It’s been a full 20 months since Progressive American Flat Track last raced a TT and the world’s greatest dirt trackers flexed those particular muscles.

With the Atlanta Super TT now just two weeks out, this seems like an appropriate time to take stock of the riders who shine bright whenever things go right (in addition to left…).

The Legend

Henry Wiles (No. 17 American Honda/United Rentals CRF450R)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

7 Top Fives

7 Podiums

4 Wins

Notes: Wiles is the premier class’ all-time winningest TT rider with an nearly unthinkable 19 TT wins to his credit. True, nearly 75% of those have come at a single venue -- the prestigious Peoria TT -- but even if you threw out those 14 victories he would still rank inside the top ten for career TT victories. Wiles is again doing his thing on a 450cc in AFT Singles competition, which should only make him more that much more imposing in TT competition moving forward.

The Elite

JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

5 Top Fives

3 Podiums

2 Wins

Notes: Any rider who can log multiple premier-class Half-Mile podiums and multiple roadracing national titles is going to be a problem for the competition whenever it’s time to go TT racing. And Beach’s strike rate is pretty incredible. Since 2015, he’s never taken the checkered flag lower than fourth and only finished off the box once during that span. It’s also worth mentioning he was a popular pick to win the 2019 DAYTONA TT before a Semi crash removed him from contention. He made up for that disappointment by winning the next two TTs on the schedule. Note that the above numbers don’t even factor in his four career AFT Singles TT victories.

Briar Bauman (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

8 Top Fives

6 Podiums

3 Wins

Notes: The reigning two-time Grand National Champion earned that distinction by excelling everywhere. When evaluating his opposition, Bauman gives extra points for those he considers to be outstanding motorcycle riders above and beyond just being great dirt trackers. It’s also something he clearly strives for himself, and there’s little doubt he’s among the very best all-around riders the series has boasted in recent memory.

Jared Mees (No. 9 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

11 Top Fives

9 Podiums

2 Wins

Notes: The fact that Mees will likely go down as the winningest Half-Mile rider in Progressive AFT history along with one of its most decorated Milers can obscure the fact that he’s also one of the best TT and ST riders on the tour today. Outside of his opening night drama at the ‘19 DAYTONA TT (two crashes and a mechanical DNF), Mees has consistently been inside the top five -- and more often than not, inside the top two -- at the TTs since 2015.

Elite Potential

Dallas Daniels (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

1 Top Five

1 Podium

1 Win

Notes: The defending AFT Singles champion earns this placement with just two Progressive AFT TTs under his belt, and yet, try arguing that he doesn’t deserve it. His rookie win at the Peoria TT was spectacular, and his background as a MotoAmerica race winner and Supermoto standout suggests he’s going to be a TT superstar for years to come. That and the fact that he’s won at a historic rate regardless of venue or discipline.

Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson Construction Yamaha MT-07)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

9 Top Fives

7 Podiums

2 Wins

Notes: The lanky Bromley actually has an advantage at TTs thanks to his added leverage and muscle, which helps to balance out all the times he’s victimized on Mile straights. Bromley is an terrific all-around motorcycle rider, which makes him a serious threat for the AFT Production Twins title with the addition of TTs to the class slate.

Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 D&D Cycles/Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

4 Top Fives

4 Podiums

1 Win

Notes: Gauthier’s extremely gifted and those gifts allow him to capitalize even more than usual whenever his competition is less than comfortable. As with Bromley, the addition of TTs to the AFT Production Twins slate only elevates his title hopes.

Sleeping Giant

Sammy Halbert (No. 69 Coolbeth-Nila Racing Indian FTR750)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

2 Top Fives

1 Podium

Notes: Halbert’s recent TT results are not especially overwhelming, with more three times as many finishes of ninth and lower than eighth or better since 2015. That said, there’s no forgetting that from 2007-2012, Halbert reeled in three TT victories. Considering his return to championship contention as of late, it wouldn’t be surprising to see his TT fortunes rise in a similar fashion.

Solid and Steady

Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Indian Motorcycle of Oklahoma City FTR750)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

6 Top Fives

1 Podium

Notes: Bauman can muscle around a motorcycle and he shares both genetics and training methodology with older brother Briar. In his last six premier class TTs, Bauman has finished 5th, 6th, 5th, 6th, 4th, and 2nd.

Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

3 Top Fives

Notes: Vanderkooi was the fastest qualifier for the 2018 Buffalo Chip TT, and in 2019, he finished sixth or better in three out of four attempts. Widely expected to take a big step forward in 2021, an even stronger TT presence could be part of that equation.

Robert Pearson (No. 27 Rackley Racing/John Franklin Indian FTR750)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

2 Top Fives

Notes: Pearson went 8th, 7th, 16th, 7th, and 4th in his last five TTs. While not exactly spectacular, he’s proven solid and consistent in the discipline.

Mikey Rush (No. 15 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

3 Top Fives

1 Podium

Notes: All three of Rush’s TT top fives since 2015 came in 2019 with his move to AFT Singles competition.

Max Whale (No. 18 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-FFE)

1 Top Five

Notes: While Whale has just the one TT top five to his credit, he was consistently fast there in 2019. Considering that he lifted up his game by a wide margin in 2020, and the fact that TTs share some commonalities with the brand of dirt track racing he grew up racing in his native Australia, it would come as no surprise if Whale battled for TT podiums in 2021 and beyond.

Kolby Carlile (No. 36 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

4 Top Fives

3 Podiums

Notes: All of Carlile’s stats came during his 2017 AFT Singles title campaign, when he was podium threat wherever the series travelled. He did score a premier-class top ten in spot duty in 2019, suggesting he could be a genuine Mission SuperTwins TT top-five threat in the future.

Ryan Wells (No. 94 1st Impressions Race Team Honda CRF450R)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

3 Top Fives

2 Podiums

Notes: Wells isn’t often thought of as a TT standout, but the actual results indicate that he’s more than capable of running up front at a TT if things are clicking for him.

Ben Lowe (No. 25 Mission Roof Systems Harley-Davidson XG750R)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

3 Top Fives

1 Podium

Notes: The last 11 times Lowe has taken a checkered flag in a TT, he’s finished inside the top ten. A pair of big TT results this season could do wonders for his AFT Production Twins championship standing.

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Specialists & Generalists

Jacob Lehmann (No. 14 Roof Systems of Dallas TX/Bullet Strong Racing Honda CRF450R)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

4 Top Fives

Notes: Lehmann is always fast at the TTs, and that’s been true since he won the very first Progressive AFT Main Event he entered at the 2012 Castle Rock TT. He later proved it had nothing to do with beginner’s luck by adding a second AFT Singles win to his name at the 2014 Peoria TT.

Ryan Sipes (No. 264 Red Bull/Leatt/KTM 450 SX-F)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

2 Top Fives

2 Podiums

2 Wins

Notes: Motorsports legend Ryan Sipes is the epitome of the two-wheeled ace who can turn up from outside the series and be a threat to win a TT due to their talent, versatility, and expansive history working jumps, brakes, and right-hand corners. Travis Pastrana and Tyler O’Hara are among the high-profile riders hoping to join Sipes in that club at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Unrealized Potential

James Rispoli (No. 43 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R Rev X)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

1 Top Five

Notes: Despite a lack of podium results, Rispoli has all the tools necessary to be a TT ace. He did establish himself as a pre-race favorite to win the AFT Singles Main at the 2018 DAYTONA TT before a pair of red flag incidents ended his evening prematurely. Now battling at the sport’s highest level, Rispoli heads into Atlanta armed with a Harley-Davidson XG750R, a machine that previously proved quite competitive in TT spec when fielded by the factory H-D team.

Johnny Lewis (No. 10 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield Twins FT)

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

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Notes: Lewis doesn’t have any recent results to suggest he’s going to tear it up at the TTs this year, but even a passing knowledge of his skill set and racing pedigree makes it obvious that he’s got serious TT potential. With a sweet-handling bike underneath him, Lewis could be a contender in Atlanta.

Up-and-Comers

There’s a wealth of up-and-coming talent in the AFT Singles field, many of whom aren’t far removed from multi-discipline racing backgrounds. This year’s TTs could be the perfect showcase for any number of them to make a name for themselves on the national scene -- the same way Daniels did at Peoria in 2019.

Better Hope They Stay Home

Jake Johnson

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

8 Top Fives

6 Podiums

1 Win

Notes: Jake Johnson headlines the short list of recently retired TT superstars who still have the goods to do serious damage should they show up on the Atlanta Super TT entry list. Johnson was coaxed out of retirement last season and promptly logged a number of top-ten finishes. A podium finish for the career five-time TT race winner wouldn’t shock anyone.

Jesse Janisch

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

14 Top Fives

12 Podiums

5 Wins

Notes: Janisch is the most decorated TT rider in AFT Singles history. In the 15 TTs he’s entered since 2015, he’s finished outside the top five just once (7th) and off the box just three times.

Hayden Gillim

Recent TT résumé (2015-present):

6 Top Fives

3 Podiums

3 Wins

Notes: A national roadracing champion, Gillim has finished inside the top five in every Progressive AFT TT he’s turned up at since 2015 (Mission SuperTwins or AFT Singles), including three dominant victories.