American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 237 April 2019 | Page 6

AFT Series Again Secures Widespread Industry Support for 2019 <<< Continues from page 64 Founded in 1984 by International Six Day Trial (ISDT) gold medalist Chris Carter, Motion Pro is deeply rooted in the racing community. Commenting on their return, Jon Mullins, Motion Pro Race Manager, said: "We couldn't be happier to continue as the Official Tools, Cables and Controls of American Flat Track in 2019 and continue to showcase our commitment to flat track racing in the United States. As AFT riders and teams raise the bar of competition each year, Motion Pro has been working tirelessly to develop and refine its products to match their needs." Concord, Ohio based Cometic Gasket returns as the Official Gasket of AFT, with founder and CEO Bob Gorman commenting: "Cometic Gasket is a time-tested brand and a staple in American Flat Track racing. Our company is rooted in powersports and it's been incredibly gratifying to watch AFT flourish as the sport grows in popularity, viewership and attendance. It's exciting to be aligned with a sport that continues to move the needle in the right direction." Fellow Ohio business Wiseco returns as the Official Piston for the 2019 season. "Wiseco is proud to be a continued supporter of the American Flat Track series," said Wiseco Director of Powersports Scott Highland. "We love the sport of motorcycle racing at Wiseco, so helping to promote one of the most exciting and historic racing properties is an honor. As the original American-made performance racing piston, AFT is in our DNA. We're thrilled to be the Official Piston and to work closely with the racers and officials of this incredible American tradition." Wiseco sister company Rekluse returns as the Official Clutch. "We are proud to return as the Official Clutch of American Flat Track," said Sean Brown, President of Rekluse. "The massive growth of the Series over the last few years has been a pleasure to witness and be a part of. The feedback we get from the racers - in both the AFT Singles and AFT Twins classes - in this demanding discipline is an invaluable tool for us to further improve our technology." Noted Swedish suspension manufacturer Öhlins is continuing its National Cycle's backing for AFT has run deep, having sponsored Jared Mees for many years; Sales Director Ann Willey seen here. This year the company is sponsoring AFT as the Series' official windshield AFT partnership for 2019, with Doug Shaw, Racing Manager of Öhlins USA, saying that "Öhlins is all about hardcore racing, and American Flat Track is the peak of that mountain. For the fourth consecutive year, we have been pushing hard to step up our game in the support and service of the AFT paddock, and those efforts have really paid off. Because AFT is such a major series to us, we are absolutely pumped for the start of the 2019 season." This year sees Full Spectrum Power supporting AFT as the Official Battery brand, No Ramp are the Official Trailer partner, and E3 are again the Official Spark Plug. Cycle Gear is back as the Official Retailer, Arai as the Official Helmet and Dainese is Official Safety Partner. AFT and Russ Brown Motorcycle AFT official brake pad sponsor SBS has always offered brake pads sintered brake pads formulations specifically for Harley-Davidsons, and last year saw them add Indian Motorcycle Scout and Big Twin model applications Attorneys have announced an enhanced partnership agreement for the 2019 season. In addition to remaining the Official Attorneys of AFT, they are also now the first Presenting Sponsor of the AFT Singles class. AFT has confirmed its NBCSN broadcast schedule for the 2019 season, maintaining its valuable weekend afternoon programming slots within two weeks of each event. Telecasts reached 41% more viewers in 2018 than in its first year; this spike in viewership delivered a record- breaking total of more than two million viewers tuning in during prime weekend programming slots. Briar Bauman gives Indian Victory at Daytona Season Opener Briar Bauman (No. 14 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) kicked off his 2019 AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines championship campaign in front of AFT's largest crowd at the Daytona International Speedway with a statement victory in the season opener, the third annual Daytona TT presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys. Bauman went handlebar-to- handlebar with brother Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) on the opening lap of the 25- lap Main Event under the lights at Daytona International Speedway to secure the lead. Once established, Bauman systematically stretched out an imposing advantage at the front, winning ahead of TT legend Henry Wiles (No. 17 Bandit Industries/DPC 6 Racing/Wilco Racing Indian FTR750) with a 5.149-second margin of victory. Bauman’s win brings the Daytona TT win streak of reigning Grand National Champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) to a halt at two. Mees crashed twice in the Semi and then retired with a mechanical issue in the Main race while running fifth. Jake Johnson (No. 5 Estenson Racing/Monster Energy Yamaha MT- 07 DT) gave Yamaha’s new flat track machine a podium debut by finishing in third behind Bauman and Wiles. Meanwhile, Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Team XG750R Rev X) registered the 'hero ride' of the evening, finishing an eventual fourth. Bronson Bauman rounded out the top five. In the Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - APRIL 2019 Attorneys, Jesse Janisch (No. 132 Roof Systems Dallas TX/Öhlins Yamaha YZ450F) added yet another blowout TT victory to his burgeoning résumé with a wire-to-wire win, taking the checkered flag with a comfortable 2.577 seconds to spare. Dalton Gauthier (No. 122 D&D Cycles/FlatTrack.com KTM 450 SX-F) was second, with defending class champ Dan Bromley (No. 1 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 450 SX-F) third. Long-time AFT Twins competitor Mikey Rush (No. 15 RMR Honda, Red Riders Rewards Honda CRF450R) was fourth with up-and-coming Australian Max Whale (No. 18 Weirbach Racing Kawasaki KX450F) fifth. Next up is the Atlanta Short Track presented by Cycle Gear at the Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Ga., on Saturday, March 23; followed by the Texas Half-Mile at the Texas Motor Photo by: Scott Hunter/American Flat Track Speedway, Fort Worth on April 20, the Wild Horse TT at the Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Chandler, AZ., April 27, So-Cal Half-Mile at Perris Auto Speedway, Perris CA., May 11 and the legendary Sacramento Mile at Cal Expo, Sacramento, CA., May 11 before the first of two visits to the Illinois State Fairgrounds this season for the Springfield Mile I on May 26. www.AMDchampionship.com