Dallas Daniels fulfilled his lifelong ambition of becoming Grand National Champion as a thrilling 2025 season came to its conclusion tonight.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 13, 2025) – Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) fulfilled his lifelong ambition of becoming Grand National Champion as a thrilling 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, came to its conclusion in tonight’s Arby’s Lake Ozark Short Track presented by Arrowhead Brass at Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Missouri.
Competing before packed grandstands as a featured attraction of the 19th Annual Lake of the Ozarks Bikefest, Daniels needed to finish seventh or better to lock up the title in the event of a victory on the part of his Mission AFT SuperTwins title rival, Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Parts Plus/Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R).
And as expected, Bauman did all he could to pile the pressure on Daniels, locking down the top spot on the charts all day long.
Daniels grabbed the lead early but the potential for disaster was quickly made evident. With multiple riders dicing for the lead and only inches separating them, James Ott (No. 19 G&G Racing Yamaha MT-07) crashed following contact with Bauman.
Ott’s bike caromed off the wall in the incident, creating a chain reaction that also collected Billy Ross (No. 29 Mission Foods/Digitrace Kawasaki Ninja 650), Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Racing Unlimited/Parts Bros Kawasaki Ninja 650), and Logan McGrane (No. 14 Schaeffer’s Motorsports KTM 790 Duke).
While Daniels came into the night having finished inside the top five in 47 consecutive races, the collective misfortune of his fellow competitors and subsequent red-flag delay forced him to sit and contemplate what might possibly go wrong.
When the race was restarted, Daniels resumed in the lead temporarily. However, he was quickly overhauled by Bauman, who subsequently raced off to victory. Bauman was followed home by Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) to give Harley-Davidson a season finale 1-2 and the 2025 Mission AFT SuperTwins Manufacturer Championship.
Daniels, meanwhile, held off a charging Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Progressive Insurance Honda Transalp) – fresh off his Springfield stunner – to secure the final spot on the box and his first Grand National Championship in the process.
Just behind, Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Mike Butler Racing/Mission Foods Yamaha MT-07) finished fifth, with Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke), Declan Bender (No. 70 Memphis Shades/Luczak Racing Yamaha MT-07), Max Whale (No. 18 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650), Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Suzuki GSX-8S), and Ben Lowe (No. 25 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Yamaha MT-07) rounding out the top ten.
This season marks the culmination of the first stage of Daniels’ professional career. The Estenson Racing Yamaha star was widely projected as a future premier-class king as early as his amateur days, in which he became the first rider to win the Nicky Hayden AMA Horizon Award in both flat track and roadracing.
He’s only continued to accumulate accomplishments since joining the pro ranks. Daniels became the first-ever two-time AFT Singles champion and followed that up by authoring a run that ranks as among the greatest first four seasons the Mission AFT SuperTwins category has ever witnessed.
In winning the 2025 crown, Daniels now stands as the seventh youngest rider to earn a first-career Grand National Championship, both as measured by age and experience. He’s been a title contender throughout the entirety of his time in the class, proving himself a historically relentless and constant threat at the front of the pack, regardless of time or place.
Additionally, Daniels joins “King” Kenny Roberts (1973 & 1974) to become just the second rider to win the sport’s greatest prize aboard Yamaha racebikes exclusively.
The new champ said, “The emotions are overwhelming. It’s been a bit of an overwhelming season. Last year, I really had a breakout season and was doing really good. I had a nice little points lead and then had a huge heartbreak. When we came into this year, we did really good at Daytona, and from then on the season was super tough for a lot of reasons. A lot of it was on me, trying to come back from an injury, and Briar was firing on all cylinders immediately.
“When I look at this season – it was kind of like today – just a grind. We struggled with a lot of stuff, and it was such a tough season, but the whole Estenson Racing Monster Energy Yamaha team never gave up, and I never gave up on them. We believed in each other.
“I don’t even know how to put this into words… I’ve got to thank my parents and my whole family, who have sacrificed so much. I’ve dreamed of this my whole life. I’d go to sleep at six years old wanting to be Grand National Champion. It almost slipped away at times this year, but I never lost belief in myself, and I never lost belief in my team. I worked my whole life to be here.”
While ultimately unable to overcome Daniels’ peerless consistency, Bauman closed out a spectacular season that only further enhanced the reputation of the two-time Grand National Champion. In ‘25, Bauman and his Rick Ware Racing team took the previously winless Harley-Davidson XG750R and won more races than any other rider this season (eight) while giving Daniels and the Estenson Racing squad all they could handle until the very end.
Bauman said, “I’ve got to give a huge thanks to the Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus/Latus Motors team. I ask so much of these guys. We had high hopes and a lot of heart. Congrats to Dallas Daniels and the whole Estenson Racing team. They are so good. This was the best year of my career statistically, and it wasn’t good enough. That’s crazy.”
Daniels won the 2025 Mission AFT SuperTwins title with 313 points. Bauman ended up second with 307, followed by Robinson at 217.
Meanwhile, Lowe secured Mission AFT SuperTwins Rookie of the Year honors by finishing a superb fourth overall with 186 points.
AFT Singles presented by KICKER
While Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) locked up the 2025 AFT Singles presented by KICKER title two rounds early, there was still much in play at the ‘25 finale.
Even with the remainder of the field seeking both personal milestones and momentum to carry into the offseason, Drane continued to own the spotlight.
However, earlier in the contest, the rider of ‘25 found himself chasing a couple of riders of the future. Second-year pilot Bradon Pfanders (No. 83 Hannum’s HD/Pfanders Racing KTM 450 SX-F) took the early advantage before being displaced by rookie ace Kage Tadman (No. 288 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450).
At half-distance, newly crowned champ Drane switched up his line, cutting down low entering Turn 1 and making up big chunks of ground in the process. Once in striking distance, he used the same line to dive under Pfanders to take control of second before attempting to do the same to Tadman in first.
The Californian had an answer the first time around, squaring Drane back up to reclaim the lead. However, the Estenson Racing star made it stick on his second attempt.
A curveball was thrown moments later in the form of a red-flag reset with just 59 seconds remaining on the clock following a crash on the part of Trevor Brunner (No. 21 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R).
Even though that development put Tadman back out in front for the staggered restart, Drane immediately slung it low entering Turn 1 to snatch the lead right back.
The restart still had significant implications as it thrust a previously quiet Tarren Santero (No. 75 Mission Roof Systems Honda CRF450R) back into the fray near the front. Given new life, Santero nudged ahead of Tadman to take over second. He then subsequently gave Drane a scare to the checkered flag before finishing as the race’s runner-up.
Drane’s victory closed out his historic ‘25 campaign with a record-tying eighth win on the season, equaling the previous best marks of Dallas Daniels and Kody Kopp. It also represented his 19th-career win in the class, tying him with Shayna Texter-Bauman for second all-time.
His victory also sealed the 2025 AFT Singles Manufacturer crown for Yamaha.
Afterward, Drane said, “I can’t thank my whole Estenson Racing Monster Energy team enough. They worked their butts off all year and gave me a great bike. That race, I got to the front earlier, but for the restart, I had to reset my mind. I had to get out there, get the start, and take the lead as quick as I could. Once I was there, I felt I could lead and be comfortable at the front. It was really good.”
Tadman held on for third, with Pfanders and Chad Cose (No. 49 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) completing the top five.
As a result of tonight’s order, Tadman and Santero ended the season equal with 175 points apiece in their battle for fourth in the final rankings, trailing only the previously decided 1-2-3 of Drane, Brunner, and Chase Saathoff (No. 88 RWR/Parts Plus Honda CRF450R).
That position ultimately went to Tadman via the tiebreaker due to his race-winning Progressive AFT debut.
Build. Train. Race.
Royal Enfield’s Build. Train. Race. (BTR) program, which serves to highlight, celebrate, and encourage the involvement of women in flat track racing, closed out its 2025 season with a double finale at Lake Ozark Short Track.
Main Event 1 saw Madicela Rodriguez (No. 113 Royal Enfield/Parts Unlimited) fend off Taia Little (No. 11 Royal Enfield/Parts Unlimited) by a narrow 0.009 seconds at the checkered flag with Emma Gottsch (No. 5 Royal Enfield/Parts Unlimited) less than a second in arrears in third.
Little got her revenge in Main Event 2, shaking loose to win ahead of Gottsch and Rodriguez and secure the 2025 BTR championship.
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