HOHENWALD, Tenn. — The 2026 Progressive American Flat Track season, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, resumes this weekend with the inaugural Caterpillar Nashville Short Track presented by Memphis Shades at Sons of Speed Nashville Short Track this Saturday, June 6.
It’s not just the first-ever stop at the venue formerly known as Tennessee National Raceway, this weekend will mark the Grand National Championship’s first visit to the Volunteer State in 17 years.
It’s a welcome return for America’s Original Extreme Sport considering the state’s proud motorsports heritage along with its extensive collection of some of the finest motorcycle roads to be found anywhere in the nation.
The early-season advantages that Mission AFT SuperTwins points leader Kody Kopp (No. 12 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) and reigning Grand National Champion Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07) stacked up on Briar Bauman (No. 3 RWR/Jacob Construction/Parts Plus Harley-Davidson XG750R) have nearly vanished.
What had been point differences of 26 and 22 in favor of Kopp and Daniels, respectively, now stand at just nine and two.
Bauman has completely flipped the script with his recent run of form and must be considered the pre-race favorite heading into any given round shorter than a Mile until proven otherwise. He comes into this weekend with three consecutive wins in tow, a streak that has elevated him into a tie for sixth all-time on the career wins list alongside Kenny Coolbeth, Jr., at 37. And he’s quickly zeroing in on the top five with the legendary Ricky Graham now just two wins away.
Don’t expect Bauman to ease up now. The Caterpillar Nashville Short Track stands as the sixth of seven STs on the calendar, and the Rick Ware Racing star has dominated the discipline as of late.
With 13 Short Track wins to his name, Bauman boasts four more than any other rider in Grand National Championship history. That unprecedented tally has been assembled in large part since first throwing his leg over the Harley-Davidson XG750R at the start of 2025, having won eight of the last 11 STs dating back to early last season.
While momentum is quite obviously on Bauman’s side, the padding Kopp and Daniels earned over the opening three rounds served its purpose, as Bauman still ranks third even with three successive wins on his side.
They will have used the extended layoff granted with the rescheduling of the Appalachian Harley-Davidson Williams Grove Half-Mile to regroup and reset. And this weekend in Nashville represents an ideal opportunity to meet the challenge that’s been presented.
“Freight Train” Logan McGrane (No. 14 Schaffers MotorSports/RVR KTM 790 Duke) has been on an upward trajectory this season, boasting both his career-best Progressive AFT Main Event finish (eighth at the Ventura ST) and a top-ten Mission AFT SuperTwins championship ranking.
McGrane stepped up to the premier class in 2024 with relatively little Progressive AFT experience under his belt, having qualified for just four KICKER AFT Singles Mains with no top-10 finishes.
That doesn’t mean he was lacking professional race experience or success, however, considering that McGrane is a four-time World Championship ICE Racing Series champ.
Ironically, McGrane may have enjoyed his biggest leap yet in terms of the average fan’s estimation of his abilities despite leaving Budds Creek with a 14-place finish – his worst Main Event result of the ’26 season.
By the time the Main Event rolled around, he’d already won – literally and figuratively. McGrane accomplished that by earning a front-row grid position and entry in the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge.
Once there, he didn’t back down despite lining up next to Daniels, Bauman, and long-time multi-class ace Chad Cose (No. 49 Parker Racing/Pro Roofing Yamaha MT-07). The opposite in fact – McGrane stormed past Daniels to claim the upset win, and then turned around to let ’em know.
Besides bolstering his own reputation, McGrane also did well to honor the memory of a fellow Pennsylvanian, the late Ryan Varnes, whose legacy he represents on the RVR KTM 790 Duke.
Jarod VanDerKooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R) will be back in the mix this weekend after making his season debut at Budds Creek where he rode in place of the injured Brandon Robinson on the Mission Roof Systems Harley.
Despite his absence to start the season, few have forgotten about VanDerKooi’s skills. Those few who did were reminded at Budds Creek, even if somewhat obscured by rust and mechanical misfortune.
Until getting struck down by a late-race bike issue, “VDK” was all set for a sixth-place ride despite still in the process of shaking things down.
With some more seat time and a bit more luck, a return to the podium is not beyond his reach.
Nine points separate first from third in the Mission AFT SuperTwins points.
That difference is largely down not to outright speed but consistency.
Consider the following collection of premier-class contenders:
Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods Honda CB750 Hornet)
Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing KTM 790 Duke)
Aidan RoosEvans (No. 26 FRA Trust Advisors Harley-Davidson XG750R)
Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Roof Systems KTM 790 Duke)
Hunter Bauer (No. 24 G&G Racing Yamaha MT-07)
Chad Cose (No. 49 Parker Racing/Pro Roofing Yamaha MT-07)
All six of them have finished inside the top five this year, with podiums for Fisher, RoosEvans, and Cose.
On the flipside, all six have also finished outside the top 10 or failed to qualify for a Main Event.
Those swings have arguably been most pronounced in the case of Fisher – who is routinely as quick as Kopp, Daniels, and Bauman but also burdened by a pair of 15th-place finishes, multiple trips to the LCQ, and without a remaining provisional start.
And what about Cose? His best finish of the season was a 13th until he blasted his way to third last time out to pick up his first premier-class podium since achieving his first-ever premier-class podium some eight seasons back.
The Caterpillar Nashville Short Track presented by Memphis Shades is a unique collaboration between Progressive AFT and Billy Lane’s Sons of Speed racing series, a vintage flat track competition inspired by the board track racing era of the 1910s and ’20s.
Lane – who will serve as the event’s Grand Marshal – is renowned for his innovative and evocative designs at Choppers Inc, his iconic appearances on “Biker Build Off” and “Monster Garage,” and his passion for pushing the limits of speed and style.
