Tom Drane extends championship lead with dominant ...

2025 American Flat Monitor
Peoria TT

The Peoria TT proved one to recollect for Australian Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) after he took an enormous eight-plus-second victory – nicely away from the chasing pack, with fellow Aussie Thomas Herrick claiming a top-10 lead to ninth.

The win checked off a handful of achievements for the Australian, together with changing into simply the sixth rider in school historical past to finish the Grand Slam whereas additionally equalling his personal AFT Singles document for many consecutive podiums at 9.

An enormous twist within the struggle for at present’s checkered flag, in addition to the 2025 championship, occurred nicely earlier than the riders ever gridded up for the Major. ‘24 Peoria TT winner Chase Saathoff (No. 88 RWR/Elements Plus Honda CRF450R) suffered a giant crash throughout qualifying, touchdown the soar awkwardly and being thrown over the excessive facet of his machine simply moments after claiming the highest spot on the charts. The RWR star hit the bottom laborious within the fall and was transported to a neighborhood hospital for additional analysis, bringing his day on the monitor to an early conclusion.

Drane’s path was additional cleared when triple champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Bob Lanphere/KTM/Fastrack Racing KTM 450 SX-F), who had persistently ranked among the many three quickest riders together with Drane and Saathoff all through follow and qualifying, misplaced a series touchdown the soar on the opening lap of his warmth race. That pressured him to the again row of the LCQ the place he needed to claw his option to a equally disadvantageous beginning slot within the Major Occasion.

Within the Major, Drane was momentarily dropped to second by ‘23 Peoria winner Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Mission Meals CRF450R). However the Estenson Racing ace had a solution coming into Flip 1 on Lap 2. As soon as again into the lead, Drane instantly stretched open a spot and continued to tear it open ever wider for the rest of the competition.

Drane later admitted that his 8.148-second margin of victory may have been much more lopsided if he hadn’t referred to as off the canines.

Tom Drane

“In direction of the top of that one, I regarded again and noticed I had an enormous hole so I rolled it off slightly. I didn’t have to do something silly on the finish. I can’t thank my entire workforce sufficient with all the trouble they put in. That they had the bike working nice all day. It’s been really easy for me simply to get on and experience it as a result of they’d it arrange so good. I hope Chase is doing all proper. You don’t prefer to see that occur to anybody.”

Regardless of ranging from the again row, Kopp made himself an element with an superior begin that noticed him rail across the outdoors of the pack and slot into sixth popping out of Flip 2.

From there, he shortly made his manner as much as third however was then stymied by Brunner in his repeated bids to steal away second. Their duel grew to become a three-way scrap with the arrival of Tarren Santero (No. 75 Mission Roof Techniques Honda CRF450R), who established himself because the grasp of the soar.

Kopp and Santero then went forwards and backwards whereas concurrently searching for a manner into second that by no means opened up. A bevy of inside and outdoors strikes have been executed (together with one run via the grass by Santero) within the action-packed melee. In the long run, Brunner held on for the runner-up place with Santero third and Kopp fourth.

Simply behind, the rolling Aidan RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Belief/ATV’s and Extra Yamaha YZ450F) closed in and almost made it a four-way struggle earlier than accepting a powerful fifth.

Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Elements Bros Worldwide/D&D Cycles KTM 450 SX-F), Kage Tadman (No. 288 1st Impressions Racing Husqvarna FC450), Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Workforce Husqvarna FC450), Thomas Herrick (No. 314 Davies Bikes Husqvarna FC450), and Jared Lowe (No. 63 Large R/Little Debbie Racing Honda CRF450R) completed sixth via tenth, respectively.

Because of his fifth win of 2025 mixed with Saathoff’s DNS, Drane now boasts a commanding championship benefit of 39 factors (253-214) with simply three rounds remaining. Brunner is third at 195.

Singles Major Occasion Outcomes

AFT Singles Standings – High 20

AFT SuperTwins – Peoria TT

Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Elements Plus/Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R) claimed his third victory on the Peoria Motorbike Membership Race Park on this 12 months’s 78th World Well-known Peoria TT so as to add to his unbelievable 2025 Progressive American Flat Monitor season, sanctioned by AMA Professional Racing.

Bauman now hopes this triumph will pave the way in which to a 3rd Grand Nationwide Championship as he prolonged his Mission AFT SuperTwins title benefit over rival Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) with simply three rounds remaining.

The opening lap of the Major Occasion truly performed out in favor of Daniels with the partisan followers in Peoria, Illinois, cheering on the house state hero. Whereas the holeshot went to Max Whale (No. 18 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), Daniels crucially edged Bauman as they negotiated Flip 1. Daniels then instantly regarded to put Whale between him and his adversary to achieve some early separation.

As an alternative, Bauman executed off a pair of clutch maneuvers in speedy succession, diving beneath Daniels after which hovering previous Whale over the soar as they powered down the next straight.

Whereas Daniels adopted Bauman via on Whale, he was unable to work out a option to reel the Rick Ware Racing star again in. As an alternative, the hole slowly stacked as much as nearly two seconds earlier than Daniels lastly made a late run to make it considerably attention-grabbing in the long run. Nevertheless, Bauman’s lead was by no means put in severe jeopardy, and he took the race by 1.204 seconds on the checkered flag.

The victory was Bauman’s seventh of the season and places Daniels up in opposition to the wall of their championship battle. Bauman now leads 266-255, which means the Estenson Racing ace must win out to guarantee himself the crown.

Briar Bauman

“I felt actually good all day. As soon as once more, large due to Dave (Zanotti) and Michelle (Disalvo). They labored their tails off. I’ve been (robust on them). We now have a excessive commonplace as a result of Dallas and his workforce are so darn good. We didn’t actually assume we’d be right here at this stage, so now all of the sudden, I’m like, ‘We’ve received to determine this out.’”

After beforehand ending inside the highest 5 on 5 separate events at Peoria, Jarod VanDerKooi (No. 20 Fastrack Racing/Wally Brown Racing KTM 790 Duke) eventually received his first podium within the fabled TT by ending a lonely third.

He was adopted house by wild card and Peoria resident Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Mike Butler Racing Mission Meals Yamaha MT-07), who labored his well beyond Whale to grab away fourth.

Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Techniques Harley-Davidson XG750R) completed sixth, one spot forward of Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Progressive Insurance coverage Honda Transalp), who had been the story of the race outdoors of Bauman and Daniels till a mechanical problem spoiled what had been a stirring cost.

Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke), Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Development Suzuki GSX-8S), and Declan Bender (No. 70 Memphis Shades/Luczak Racing Yamaha MT-07) accomplished the highest ten.

SuperTwins Major Occasion Outcomes

AFT SuperTwins Standings

AFT AdventureTrackers – Peoria TT

Dan Bromley (No. 62 Large Momma and Daddy Deep Pockets Suzuki V-Strom 1050) added one more accolade to his already embellished flat monitor profession by securing the 2025 AFT AdventureTrackers championship.

Bromley got here into Peoria with a wholesome factors benefit after gathering two wins and a runner-up end in the course of the eighty fifth Sturgis Motorbike Rally. In consequence, he solely needed to preserve it sensible, protected, and on two wheels to efficiently shut out his title marketing campaign on Saturday.

And that’s precisely what he did. After rival Jesse Janisch (No. 33 WFOracingonline.com/Öhlins Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250) grabbed the holeshot, Bromley momentarily tussled with Danny Eslick (No. 164 Saddlemen Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250) for second earlier than considering higher of it.

As an alternative, he selected to sit down protected in third and watch the showdown for the win transpire in entrance of him.

There, Janisch did every thing he may to maintain it neat and tidy, whereas Eslick was completely satisfied to do the alternative, sending it over the soar with main air whereas bucking and sliding his manner across the corners in scorching pursuit.

Eslick’s aggression put him in place to try a last-corner, last-lap cross on Janisch. Nevertheless, it additionally noticed him run off into the grass in that try. Janisch powered to the win whereas Bromley inherited second. Regardless of the mishap, Eslick recovered shortly sufficient to spherical out the rostrum.

The victory was Janisch’s fifth general at Peoria and in his third class (AFT Singles in 2015, 2016, and 2018, Mission Manufacturing Twins in 2022, and AFT AdventureTrackers in 2025).

Jesse Janisch

“It was loads of enjoyable. The monitor was slightly bit nervous after the monitor prep. I used to be attempting to experience actually cautiously, after which I received manner too cautious with two to go. Danny determined to ship her, however fortunately I heard him and noticed it coming. I used to be in a position to sq. him up and get the win. Congrats to Dan. It was slightly little bit of a coulda-woulda-shoulda, however he received it. He was so good in Sturgis, and we simply had that little fault.”

In the meantime, the championship is the second of his Progressive AFT profession, including to his 2017 AFT Singles title.

Dan Bromley

“It feels good,” Bromley mentioned. “We had loads of success (in Sturgis). Me and Jesse have been going to come back right here and struggle tooth-and-nail, however sadly, he had a problem on the final race. That’s a bummer, however I do know he gave it every thing he had and he received at present. However to have the ability to win this championship is fairly cool. It’s going to go up on the wall subsequent to my Singles championship. And hopefully, there’s extra to come back.”

Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Triumph Racing Triumph Tiger 900 GT Professional) completed fourth with Henry Wiles (No. 911 Walter Bros. Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250) rounding out the highest 5.

AFT AdventureTrackers Major Occasion Outcomes

AFT AdventureTrackers Standings

Subsequent Up:

Progressive American Flat Monitor will go from one iconic occasion to a different and never even have to depart the state to take action with the Springfield Mile I & II developing subsequent, on Saturday, August 30, and Sunday, August 31, on the Illinois State Fairgrounds, in Springfield, Illinois.