Tom Drane is leading the progressive American Flat Track singles as the championship series reaches the mid-way point.
A win in the Du Quoin Mile puts the 18-year-old from Forbes, now racing professionally in the United States, 20 points ahead of his closest competitor on the ladder.
Drane described the ride as an emotionally charged victory on the famed Magic Mile.
“After a close call with another rider that nearly ended my race, I managed to regroup and push through for the win,” he said on his racing facebook page.
“Emotions were running high after that one.
Latest Stories
“I couldn’t have asked for a better setup - my Estenson Yamaha performed flawlessly. Huge thanks to my entire team for their relentless effort and dedication.”
The win on the first mile of the AFT season followed success at the iconic Lima Half Mile, where Tom won two of three main events to take the overall victory.
The American Flat Track season started early March, and competitors contest 16 rounds, spread across the breadth of the country, through to mid-September.
Drane, who took to the racetrack here when he was about seven years old, racked up titles including 17 Australian Dirt Track Championships and 23 State Dirt Track Championships before debuting on the American Flat Track circuit when he turned 16 half way through the 2022 season.
In 2024, he finished runner up in the championship with seven wins for the season – more than any other rider.
The AFT has never been taken out by an international rider.
Back at home in Forbes last December, he shared his intense training, travel and competition schedule as a member of the Estenson racing team.
Every round includes a short track, a half mile, a mile and a TT, and in between meets the riders seeking out turn track, motocross and extra flat track racing at every opportunity.
