AFT: Daniels And Kopp Double Up In DAYTONA
03/08/2025 07:19 AM
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 7, 2025) – Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) opened his 2025 Grand National Championship campaign in perfect double-victory fashion by completing the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I & II sweep on Friday night. However, he was forced to do so in a manner that yet again promised an incredible Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, to come.
After stealing Thursday's victory from Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Parts Plus/Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R) despite struggling pretty much all day long, Daniels was more in his expected Mission AFT SuperTwins title favorite form throughout Friday's program.
Daniels continued that trend by breaking free early in the Main Event while Bauman found himself caught up in a four-rider melee that also included Henry Wiles (No. 911 J&M Logging/Ray C's Harley-Davidson Kawasaki Ninja 650), Sammy Halbert (No. 69 OnlyFans/Castrol Kawasaki Ninja 650), and Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere's BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke).
By the time Bauman established himself in second, Daniels had a cushion of nearly 1.4 seconds at the front. But just when Bauman started to whittle away at that advantage, he was forced to play defense after Fisher came charging up in third. That chase/defend accordion continued to play out in both directions, with Bauman freed up again when Wiles closed on Fisher from fourth.
But Bauman's golden opportunity to give the XG750R its maiden premier-class win didn't come until the leaders hit traffic – the exact situation that cost him Thursday's win with their positioned swapped.
And in fact, the RWR star managed to momentarily grab the lead with just 20 seconds remaining on the clock. However, his Estenson Racing Yamaha-mounted rival countered in the very next turn and managed to hold his adversary at bay over the final two laps to prevent the reversal of fortunes.
Daniels said, "Man, I thought last night was the toughest I ever had to ride, but I think tonight beat that. I had a really good night going – won the heat race, won the (Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge). I was feeling really good. I got a really good start and was out front. But I could just feel the pressure coming in. I was keeping an eye out, and I knew he was getting closer and closer… It was just such a nailbiter. Brian rode a hell of a race, gave me a good battle, and it was super fun."
Fisher came home in third, equaling his '24 podium total in the season's opening week. Combined with his Thursday fourth, Daytona proved a seamless transition for Fisher who was expected to take more time to come to grips with his Rackley Racing KTM after spending the previous seven seasons on an Indian.
The experienced duo of Wiles and Halbert earned fourth and fifth, respectively, pushing down a handful of strong title contenders in the process. That list was headlined by Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), who took sixth, and Jarod VanDerKooi (No. 20 Fastrack Racing/Wally Brown Racing KTM 790 Duke), who finished seventh.
Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Suzuki GSX-8S) returned to action after suffering a laceration to his foot on Thursday and did so most impressively with an eighth-place result aboard his Suzuki.
Meanwhile, Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Progressive Insurance Honda Transalp) and Max Whale (No. 18 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) made it a remarkable seven different manufacturers in the race's top ten as the premier class' new production-only ruleset shine in their debut.
Daniels has the early title advantage following Rounds 1 & 2 after grabbing the maximum of 46 points in Daytona. He's followed by Bauman at 38 with Fisher and Wiles locked even in third at 30.
AFT Singles presented by KICKER
24 hours spent by the field hoping to find a solution to combat the Thursday form of reigning-but-not-defending AFT Singles presented by KICKER champion Kody Kopp (No. 1 Bob Lanphere/KTM/Fastrack Racing KTM 450 SX-F) ultimately proved fruitless. In fact, the class' three-time champ was even more dominant on Friday night.
An increase in the level of difficulty with the track's surface and visibility only served to widen the margin separating Kopp from his would-be challengers. Operating on another level, the new Talent Cup competitor was quite easily the fastest rider in every practice and qualifying session and then won both his heat and the 1st Impressions AFT Singles Challenge going away.
The only hitch in his evening was a shock crash he suffered while working the sighting lap ahead of the Main Event. No worries – Kopp popped back up, straightened out his handlebars, grabbed the holeshot, and pulled an immediate gap at the front.
Up by 1.5 seconds in the race's opening minute, Kopp continued to pile it before finally taking the checkered flag with nearly five seconds in hand.
Already the all-time winningest rider in AFT Singles history, Kopp came into the week with 21 wins to his name and leaves Daytona with a career tally of 23. That puts him four victories up on second-ranked Shayna Texter-Bauman and a full ten ahead of the next closest riders (premier-class ace Daniels and '19 class champ Gauthier).
Five of those wins came here in Daytona. After earning the latest of those triumphs, he said, "I've never won a race after crashing on the sight lap! There's a first for everything. That start was hectic because my lever was bent to the moon, so I couldn't really feel anything. But we straightened it out and went for it. I couldn't ask for a better week to come back and have some fun with the boys. Now it's time to go lean on the asphalt and keep learning over there."
Even beyond Kopp's runaway, the contest was a rather processional one; the entire top five – Chase Saathoff (No. 88 RWR/Parts Plus Honda CRF450R), Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Certified Racing KTM 450 SX-F), and Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Hannum's HD/Pfanders Racing KTM 450 SX-F) – ran their own races pretty much throughout.
There was more significant (and more typical) fighting further down the field. Tyler Raggio (No. 55 Raggio/Sluggo/Unsettled Racing KTM 450 SX-F) held off Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), while Tarren Santero (No. 75 Mission Roof Systems Honda CRF450R) slashed his way up from the back of the field after being forced to burn his provisional start in the season's opening week.
Evan Renshaw (No. 65 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) was the final rider remaining on the lead lap in ninth, while rookie Ethan Kitchen (No. 105 Lucky Thumb M/C Yamaha YZ450F) rounded out the top ten.
Even though Kopp technically leads with a perfect 46-point opener, the effective title lead falls to Drane, who put together a solid effort to open his '25 title campaign with 35 points. Gauthier is next with 30, one point up on championship hopeful Saathoff at 29.
Meanwhile, in the Royal Enfield Build. Train. Race. (BTR) Main Event, Taia Little (No. 11 Royal Enfield/Parts Unlimited) got her revenge in the rematch, narrowly fending off Thursday winner Emma Gottsch (No. 5 Royal Enfield/Parts Unlimited) to take the checkered flag first. Mya Maffei (No. 28 Royal Enfield) completed the podium in third.
Next Up:
The 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season will resume in three weeks' time with the Yamaha Senoia Short Track on Saturday, March 29 at Senoia Raceway in Senoia, Georgia. Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/senoia-short-track-122449 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 Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA I, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Saturday, March 15, at 12:00 p.m. ET (9:00 a.m. PT), with the Royal Enfield Short Track at DAYTONA II set to air the following day, Sunday, March 16, at 1:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m. PT).
For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.
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