American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 222 January 2018 | Page 6

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Photos courtesy of American Flat Track
Harley posts largest contingency
package in AFT history
Harley-Davidson has announced the
largest prize fund in the 65-year
history of American Flat Track racing
with some $562,500 available in 2018
for privateer riders on XG750R and
XR750 platforms. A total of $31,250
will be offered by Harley-Davidson at
each of the 18 American Flat Track
rounds in 2018. The contingency fund
is structured to incentivize podiums
with $10,000 for a race win, $8,000
for a second and $6,000 for a third,
then pays out for each place down to
$250 for finishing placed 10.
To be eligible to collect the
contingency pay-outs while
competing on the XG750R, riders are
required to run the official Harley-
Davidson factory bodywork.
The 2018 American Flat Track season
will kick off with the Daytona TT on
Thursday, March 15.
AFT 'Superprestigio'
hits short track at
Barcelona
Superprestigio racing hit the
short track at Palau Sant Jordi,
Barcelona on December 16 with
American J.D. Beach (No. 95
Ausio/Grau Racing Yamaha
YZ450F) taking the win from
fellow American Flat Track racer
Briar Bauman, second (No. 14
Zanotti Kawasaki KX450F), with
Spanish American Flat Track
Series Champion Ferran Cardus
(No. 77 Team Grau Suzuki RM-
Z450) third.
On the outside looking in was
former Moto 2 World
Champion/reigning MotoAmerica
Superbike Toni Elias. The No. 24
6
Yoshimura Suzuki rider took top
honors in the Superprestigio
Class and got off to a great
start, but fell victim to some
good ol’ fashioned American-
style short track racing,
ultimately getting shuffled back
to fourth. Completing the top
five was Italian Fabio Di
Giannantonio, a solid effort for
the Moto3 rider on the No. 21
Zaeta.
Next up for the stars of American
Flat Track is the Bigger, Faster
and Better DAYTONA TT on
March 15, 2018, at Daytona
International Speedway.
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - JANUARY 2018
Vance & Hines
renews AFT Twins
sponsorship
for 2018/19
Longtime AFT partner Vance & Hines
has agreed to a sizable and significant
two-year sponsorship renewal with
American Flat Track for the 2018 and
2019 seasons.
The deal makes Vance & Hines once
again the Presenting Sponsor of the
AFT Twins class for 2018 and 2019. It
also names Vance & Hines the Official
Exhaust Partner and Official
Performance Partner of American Flat
Track for those two years.
“There’s never been a better time to be
involved in Flat Track racing,” said Terry
Vance, Chairman of Vance & Hines.
"The sport continues to grow, and the
youth today are buying 750cc twin
cylinder motorcycles ... and that's right
where Vance & Hines wants to be. This
is the best two-wheel racing in the
country, and we're proud to return as
the Presenting Sponsor of the AFT
Twins class for two more years.”
Commenting on the deal, the AMA
said that “Vance & Hines has certainly
been around the block when it comes
to motorcycle racing. While amassing
numerous drag racing championships
together, Vance and long time partner
Byron Hines - both AMA Motorcycle
Hall of Famers - built V&H into a
leading aftermarket company, and
then immersed themselves
successfully in other forms of
motorcycle racing, including AMA
Superbike, modern-day drag racing
and, more recently, professional flat
track.
“Vance & Hines are a strong supporter
of the AFT series,” said American Flat
Track CEO Michael Lock. “We are
delighted to partner with them for the
next two years, on a number of fronts.”
First up for the 2018 AFT Twins
presented by Vance Hines season will
be the “Bigger, Faster and Better”
DAYTONA TT on March 15 2018, at
Daytona International Speedway.