Tom Drane wins 2026 AFT Singles title at Peoria TT
Tom Drane’s defence of the KICKER AFT Singles crown had looked battered and bruised after Sturgis, but remained very much alive.
The Australian was taken out by Chase Saathoff on the Saturday before being pinched off at the start and run over on the Monday. Despite enduring his worst back-to-back results since early in his rookie season, Drane somehow left Sturgis with a 42-point championship advantage.
Twelve days later, at the 79th running of the Caterpillar Peoria TT, Drane returned to doing what he has done better than anyone else in AFT Singles this season – winning.
The 20-year-old grabbed the holeshot, cleared out at the front and recorded his eighth victory of 2026 to secure a second consecutive KICKER AFT Singles Championship with two rounds remaining.
It was an emphatic conclusion to the title race and part of an extraordinary day for the Australians. Max Whale finished second to Drane in his first AFT Singles appearance of the season, while younger brother Sam Drane led an all-Australian AFT ProSport 450 podium ahead of Jake Paige and Adam Costan-Wood.
Dallas Daniels completed the Estenson Racing Yamaha clean sweep by defeating Briar Bauman in a tense Mission AFT SuperTwins Main Event, extending his championship lead ahead of the Springfield Mile double-header.
Tom Drane seals second straight AFT Singles crown
Drane arrived at Peoria knowing the championship could be settled, but showed little interest in riding around merely protecting his points advantage.
The Estenson Racing Yamaha rider launched into the lead, while title rival Chase Saathoff initially found himself behind returning Australian Max Whale.
Saathoff quickly worked his way past Whale, only to make a mistake in the final corner of the opening lap. That cost the Illinois local the position and any realistic prospect of mounting a challenge against Drane.
Drane put his head down through the opening half of the Main Event, established a comfortable advantage and then managed the margin to the chequered flag.
The victory was his record-tying eighth of the season and moved him to an unassailable 264 championship points.
“It’s been a great season – eight wins so far, which is really cool. We didn’t really change anything. We rode the same bike all day. The track just kept getting better and better, and I kept feeling better and better.
“I knew I had to go out there and try to win, so I put my head down the first half of the race and got a gap. I kept looking back and just tried to manage the gap. I didn’t need to do anything silly and brought the championship home.”
The result confirmed Drane’s second consecutive crown, having become the first foreign rider to win an American Flat Track Championship in 2025.
Whale effectively became Drane’s unofficial rear gunner once he reclaimed second place. The Queenslander kept Saathoff behind him throughout the remainder of the race to claim the runner-up position in his first AFT start of 2026.
Saathoff completed the podium but, with Drane now holding 264 points to his 215, the championship fight was over.
Tarren Santero won the contest for fourth ahead of Bradon Pfanders, Trevor Brunner and Jared Lowe. Kage Tadman slipped to eighth, with Evan Kelleher and Walker Porter completing the top ten.
2026 Peoria TT AFT Singles Results
| Pos | Rider | Machine |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Drane | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 2 | Max Whale | KTM 450 SX-F |
| 3 | Chase Saathoff | Husqvarna FC 450 |
| 4 | Tarren Santero | Honda CRF450R |
| 5 | Bradon Pfanders | Yamaha YZ450F |
| 6 | Trevor Brunner | KTM 450 SX-F |
| 7 | Jared Lowe | Honda CRF450R |
| 8 | Kage Tadman | Honda CRF450R |
| 9 | Evan Kelleher | KTM 450 SX-F |
| 10 | Walker Porter | Honda CRF450R |
2026 AFT Singles Championship Standings
| Pos | Rider | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Drane | 264 |
| 2 | Chase Saathoff | 215 |
| 3 | Tarren Santero | 193 |
| 4 | Kage Tadman | 182 |
| 5 | Trevor Brunner | 170 |
Daniels defeats Bauman in Peoria thriller
Dallas Daniels carried considerable momentum into Peoria after sweeping the two Mission AFT SuperTwins races at Sturgis and turning a three-point championship deficit into a 13-point lead.
At Peoria, however, the defending Grand National Champion was made to work for his third consecutive victory.
Briar Bauman grabbed the holeshot and led Daniels through the early stages of the 10-minute-plus-two-lap Main Event. Daniels repeatedly looked to the inside through the first and final corners, only for Bauman to counter with a series of criss-cross moves.
Daniels finally made his intended pass stick with just under six minutes remaining. He initially opened a small buffer, but Bauman regrouped as the leaders encountered lapped traffic and closed back onto the Yamaha’s rear wheel.
Bauman appeared to be preparing a final-lap attack, but Daniels defended his line and held on by just 0.325 seconds.
“That was probably the toughest Main Event of my career. I got off in second, but that was actually good. I was watching Briar and seeing where I was a little bit better. He was making a few mistakes, and I snuck by.
“I tried to be smooth, but it wasn’t super smooth. He was right on me. I kind of pulled a gap, but then he reeled it back in. I could hear him sizing up a move, and I tried to do anything I could to not let it happen.
“It feels great. The bike was just flawless. Briar is really good here – just like Chris Carr, Henry Wiles and JD Beach, he’s one of those guys. I knew he was going to be really tough to beat. I’m so pumped to get the job done. It’s amazing.”
The victory was particularly meaningful for Daniels, who grew up in nearby Mattoon, Illinois, dreaming of winning at Peoria.
Kody Kopp’s day became considerably more difficult when his Harley-Davidson lost its chain while he was leading his heat race, forcing the title contender through the Last Chance Qualifier.
Kopp still managed to charge into fourth on the opening lap of the Main Event, but was soon displaced by Davis Fisher. Fisher then chased down Peoria specialist Henry Wiles and secured the final podium position with less than a minute remaining.
Wiles narrowly held Kopp at bay for fourth, crossing the line just 0.044 seconds ahead of the Latus Motors Harley rider.
Declan Bender finished sixth, with Dalton Gauthier seventh aboard the Royal Enfield 650. Hunter Bauer, Chad Cose and Kole King rounded out the top ten.
Daniels now leads the Grand National Championship with 272 points, 20 clear of Bauman. Kopp has slipped to third on 249 points, leaving all three in mathematical contention ahead of the final Springfield double-header.
2026 Peoria TT AFT SuperTwins Results
| Pos | Rider | Machine | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas Daniels | Yamaha MT-07 | Winner |
| 2 | Briar Bauman | Harley XG750R | 0.325 |
| 3 | Davis Fisher | KTM 790 Duke | 11.746 |
| 4 | Henry Wiles | Yamaha MT-07 | 12.069 |
| 5 | Kody Kopp | Harley XG750R | 12.113 |
| 6 | Declan Bender | Yamaha MT-07 | 19.803 |
| 7 | Dalton Gauthier | Royal Enfield 650 | 25.081 |
| 8 | Hunter Bauer | Yamaha MT-07 | 1 lap |
| 9 | Chad Cose | Yamaha MT-07 | 1 lap |
| 10 | Kole King | KTM 790 Duke | 1 lap |
2026 AFT SuperTwins Championship Standings
| Pos | Rider | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas Daniels | 272 |
| 2 | Briar Bauman | 252 |
| 3 | Kody Kopp | 249 |
Sam Drane leads all-Australian ProSport podium
Before Tom Drane secured the Singles championship and Daniels won the SuperTwins Main Event, Sam Drane opened Estenson Racing Yamaha’s clean sweep with a dominant AFT ProSport 450 Invitational victory.
The younger Drane topped practice, both qualifying sessions and his heat race before grabbing the Main Event holeshot.
Sam methodically extended his advantage throughout the 12-lap contest and crossed the line 5.020 seconds clear to collect his fourth victory of the inaugural AFT ProSport 450 season.
Behind him, Jake Paige and Adam Costan-Wood fought over second. Paige had initially opened a small advantage, but Costan-Wood steadily closed and applied pressure through the closing laps.
Paige held on by just 0.071 seconds, completing an all-Australian podium at one of American flat track racing’s most celebrated venues.
Dillon Durelle worked his way past Cody Mishey to claim fourth, while Mishey completed the top five.
2026 Peoria TT AFT ProSport 450 Results
| Pos | Rider | Machine | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Drane | Yamaha YZ450F | Winner |
| 2 | Jake Paige | GASGAS MC 450F | 5.020 |
| 3 | Adam Costan-Wood | Honda CRF450R | 5.091 |
| 4 | Dillon Durelle | Yamaha YZ450F | 6.603 |
| 5 | Cody Mishey | Honda CRF450R | 7.407 |
| 6 | Braxton Ragan | Honda CRF450R | 9.703 |
| 7 | Rhett Larson | Husqvarna FC 450 | 11.925 |
| 8 | Beckem Daniels | Yamaha YZ450F | 12.392 |
| 9 | Camlin Durelle | Yamaha YZ450F | 14.551 |
| 10 | Jackson Settle | Honda CRF450R | 16.312 |
Next up – Springfield Mile double-header
The 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season concludes with the Caterpillar Springfield Mile I and II at the Illinois State Fairgrounds on September 5–6.
Tom Drane will arrive with his second AFT Singles Championship already secured, while Dallas Daniels, Briar Bauman and Kody Kopp will contest the Grand National Championship across the final two races.
