Tom Drane (No. 59) leads the KICKER AFT Singles into turn one during the 2025 Peoria TT.  [Photo: Tim Lester for AMA Pro Racing] 

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 19, 2026) – The championship is on the line as the KICKER AFT Singles competitors arrive in Peoria, Illinois, for the 79th World Famous Caterpillar Peoria TT presented by Walters Brothers Harley-Davidson at the Peoria Motorcycle Club on Saturday, August 22. 

The world’s elite 450cc motorcycle dirt track pilots will battle each other around right- and left-hand turns and over jumps, with the visceral moment-to-moment action and overarching season goals combining to create a most compelling draw for the 14th round of the 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. 

The Best Revenge 

Defending KICKER AFT Singles champion Tom Drane (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) enters this weekend in Peoria following a dreadful week of racing in Sturgis that saw him hit with his worst back-to-back finishes since early his rookie season. 

And that’s not all that hit him. The Australian’s dip in results came after being taken out while leading the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Super TT. He then hit the ground again two days later after getting caught between two competitors as they all sought the same real estate off the start of the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Short Track. 

As a result, he was forced to run up through the field from the back of the grid following both restarts, winding up with 10th-and 7th-place finishes.  

A small positive was that 10th was elevated to a 9th after archrival Chase Saathoff (No. 88 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) was disqualified for having taken Drane out. A larger negative was that Drane himself was hit with a five-point penalty after banging into the back of Saathoff’s rear wheel out of frustration when it was all over. 

However, that penalty wasn’t big enough to prevent Drane from taking out his frustrations in a more productive manner this weekend. 

Despite the subtraction, he still holds a 42-point advantage over second-ranked Saathoff. Drane already has the tiebreaker in hand, which means if he leaves Peoria with that lead expanded by just four points, he’ll have secured his second consecutive KICKER AFT Singles championship. 

Incidentally, the difference between first- and second-place is four points. 

So if Drane wins this year’s Caterpillar Peoria TT – as he did by more than eight seconds a year ago – the rising star will lock this one up two rounds early. It’ll also give him a strong case to be rewarded with a Mission AFT SuperTwins wild card ride at the Caterpillar Springfield Mile I & II double finale. 

There should be no lack of motivation. 

Standing in the Way 

The flip side to that is Saathoff knows exactly what he must do to make certain he keeps his vanishingly slim title hopes alive to the finale: win. 

Drane’s ‘25 victory at the circuit was no doubt made easier by the fact that Saathoff was absent after suffering an injury during qualifying. And he would have been a threat; the Illinois native had just posted the fastest time of the session when he was thrown from his machine attempting to land the jump. 

Now fully healthy and with his own source of motivation, Saathoff responded to his Sturgis DQ by scoring his first win of the season two days later.  

He’ll look to carry those winning ways forward at the same Peoria racetrack where he took top honors in 2024 following an intense battle with then-champion Kody Kopp and future-champion Drane. 

Signing Off 

So long as he’s sufficiently recovered from the qualifying spill that ruled him out at the Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Super TT, Jesse Janisch (No. 33 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) will line up for what’s being billed the final Progressive AFT race of his career. 

If that holds true, Janisch can be proud of his sparkling record, which is highlighted by the 2022 Mission AFT Production Twins title but spread out across many classes and years. 

Along with his successful title run, Janisch will be remembered as one of the all-time KICKER AFT Singles TT greats – a discipline in which he leads all riders with six career victories… and a certified Peoria TT superstar. 

Janisch has won four races at the venue – three in KICKER AFT Singles competition (2015, 2017, and 2018) along with last year’s AFT AdventureTrackers Main Event. 

Still plenty quick and with a huge edge in experience, it’ll be interesting to see how the young lions of the class match up with a returning (and exiting) Peoria grand master. 

Dark Horses 

A couple other riders have shown they have what it takes to fight up front this weekend. 

Trevor Brunner (No. 21 JMC Motorsports/Fairway GMC KTM 450 SX-F) won in a wild one here in 2023, edging Drane and Kopp to the checkered flag. He also finished as last year’s runner-up and earlier earned a podium in 2022, when he finished third. 

Brunner’s first week of action on the JMC Motorsports KTM signaled a return to form, a fact that makes him a contender of note this weekend. 

And Tarren Santero (No. 75 Roof Systems/Texas Utility Studies/Vinson Construction Honda CRF450R) has also shown well here in the past. He rounded out the podium in 2025 after finishing fourth in 2024. But podiums are no longer the goal – Santero has racked up his share of those these past three seasons; it’s that maiden win that’s overdue. 

Wizards of Oz 

Drane isn’t the only Australian with their sights set on the top step of the podium this weekend. Two others are set to join the mix, one whose Peoria potential is proven, the other’s whose is projected. 

Max Whale (No. 18 Australian Road Services/Heaton Plant & Pipeline KTM 450 SX-F) is set to make his first Progressive AFT appearance of the season after taking a step away following a decorated near-decade long stint in the series from 2018-2025. During that time, Whale finished as KICKER AFT Singles runner-up twice while scoring nine victories along the way. 

Two of those wins came at the Peoria TT, and he underlined his expertise at the venue with a top five in last year’s Mission AFT SuperTwins Main Event. 

Whale will be joined by young charger Bodie Paige (No. 165 American Honda/RWR/BA Ranch Honda CRF450R), who has not only finished on the podium in all three of his prior KICKER AFT Singles starts, he’s also spent the season winning races in MotoAmerica Twins Cup action. 

Paige, who followed Dallas Daniels to become just the second-ever winner of the Nicky Hayden AMA Horizon Award in both flat track and road racing, should be able to put that unique blend of abilities to good use in Peoria. 

Time to Step Up 

Meanwhile, the field is full of young chargers who have yet to taste significant success at the fabled race. No doubt they’ll look to do just that this weekend. 

Four-time KICKER AFT Singles winner Kage Tadman (No. 28 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), DAYTONA winner Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Memphis Shades/Corbin Seats Yamaha YZ450F), and Caterpillar Jackpine Gypsies Super TT winner Evan Kelleher (No. 31 Schaeffer's Motorsports KTM 450 SX-F) have shown they’ve got what it takes to stand atop the podium. 

Meanwhile, the likes of Walker Porter (No. 10 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Jared Lowe (No. 63 Big R Racing/Vinson Construction Honda CRF450R), and Jack Brucks (No. 113 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) are hungry to do the same. 

Dan Bromley AFT ProSport 450 Invitational 

This weekend, Progressive AFT will pay further tribute to the late Dan Bromley, a two-time national champion who was cherished for his generosity and spirit as much as his talent and speed. 

The series will do so by hosting the Dan Bromley AFT ProSport 450 Invitational as part of Saturday’s race activities at the Caterpillar Peoria TT. Invitations have been extended to riders who earned AFT Pro Sport licenses through the Road to AFT Program during the 2026 season, and they’ll be racing with a $4000 purse on the line. 

The entry list is a who’s who of highly rated amateurs, including AFT ProSport 450 race winners Sam Drane (No. 7 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), Adam Costan-Wood (No. 88 Turner Racing Honda CRF450R), and Bayne Nantz (No. 313 Nantz Bros Racing KTM 450 SX-F), among several other podium finishers. 

The future stars of the sport will need to give it their all to properly honor the legacy of Bromley, who won the 2021 Mission AFT Productions Twins race in Peoria. 

They will, and Bromley – who dedicated himself to helping prepare the next generation of racers prior to his passing – would have no doubt been proud of their efforts. 

The Amphitheater Awaits 

Beyond the 79th running of one of the most thrilling and historic motorcycle races on the planet, those in attendance will also be treated to a Saturday afternoon of entertainment highlighted by a range of vendors, expansive food and beverage options, and dedicated motorcycle parking. 

Mark Ramsey and Eric “Digger” Manes, stars of the hit television show Moonshiners, will be on site to serve as Grand Marshals to underline the celebratory nature of the event. 

General Admission tickets are just $30 (kids 12 and under free with a paid adult GA ticket).  

For $125 (all ages), fans can purchase a VIP ticket, which includes admission to the Turn 1 VIP lounge – located in an air-conditioned building that overlooks the entire track – food and beverage, a swag bag, and VIP parking. 

And for $135 (all ages), H.O.G. members can enjoy the Harley-Davidson VIP Experience, which provides dedicated H.O.G. parking and an exclusive seating section, a guided tour of the infield podium and start/finish line, photo ops included, a meet-and-greet with the Harley-Davidson riders, and exclusive swag.  

Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/peoriamotorcycleclub/events/2025-peoria-tt-129191 to secure your tickets today.  

Gates will open at 9:00 a.m. ET/6:00 a.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 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 World Famous Caterpillar Peoria TT, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 30, at 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 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.