Dallas Daniels (No. 1) leads Briar Bauman (No. 3) and Kody Kopp (No. 12) during the 2026 Caterpillar Springfield MIle I.  [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing] 

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 5, 2026) – A destiny promised is now a destiny realized. Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07) joined the exclusive ranks of multi-time Grand National Champions with a victorious performance in Saturday’s Caterpillar Springfield Mile I at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois.  

Racing in front of his home-state fans at the crown jewel of the Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, Daniels once again did exactly what he needed to do when it mattered the most. 

Main Event 1 

The Mission AFT SuperTwins competitors lined up for the season’s third and final Mission Triple Challenge contending with not just one another but near-triple-digit temperatures to boot. That extreme heat carried over into the competition, which was scorching hot from the opening lap. 

An initial ten-lap sprint properly set the tone for the day with an eight-rider lead pack scrapping for top honors as the contest settled in. Two-time Grand National Champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 Super.com/RWR/Rocket Doctor Harley-Davidson XG750R) grabbed the holeshot but was immediately overhauled by last year’s hero of Springfield, Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods Honda CB750 Hornet).  

Daniels took his turn at the front soon after but saw Lowe and Fisher simultaneously rip past on either flank with seven laps to go. Those three would then proceed to slowly stretch out an advantage over the remainder of the field. 

Fisher kicked in up another gear late, shaking free over the final two laps to claim an unchallenged victory in the first of three Mission Triple Challenge Main Events. 

Daniels edged Lowe for second by just 0.059 seconds, while KICKER AFT SuperTwins champion Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07) did his part to help out his teammate, drafting past Bauman and Kody Kopp (No. 12 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) on the final lap to steal away fourth. 

Main Event 2 

An even better race played out in the 15-lap Main Event 2 – and one that ultimately proved to have massive championship implications. 

From the early going, this one was a six-rider affair. Fisher immediately dropped to the back of the group following a poor start from pole that sent him spinning up the track, while Daniels powered under Lowe to secure the lead. 

Daniels proceeded to control the race from the front but never had room to breathe with Lowe, Drane, Kopp, Bauman, and Fisher running in tight formation on his rear wheel. 

With four laps remaining, title hopeful Bauman raised his hand, indicating a problem. Moments later, he pulled out of the race, further opening the door for Daniels’ quest for a second-consecutive crown.  

He raced through that opening to close out Main Event 2, holding Lowe at bay by 0.111 seconds to claim the win. 

Kopp edged former 450cc rival Drane for third while Main Event 1 winner Fisher came home fifth, finishing just 0.564 seconds off the win despite struggling to keep his bike tidy and low in the rematch. 

Behind, Declan Bender (No. 70 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07) ran a lonely race to sixth, with Hunter Bauer (No. 24 G&G Racing Yamaha MT-07), Chad Cose (No. 49 PRO Roofing/Parker Racing Yamaha MT-07), Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), and Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Roof Systems KTM 790 Duke) rounding out the top ten. 

Main Event 3 

While his shattered championship aspirations couldn’t be resurrected, Bauman did get a significant measure of revenge in Main Event 3. 

Starting from the back of the field, Bauman clawed his way into contention, slotting into sixth after the opening lap. 

Working a slightly higher line, the RWR Harley-Davidson ace continued to pick his way forward, taking his position at the front of a seven-rider pack shortly after the race hit its half-way point. 

Meanwhile, Daniels had bigger concerns, finding himself in a dogfight with Fisher, Lowe, and Drane as he calculated what he needed to do to secure the day’s overall win and the 2026 Grand National Championship along with it. 

While Fisher repeated his Main Event 2 fade, Lowe and Drane didn’t go anywhere. Bauman managed to break the draft with Daniels, Lowe, and Drane racing side-by-side for second over the contest’s final three laps. 

Once in position, Daniels again proved a difficult quarry. And he indeed came home in second, finishing some 0.289 seconds behind Bauman and 0.059 seconds ahead of Lowe. 

That (2-1-2) was all Daniels needed to do to lock down the Caterpillar Springfield Mile I overall win and another #1 plate.  

The victory was Daniels’ fourth in a row and moved him equal with Bauman at six on the season. Afterward, he said, “It was a tough year. It was really long, and it was hard. The guys I’m racing against are so good. Each year you expect to take a step (forward), but your competition does too. I didn’t know if it was going to happen today. 

“I could talk about the day, or I could talk about the season, but really, I want to thank my whole team. The Estenson Racing Monster Energy Yamaha team – Tommy Hayden and Tim Estenson – gave me the opportunity of a lifetime to come out here and do what I love and make a living doing it. I also want to thank all of my supporters… This year came together late, but winning four in a row and the Springfield Mile, it’s awesome.  

“This is an emotional time for me. I dreamed of this for a long time. It’s cool.” 

Lowe finished the day second overall (3-2-3) to claim his first podium of the season. Meanwhile, Bauman’s victory more than made up for his second race 15th, springing him all the way up to third (5-15-1) on the combined order. Fisher finished fourth (1-5-6) with Drane rounding out the top five (4-4-4). 

With one race to go, Daniels now holds an unassailable 27-point lead over Bauman (295-268). Kopp is third at 261 and still well within striking distance of second heading into Sunday’s finale. 

KICKER AFT Singles 

Two-time KICKER AFT Singles champion Tom Drane (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) continued his unprecedented revision of the record books with yet another Springfield Mile performance to remember. 

Saturday’s Main Event was predictably frenetic with a huge pack of motivated riders holding the throttle wide open around the fabled Mile. A red flag brought the action to a momentary halt after promising rookie Charlie Jaques (No. 110 J&M Logging/Miller Racing Honda CRF450R) crashed from fourth after briefly running in the lead. 

When the race resumed, it took shape as a five-rider breakaway. Kage Tadman (No. 28 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) did manage to open up a gap of more than a half-second as the race took the halfway flags but was quickly hunted down by the chasing Drane, Chase Saathoff (No. 88 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450), Trevor Brunner (No. 21 JMC Motorsports/Fairway GMC KTM 450 SX-F), and Logan Eisenhard (No. 66 Mark Tepper Racing/Pags Powersports KTM 450 SX-F). 

All but Eisenhard held the lead at one point or another as the contenders rehearsed last-lap strategies with the laps ticking away. Eisenhard finally fell off the lead pack with less than a minute to go, as the jockeying continued at the front. 

As the last lap opened, Tadman sailed ahead of Drane entering Turn 1 to reclaim the lead but was helpless as Drane rushed back by on the entrance to Turn 3. 

Drane tucked in low coming off of Turn 4, hoping to beat his pursuers to the checkered flag. The gambit worked, as he blasted past the checkered flag mere fractions of a second ahead of second-placed Saathoff (.037 seconds back) and third-placed Brunner (0.067 seconds back). 

The victory was the Estenson Racing star’s ninth of 2026, establishing a new single-season wins record for the category. It also upped the Australian’s Mile win streak to seven and his Springfield-specific streak to six. 

Tadman, despite leading on the final lap and finishing just 0.085 seconds back of the win, didn't even earn himself a trip to the podium in fourth. 

Eisenhard managed to come home with a top five but only just, as Evan Kelleher (No. 31 Schaeffer's Motorsports KTM 450 SX-F) closed in to finish 0.035 seconds behind him in sixth. 

Walker Porter (No. 10 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) battled from the back to an eventual seventh, while Jordan Beaulac (No. 156 Picotte Motosport/Dofralex GASGAS MC 450F), Jett Katarzy (No. 117 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450), and Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Memphis Shades/Corbin Seats Yamaha YZ450F) completed the top ten. 

Next Up 

The 2026 Progressive AFT season will conclude tomorrow with the second half of this weekend’s double finale, the Caterpillar Springfield Mile II. 

Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/meespromotions/events/day-2-springfield-2026-165643 to secure your seats now. 

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 Springfield Mile I, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, September 13, at 10:00 a.m. ET (7:00 a.m. PT). The Caterpillar Springfield Mile II will air the following Sunday, September 20, at  11:00 a.m. ET (8:00 a.m. PT) 

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

About AMA Pro Racing

AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing organization in North America, operating a full schedule of events and championships across multiple disciplines. The organization is headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla. More information is available at AMAProRacing.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 motorsports history.