It’s only fitting that during Progressive American Flat Track’s two-race West Coast swing, Salinas, California, staked its claim as the motorcycle dirt track center of the universe, at least temporarily.
By Chris Martin | Photography by Tim Lester
At last weekend’s stop in Ventura, and then cemented in this weekend’s visit to Chico, a pair of Salinas natives completely turned the series’ assumed power dynamics on its head.
In the premier Mission AFT SuperTwins class, Briar Bauman seemingly shed his two-plus-year stint as the scrappy underdog for good. On the same day he and his wife, Shayna Texter-Bauman, announced that they are expecting their first child, Bauman fully stepped into the role of authority over the developing 2025 title fight.
With a third consecutive powerhouse victory, Bauman served a loud reminder that he is the field’s sole Grand National Champion (and a two-time champ at that), a fact backed up by nearly twice as many main-event victories as the next closest among the modern crop of contenders.
The biggest question mark heading into the season was the Harley-Davidson XG750R, which had been winless in its first eight-plus seasons of competition. Those days are gone. In the first five races of the all-production-based era, Bauman has taken the Rick Ware Racing H-D to three wins and two more near wins, serving up a parallel reminder of Harley-Davidson’s history in dirt track as one of the most dominant manufacturers in any series across all of global motorsport.
At the Silver Dollar Speedway, Bauman executed the now-familiar strategy of waiting until it matters the most to show (or discover) his cards. While stronger in the lead-up to this week’s race than at either Senoia or Ventura, Bauman was still relatively quiet before the main, as his key rival and the unquestioned preseason title favorite, Estenson Racing’s Dallas Daniels, established himself as the odds-on pick to win.
Once again, in Chico, Daniels leapt out to the early lead, albeit a lead disputed fiercely with an impressive James Ott on the G&G Yamaha, who got the high line working to his liking.
Meanwhile, Bauman settled into fourth for the opening five laps before rushing up past Rackley Racing’s Davis Fisher, Daniels and Ott during the subsequent seven circulations.
At that point, the race for the win was effectively over, although there was still much to do to determine who would flank Bauman on the box.
Fisher closed down on Daniels and overtook him with a higher line like Ott had before him. Soon after, Fisher and Daniels would overhaul Ott in second as Daniels’ counter further upped their pace.
While Fisher pulled a small gap late, Daniels gobbled that distance up with a blistering final two laps. But in the end, the KTM-mounted pilot locked down second place at the stripe by a margin of 0.061 of a second.
Fastrack Racing’s Jarod VanDerKooi and Mission Roof Systems’ Brandon Robinson closed in on one-time leader Ott, as well, with VanDerKooi slotting in ahead before the checkered flag. Robinson nearly did as well, but Ott held on to earn his first career Mission AFT SuperTwins top five in fifth.
Memphis Shades/Corbin/Vinson’s Dan Bromley put together another promising weekend that resulted in a run to seventh, with Moto Anatomy X Royal Enfield’s Max Whale, Schaeffer Motorsport’s Logan McGrane, and Competitive Racing Frames’ Nick Armstrong coming home eighth through 10th, respectively.
Bauman’s surge has seen him stretch open a double-digit lead in the points race (107-97), leaving Daniels in serious need of a response.
After claiming a third consecutive victory, Bauman said, “There were people everywhere [early in the race]. So, I was kind of shuffled back; I think maybe back to fourth or fifth for a minute. I saw Brandon Robinson spoke a wheel up at the inside of me down in three and four. I was like, ‘I should probably get down low.’ So, I did that and found a good line. And then, yeah, was able to get by Dallas, and James Ott was checking out. That was crazy. He was running the high line. I couldn’t make it work, and he could. I’m like, ‘Man, this is crazy.’ But I was able to find what I needed down low. It was just a good night.”
He added, “I’m going to ride this high for a little while. It’s been a little bit of time, and I know what it feels like not to be in this position. I’m going to keep it going. I’m going to love it. And to announce that we’re having our first child this morning. All the credit to my wife; she’s been going through [it] lately. I know I’m on a roll right now, and I’m not going to take it for granted, but I feel good.”
Runner-up Fisher said, “In the first part of the main event, I was unsure of what was going to happen. I caught myself fading back but found a new line and charged forward. It’s incredible to be where I am right now. Last year, we were sitting out of the race. Jimmy Wood and Jeremy Rackley have put in so much work into the program. They worked stupid hours this week on the bike. I just want to thank them and all my sponsors.”
AFT SINGLES
Old Oak Ranch/Roof Systems’ Kage Tadman stunned the flat track world by turning up last weekend as a brand-new pro and completely dominating the proceedings in his Progressive American Flat Track debut.
He was perhaps even more impressive in his encore, in which Tadman did it again despite being presented with a further elevated degree of difficulty.
While Tadman was just the fourth rider to ever win in his first go, no one had ever made it two for two. Further complicating matters was that while the Californian was both familiar and comfortable at Ventura Raceway, Silver Dollar was not just new to him but was very different compared to the tracks he’d grown up racing as an amateur.
A 14th-place ranking in qualifying allowed the class’s regulars a moment to breathe easy after last week’s unexpected gut punch. It was a short-lived moment.
Everything clicked once the riders lined up on the grid; Tadman owned the heat race, the Helmet House Challenge dash for cash and the main event, sweeping the night’s races exactly as he had the week prior, to up his overall Progressive AFT race record to six for six.
Two weeks of controlled chaos have left a class pecking order once carved in stone a pile of rubble. Tadman’s plans for the remainder of the season are not fixed, but it would only make sense if he’s now fielding multiple offers to move forward in some capacity.
While Tadman made it a one-rider show at the front, positions two through six were decided in a hard-fought affair. Despite absorbing a great deal of pressure throughout, second was successfully defended to the end by Turner Racing/American Honda’s Trevor Brunner.
“We’ve really got some things worked out with our personalities and stuff like that,” Brunner said. “It was figuring out how to gel again, but I think we’re here to stay. We’ve got the lingo worked out well with the team and [me], and we’re just going to keep plugging away.”
Third went to title leader Tom Drane on the Estenson Racing Yamaha, who is somehow still seeking his first win of 2025. He was followed by Vinson Construction-backed Hunter Bauer, championship hopeful Chase Saathoff on the RWR Honda, and Mission Roof Systems’ Tarren Santero.
Drane now leads Saathoff 84-79. Despite participating in only two races in his young career, Tadman is already up to sixth with 46 points. CN
2025 American Flat Track Round 5 Results
SuperTwins (Top 10)
- Briar Bauman (H-D) 30 Laps
- Davis Fisher (KTM) 1.969
- Dallas Daniels (Yam) 2.030
- Jarod VanDerKooi (KTM) 5.115
- James Ott (Yam) 6.235
- Brandon Robinson (H-D) 6.415
- Dan Bromley (Suz) 6.976
- Max Whale (RE) 7.971
- Logan McGrane (KTM) 10.560
- Nick Armstrong (Yam) 11.784
Singles (Top 10)
- Kage Tadman (KTM) 23 Laps
- Trevor Brunner (Hon) 1.667
- Tom Drane (Yam) 1.806
- Hunter Bauer (Yam) 2.064
- Chase Saathoff (Hon) 2.241
- Tarren Santero (Hon) 3.137
- Aidan RoosEvans (Yam) 4.896
- Chad Cose (Hus) 5.741
- Declan Bender (KTM) 6.032
- Justin Anselmi (Yam) 6.412
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