Tom Drane (No. 1) battles Chase Saathoff (No. 88) during practice of the 2026 Lima Half-Mile. [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing]

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 4, 2026) – If history could ever guarantee a barnburner-to-be, this Saturday’s KICKER AFT Singles showdown at the Drag Specialties DuQuoin Mile on the Fourth of July at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in DuQuoin, Illinois would be the one. 

Since rejoining the Progressive American Flat Track tour, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, in 2023, the “Magic Mile” has delivered nothing but multi-rider, last-lap clashes. 

There’s almost zero reason to expect this year’s KICKER AFT Singles Independence Day fracas will be any different.  

Drane Kept A-Rollin’ 

Reigning class champion and runaway points leader Tom Drane (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) is why that “almost” was included as a subtle disclaimer above. 

Even if the race projects as yet another decided by a photo finish, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a clear pre-race favorite. 

The Australian not only comes in riding high on a three-race win streak that’s made him the winningest rider in KICKER AFT Singles history (24 wins and counting), that recent run actually pales in comparison to the one established via his Mile Mastery. 

Drane enters DuQuoin working an active five-race streak of consecutive victories at Miles, one more of which will also give him sole possession for most Mile wins in class history (nine). 

In his three prior attempts here in DuQuoin, the Estenson Racing Yamaha star has won twice, a strike rate he’ll aim to up to 75% this weekend. 

Oh Yes, There Will Be Fireworks 

Drane’s dominance is one that is most generously measured in placements rather than margins. While he’s come out on top more often than not, even the slightest misstep at the wrong time would have painted an entirely different picture.  

In all three of those previous DuQuoin Mains, the win was decided by 0.020 seconds or less and at least one rider who finished less than a quarter-of-a-second back of victory didn’t even merit an invitation to the podium. 

During that span, one rider finished as the runner-up 0.001 seconds back, another missed the podium despite finishing 0.088 seconds behind the winner, and yet another crossed the line 0.342 back of victory and recouped just eighth-place points for the effort. 

This weekend’s race has everything in place to be yet another fireworks show. 

And even Drane is not immune to the fickle nature of the venue; he’s the aforementioned rider who came home fourth in 2024 despite hitting the stripe 0.088 seconds after the winner. 

FBI on the Chase 

The winner that day was none other than home-state hero Chase Saathoff (No. 88 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450). 

In fact, one could make an argument that Saathoff has been even stronger than Drane at DuQuoin, running a combined 0.031 seconds quicker than his rival here since 2023. 

However, Saathoff only has that one win (a 0.001-second ace over Kody Kopp and company) to show for it, with a pair of extremely close runners-up on either side (losing to Drane by 0.020 seconds in 2023 and then again by 0.011 seconds in 2025). 

This next-generation Fast Boy from Illinois will be desperate to even the score this weekend and at last claim a first win of the 2026 season. 

Winging It  

Lima proved a serious struggle for fourth-ranked Trevor Brunner (No. 21 KMA Racing/March Equipment Yamaha YZ450F/Honda CRF450R). 

Brunner has campaigned factory Yamahas and Hondas in past years, but he’s no longer tied down to any given manufacturer. That was made clear when he swapped out his private Yamaha for a private Honda this past weekend.  

He got his year off to a strong start, reeling in four podiums over the first five races, including a win at Senoia. However, Brunner struggled at Budds Creek and Nashville, at least by his standards, collecting just eighth- and 17th-place points. 

Perhaps looking to shake things up in hopes of getting things back on track, the team made the equipment change. The end results (ninth and tenth) didn’t pay off as desired. 

Still, Brunner might not want to park the Honda just yet, even taking Drane’s Yamaha-mounted Mile success into consideration. 

In the history of the class, Honda has secured more than half of all available Mile wins (36 of 70), followed by Yamaha (16), Kawasaki (9), KTM (6), and Husqvarna, Suzuki, and BMW (one apiece). 

Two of those Honda Mile wins were actually taken by Brunner aboard a Turner Racing Honda during his sophomore season. 

The factory-backed squad has consistently built very fleet racebikes that excel on the bigger tracks, a fact that could bode well for the team’s current crop of sophomore aces, Kage Tadman (No. 28 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) and Walker Porter (No. 10 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R). 

Shock Value 

DuQuoin’s drafting wars also have the potential to inject some new blood into the equation. 

If you’ll recall, amidst a 17th-ranked rookie season, and with a prior best finish of 13th, Evan Kelleher (No. 31 Schaeffer's Motorsports KTM 450 SX-F) came from seemingly nowhere to battle with the leaders here in 2024, taking the checkered flag just 0.204 seconds off the win. 

Kelleher made himself a known quantity that day, and he’s continued to steadily improve. It’s no longer a surprise when he’s running well inside the top ten. There are a couple lessons to take from Kelleher’s magical performance. 

Yes, keep an eye on him this weekend. But more than that – keep an eye on everyone. There’s no predicting who might be the next to emerge from the pack and make a surprise bid for victory, especially in a class with so many talented first- and second-year riders looking to make a statement. 

On the Horizon 

One newcomer who won’t surprise anyone by fighting at the front is the prodigious Bodie Paige (No. 165 RWR/American Honda/BWR Ranch Honda CRF450R), who stormed on to the Progressive AFT scene with a double-podium debut last weekend in Lima. 

Paige’s instant success will serve as further motivation for the next generation of heroes hoping to follow in the tire tracks of Paige, who was named the 2025 Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award winner here at DuQuoin one year ago. 

Immediately following the Progressive AFT action, the amateurs will take centerstage at the venue for the 2026 Roof Systems AMA Flat Track Grand Championship from July 5-10. 

Of course, Paige is just the latest in an incredible list of Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award recipients over the years, a list that also includes the likes of the eponymous Hayden, Bryan Smith, Jared Mees, Brad Baker, Briar Bauman, Dallas Daniels, and Kody Kopp. 

There’s a good chance this year’s winner will already be a familiar name to Progressive AFT fans thanks to AFT ProSport 450. In its introductory season, the class showcased leading amateurs such as Sam Drane (No. 7 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), Adam Costan-Wood (No. 88 Turner Racing Honda CRF450R), Bayne Nantz (No. 313 Nantz Bros Racing KTM 450 SX-F), and Jed Fyffe (No. 23 Thriller Motorsports/Yamaha Australia YZ450F). 

Fireworks On and Off the Track 

Fans are invited to arrive early and make the most of the day at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds with the City of DuQuoin offering a free Fourth of July celebration on the grounds starting at noon local time. Throughout the day, there will be food trucks, unique vendors, a craft show, rides for kids, live music by The Hoot N Holler Band, and more all concluding with a massive fireworks display in the evening. 

Come One, Come All  

General Admission Grandstand tickets for the Drag Specialties DuQuoin Mile are just $35 (kids 12 and under free with a paid adult ticket) while Reserved Grandstand tickets are only $45 (all ages). 

There’s also a Harley-Davidson VIP Experience available for the DuQuoin Mile for $135 ($95 as an Add-On). This premium package includes dedicated VIP H-D parking and an exclusive grandstand seating section for guests, a private infield tour, track walk, and podium photo ops, a meet-and-greet with the Harley-Davidson riders, and exclusive swag. 

Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/trackenterprises/events/2026-duquoin-mile-185583 to reserve your seats today. 

Gates will open for fans at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m. ET/3:45 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 Drag Specialties DuQuoin Mile, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, July 18, at 9:00 a.m. ET (6:00 a.m. PT). The full listing of American Flat Track’s television premieres can be found at https://www.americanflattrack.com/events-foxsports. 

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.