LIMA, Ohio — Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) claimed top honors on what proved to be a huge night for Estenson Racing in a historic Lima Half-Mile I, Round 6 of the 2025 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing.
Daniels was in serious need of a victory at the Allen County Fairgrounds. Nearly four months removed from his last victory and having witnessed Mission AFT SuperTwins title rival Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Parts Plus/Latus Motors Harley-Davidson XG750R) win the last three races in succession, the preseason Grand National Championship favorite came into Lima, Ohio, desperate to shift the momentum back in his favor.
The debut of Mission Triple Challenge basically guaranteed an evening of drama and excitement as the two squared off for supremacy. It was the first time the entire field would face an all-new format that featured three successive Main Events – the first a 10-lap sprint, the second a 15-lapper that paid double points, and a decisive 20-lap Main to round out the evening with triple the points – the results of which combined to determine the evening’s overall winner.
Main Event 1
The Mission AFT SuperTwins evening opened in barn-burning fashion, with Bauman, Daniels, Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R), and Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Suzuki GSX-8S) running four wide whenever they weren’t intersecting lines.
However, that demonstration of controlled chaos was brought to an abrupt halt due to an early fall by Ben Lowe (No. 25 Mission Foods/Roof Systems Yamaha MT-07) that brought out the red flag.
Daniels took full advantage of the race reset, sprinting away to collect a quick 23 points toward his evening’s combined tally. He was followed home by Bauman, who snuck past Robinson on the last lap.
Bromley picked up fourth ahead of Max Whale (No. 18 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650).
Main Event 2
Lessons learned, Main Event 2 was a contest of shifting lines and shifting strategies.
While Daniels and Bauman tangled for the lead in the opening stages, Robinson simultaneously shot past both and looked to make a break.
At that point, Main Event 1 winner Daniels appeared to be best positioned to prevent that eventuality, while Bauman seemed to be doing everything in his power just to cling on in third.
But in actuality, he was simply doing his homework. When Bauman finally unleashed the line he worked out while out of the sight of Robinson and Daniels, he gobbled up the gap and ran around the outside of both of his opponents, grabbing the lead for good with six laps remaining.
Daniels took notes and dropped Robinson back to third by the time they reached the checkered flag.
Bromley and Whale backed up their earlier fourths and fifths with identical results in Main Event 2.
Main Event 3
A lightning quick start for Daniels meant precious little when both Bauman and Robinson stormed past in one fell swoop.
While the three broke free from the pack almost from the jump, Bauman continued that charge forward, turning the contest into a one-man show for a time.
However, after Bauman teased a potential fourth consecutive premier-class victory by edging that advantage up near a second, Daniels reeled him back in.
Just when the Estenson Racing ace closed in for the strike with just five of 20 laps remaining, Bauman’s machine seemed to suffer from a slipping clutch. That allowed Daniels to effortlessly blast past and power his way to a third overall victory in 2025.
With nearly five seconds padding on Robinson, Bauman was nearly able to nurse that advantage to the flag but instead found himself tracked down and overhauled in the race’s final corner.
Still, Bauman’s earlier 2-1 results were strong enough to fend off Robinson in the overall tally, holding onto second in the combined order despite his final-lap disappointment in Main Event 3.
Fourth-place in the race went to Declan Bender (No. 70 Memphis Shades/Corbin/OTB Racing Yamaha MT-07), who closed out a stirring debut with On the Box Racing by running down the on-form Bromley late in Main Event 3.
However, like Bauman, Bromley was rewarded for his consistent performances with a fourth-place overall finish.
By contrast, Bender’s overall result of eighth didn’t reflect the strong impression he made in Main Event 3, as his combined tally still put behind fifth-placed Whale, sixth-placed Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Progressive Insurance Honda Transalp), and seventh-placed Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke).
Daniels said, “The second and third Mains were just super tricky for us. The track was like nothing I’ve ever seen at Lima before – super brushed off and you kind of had to go in and bump the cushion.
“I was matching Briar there for a little bit. I’m not sure if he had a problem or something, but I had a really good line in Turns 3 and 4. I had to kind of go slower to go faster, which has just never been the case here before. So it took a little bit to adapt and, you know, Briar has been on it all season. He’s won the last three races. He’s been kicking our butt. So it’s good to stop the bleeding.
“It’s going to be a hell of a season battling with him and the rest of these guys.”
Meanwhile, Daniels’ teammate, AFT Singles presented by KICKER title favorite and defending Lima Half-Mile winner Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F), earned his first victory of the 2025 Progressive AFT season.
