Drane Eyes History at Springfield as Championship Lead Solidifies

Tom Drane, the Australian rider, has been making a strong case for being considered the Greatest of All Time (G.O.A.T.) in the KICKER AFT Singles class. With his current record of most victories all-time (27) and most Mile victories all-time (9), he is poised to break a three-way tie with Kody Kopp and Dallas Daniels for most single-season wins all-time.

Drane's Springfield-specific mastery is equally notable, where he has taken the last five straight. However, his victories have been closely contested, often by mere tenths of a second. This weekend at the Caterpillar Springfield Mile I & II, Drane will be juggling his run at the record books with a glimpse into the future as a Mission AFT SuperTwins wild card entry.

Outside of equaling Kopp's back-to-back-to-back titles, there seems to be little left for Drane to accomplish before graduating to the premier-class ranks. His immediate predecessors, Daniels and Kopp, have already performed exceptionally well in their careers. As a result, this may be the last chance some old foes have at getting the better of Drane on single-cylinder machinery.

Chase Saathoff, who has been butting heads with Drane from the start, is one of his closest rivals. With two races yet to go, he has already logged ten podiums, including a win and six top twos.