The “Magic Mile” lived up to its nickname by delivering yet another last-lap stunner as Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) claimed a scant-yet-pivotal victory in Saturday night’s Memphis Shades DuQuoin Mile, Round 8 of the 2025 Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.
Daniels’ win at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds in DuQuoin, Illinois, wasn’t assured until the checkered flag flew, which confirmed an official 0.037-second margin of victory following a hectic five-rider showdown to the very end.
An early eight-rider scrap whittled down to six after a few minutes of fighting. It then took its final form of five – which included Daniels, title rival Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Parts Plus/Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R), James Ott (No. 19 G&G Racing Yamaha MT-07), Declan Bender (No. 70 Memphis Shades/Corbin/OTB Racing Yamaha MT-07), and Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) – after Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke) was forced out due to mechanical issues.
Bauman kept himself relevant with some impressive cornering and line choice, but as the laps wound down, it became more and more apparent that the Yamahas of Daniels, Ott, and Bender had the steam on this night.
With less than two minutes left on the clock, Bauman dropped back from first to fifth and then struggled mightily in his attempts to claw his way back into winning contention from that point forward.
Ott, meanwhile, gave Daniels all he could handle, while Bender looked more than capable of springing a massive upset with a perfect final lap.
But Daniels did what aspiring championship winners do, countering Ott’s final lap Turn 2 pass with a counter of his own, running back up the inside entering Turn 3. He then put his head down and narrowly outraced his challengers’ draft-pass attempts as the three completed a Yamaha lockout of the podium.
Ott earned his maiden Mission AFT SuperTwins podium 0.037 seconds off the win while Bender claimed the first of his Progressive AFT career a further 0.092 seconds adrift.
Daniels said, “That was huge… Not even just the win, but how we felt on the motorcycle today. It’s no secret that at the beginning of the season we’ve been struggling a little bit, just with some stuff. It’s not for lack of effort. My team has been busting their butts so much. This track – with the way that the corners are – is one where we’ve always lacked on the Yamaha the last few years. We’ve been making headway, and last year we were close to Jared (Mees), but not that close. This morning, I didn’t really feel the greatest, but I had a quiet confidence. I knew we were going to figure it out. I can’t give a big enough of a thanks to my whole Estenson Racing Monster Energy Yamaha team…
“It was an amazing day. It’s the first time I’ve won a Grand National in my home state. It’s something special.”
Robinson, meanwhile, held Bauman off for fourth just back of the top three.
As a result, Daniels and Bauman now boast 162 points and four wins apiece, with Bauman technically in the championship lead as a result of his three runners-up to Daniels’ two. It doesn’t get much closer than that with the Grand National Championship fight now officially at its halfway point.
Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Racing Unlimited/Parts Bros/D&D Kawasaki Ninja 650) finished a lonely sixth, while Jarod VanDerKooi (No. 20 Fastrack Racing/Wally Brown Racing KTM 790 Duke), Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Progressive Insurance Honda Transalp), Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Suzuki GSX-8S), and Max Whale (No. 18 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) rounding out the night’s top ten in that order.
AFT Singles presented by KICKER
In just over the span of a week, Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) took a protracted wins drought and vulnerable AFT Singles presented by KICKER championship position and transformed them into a three-race victory streak and a commanding 20-point advantage.
The Australian did so in an intense Main Event that saw an eight-rider lead freight train storm past the checkered flag separated by a combined 0.342 seconds.
As it went, the heated rivalry between Drane and Chase Saathoff (No. 88 RWR/Parts Plus Honda CRF450R) got that much hotter Saturday night. Saathoff came up just 0.020 seconds short of defeating Drane after spending the entire race in a struggle just to prevent the Estenson Racing ace from making an escape and instead forcing him to fight it out in a pack war.
The two gestured angrily at one another following the conclusion of the race after being locked in ultra close quarters combat, including one particularly perilous moment in which Saathoff’s boot contacted Drane’s handlebar as they railed around a corner in tight proximity.
Afterward, Drane said, “I just wanted to get out there straight to the front and do everything I could to win that one, because that was dangerous coming off the last corner doing that. It is what it is, and I guess I just have to put my head down and do what I did and come out on top.”
In response, Saathoff said, “I thought I set myself up good (on the final lap), but it seems to me that Tom Drane doesn’t know how to go in a straight line sometimes. But, that’s okay. We’re going to look past it and move on to the next (race).”
Saathoff was joined in the joint attempt to overcome Drane’s day-long speed advantage for the bulk of the Main by eventual third-place finisher Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) and Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Hannum’s HD/Pfanders Racing KTM 450 SX-F), who was shuffled back to sixth at the flag despite finishing just 0.252 seconds back of the win.
Despite his impressive form, Pfanders was displaced in that final rush to the stripe by Hunter Bauer (No. 24 Vinson Construction/Reel Medics Yamaha YZ450F) and Evan Renshaw (No. 65 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450), who rounded out the top five.
Meanwhile, Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) and Tarren Santero (No. 75 Mission Roof Systems Honda CRF450R) were rewarded with just seventh- and eighth-place results despite being in with a shot at the win as late as the race’s final corner.
Drane’s recent surge has granted him a significant advantage over Saathoff at the title fight’s halfway point, as he now leads 153-133. Brunner sits third at 114, while Santero is well back in fourth with 87 points.
Next Up:
Progressive American Flat Track will at last make its debut at the Short Track at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri, on Friday, July 18. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/2025-lucas-oil-short-track-141381 to secure your tickets today.
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 Memphis Shades DuQuoin Mile, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, July 13, at 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT).
For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.