Tom Drane dominates AFT Springfield Mile double-header

2024 American Flat Track – Springfield Mile I & II

Images by Kristen Lasser, Lim Lester

The Springfield Mile I & II presented by Drag Specialties lived up to its billing as one of the most significant events in the series’ modern history as two of the final three rounds of the 2024 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, played out over the course of a single day at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois.

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Main Event 1

Defying pre-race expectations for another of the Parts Unlimited AFT Singles class’ standard ten-plus-rider Mile track pack wars, a four-pilot breakaway featuring title fighters Kody Kopp, Chase Saathoff, and Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), along with savvy vet Chad Cose, quickly took shape in the day’s opening Main Event.

However, eight minutes of final-lap trial runs and strategic formulations was undone in an instant when a red flag was thrown just as the clocks hit zero. The potential for a pack battle was again on the table with the field bunched back up for a frantic two-lap dash to the checkered flag.

But somehow, Saathoff, Drane, Cose, and Kopp instantly shook free yet again, relegating everyone else to an outsized fight for fifth. Saathoff appeared to be in prime position to claim his third straight home-state win when he powered into Turn 3 for the final time with the lead and Drane displaced to third by Cose.

Instead, the Australian immediately countered and leapt out of 4 with a near-perfect launch, enabling him to blast by Saathoff at the stripe by 0.048 seconds. Cose held on for third another 0.048 seconds back, followed by championship leader Kopp in fourth.

Tom Drane

“It was definitely a hard race out there,” Drane said. “There was a big battle at the front, and then that red flag made it real dicey towards the end. I was able to just get through on Chad, which gave me a good run on Chase and was able to get him at the line. I couldn’t have done it without my whole Estenson Racing Monster Energy crew; they’ve put in a lot of work, and it paid off.”

Miler extraordinaire Shayna Texter-Bauman took full advantage of the race reset to secure her season’s best result by far in fifth.

AFT Singles Main Event 1 Results

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event 2

After Cose was forced to line up at the back of the grid for jumping the start and Drane, Saathoff, and Kopp stretched open a healthy gap in less than a lap, Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Main Event 2 seemed destined to be a three-contender affair.

Instead, Trent Lowe bridged the gap from the second group and then Cose arrived to conclude his torrid climb up the order.

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The development of a five-rider freight train at the front was not in the plans for Kopp, especially when he was shuffled down to fifth while seeking a finish of second or better in order to clinch the championship early for the third consecutive season.

A back-and-forth scrap saw Drane and Saathoff cross the line with two laps to go separated by nothing – 0.000 seconds apart – and Cose, Kopp, and Lowe tucked tight in their tow.

The Estenson Racing star moved into the lead to open the final lap while Cose pushed Saathoff down to third. The JPG Motorsports runner responded by overhauling both opponents entering Turn 3. Cose then got completely sideways while holding onto second, allowing Drane and Kopp through as they navigated the final corner.

In the decisive sprint to the flag, Drane replicated his Main Event 1 trick to zap Saathoff for the win once again – this time by an even slimmer 0.019 seconds. Meanwhile, Cose edged ahead of Kopp by 0.045 seconds to keep the championship fight a three-rider affair heading into the season finale.

Lowe took fifth, less than a second removed from the race win.

Tom Drane

“That was a really good one,” Drane said. “We had a really good race with me, Chad, and Chase. We were all putting in really good laps and swapping back and forth throughout the race. I got a little bit lucky in that last corner, Chad slipped up a little bit, allowing me to go underneath him and then get Chase to the line.”

Despite failing to end this one early, Kopp remains in a very strong position to claim an unprecedented third class crown. With just 25 points left on the table, the Rick Ware Racing star now leads Drane by 22 points (321-299) and Saathoff by 24 (297).

AFT Singles Main Event 2 Results

Parts Unlimited AFT Singles Standings – Top 20

Mission AFT SuperTwins Main Event 1

Mission AFT SuperTwins Main Event 1 was a contradictory concoction of unpredictability and inevitability courtesy of the sport’s primary protagonists, Mees and Dallas Daniels, who made a shock return to action just six weeks removed from surgery to repair a broken femur.

Despite hobbling around the paddock on a crutch, Daniels didn’t look to have missed a step once he threw his leg over a racebike. Starting from pole, the Estenson Racing ace mixed it up for the lead with the likes of Mees, Brandon Robinson, and Brandon Price for the race lead.

But a moment of near catastrophe transpired in still in the contest’s early stages when the still-mending Daniels got well sideways, clipped Price’s rear wheel and then Robinson’s, before being sent up the track and down the order… but most crucially, all while somehow remaining upright.

The drama allowed Mees to break the draft and subsequently check out, piling up a monster lead before cruising to a 2.137-second margin of victory at the flag. The win was both his ninth-career victory at the Springfield Mile and his 29th in the Mile discipline overall, tying him with Chris Carr for second on the all-time order.

Jared Mees

“So many people have contributed to our program. My guys worked so hard just to try to fine-tune it all day. And I needed that in the Main. You don’t really get perfect motorcycles every race, but that Main Event, the thing was really, really close to perfect. It was awesome and came together when we needed it.”

Rather than cower and fold following his near fall, Daniels clawed his way back up from seventh to third, finishing behind only Mees and fellow charger Davis Fisher to resume his run of podiums at 11.

Robinson pulled off a final-lap pass on Price to lock down fourth, limiting the extent of the damage done to his championship chances. While less than ideal, he got off easy compared to fellow title hopeful Briar Bauman, who retired from the race and was credited in 19th position.

AFT SuperTwins Results

Mission AFT SuperTwins Main Event 2

Minus a second moment of terror for Daniels, the day’s second scheduled Mees disappearing act proved considerably more difficult to execute. While largely controlling the race from the front, Daniels, Bauman, Robinson, and Fisher kept the champion firmly in their sights over the race’s opening half.

However, Fisher then faded from the lead pack, destined to ultimately finish fifth behind Price. A short while later, Bauman was removed from the equation as well, forced to pull off a second time due to mechanical issues, leaving only Daniels and Robinson to give chase.

With his conditioning left wanting after sitting on the couch for the past month, Daniels eventually had to shift his focus from pursuing Mees to fending off Robinson, which allowed the factory Indian superstar to at last stretch open a bit of padding with a couple minutes to go.

The champ stormed past the checkered flag with almost a second-and-a-half in hand, securing his 10th Springfield Mile win and a Carr-surpassing 30th-career Mile victory.

Jared Mees

“Total domination all day. We came in super focused but kind of had some jitters and some nerves, just because the pressure was on me because I’ve done so well in the past. I had the target on my back, but I do well with that. A huge shout out to my entire team…. I wanted to get Indian Motorcycle their last couple wins here, I really did. That burnout was for Indian Motorcycle. I’m so happy they put me on board in 2016 and ‘17 – a phenomenal company to ride for. We came into the Springfield Mile needing to do this… We’ve got one more to go, but we have a little bit of cushion now.”

Daniels managed to successfully hold off Robinson for second, upping his podium streak to 12 in the process. Robinson, however, did just enough to keep his title hopes alive – if just barely – now 22 points back of the title lead (286-264) with only the finale to go.

AFT SuperTwins Main Event 2 Results

AFT SuperTwins Standings – Top 20

Next Up:

The battle for the Grand National Championship will conclude at the 2024 season finale, the Lake Ozark Short Track at Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Missouri, on Saturday, September 14.