American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 233 December 2018 | Page 9

Dainese - Official Safety Partner of American Flat Track American Flat Track (AFT) and Bahraini owned Italian apparel brand Dainese have announced a renewed and amplified partnership. The multi-year agreement designates Dainese as the official safety partner of AFT, a title “Dainese is embracing with the implementation of an exciting rider discount program.” For 2019, Dainese is offering a AFT Production Twins Championship Series Following its two trial races in 2018, AFT has confirmed expansion of the AFT Production Twins division for the 2019 season. AFT Production Twins will compete at all Half-Mile and Mile tracks on the schedule – a total of eleven events – and will constitute a full-fledged championship class, complete with a #1 plate going to the rider amassing the most points at the end of the season. Intended to serve as a transition between AFT Singles and the premier AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines class, AFT Production Twins will give up- and-coming athletes the opportunity to gain valuable seat time and experience on faster, more powerful AFT Twins motorcycles as they consider their future as full-time AFT Twins competitors. It also offers twin-cylinder opportunities to AFT Singles-licensed riders that may have ridden AFT Twins in past years but hadn’t scored championship points. The AFT Production Twins class features production-based, twin- cylinder motorcycle engines from BMW, Ducati, Harley-Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha racing support program for riders who are in need of updated leathers and protection. This program will be a key element in AFT’s continued quest to create safer conditions for its riders. “Dainese has been a market leader for over 45 years and has outfitted some of the most famous names in motorcycling, from Agostini, Roberts and Sheene to Valentino Rossi,” said Michael Lock, CEO of American Flat Track. “As AFT continues to grow, we are delighted to be partnering with this famous brand in Credit: Scott Hunter/American Flat Track street bikes with displacements between 649-800 cc. Race-only engines from machines such as the Harley-Davidson XR750, Honda RS750 and Indian Scout FTR750 are not 2019 AFT PRESENTED BY VANCE & HINES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 March 14 March 23 April 20 April 27 May 11 May 18 May 26 June 1 June 15 June 29 July 6 August 4 August 6 August 17 September 1 September 7 September 21 TBA DAYTONA TT - Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL Atlanta Short Track - Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA Texas Half-Mile - Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, TX Wild Horse TT - Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Chandler, AZ Perris Half-Mile - Perris Auto Speedway, Perris, CA Sacramento Mile - Cal Expo, Sacramento, CA Springfield Mile I - Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL Red Mile - Red Mile, Lexington, KY Laconia Short Track – TBA, New Hampshire Lima Half-Mile - Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, OH New York Short Track - Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, NY Buffalo Chip TT - Buffalo Chip, Sturgis, SD Black Hills Half-Mile - Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, SD Peoria TT - Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, IL Springfield Mile II - Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL Williams Grove Half-Mile - Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA Minnesota Mile - Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN Meadowlands Mile - Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment, East Rutherford, NJ The 2019 Production Twins (PT) Championship will be won at the 11 Mile and Half Mile AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines races www.AMDchampionship.com order to bring the best technology and safety equipment to America’s original extreme sport.” As the “world leaders in motorcycle protection”, Dainese is known for stylish, innovative and high-quality products. Over the last two seasons, Dainese has been worn by some of the top AFT riders, including the Indian Wrecking Crew. American Flat Track will kick off the 2019 season during Daytona Bike Week, Thursday, March 14, with the DAYTONA TT once again under the lights of the iconic Daytona International Speedway. www.americanflattrack.com PT PT PT PT PT PT PT PT PT PT PT eligible. “Since the AFT class restructuring in 2017, AFT Twins and AFT Singles classes have served up spectacular racing action,” said Michael Lock, CEO of American Flat Track. “As the sport continues to grow, we have identified an opportunity for a third championship class to showcase upcoming new talented riders prior to them joining the elite athletes of the sport. At all Half- Mile and Mile tracks in 2019, fans will get to witness even more of America’s original extreme sport.” Riders licensed for AFT Singles may compete in both AFT Production Twins and AFT Singles on the same day. Riders licensed for AFT Twins, however, may only compete in either AFT Twins or AFT Production Twins at any given event. “The class will feature a purse payout structured similarly to that of the AFT Singles class. Contingency support of the AFT Production Twins class has been confirmed and final announcements will be made in the coming weeks, along with other exciting developments and partnerships for the 2019 American Flat Track season.” www.americanflattrack.com AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - DECEMBER 2018 9