A
pivotal doubleheader at the Springfield Mile created
a season-ending scenario where Estenson Racing
Yamaha's Dallas Daniels needed only to finish seventh
or better in the event of a win by RWR's Briar Bauman in
order to secure the 2025 Grand National Championship.
On paper, that was practically a done deal before the
teams had even arrived at Lake Ozark Speedway and the
19th annual Lake of the Ozarks Bikefest. Daniels doesn't
finish eighth or lower. In fact, Daniels doesn't finish outside
the top five and rarely ends up short of the podium.
In a four-year premier-class career that has marked
a steady march to the pinnacle of the two-wheeled dirt
track universe, the 22-year-old pilot had finished worse
than seventh just once in 64 prior attempts, including
47 consecutive finishes of fifth or better heading into
the '25 finale.
However, in practice, the possibility of something
going terribly wrong felt a whole lot greater than the
approximate 1.5 percent chance that past history
suggested. The pressure of a lifelong goal paired up with
a racey Short Track and a field full of talented racers
desperate to end their respective seasons on a high note
created a situation ripe for unpredictability.
While Bauman had basically conceded the championship
ahead of time, he took care of everything in his control with
a powerhouse performance. The two-time Grand National
Champion was fastest in both practices, fastest in both
qualifying sessions, and then won his heat and the Mission
#2Fast2Tasty Challenge with relative ease.
VOLUME ISSUE SEPTEMBER , P113
BY CHRIS MARTIN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIM LESTER
Dallas Daniels captures his first AFT SuperTwins title. Dallas Daniels captures his first AFT SuperTwins title. Dallas Daniels captures his first AFT SuperTwins title.
Dallas Daniels celebrates
winning his first SuperTwins
Championship.
