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INTERVIEW I 2025 MISSION AFT SUPERTWINS CHAMPION DALLAS DANIELS
difficulty maintaining his oxygen levels, a sepa-
rated shoulder, and a shattered lifelong goal to be
crowned
Grand National Champion.
While Mees escaped into the sunset on his
Indian with an unprecedented 10th premier-class
title, Daniels improbably recovered fast enough
to not only return but also score three successive
podiums to close out his ill-fated campaign.
Those results, even while hobbled, issued the
warning that Daniels would be more than ready
to take vengeance upon anyone who dared stand
in his path as he marched toward destiny the
following season.
Despite being
tabbed the heaviest Mission
SuperTwins title favorite in several years, Daniels
wouldn't have it. "It's not going to be like that,"
he'd say. "These guys are too good."
Whatever. Daniels came out and swept the
Daytona Short Track double opener with relative
ease, as expected, providing even more credence
to the prognosticators who predicted he'd run
roughshod over the field all season long.
[
And with Jared leaving, I knew he [Briar
Bauman] was going to want to be the guy who
stepped up to take his place.
]
Many AFT
fans believed
that with
Jared Mees
racing, the
title would be
a cakewalk
for Daniels,
but Daniels
didn't believe
that. He
respected
his rivals too
much.
