American Flat Track heads to Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in Du Quoin, Illinois, this Saturday, July 5, for the Du Quoin Mile.
This is a race preview/press release from American Flat Track…
Daytona Beach, FL (July 1, 2025) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, will celebrate Independence Day weekend in explosive fashion with the Memphis Shades Du Quoin Mile at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in Du Quoin, Illinois, this Saturday, July 5.
The season’s first contest of ultimate speed and strategy at a high-speed Mile will actually serve as the culmination of a week-long celebration of one of the most iconic and intrinsically American forms of motorsport. Again this year, Progressive AFT is sharing the spotlight with the Roof Systems AMA Flat Track Grand Championship.
In fact, the amateur championship action is already underway, with the nation’s future stars having kicked off their week on Sunday, June 29 and running right up until they hand the venue over to the world’s greatest professional motorcycle dirt trackers on Saturday.
SuperTwins
Red, White, and Blue By You
While the Springfield Mile is often regarded as the crown jewel of the season’s schedule, the Du Quoin Mile—a circuit legendary for its outright speed, non-stop drama, and photofinishes—is the perfect host for the year’s first Mile.
Known as the “Magic Mile”—and for good reason—the Du Quoin Mile was famously the battleground for the closest ever finish in the seven-decade-plus history of the Grand National Championship; in 2015, Jared Mees beat Bryan Smith by an impossibly close 0.000 seconds to claim the victory.
Since returning to the annual slate in 2023, the Du Quoin Mile has seen four riders in with a shot at victory right up to the checkered flag.
Last season, Mees edged Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT), Brandon Price and Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Parts Plus/Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R) by margins of 0.389, 0.444, and 0.686 of a second, respectively.
And that was a relative blowout when compared with the showdown in ’23, where Mees overcame the challenge of Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), Daniels and Bauman by 0.033, 0.097, and 0.160 of a second, respectively.
Masters of the Mile
While a combined mastery of all four dirt track disciplines—Mile, Half-Mile, Short Track and TT—is the ultimate measure of a dirt track racer, the Mile is typically regarded as the sport’s signature form.
It generally takes years for a rider to master the finer points of race-long strategy and final-lap tactics. But once it finally does click into place, a rider can prove nearly unbeatable in that arena.
Despite their ultra-close nature, the finishing order of a Mile is rarely random. Each generation typically sees the emergence of a Mile maestro who racks up winner’s trophies while leaving the opposition with precious little opportunity for glory.
That torch has been passed along in recent decades from Scott Parker to Chris Carr to Bryan Smith to Jared Mees. Led by Parker’s 55 Mile wins, all four boast at least 25 Mile wins, whereas only five other riders have even broken into the double digits dating back to the series’ origins in 1954.
Interestingly, while the presence of ten-time Grand National Champion Mees loomed large at Lima—the scene of his maiden premier-class win and where he now serves as co-promoter—he might cast an even longer shadow this weekend in Du Quoin.
Early in his career, Mees made himself a champion on the Half-Miles.
Late in his career, he made himself a legend on the Miles.
He completely dominated the discipline in recent years, a fact that served as the cornerstone for his run to immortality. During the full breadth of the Indian era (2017-2024), Mees won 66% of all Miles (27-41), despite overlapping with the later days of Smith’s Mile mastery. Mees became even more dominant as time went on, claiming 13 of the most recent 17 Miles (76%) since 2021.
As a result, his retirement left just a combined eight Miles wins spread out amongst the active field of full-time racers—three apiece for Bauman and Robinson, and two for Daniels.
Which of the three is most likely to take the torch and run with it?
Daniels and his Yamaha will be strong, there is little doubt of that.
The Harley is more of a question mark, just because it’s an unknown on the Miles in its current guise with its current riders. However, the same was said regarding the XG750R and the cushion Half-Mile of Lima, and looked how that turned out.
Open Up, It’s the FBI…
New generation Fast Boy from Illinois, Declan Bender (No. 70 Memphis Shades/Corbin/OTB Racing Yamaha MT-07) made a big impression in his return to the scene at Lima.
He went into Ohio with relatively modest expectations. How could it be any different, considering he was new to the team and the bike and riding a track that isn’t perfectly suited to his style?
And yet he did that. Bender poked his way up into fourth in Friday’s Main Event 3, and then earned the position for real by pushing Robinson to the flag in search of a podium result in Saturday’s rematch.
His confidence must be soaring as he looks to defend his home turf on a track where he finished sixth a year ago and where his new mount finished on the box in the hands of Brandon Price.
…And I’m Not Alone
Bender isn’t the only rider with the potential to make this another Du Quoin Mile where finishing within fractions of a second of the winner is no guarantee of a podium.
Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke) and Jarod VanDerKooi (No. 20 Fastrack Racing/Wally Brown Racing KTM 790 Duke) both have big-time skills and are motivated for bounce-back performances after battling through relatively tough outings at Lima. That and the KTM mill packs a big punch and is a proven Mile monster.
Meanwhile, the foursome of Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Suzuki GSX-8S), James Ott (No. 19 G&G Racing Yamaha MT-07), Max Whale (No. 18 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) and Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Progressive Insurance Honda Transalp), continue to impress week-in and week-out while demonstrating the success of the new all-production bike ruleset.
Despite their diversity of machinery, three of the four managed to finish fifth or better at Lima, while the one holdout—Lowe—is knocking at the door, picking up the second and third sixth-place finishes of his season last weekend.
Singles
Too Close to Call… AFT Singles Brace for Another Photo Finish at Du Quoin Mile
Daytona Beach, FL (July 2, 2025) – Don’t blink. If the past two stops were any indication, this year’s AFT Singles presented by Kicker race at the Memphis Shades Du Quoin Mile will be decided by the smallest of margins when Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, does battle at the Du Quoin State Fairgrounds in Du Quoin, Illinois, this Saturday, July 5.
All Aboard the Drane Train
After his double domination of the Lima Half-Mile, everyone can stop worrying about when Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) will finally get his first victory of the 2025 season and shift their concerns to whether or not anyone will be able to stop him now that’s he’s rolling at full steam.
Whatever minor “slump,” Drane might have dealt with to open the season did not knock him off the historic trajectory that has defined the Australian’s early Progressive AFT career. Consider that, in just two-and-a-half seasons, he’s already moved into a tie with former class champions Dallas Daniels and Dalton Gauthier for third all-time in AFT Singles victories at 13.
He’s also now tied with Daniels for third most Half-Mile wins at five.
If the opposition thought it was going to get any easier this weekend, they might want to reconsider. Even without a stop at a Mile in ’25, Drane already ranks second all-time in career Mile wins – also at five – with one of those coming at Du Quoin in ’23.
Should he sweep all three Miles this season, he would move into a tie with Shayna Texter-Bauman atop the career order.
Daniels, Gauthier, Texter-Bauman… That’s some pretty exclusive company.
It’s The FBI Again
But don’t crown Drane just yet. In fact, he wasn’t even on the podium at Du Quoin a year ago… despite finishing just 0.088 of a second back of the win.
That’s not a typo. In fact, the eight riders who represented first through fourth at the Du Quoin Mile in ’23 and ’24 were separated by less than two-tenths of a second, combined.
Last year’s victory went to home state Fast Boy from Illinois Chase Saathoff (No. 88 RWR/Parts Plus Honda CRF450R), who beat triple champion Kody Kopp to the stripe at the head of a five-rider pack by 0.001 of a second.
The year before, Saathoff was on the other end of things, losing out to Drane at the front of a six-rider pack by 0.011 of a second.
Past history suggests it’ll be a major upset if anyone walks away with it this weekend, and if the multi-rider pack doesn’t include title rivals Drane and Saathoff.
The potential for several other riders in the mix also creates opportunity for significant movement in the championship chase. For example, should Saathoff repeat and Drane get shuffled back to a close fourth again this year, the margin between the two would get slashed from 16 to just 7.
Flying With Wings
Who else could join that hypothetical mix?
Even accounting for Drane’s recent Mile brilliance, Honda has traditionally been the primary force on the big tracks.
Honda-mounted riders have won more than half (36 of 67) Miles in class history, with an even better record since 2019 (12 of 21). And that’s not a stat propped up due to the overwhelming skills of any one rider; those 12 wins since ’19 are split up among eight different riders.
Along with Saathoff, Honda comes into Du Quoin with Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R)—winner of three career Miles—in its corner.
And don’t forget about Tarren Santero (No. 75 Mission Roof Systems Honda CRF450R), who is no doubt out to make amends after his Saturday second at Lima was spoiled by a blown motor on Sunday. Santero now has a podium finish in a Half-Mile, Short Track, and TT. The Mile is the lone holdout, although he finished a solid sixth here a year ago.
You Gotta Wear Shades
Progressive AFT fans should pay close attention to the amateurs taking part in the 2025 Roof Systems AMA Flat Track Grand Championship this week in Du Quoin. Because when we say the week will put a spotlight on the future stars of the sport—we’re talking near future.
Consider the names to previously shine at the amateur nations. Winners of the Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award going back to just 2018 include Daniels, Brunner, Kopp, Saathoff, Evan Renshaw (No. 65 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450), and Walker Porter (No. 100 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R).
And this year’s crop of pros who were amateurs just one year ago is shaping up to be an all-timer.
Just four races into his career, Kage Tadman (No. 288 Roof Systems/Old Oak Ranch KTM 450 SX-F) already boasts two wins and four top fives.
Porter made a remarkable top-five pro debut last weekend and is now set to return to Du Quoin where he was named the recipient of the Nicky Hayden AMA Flat Track Horizon Award one year ago.
Meanwhile, fellow rookie Ryder Reese (No. 244 Mission Foods/Roof Systems KTM 450 SX-F) finished ninth in his Progressive AFT debut weekend at Lima. That saw him join Tadman, Porter, Skylar Sentell (No. 249 Hoffer Performance/Stauffer Motors KTM 450 SX-F) and Ethan Kitchen (No. 105 Lucky Thumb M/C Yamaha YZ450F) in breaking into the top 10 as a rookie already this season.
And while it may not be easy to dice it up with the more experienced riders on a tactically taxing Mile, recall that Evan Kelleher (No. 31 Schaeffer’s Motorsports KTM 450 SX-F) finished just 0.204 of a second off last year’s Du Quoin Mile win as a rookie.
Speaking of, Kelleher comes in riding high following the best weekend of his sophomore campaign.
It’s Independence Day Weekend. Of Course, We’re Gonna Party
This week-long celebration of motorcycle dirt track racing will also offer plenty of activities away from the track. The Rider Q&A will take place during the Fan Party that leads directly into Opening Ceremonies.
There will also be a multitude of vendors, plenty of food and beverage options, extensive motorcycle parking, and an abundance of good vibes.
That’s the Ticket
General Admission Grandstand tickets for the Memphis Shades Du Quoin Mile are just $35 (kids 12 and under free with a paid adult ticket) while Reserved Grandstand tickets are just $45 (all ages). And new for 2025, every ticket includes access to the paddock’s where you can get up close and personal with the planet’s most incredible dirt track riders and machines.
Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/trackenterprises/events/2025-duquoin-mile-129199 to reserve your seats today.
Gates will open for fans at 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT with Opening Ceremonies scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.
How to Watch
FloRacing
For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FloRacing is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2025. FloSports is available by visiting https://flosports.link/aft or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.
FS1
FOX Sports coverage of the Memphis Shades Du Quoin 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).
Click here to see all the TV and Live-Stream Racing Listings on Cycle News.
For more information, visit www.americanflattrack.com
Click here for all the latest Flat Track racing news.
