Nothing Ventura-ed, Nothing Gained: AFT Singles Head West for Californian Swing

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – April 24, 2025 – (Motor Sports NewsWire) – The hierarchy of power in the AFT Singles presented by KICKER competition finds itself very much in flux as the 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, picks back up with the Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track presented by Law Tigers on Saturday, April 26, at Ventura Raceway in Ventura, California.

The Chase is On

The class’ new reality was effectively delayed until Round 3, as the Daytona double opener served as an extended, glorified victory lap for reigning triple champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Bob Lanphere/KTM/Fastrack Racing KTM 450 SX-F), who took both wins in a one-off appearance before switching his focus to pavement.

With Kopp not in attendance in Senoia, this year’s fight began in earnest with Chase Saathoff (No. 88 RWR/Parts Plus Honda CRF450R) claiming a stirring victory from Row 3.

The win saw Saathoff become just the fifth rider in class history to complete the AFT Singles Grand Slam, now boasting one win apiece in the Mile, Half-Mile, TT, and Short Track disciplines after repeated near-misses in his attempt to earn a first-career victory.

Despite Saathoff’s heroics, the points lead belongs to archrival Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), who continues to rack up podiums at a record pace. Drane’s runner-up finish in Georgia was his ninth consecutive top three, the most strung together in the history of the category.

Still, a pair of seconds and a third is probably not exactly how the Australian envisioned his ‘25 getting underway. He’ll be plenty motivated to back up his win at Ventura Raceway one year ago with another this weekend.

Room for More

Last season, Kopp, Drane, and Saathoff accounted for every single victory and the vast majority of podium finishes.

With Kopp not defending his #1 plate, there was reason to believe this year could wind up a two-rider show at the front – and there’s still reason to believe that. However, there’s also more than a glimmer of hope for those wanting to see a bit more unpredictability in the quest for both race wins and championship honors.

Lurking there next in line in the early-season points standings is Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), who ranks among the most decorated riders in class history. He’s still finding his way to top 450cc form following a 2024 campaign spent earning the Mission AFT SuperTwins Rookie of the Year award, but there is no doubt he can go bar to bar with any rider in AFT Singles competition when fully up to speed.

There’s also the strong possibility that some newer faces fight their way to the top of the box. That chance was made all the more real when second-year ace Evan Renshaw (No. 65 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) earned his first-career class podium at Senoia.

There’s also Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Hannum’s HD/Pfanders Racing KTM 450 SX-F), who looks every bit the part of a race winner and title contender should his luck finally turn around and allow him to show what he’s capable of on a more consistent basis.

California Crew

AFT Singles’ strong second group is California heavy, and back-to-back races in the Golden State will no doubt see them do everything in their power to join the first group.

Tyler Raggio (No. 55 Raggio/Sluggo/Unsettled Racing KTM 450 SX-F) leads that pack in the points. After claiming a career best finish of fourth last season, Raggio will look to score his first-ever Progressive AFT podium in front of his home state fans.

Tarren Santero (No. 75 Mission Roof Systems Honda CRF450R) broke through with a runner-up ride in last year’s Sturgis TT. The next step for him is to move up one more rung on the podium.

Meanwhile, the ‘Cali Kid’ himself, Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) boasts the most recent podium and most recent win among Californians in the class. Cose is a threat to add to his trophy collection in any given start.

View to a Thrill… and More

Incredible racing and spectacular beachside viewing won’t be the only attractions for fans, who can also expect a multitude of vendors, big screen viewing, designated motorcycle parking, and a variety of food and beverage options.

Reserve Your Seats Today

General Admission tickets are just $50 (kids 12 and under free) all taxes and fees included. Reserved Grandstand and Premium Reserved Grandstand tickets are only $15 and $25 more (all ages), respectively. With a student ID as proof, students can purchase a General Admission ticket for just $30 at the door on the day of the event. And new for 2025, every level of ticket automatically includes paddock access.

Also available for purchase is the Opening Ceremonies Trackside Fan Experience ($105), which includes reserved seating, a guided tour of the infield podium and start/finish line, photo ops included, and up-close viewing of Opening Ceremonies and a portion of the night’s race action.

Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/ventura-short-track-121465 to reserve your seats today.

Gates will open for fans at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 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 Memphis Shades Ventura Short Track presented by Law Tigers, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, May 4, at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 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

####