They say good things come in threes. That is certainly the case at the 85th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, as this week in Sturgis, South Dakota, includes three Progressive American Flat Track rounds, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. And the first of those three – tonight’s Jackpine Gypsies Short Track I – both featured the Mission Triple Challenge format and added a third class to the mix with the much anticipated return of the AFT AdventureTrackers™.
Meanwhile, two-time Grand National Champion Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Parts Plus/Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R) is currently on a mission to up his Mission AFT SuperTwins title tally to match the #3 on his number plate.
He took another step in that direction with his sixth victory of the season, which came following a(nother) knock-down, drag-out battle with chief rival Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT).
Main Event 1
For the second time this season, the series used the new-for-‘25 Mission Triple Challenge format. Three successive Main Events – a 10-lap sprint, a 15-lapper that paid double points, and a final 20-lap Main which concluded the night with triple the points – determined the evening’s overall winner. All of this action was somehow contained by the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club’s ultra-tight Short Track, which at 1/5-mile is claimed to be the shortest ever negotiated by twin-cylinders throughout the long history of the Grand National Championship.
The first Main Event barely gave the combatants a chance to breathe, taking just over two minutes to complete. But despite the diminutive track and short duration, Bauman still had enough room and time to deliver a relative blowout. The RWR ace grabbed the holeshot and immediately pulled clear of the frantic melee behind.
Daniels found himself an early fourth, overtaken at launch by ST master Henry Wiles (No. 911 DL Racing/HYMMC Yamaha MT-07) and Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R).
It took Daniels just two laps to drive up the inside of both, but by then Bauman was nearly a second out in front.
But even with clear air in front of Daniels, Bauman would eventually work that advantage up to 1.329 seconds by the time he took the checkered flag.
Robinson came home third, followed by a charging Max Whale (No. 18 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) and Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke).
Main Event 2
Daniels nearly pulled off the holeshot, but that merely put him in a position for Bauman to push him wide and allow a resourceful Robinson through into second. Undeterred, the Estenson Racing pilot quickly regrouped and powered under Robinson to close right in on Bauman’s rear wheel.
Before he could attempt a strike, however, the race was red-flagged as a result of a crash on the part of Declan Bender (No. 70 Memphis Shades/Luczak Racing Yamaha MT-07).
While Bauman and Daniels picked their battle back up after the restart, Whale joined the party with the impressive utilization of an high-risk, high-reward, high line. But before the shootout could really take shape, another red was shown, this time due to a crash that involved Bender (again) and Fisher.
While Bauman grabbed the lead off the start for a third time, he got extremely loose and Daniels instantly pounced.
Bauman would go on to survive scares in the same corner on the subsequent two laps as well, allowing his rival to earn the win with more than a half second to spare.
Despite the repeated bobbles, Bauman maintained second, followed by Whale, Robinson, and Jarod VanDerKooi (No. 20 Fastrack Racing/Wally Brown Racing KTM 790 Duke).
Main Event 3
Bauman and Daniels saved the best for last, going back and forth down to the final lap.
The two swapped first place multiple times on the opening handful of laps before Daniels finally established himself in first and locked down the inside.
Unlike the earlier fights, the title fighters didn’t have this one all to themselves with Robinson, Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Progressive Insurance Honda Transalp), and Whale in close contention, eagerly awaiting any mistake that would allow them to potentially pull off an upset.
And that opportunity seemed almost likely, with Bauman riding on the ragged edge in hopes of finding a way – any way – past Daniels.
But rather than make a mistake, Bauman made it happen, ripping through with six to go. Robinson followed him past Daniels, but the Yamaha rider put himself right back into second and looked to turn the tables once again.
However, try as he might, Daniels couldn’t work out a path to the win and was forced to watch from close behind as Bauman claimed his sixth overall win of the year.
Bauman said, “Dallas took me to school in the second Main Event. To come back and get him… he usually just builds momentum and gets better throughout the night. My Rick Ware Racing/Part Plus/Latus Motors team worked really, really hard. We changed quite a bit of stuff even though we’ve been fast all day… Dallas is so good. I’ve never been this stressed out all the time, but we’re out here, baby, and we’re working for it.”
Robinson finished third in Main Event 3 and the overall results. Lowe finished fourth in Main Event 3 to move up to sixth in the final round results, while Whale took fifth in the race and fourth overall.
Wiles was awarded fifth overall following his 7-6-6 night.
Bauman now leads the Mission AFT SuperTwins championship fight over Daniels by just eight points (208-200). Robinson is a distant third at 135.
AFT Singles presented by KICKER
The Mission Triple Challenge delivered another barnburner in AFT Singles presented by KICKER action, with three different riders earning a win, including the round’s overall victor, Chase Saathoff (No. 88 RWR/Parts Plus Honda CRF450R).
Main Event 1
The night’s first Main Event saw Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) overcome a determined challenge from Saathoff, who stormed by at one point only to be quickly dropped back to second.
Saathoff made another last-lap stab at the win, but Brunner held strong to grab the win by 0.230 seconds.
Aidan RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust/ATV’s and More Yamaha YZ450F) slipped free from the big pack behind him to earn a fairly safe third a little over a second back of the win.
Rising stars Kage Tadman (No. 288 Roof Systems/Rice’s Rapid Motorsports KTM 450 SX-F) and Walker Porter (No. 100 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) came home fourth and fifth, with Tadman fighting past his fellow rookie on the final circulation.
Meanwhile, title leader Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), who was feeling under the weather throughout the day, could only manage a sixth-place result
Main Event 2
Under the weather or not, Main Event 2 saw Drane revert to his more typical form, blasting up to second off the start and then sailing past Brunner to capture the lead just two laps in.
With the Australian walking off at the front, Brunner turned his attention to locking down second with Saathoff and Tadman in hot pursuit. That is until the race was red-flagged due to a bizarre crash that saw RoosEvans yanked clear of his bike when his left leg was somehow snared by the machine of Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Hannum’s HD/Pfanders Racing KTM 450 SX-F).
Following the staggered restart, Drane resumed his position at the front. However, this time he found himself under serious fire from Tadman. The rookie tapped back into his California style, railing around the outside of both Saathoff and Brunner to zero in on Drane.
While he even nosed ahead at one point, Tadman couldn’t quite make a move stick and Drane went on to claim the victory.
Brunner finished third ahead of Saathoff, while Tarren Santero (No. 75 Mission Roof Systems Honda CRF450R) – who made his way into the Main Event program via the LCQ – finished fifth.
Main Event 3
After twice being denied, Saathoff pulled it all together when it mattered the most. The RWR pilot switched up his tactics to employ a Tadman-like high line and used it to work his way past Brunner, Tadman himself, and, soon enough, Drane to grab the lead.
Even when all alone in the lead, Saathoff continued to ride high, moving more than a second out in front of archrival Drane in the process.
Behind, Tadman and Brunner went back-and-forth for several laps while contesting third before up-and-comer Tadman finally established himself in the position.
A late charge from Drane saw him pull back alongside Saathoff with just two laps to go. However, Saathoff simply refused to allow him through as the two waged yet another epic final-lap clash.
Tadman came home in third followed by Brunner and RoosEvans.
The overall podium mirrored that of Main Event 3, with Saathoff earning his second win of the season, Drane scoring his sixth consecutive podium, and Tadman picking up the third podium of his stellar rookie season.
Brunner finished fourth in the race as well as the overall results, while RoosEvans was fifth in Main Event 3 and sixth overall. Fifth place overall went to Pfanders thanks to the combined points added up from his 8-6-6 evening.
Saathoff said, “This is very meaningful. I took a chance in that race off the start, and I just rolled with it. Man, I didn’t want to have to close the door on Tom that hard, but I was there for the win, and I wasn’t giving it up on the last lap. Hats off to my whole team. I can’t thank everybody enough. I’m so happy to have done it here.”
Despite suffering the narrow defeat, Drane continues to lead the title fight quite comfortably, boasting 191 points to Saathoff’s 172. Brunner is third at 151.
AFT AdventureTrackers™
While the Mission AFT SuperTwins and AFT Singles utilized the Mission Triple Challenge format, the AFT AdventureTrackers determined its first winner of the season in a single 10-lap Main Event, with 500-pound, near-stock Dual Adventure bikes going bar-to-bar in a two-wheeled cage match.
The sky-high capabilities of these versatile bikes – some of which were either ridden on the streets or sourced from dealer showroom floors as recently as yesterday – was expertly demonstrated by a field stacked with elite racers.
None did so more effectively than Jesse Janisch (No. 33 WFOracingonline.com/Öhlins Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250). The 2022 Mission Production Twins champion leveraged a low line to cut under early leader Dan Bromley (No. 62 Big Momma and Daddy Deep Pockets Suzuki V-Strom 1050) with eight laps remaining.
2018 AFT Singles champ Bromley spent the remainder of the race muscling his bike around in a fruitless bid to square up Janisch.
Afterward, Janisch said, “We’ve been having a blast. I got to ride the thing all day yesterday out in the hills, enjoying the scenic views of Sturgis, which was amazing. I’ve got to thank everyone who helped us out. I had a good battle with Dan, and I’m stoked to get the first one.”
2019 AFT Singles champion Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Triumph Racing Triumph Tiger 900 GT Pro) claimed the final spot on the box following a three-way scrap that also included fourth-place finisher Hunter Bauer (No. 24 Vinson Construction/Memphis Shades BMW F 900 GS) and fifth-place finisher Henry Wiles (No. 911 Walter Bros. Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250).
In fact, Wiles appeared to have third all but sewn up, however, a mechanical issue on the final lap allowed Gauthier to steal back the position at the last possible moment.
Next Up:
The stars of Progressive American Flat Track will be back in action tomorrow as the Jackpine Gypsies Short Track IIconcludes this early-week ST doubleheader on Tuesday, August 5.
To purchase Jackpine Gypsies Short Track II tickets, visit: https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2025-jackpine-gypsies-short-track-ii-144071.
For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://flosports.link/aft.
FOX Sports coverage of the Jackpine Gypsies Short Track I, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, August 16, at 10:00 a.m. ET (7:00 a.m. PT), with the Jackpine Gypsies Short Track II set to air the following day, Sunday, August 17, at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT).
For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.
