: 7 (2014)

Brad Baker: 7 (2009)

Kody Kopp: 6 (2023-2024)

Dalton Gauthier: 6 (2022-2023)

Chase Saathoff: 5 (2023)

Trevor Brunner: 5 (2022)

Dalton Gauthier: 6 (2016-2017)

Davis Fisher: 5 (2015)

Jeffrey Carver, Jr.: 5 (2010)

Brad Baker: 5 (2010)

Drane’s tremendous form predates the streak; just as impressively, he’s claimed 15 podiums in his last 17 attempts.

You can expect the Aussie to pull out all the stops in order to break the record in style at Yamaha’s home round this weekend.

Dalton Gauthier #79 (Cred: American Flat Track/Kristen Lassen)

Grand Slam Redux 

AFT Singles Grand Slammers

Dalton Gauthier

Max Whale

Trevor Brunner

Kody Kopp

We’re just going to keep posting this reminder until Saathoff joins the list. As a reminder, he’s just one Short Track win away from becoming only the fifth rider in AFT Singles history to win on a Mile, Half-Mile, TT, and Short Track.

He had two swings and two misses at Daytona (although, to be fair, his runner-up on Friday should be credited as a triple). Fortunately, he has seven more cracks at it this season, including the next four times he lines up.

At Daytona, Kopp made sure the AFT Singles Grand Slammers club remained as exclusive as possible. As he shifts his attention to the MotoAmerica Talent Cup, that duty now falls to fellow members Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Certified Racing KTM 450 SX-F) and Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R).

Gauthier was in vintage form in the opener, posting front-running pace all week, while grabbing a heat race win and a Main Event podium – a Main in which he led the opening seven laps.

As a result of his 3-4 showing, Gauthier is third in the points, and effectively second, trailing only Drane among title contenders. The former class champ repeatedly cracked a smile and joked about his lack of offseason training as well as the “loose,” relatively low-budget nature of his 2025 effort.

While probably not a winning strategy for most, Gauthier seems to be at his best when he’s comfortable in his surroundings and having fun, and that looks to be the case this season.

Brunner, meanwhile, may not have made the splashy return to the class he likely envisioned, but a fourth and a seventh is far from disastrous and keeps him within ten points of Drane. He should only grow in strength as he reacclimates to 450cc action after spending his 2024 campaign winning Mission AFT SuperTwins Rookie of the Year honors.

Both riders have shown well in Senoia in the past. In 2023, they finished 3rd and 4th – finishing in front of Kopp, Drane, and Saathoff, as well as every other rider still in the field.

He’s Not Just Coming… He’s Already Here

There was considerable preseason speculation regarding which rider would step forward and join the apex predators at the front of the pack.

Tarren Santero (No. 75 Mission Roof Systems Honda CRF450R), Tyler Raggio (No. 55 Raggio/Sluggo/Unsettled Racing KTM 450 SX-F), and Evan Renshaw (No. 65 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) were – and remain – some of the most popular picks to step into that role.

But if Daytona was any indication, Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Hannum’s HD/Pfanders Racing KTM 450 SX-F) may have already made that jump.

There were signs of his capacity to do so in a rookie campaign that was cut dramatically short due to injury, and he wasted no time making good on that promise in the opener.

Too young to race at Daytona a year ago and with only two rounds under his belt before suffering a season-ending injury in ‘24, Pfanders left Florida boasting two top-fives in just four career Progressive AFT starts.

That’s the same number previously scored by phenom Drane, one more than superstar Daniels, and two more than the likes of Kopp and Saathoff.

Pfanders scored a top ten in his AFT Singles debut last season at Senoia Raceway. What can he do for an encore?

Kitchen Sink

With the likes of Pfanders and Renshaw now sophomore competitors, a new crop of rookies has arrived to compete for AFT Singles Rookie of the Year honors.

The most high-profile of the Progressive AFT newcomers is Walker Porter (No. 100 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), who arrives as the reigning Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award recipient and with backing from American Honda and Turner Racing.

While that combination of pedigree, expertise, and equipment may grant him something of an edge, he’s also battling against his date of birth. Porter won’t turn 16 until May 14 and therefore won’t be eligible to compete until June 7’s Short Track at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri.

That’s Round 6 of 16, presenting his fellow rookies with a sizable head start.

The good news for Porter is that only one rookie was able to take advantage in Daytona. The bad news for Porter is the rookie who did, Ethan Kitchen (No. 105 Lucky Thumb M/C Yamaha YZ450F), did so in impressive, top-ten fashion.

Kitchen is the younger brother of former AFT Singles standout Brandon Kitchen. Unlike Ethan, Brandon didn’t qualify for his first Main Event until the ninth round of his rookie season. However, that served as a breakthrough performance, and he finished that year with a flourish, reeling in four top-tens over the season’s final six races, including a best of sixth at the Springfield Short Track.

Kitchen then went on to win the Indy Mile I the following season and proved himself a podium finisher in each subsequent season before stepping away ahead of the ‘23 campaign.

Those are some pretty big steel shoes to fill, but Ethan is already off to a stronger start than his big brother. Should he continue it, Porter could be facing an uphill climb.

Record Keeping

Here’s a quick update on the top-five rankings for a pair of career records that were altered in Daytona and stand to be overhauled again as early as this weekend:

Career Main Event Wins

Kody Kopp: 23

Shayna Texter-Bauman: 19

Dalton Gauthier/Dallas Daniels: 13

Tom Drane: 11

Short Track Wins

Kody Kopp: 10

Dallas Daniels: 6

Dalton Gauthier: 5

Brad Baker/Gerit Callies/Dan Bromley/Tom Drane: 3

Aidan RoosEvans #26 (Cred: American Flat Track/Tim Lester)

And Don’t Forget About…

It’s perhaps fitting that two-and-four-wheel dirt track ace Aidan RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust/ATV’s and More Yamaha YZ450F) earned his career best Progressive AFT result of fourth a season ago at the home track of auto racing Short Track superstar Bubba Pollard.

Pollard’s grandfather, Hence Pollard, originally built the venue in 1969, and Bubba and his family reacquired the high-banked, 3/8-clay oval a few years back.

Bubba has long since established himself as Short Track royalty in the auto racing world, boasting some 150 late model victories along with more than a dozen major championships, with triumphs at the All American 400, Rattler 250, Oxford 250, and American Freedom 300, serving as some of his career highlights.

RoosEvans has been a top-ten finisher every year of his Progressive AFT career, and a top-five finisher in half of those. But he’s still seeking a maiden podium finish. Could a return to Senoia Raceway see him at last accomplish that lofty goal?

Time to Party

The Yamaha Senoia Short Track will see the rollout of a new schedule that was developed in close collaboration with riders, team owners, and race promoters.

The schedule splits up the day-time practice and qualifying action and the night-time race action with an extended Fan Party/Open Paddock that will run from 4:20 p.m. ET/1:20 p.m. PT until 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT, while also allowing the track crew the time necessary to prepare an ideal racing surface.

There will be plenty to keep fans entertained all day long. Fans who attend will not only witness world-class racing on track and via Jumbotron but also be treated to numerous off-track attractions, including music, a fireworks display, the Fans Zone and Kids Zone, along with a wide variety of food and beverage options.

Reserve Your Seats Today

General Admission Grandstand tickets are just $40 (kids 12 and under free) while Reserved Grandstand tickets start at $50 (all ages). Progressive AFT has taken fan engagement to a whole new level in 2025 by including paddock access with every event ticket purchase.

Fans seeking the ultimate in access can purchase the Opening Ceremonies Trackside Fan Experience for $99, a ticket package that provides reserved seating, a guided tour of the infield podium and start/finish line – complete with photo opportunities – and infield viewing of the Opening Ceremonies and a portion of the night’s race action.

Multi-Day Camping Passes ($70) are also available to purchase.

Click HERE to reserve your seats today.

Gates will open for fans at 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT.

How to Watch 

FloRacing

For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2025. FloSports is available by visiting https://flosports.link/aft or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.

FS1

FOX Sports coverage of the Yamaha Senoia Short Track, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, April 6, at 10:00 a.m. ET (7:00 a.m. PT).

For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.

About Progressive American Flat Track: 

Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, is the world’s premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on Progressive American Flat Track, please visit us on the web, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram and catch all the Progressive American Flat Track racing action on FOX Sports. 

Source: Progressive American Flat Track

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