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Sturgis TT : A Historic First for Downtown Sturgis
Sturgis , South Dakota , that small town of 8,000 residents , a town synonymous with the roar of motorcycles for decades , resonated with the sound of racing motorcycles on Sunday , August 11 , as the inaugural Sturgis TT took place in the heart of the 84th Sturgis Rally . This American Flat Track ( AFT ) event ( Round 13 for the 2024 Championship series ) marked a significant milestone , not just for Sturgis , but for the world of flat track racing as a whole . The Sturgis TT track was unlike anything seen before on the AFT circuit . As Cycle News described it , the course was " unique on the AFT circuit ." It was a mix of dirt and pavement , challenging riders with both left and right turns , snaking through the heart of the city , with the finish line adjacent to the Harley- Davidson Rally Point . The Sturgis TT featured three classes of racing : the 450 Singles , the SuperTwins and the debut of the Adventure Tracker Class . Cameron Gray , AFT ' s Director of Sales and Partnerships , couldn ' t be
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more excited about the new class . " Sixteen OEM ' s currently have adventure bikes . Whether it ' s the Harley Pan America , the Triumph Tiger , Africa Twin or KTM , you put on a slipon pipe , you adjust the suspension , get your handlebars where they need to be , take off the headlights and taillights , and you go racing . Very simple , very clean ." Triumph Tigers and a Saddlemen Team of two Pan Americas made up most of the grid for the Adventure Trackers . In the SuperTwins class , JD Beach took home the victory , while Kody Kopp nabbed the top spot in 450s . Flat track veteran Sammy Halbert won the inaugural Adventure Tracker race on a Triumph Tiger . The Sturgis TT was the result of a partnership between the City of Sturgis and American Flat Track , a collaboration that had been in the works for 22 months . Reflecting on the journey , Gray said : " At first it was like putting little pieces together like a puzzle . It ' s been 22 months since this started ." Gray and Gene Crouch , AFT ' s CEO , loved the idea of transforming the streets of Sturgis into a racetrack |
during one of the world ' s largest motorcycle rallies . It took the support of civic leaders and rally sponsors to make it happen . " We ' ve been through , I think , three mayors since we started this , and a number of different council members ," Gray noted , emphasizing the broad support the race received , and the complexity of aligning so many ' moving parts '. Despite the excitement surrounding the race , the day was not without its challenges . Midday rain delayed the schedule and threatened the race , but the clear skies that followed allowed final track prep and , with an adjustment to the schedule , allowed the race to run , with the final event completed just after sunset . While the rain drove away many who came downtown for the race , hundreds of fans stayed to see history made . Several local businesses adjacent to the track took full advantage of the event by offering VIP packages , including balcony viewing , food and drinks . The impact of the Sturgis TT extended beyond the track . Insiders from Rapid City revealed that hotel bookings on the nights of Saturday and Sunday were higher than during a typical rally weekend . This uptick in bookings is a strong indicator that the race could have a significant and expanding |
impact on local businesses in the future . Perhaps most significantly for AFT , and the rally , is the TV coverage on Fox and Fox Sports . " We ' re going to be broadcast on Saturday August 17 ... four hours of coverage for AFT , which will be the biggest we ' ve ever had ," said Gray , highlighting the event ' s significance . The success of the inaugural Sturgis TT has set the stage for future races and possibly a series of rally-related races . See full race report and results on pages 20-24 . |