The American Flat Track community is mourning the death of Bayne “The Train” Nantz, a 14-year-old AFT ProSport 450 competitor whose promising racing career came to a tragic end following an accident at the Peoria TT.
AMA Pro Racing and American Flat Track announced Nantz’s passing while extending condolences to his family, friends and fellow competitors. The news has brought profound sadness to the racing community, where the young rider had already begun making a name for himself through his determination, speed and passion for motorcycles.
Nantz was born in Danvers, Illinois, and was introduced to motorcycles at an early age through his family. His father, Michael Nantz, owned a motorcycle shop, giving Bayne and his brother the opportunity to grow up surrounded by motorcycles and racing.
According to a tribute from Dave Mabeus, Bayne received a Yamaha PW50 for his third birthday. What began as an early childhood introduction to riding eventually developed into a serious racing career, as Nantz progressed through amateur competition and moved onto 450cc motorcycles while still in his early teens.
His family later settled around Breen and Hesperus in southwestern Colorado near Durango, where Nantz Bros Racing became the family racing operation. With the support of his father and those closest to him, Bayne traveled to competitions across the country while pursuing his dream of becoming a professional American Flat Track rider.
By the age of 13 or 14, Nantz was already competing nationally and demonstrating the ability to race against much more experienced competitors.
In June 2026, he achieved one of the biggest milestones of his young career at Budds Creek when he won the AFT ProSport 450 Main. Nantz led the race from start to finish, holding off Adam Costan-Wood to take victory by just 0.163 seconds.
That performance earned him an invitation to the Dan Bromley AFT ProSport 450 Invitational at the Peoria TT on August 22.
Nantz once again demonstrated his speed at Peoria. During Qualifying 2, he recorded a 27.735-second lap, placing second in the session and finishing only 0.310 seconds behind Sam Drane. He was competing aboard the No. 313 Nantz Bros Racing KTM 450 SX-F.
The promising weekend, however, ended in tragedy when Nantz was involved in an accident at the Peoria TT. Messages shared afterward called for prayers for the young rider and his family before the news of his death was announced.
AMA Pro Racing and the American Flat Track community paid tribute to Nantz as fellow riders, teams and fans began mourning a competitor whose professional journey was only beginning.
For those who followed his racing, Nantz’s accomplishments were remarkable considering his age. In little more than a decade, he had progressed from riding a PW50 as a young child to competing on 450cc motorcycles at the national level, winning an AFT ProSport 450 Main and earning a place among the competitors at one of American Flat Track’s notable events.
His No. 313 racing number and the memories of his performances will remain part of the legacy he leaves behind.
Beyond the results and lap times, Nantz is being remembered as a young rider who embraced racing from an early age and pursued his ambitions with the support of his family. His story, though tragically short, reflected the dedication and passion required to compete at the highest levels of American Flat Track.
His death has left his family, friends, teammates and fellow competitors facing an unimaginable loss. Across the American Flat Track community, tributes are now being shared for a young racer whose talent had already begun to shine and whose future held so much promise.
Bayne “The Train” Nantz was only 14, but in his brief racing career he had already created memories that will endure among those who watched him compete, worked alongside him and shared his love of motorcycles and American Flat Track racing.
