Outside of a small handful of season finales with close-fought championships on the line, this weekend’s World Famous SC2 Peoria TT presented by Country Saloon may just be the most compelling single Progressive American Flat Track race in recent memory.

The historic event has welcomed just seven new winners into its exclusive ranks over the past 34 years. This year’s Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle showdown will feature three of those prior winners alongside a number of prospective challengers who foster genuine hopes of upping that number to eight.

Here’s a look at this weekend’s top contenders:

Henry Wiles (No. 17 Willy Built Kawasaki Ninja 650)

Make that “King Henry” Wiles, who earned his moniker thanks to his legendary mastery of Peoria. The iconic Chris Carr was previously dubbed the “Prince of Peoria” due to his remarkable 13 wins of the Peoria TT. That number once seemed untouchable until Wiles notched up 14 of his own in succession. It didn’t matter what the conditions were, or if the race was contested on single-cylinder racebikes or twins, from 2004 through 2018, Wiles was always up to the challenge and then some.

The fact is, he still hasn’t been beaten to the checkered flag in a Main Event at the Peoria TT since 2003, when he announced his arrival on the flat track scene with a seventh-place finish as a relatively unknown 19-year-old. Wiles missed the 2019 race due to injury, 2020 was a scratch due to COVID, and he won last year’s Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER Main prior to being DQ’d later due to a failed drug test. And that was the last time Wiles raced in the series full stop… at least until this weekend when he’ll make what he aims to be his triumphant return.

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

JD Beach is a throwback in the sense that he can realistically claim to be a world-class dirt tracker and roadracer. That now-elusive combination makes him especially adept at the TTs, where he’s won four of the last five times out. That includes last season’s Peoria TT, where he overcame both the challenge of the opposition and the pressure of sky-high expectations.

The pressure has only been ratcheted up this season – along with the opportunity – as a result of Wiles’ return. Not only could Beach cement his TT creds for life by beating Wiles straight-up, such an accomplishment might also seriously reignite his title hopes if he were to slot Wiles between himself and his championship rivals.

Briar Bauman (No. 3 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750)

Like Beach, Briar Bauman is an all-around ace on two wheels, and he’s frequently shone on TTs due to that multi-faceted excellence. Bauman won the ‘19 Peoria TT in Wiles’ absence and then kept Beach under fire for the vast majority of last year’s Main before an unlucky run through lappers forced him to call off the attack late.

Bauman has rediscovered his mojo in recent weeks, collecting a pair of confidence-building victories that has him looking like his old, championship-winning self once again. And like Beach, Bauman has to recognize the opportunity before him this weekend, both in terms of this year’s championship complexion and his larger legacy.

Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT)

Hailing from nearby Mattoon, Illinois, Dallas Daniels was just two months old the last time Wiles was beaten at Peoria. He then spent most of his life dreaming about winning at Peoria himself, a goal he accomplished – albeit on the undercard – as a 16-year-old rookie with stunning speed and skill.

Daniels has only continued to develop as a force, stacking up back-to-back Parts Unlimited AFT Singles titles and earning a maiden Mission SuperTwins victory in the short time since.

Last year’s face-off at Peoria featuring Wiles and Daniels was one of the season’s most anticipated battles regardless of class. And for a fleeting moment, Daniels looked like he might even have the measure of Wiles – posting the race’s fastest lap and opening a small gap at the front – before his day took a disastrous turn in the form of two crashes and an eventual DNF.

Expect last year’s disappointment to only increase Daniels’ determination as he looks to make amends in front of the partisan crowd.

Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) et al.

It’s a rare Progressive AFT round in which reigning champion and current points leader Jared Mees is viewed as the underdog, but that’s the case entering this weekend considering the collective résumés listed above.

However, that doesn’t mean Mees is in without a real shot. The future Hall of Famer has a legitimate claim as a Peoria genius himself, just one who happened to have the poor timing to exist alongside Wiles. Mees has finished as the race’s runner-up to “King Henry” on seven separate occasions (2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017) and finished on the box here a year ago.

Mees might just find some extra motivation by the rare chance to scrounge up some doubters who he can prove wrong.

And he’s not the only other rider who could have a say: Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Latus Motors Racing Harley-Davidson XG750R) finished second here in 2019, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750) has taken two consecutive runner-up finishes this season and battled with Mees for the podium a year ago, and Ben Lowe (No. 25 Rackley Racing/Mission Foods Indian FTR750) has set his sights on the premier class after finishing second in last year’s Peoria TT in the Mission Production Twins presented by Vance & Hines class.

Speaking of, this weekend’s Mission Production Twins Challengers could include Peoria standouts Jesse Janisch (No. 33 Vance & Hines Harley-Davidson XG750R) and Dan Bromley (No. 62 Vinson Construction/Viper Air Yamaha MT-07). And while it might be tough work to make their way up through the field from the back of the grid, it would certainly be entertaining watching them put in their best efforts.

For a race with so few past winners, this year’s field seems incredibly well stocked with potential ones.

Who’s your money on?