The 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, resumes this Saturday, March 29, with the third annual Yamaha Senoia Short Track at Senoia Raceway in Senoia, Georgia. 

Third Time’s A Charm? 

The two prior stops at Senoia Raceway served as microcosmic previews of the Grand National Championship battles to come. 

On both of those occasions – just as he will again this year – Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) came into Yamaha’s home round riding high after a spectacular Daytona double opener. 

In 2023, Daniels fought back and forth with reigning Mission AFT SupertTwins king Jared Mees throughout only to be edged at the stripe. And in the 2024 rematch, Daniels claimed the early advantage only to see Mees take control and pull free by the end. 

While those battles also served as neat little summaries of their respective ‘23 and ‘24 title clashes, it remains to be seen if the Yamaha Senoia Short Track will retain its predictive powers in Mees’ absence. 

Daniels no doubt hopes it does, only this time in overwhelming favor. 

Title sponsor Yamaha is still seeking its first victory in either class at Senoia. However, that’s not to suggest the manufacturer hasn’t been able to protect its home turf altogether since Yamaha Motor Corporation relocated its USA headquarters from California to the greater Atlanta area in late 2018. 

While shut out from the podium in the 2019 Yamaha Atlanta Short Track at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Georgia, Yamaha fared considerably better in the 2020 doubleheader return, where Daniels doubled up in AFT Singles presented by KICKER competition and claimed top honors in the second AFT Production Twins Main. 

That was only a taste of what was to come in 2021; Yamaha cleaned up at the Yamaha Atlanta Super TT in a manner rarely seen at a single round. Armed with two of the modern era’s greatest TT riders, Yamaha won all three Main Events courtesy of maestros JD Beach (Mission AFT SuperTwins) and Daniels (AFT Singles and AFT Production Twins). 

If that wasn’t enough, Mikey Rush made it an Estenson Racing Yamaha 1-2 in 450cc action while then Yamaha-mounted Dan Bromley joined Daniels on the AFT Production Twins podium. 

Yamaha comes into this weekend’s Senoia Short Track with similar potential, boasting last year’s race and championship runners-up in both classes with parallel goals of claiming vacated thrones. 

So now it’s up to Daniels and teammate Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) to properly set the tone for the season in the friendly confines of Senoia Raceway. 

The View From Atop The Podium Streak Podium 

Daniels will attempt to set that tone while also looking to extend what now ranks as the longest podium streak of the reunification era (post-2009). 

Here are the updated rankings: 

Dallas Daniels: 15 (2024-2025 ACTIVE) 

Jared Mees: 14 (2023) 

Dallas Daniels: 13 (2023) 

Jared Mees: 11 (2018) 

Jared Mees: 10 (2017-2018) 

Jared Mees: 9 (2021) 

Briar Bauman: 9 (2020) 

Jared Mees: 9 (2016-2017) 

Jared Mees: 8 (2019-2020) 

Jared Mees: 8 (2024 UNCAPPED) 

Briar Bauman: 7 (2021) 

Briar Bauman: 7 (2019) 

Briar Bauman: 7 (2019 – again) 

Not So Fast…  

Now don’t get the wrong impression from the headline above, as Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Parts Plus/Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R) was indeed very fast and consistently so in his XG750R debut. 

Instead, it was the runaway expectations of a season-long Daniels-driven steamroller that failed to pick up much steam in the opener, despite his double win. 

Bauman thrived in the underdog role and very nearly delivered the bike its maiden win – twice. It’s also worth remembering that Bauman is a naturally gifted two-time Grand National Champion, backed by the multi-title winning crew of Dave Zanotti and Michelle Disalvo, riding for a multi-motorsport juggernaut in Rick Ware Racing, and mounted on a platform that has undergone years of factory-backed development from cross-series champions Vance & Hines and the sport’s historic titan, Harley-Davidson. 

That’s an abundance of collective might powering this underdog story. 

While there’s still plenty of work to be done, the XG750R should provide Bauman a more predictable mount than what he came armed with the past two seasons, and he should only improve in extracting its maximum with additional seat time.  

Judging by the opener, it would be a surprise if Bauman doesn’t prove a week-in, week-out podium contender. 

That’s not to dismiss the level of competition vying for those coveted spots on the rostrum, which is considerable and representing a wealth of different colors. 

It’s Been X Days Without Podium 

The Royal Enfield DAYTONA Short Track II featured seven different manufacturers in the top ten with four different makes represented on the podium. 

Considering the talent behind each of those seven, it’s not inconceivable that the overall podium number could ultimately match the opener’s top ten representation before the year is out. 

With that in mind, here’s the most recent podium for a number of relevant manufacturers in Mission AFT SuperTwins competition: 

Yamaha MT-07 (Dallas Daniels): 3/8/2025 

Note: Yamaha hasn’t been off the podium since the ‘23 finale, 

Harley-Davidson XG750R (Briar Bauman): 3/8/2025 

Note: Prior to Bauman’s double podium, Harley-Davidson’s last top three came on 5/18/2024 with Sammy Halbert on the XR750. The XG750R’s most recent podium before Daytona came courtesy of Briar’s brother, Bronson Bauman, on 3/11/2022. 

KTM 790 Duke (Davis Fisher): 3/8/2025 

Kawasaki Ninja 650 (Henry Wiles): 3/7/2025 

Note: Prior to Wiles’ third, the most recent Kawasaki podium was scored by Bryan Smith on 9/28/2019. 

Indian FTR750: (Jared Mees/Jarod Vanderkooi): 9/14/2024 

Note: No longer eligible, the Indian went out on top. 

Royal Enfield Twins FT (Dalton Gauthier): 6/15/2024 

Note: Gauthier’s third was the brand’s first, and to date only, premier-class podium finish, 

Honda CRF450R (Jared Mees): 8/14/2016 

Note: The last Honda twin to land on the podium was the RS750 piloted by Rich King on 9/6/1998. 

Suzuki RMZ 450 (Steve Bonsey): 5/12/2015 

The last time a twin-cylinder Suzuki was on the podium was the SV1000 on 10/12/2013 in what also marked the first podium of Briar Bauman’s premier-class career. 

It’s been a long time since either Honda or Suzuki have featured on the premier-class podium and even longer since they’ve done so with a twin – more than a quarter century in the case of Honda. 

While it’s true that Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Progressive Insurance Honda Transalp) and Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Suzuki GSX-8S) are more befitting of the underdog tag than Bauman and co., it’s still not beyond the realm of possibility that either (or both) could register a top-thee result this season. 

Despite having only just stepped up to full-time Mission AFT SuperTwins duty on a still-developing Transalp-based racer, Lowe made his way inside the top five multiple times in Daytona, including during practice, qualifying, and both of his heat races. 

Bromley, meanwhile, came out of the gates swinging with a second-placed ranking in the opening practice. And despite suffering a painful laceration on his foot that knocked him out of competition on Thursday and hindered him on Friday, he still came home with a promising eighth-place finish. 

Keep those ‘0’s handy to reset the ‘It’s Been X Days’ board. 

A Circle Eight Years Wide 

While Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) didn’t make the splash Bauman did at the opener, his week was promising enough: a fifth and a sixth after spending the bulk of the previous six seasons campaigning the Indian FTR750 and to considerable success. 

Before the ‘25 opener, Robinson said, “I’m excited to be one of the riders helping to push the XG750R to the front of the field. I’m sure I’ll be battling…to see who can make history and score the first win aboard the bike.” 

It’s probably important to note just how long before the ‘25 opener he made the statement – more than eight years before in fact. 

Bauman now has two podiums in two attempts aboard the XG750R. Robinson, meanwhile, is still seeking his first despite 32 attempts spread across the 2017-2018 seasons (plus a couple rides in reserve in 2019) as part of the factory Harley-Davidson team along with the ‘25 double opener in his return to the platform with the Mission Roof Systems squad. 

That dry spell will end and do so soon enough. The landscape has changed, and Robinson owns a strong track record at Senoia. He edged Bauman for the final spot on the box at the venue a year ago by 0.160 seconds after missing out by a similarly close 0.131-second margin the year before. 

While Bauman beat Robinson to the podium aboard the XG750R this season, Robinson still has an opportunity to become the rider who makes history by taking it to its maiden premier-class victory – a goal he originally laid out back in January of 2017. 

Fistfight In A Phone Booth  

Mees famously described the racing at Senoia Raceway as a “fistfight in a phone booth.” 

While there are a wide range of Short Track circuits – from bullrings to borderline Half-Miles – all of them tend to amp up the action by corralling the world’s best dirt trackers into a confined space and setting them loose upon one another. 

Short Tracks were formerly something of a rarity on the tour, and their unpredictable nature has a tendency to spread the wins around. 

As such – and as opposed to the massive career win totals racked up in the Mile and Half-Mile disciplines, led by Scott Parker (55) and Mees (37), respectively – the career lead for premier-class Short Track wins can still be counted on two hands. 

But with STs representing more than half of this season’s schedule (nine of 16 races), there is guaranteed to be plenty of movement on the career leaderboard. As it stands, five active riders are in mathematical contention of claiming sole possession atop the order as early as this season. 

As an illustration of the record book renovation currently underway, consider that Daniels jumped up from a tie for tenth into a tie for fifth at the opener.  

Here’s where we stand now with four consecutive STs to come and seven left to go before the year is out: 

Career Short Track Wins 

 1. Chris Carr/Henry Wiles/Jared Mees: 9

4. Jake Johnson: 8

5. Brandon Robinson/Dallas Daniels: 6

6. Kenny Roberts/Steve Eklund/Sammy Halbert/Briar Bauman: 5

10. Gary Nixon/Terry Poovey/Jay Springsteen/Will Davis/Kenny Coolbeth, Jr.: 4

I Wood If I Could 

It was a rare opener in that there was no shortage of optimism based on the results attained by a multitude of riders. Chief among the pleasant surprises to be found up and down the order was Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke). 

While perhaps unfair, at times it’s been all too easy to overlook just how consistently strong Fisher has been of late, posting two consecutive championship top-five seasons. 

The primary reason that hasn’t generated more headlines is that his success has generally come by stacking top-five race results (17 combined across the ‘23-’24 seasons) while garnering relatively few podiums (three during that same span, including just one a year ago). 

And since the vast majority of Fisher’s success came aboard Indian FTR750s, it seemed a bit of a stretch he’d instantly put the KTM 790 Duke on the box. 

However unlikely, that’s exactly what he did. 

And now rather than going to battle on a lesser version of the same platform fielded by the king, Fisher has a chance to find a mechanical advantage with the KTM. While it’s proven a difficult beast to tame, the potential is there.  

And Mees’ exit didn’t just shift the overall balance of power amongst the talent on the grid, it did so in the paddock as well. Jimmy Wood – a key figure contributing to Mees’ long reign – is now using his title-winning experience to help Fisher tap into the bike’s full potential.  

Fisher will look to follow up his Daytona podium with another one immediately, although the likes of Jarod VanDerKooi (No. 20 Fastrack Racing/Wally Brown Racing KTM 790 Duke), Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction/OTBR Yamaha MT-07), James Ott (No. 19 G&G Racing Yamaha MT-07), and Max Whale (No. 18 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) are hungry to do at Senoia what Fisher did in Daytona. 

Time to Party 

The Yamaha Senoia Short Track will see the rollout of a new schedule that was developed in close collaboration with riders, team owners, and race promoters. 

The schedule splits up the day-time practice and qualifying action and the night-time race action with an extended Fan Party/Open Paddock that will run from 4:20 p.m. ET/1:20 p.m. PT until 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT, while also allowing the track crew the time necessary to prepare an ideal racing surface. 

There will be plenty to keep fans entertained all day long. Fans who attend will not only witness world-class racing on track and via Jumbotron but also be treated to numerous off-track attractions, including music, a fireworks display, the Fans Zone and Kids Zone, along with a wide variety of food and beverage options. 

Reserve Your Seats Today 

General Admission Grandstand tickets are just $40 (kids 12 and under free) while Reserved Grandstand tickets start at $50 (all ages). Progressive AFT has taken fan engagement to a whole new level in 2025 by including paddock access with every event ticket purchase. 

Fans seeking the ultimate in access can purchase the Opening Ceremonies Trackside Fan Experience for $99, a ticket package that provides reserved seating, a guided tour of the infield podium and start/finish line – complete with photo opportunities – and infield viewing of the Opening Ceremonies and a portion of the night’s race action.  

Multi-Day Camping Passes ($70) are also available to purchase. 

Click HERE 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 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. 

How to Watch American Flat Track

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 Yamaha Senoia Short Track, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, April 6, at 10:00 a.m. ET (7:00 a.m. PT). 

For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.