ROUND 4 / APRIL 26, 2025
VENTURA RACEWAY / VENTURA, CALIFORNIA
FLAT TRACK I AMA PROGRESSIVE AMERICAN FLAT TRACK
P104
The 17-year-old said, "It all
starts in practice. I felt good in
practice. I knew there were a
few things we needed to work
on to get a little bit quicker. After
practice, qualifying rolled around
and we did super well there, and
then heats, dash, and especially
the main. This is a dream night.
I would never have thought this
could have happened on my
rookie debut."
Senoia ST winner Chase Saa
-
thoff did well to keep him honest.
His more predictable low line
positioned him well if that big mis
-
take were to come, but Tadman
never
gave him that opportunity.
did, not while qualifying fastest,
not while running away with his
heat, not while dominating the
1st Impressions Challenge, and
not while going (nearly) wire-
to-wire en route to claiming a
maiden Progressive AFT victory.
Tadman, however, came into
the weekend with significant
amateur credentials, includ
-
ing multiple National titles and
an AMA
Youth Rider of the
Year Award, but none of that
prepared the paddock for the
performance he was set to
deliver, especially in a class that
had hardened into a pretty solid
status quo at the top.
on Saturday night. That honor
was stolen away in advance by
rookie phenom Kage Tadman,
who made an epic professional
debut in AFT Singles action.
The 17-year-old Californian set
his sights on merely making the
main event in his first attempt.
He overshot those hopes in the
most vivid way imaginable.
Tadman stunned with his
speed and style all day, thrash
-
ing his way around a high line
aboard
his Old Oak Ranch/Roof
Systems-backed KTM 450 SX-F
that no one could replicate. The
entire time, he appeared on the
verge of crashing. But he never
Rookie Kage
Tadman turned a
lot of heads after
taking the Singles
win in his first
Pro race.
