Interview: American Flat Track Rider Tom Drane

From Down Under to the top of America’s oldest form of motorcycle racing, Monster Energy’s Tom Drane (Estenson/Yamaha) recently became the first non-American to win the overall AMA Progressive AFT Singles Championship, presented by Kicker - earning that top honor at the AFT’s penultimate round, the long-standing Springfield Mile I & II at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

In comparison to bright lights and big cities of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, AFT racing doesn’t quite draw the crowds, nor are the racers household names such as McGrath, Carmichael and Villopoto. And, Drane probably didn’t blip on MonsterEnergy.com readers’ radar until this interview dropped. But from a pure, high speed racing standpoint, if you were to bring back the sport of SuperMoto, which combines both motocross and road racing on motorcycles very similar to the familiar Yamaha YZ450F that Drane races, the smart money – vs. the aforementioned SX/MX greats – would be on Drane.

He's that fast.

Aussie-born & bred to rip ‘n shred, Drane started riding dirt bikes, he recalls below, before his feet could touch the ground on a Suzuki JR50 (mini bike). Drane trained riding MX, but his passion, even at a young age, was more geared towards the all-out speed of go-karts, speedway (similar to flat track) and road racing. 

In 2018, Drane had shown enough talent that his folks decided to pack up and move him here to the States to compete. And seven years later, with Drane still in his teens, he became the first foreign-born racer to win the AMA’s prestigious AFT Singles title.

Monster Energy caught up with Drane following his 1-1 title-clinching performance at Springfield and got the lowdown on how he crafted his racing career, who helped him get there, his racing rivalries and how it all came together for him on a sunny afternoon in the middle of Illinois.

Monster Energy: Tom! Right out of the gate, congrats from everyone at Monster Energy on your historic Progressive AFT Singles, presented by Kicker, class championship! With back-to-back victories at Springfield (Il) this past weekend, you wrapped ‘er up early, becoming the first non-American to win the AFT Singles title. A crowning achievement for a teenager out of Australia! You gotta be pumped. 

Tom Drane: Even pumped feels like an understatement to me. This is the best feeling in the world to me right now. It just doesn’t feel real. This is something I feel like I have trained all my life for. To stand on the podium at that moment with the crowd cheering and know that my supporters where all back home cheering for me was such a surreal moment. Something that I will never forget. 

ME: That’s just flat out awesome, man… Let’s rewind just a bit, get all the MonsterEnergy.com Army and readers - skaters, surfers, BMXers and such - a proper introduction to Tom Drane. Talk a bit about how you got started in flat track racing back in Australia, who were your influences when you were starting out and what the plan was that eventually brought you to the States to race AFT when you were just 16 years old, turning pro in 2022.

TD: I've been into bikes and racing for as long as I can remember. My parents got me a Suzuki JR50 when I was young, even though I couldn’t reach the ground on it. Growing up, my dad and grandpa were racers, so racing just felt like part of who I am. I remember going to my first race when I was four and from that day on, I would wake up wanting to get on my bike. My family ended up purchasing some property out of town so that I could ride my bike whenever I wanted. This turned into a daily routine. I would ride from morning to night and on weekends, we would travel to the closest race meeting. I looked up to the likes of (Aussie greats) Casey Stoner, Troy Herfoss and Chris Holder (older brother of Monster Energy’s Speedway GP great Jack Holder). These guys were my hero’s and still to this day, I aspire to be like them. In 2018, my dad suggested we try racing in the USA. We bought a 65 and an 85cc bike, and that’s where my real journey started. I was lucky enough to win three AMA Nationals in my first year, and I kept moving up through the ranks. Whilst racing in the USA, I ranked at the top of the over 18 Australian Championships also - before I made the decision to go pro. It was just after Covid-19 when we were allowed to start travelling again. Just before my 16^th birthday, my dad and I said ‘Let’s not do the amateur races, let’s go pro. What have we got to lose?’ I remember turning up at Lima (Ohio) with an engine in a cooler and a bike that a team had loaned me and helped me out on the day. We went out and finished 2^nd in my first pro race, then won the feature race. It was at that point that I knew this was the dream I was chasing. All I had to do now was get someone to notice me and that is where the relationship with Monster Energy/Estenson Yamaha team started. Since then I have never looked back 

ME: You focused on dirt track, but we’re figuring you can cut some fast laps on a motocross track as well. Was there ever a time you wanted to follow in the footsteps of Aussie MX great Chad Reed? Or was the master plan to end up here in the States racing AMA pro flat track? 

TD: The funny part to this is I have raced, go karts, speedway and road racing. I was even selected in the Asia Talent Cup in 2021. However, I have never really raced MX. Only rode it for training. I kind of stuck to flat track and road racing until I made the decision to focus 100% on flat track. We built an MX track at home back in Australia for off-season training. And on spare weekends, you will find me glued to the TV watching pro MX, or trying to get to the event itself!

ME: You did take a slight exit at one point, contesting the Indemitsu Aisia Talen Cup and Australian 600cc Supersport series – both pavement-based road racing series. What was it that made flat track racing win out for you over road racing? And is there a chance you’ll ever go pack to road racing? 

TD: My love for road racing is still there and I take every opportunity I can to throw my leg over a road bike. My little brother, Sam, has started racing in the MotoAmerica Talent Cup, so I am always happy to train alongside him every chance I get. The experience I gained from road racing showed me how dedicated and disciplined you need to be to become the best at what you do. I felt that I was better at flat track and I had a better opportunity pursuing this path. I knew I had to give up road racing so that I could 100% commit to flat track.  

ME: Onto the 2025 Progressive AFT season. You started out with a couple podium finishes at the Daytona (Fla.) short track races, behind your rival and 2024 Singles champ, Kody Kopp (KTM). Kopp, as pre-planned, would move onto road racing and MotoAmerica’s Talent Cup Championship following Daytona. This would leave you as the top returner. After Daytona, you scored two more podiums (Senoia & Silver Dollar) before going on a three-race win streak (Lima I & II and DuQuoin). Would you consider this the turning point for you that allowed you to get out front of Chase Saathoff (Honda) and Trevor Brunner (KTM)? 

TD: Yeah, I feel like this was a turning point for me in the season. As the season progressed, my team was continually working on my bike to make improvements, and I gained more confidence with each podium. Chase and Trevor have always been right there all year with the same consistency each race, making it hard to get a big enough points lead to be comfortable. These guys know how to race and race hard, so it was a matter of staying consistent and trying to keep a good points lead. And I managed to maintain that all season. 

ME: Brunner and Saathoff would split wins at the next two rounds (Wheaton, Mo., and Sturgis, ND), but you, like you’d mentioned, remained consistent – placing 1^st or 2^nd at the next seven rounds. During this time, and through Springfield, was it like a dream for you – knowing there was a very good chance you were going to become the 2025 Progressive AFT Singles, presented by Kicker, series champion? 

TD: In the back of my mind, I knew the reality of becoming champion was there. However, my focus was to keep winning as much as I could. I knew I wanted to prove to others and myself that I could keep winning and not let any other rider gain too much confidence. I want to finish this season with more wins under my belt. The championship was a bonus to be wrapped up early at Springfield.  

ME: Excellent. Round 13, Peoria (IL), arguably the most popular race on the entire AFT circuit, “the one with the jump” (known by even general motorcycle racing fans), would mark the return of Kopp to flat track. You came out and made an absolute statement, winning by eight seconds and flat out dominating Kopp, who placed 4^th. The day even saw Saathoff not answer the bell for the main after a rough qualifying crash. Talk about how Peoria furthered your championship mindset and aided in your confidence for the final push through the 2025 AFT competition season.

TD: Peoria is a race everyone wants to win. My team manager, Tommy Hayden, has a really good training strategy to get us ready for these types of races. So we knuckled down and put a lot of effort into our training. I was not worried about Kopp returning as I treat him like any other rider on the track, and I didn’t want him or anyone else coming in and taking any valuable points away. I knew I had a great bike and the confidence to win. I set my focus to win this race and I was able to gain my first flat track Grand Slam (winning one of each of the five main AFT events – short track, TT, half mile, mile and road race).  

ME: With the Singles title in hand, you and the Monster Energy/Estenson/Yamaha team head to the Arby’s Lake Ozark (MO) Short Track, presented by Arrowhead Brass, for the final Progressive AFT round of the season at Lake Ozark Speedway. Pretty much a victory lap for you. And given that, who’d you like to thank for being key to your championship season this summer? 

TD: The biggest and most important key people that have made this championship a reality are my parents. They have sacrificed so much to get me here. My family has been split apart in two different countries. My little brother and dad live here with me in Owensboro, KY, whilst my mum and sister are home working and attending school travel back and forth as much as they can to be here with either my little brother or me when we are racing. I also wouldn’t be here without my team owners, Tim and Traci Estenson, and my team manager Tommy Hayden. They saw something in me and took the gamble and invested in me. My crew Chief Dustin Say, who has worked alongside me for the past two years, and worked tirelessly each day to give me the best bike every time I go out on the track. There are so many people in my team that play a role in achieving this success this year that goes for all the team members and all the sponsors who came on board and believed in this team and especially believed in me. 

ME: We know it’s early, but looking ahead, we’d expect you to (rightfully) defend your 2025 Singles title next season. That said, do you have aspirations to race the Mission SuperTwins class? And (laughter) have you ever had a chance to sneak your teammate Dallas Daniels’ MT-07 out of the garage and spin some practice laps on it? 

TD: At this stage, I am coming back in 2026 to defend my title. But I cannot wait for the day I can officially race in the SuperTwins. Springfield Day 2 was like a dream come true going out lining up next to Dallas (Daniels, Drane’s teammate) and some of the best racers in the world. To be able to do that every race would be awesome. Leading up to Springfield, as crazy as this may sound, I had never ridden a SuperTwin. It was only until a few days before the race on a local track that I had the chance to do a few laps. Not that I was not allowed - we just never had the time.  

ME: Wrapping thing up here, Tom, coming from Australia, were you a big fan of action sports? Stuff in the X Games and that? Which ones did you participate in when you were younger? And what do you enjoy doing here in the States when you’re not on your motorcycle? 

TD: I am a fan of all motorsports, tuning in to either X games, MotoGP, Speedway, Pro MX, Supercross, NASCAR whenever I can. My day usually revolves around motorsport.  

ME: Excellent. Thanks again for your time, Tom. Best of luck this weekend at Lake Ozark. We’ll for sure be tuning in.

TD: Thank you for taking the time to  chat!!

Up next: Progressive American Flat Track schedule’s season finale is this weekend, Sept. 13^th, with the running of the Arby’s Lake Ozark Short Track, presented by Arrowhead Brass, at Lake Ozark Speedway in Eldon, Mo.