American Motorcycle Dealer AMD 250 May 2020 | Page 12

KTM and AFT Renew
BRIEFS Partnership for 2020
NEWS
The 95th edition of the FIM
International Six Days Enduro
(ISDE) has been postponed. The
event had been slated for
Lombardy-Piedmont, Italy, from
August 31 to September 5th.
The event is now slated for
August 30 - September 4, 2021
at the same Rivanazzano Terme
venue south of Milan. The USA
claimed the World Trophy,
Women's World Trophy and Club
division titles at the 2019 ISDE
in Portimao, Portugal, and
finished runner-up in the Junior
World Trophy Class. The ISDE is
the most prestigious off-road
motorcycle event in the world.
First held in Carlisle, England, in
1913, the ISDE is one of the
longest-running events on the
FIM calendar.
There is confusion in the UK
concerning the Government's
announced plan to bring forward its
ban on sales of internal combustion
(and hybrid platform) vehicles. The
UK Department of Transport has now
said that the new date is merely a
consultation date and that it would
not include motorcycles after all.
Presumably they would be banned as
of the original 2040 date, but there is
no clarity, and the MCIA in the UK
points out that the UK Government
could include motorcycles at any time
of its choosing without consultation.
AFT has signed its first Official
Beer partnership with Colorado
headquartered New Belgium
Brewing. With over thirty years
of brewing to its credit, the all-
American New Belgium brand
has turned what started as a
basement homebrew dream
into a fully fledged operation.
As part of its deal, New
Belgium will be the presenting
sponsor of hospitality
packages at select AFT events.
Dunlop Motorcycle Tires has
extended its official tire support for
AFT with a new program to support
amateur racers. In addition to being
the Official Tire of AFT for the fourth
year, Dunlop will also expand its
very successful Team Dunlop
motocross program in 2020 to
include select amateur events.
Benefits for AFT amateurs will
include tire discounts.
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Among the several motorcycle
manufacturers who are parked in the
paddock, known as "pending" at this
time, is KTM.
Whenever the 2020 series is able to
get underway (if at all), KTM will be
back in play as a renewed partner,
following a successful inaugural 2019
season that saw the entire Red Bull
KTM Factory Race Team finish within
the Top 10 in championship points.
For 2020, KTM is 'Ready To Race' with
its full support behind the winningest
rider in the AFT Singles class, Shayna
Texter, as she prepares to make
another run at the AFT Singles
championship aboard her factory-
tuned KTM 450 SX-F.
There will be an expansion of KTM's
wildly successful 'Ride Orange Street
Demo Tour' - originally slated for five
events in 2020: the March 28 Yamaha
Atlanta Short Track presented by Law
Tigers, May 2 Texas Half-Mile, May 30
Red Mile, June 13 Laconia Short Track
presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle
Attorneys and July 4 New York Short
Track.
"We are very happy that KTM is once
again bringing their 'Ride Orange
Street Demo Tour' to AFT weekends,
complementing their powerful on-
track presence," said Michael Lock,
CEO of American Flat Track.
"Motorcycling is all about the riding
experience, and our fans can get up
close and personal with KTM at AFT
venues across the season."
Indian Motorcycle and AFT
Renew Series Partnership
After another impressive season
in 2019 for the three-time
Manufacturer's Champion,
Indian Motorcycle and AFT's
2020 partnership sees the
manufacturer digging even
deeper as it enhances its
package of support for this
year's series, whenever it is able
to get underway (if at all!).
In addition to its generous
contingency fund (over
$350,000) and factory backed
'Wrecking Crew' race team,
Indian Motorcycle’s huge
commitments for 2020 also
include sponsorship of three of
AFT’s most anticipated events
and substantial support of AFT’s
broadcast efforts on NBCSN.
Indian Motorcycle will return as
the presenting sponsor of one
of AFT's most exciting events of
the year - the Buffalo Chip TT
presented by Indian Motorcycle
in Sturgis, South Dakota, on
August 9.
At all rounds, attendees will
once again be treated to
dedicated fan areas, dealer
demo rides, bike displays and
giveaways and a special 10 x 20
foot Indian Motorcycle display
featuring the hottest models of
machinery in its fleet.
The Minnesota-based
manufacturer will once again be
an integral part and partner of
AFT’s NBCSN telecast, and fans
viewing at home can look
forward to more on-board
footage of the Wrecking Crew
as they set their sights on
another championship.
Indian Motorcycle’s contingency
payment program for AFT
2020 AFT Contingency
Program Breaks $3M
The 2020 AFT Contingency Program is
the largest yet at over $3m according
to the AMA - riders in all three classes
of AFT are eligible for a total of over
$3,100,000 in contingency offerings.
Designed to reward riders based on
race results and the final
championship standings, the AFT
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE DEALER - MAY 2020
Contingency Awards Program is
funded by participating brands
offering cash awards.
The total funds available for each class
are as follows:
• $1,685,700 for AFT
SuperTwins presented
by Vance & Hines
• $711,100 for AFT
Production Twins
• $729,250 for AFT Singles
"Only a few short years ago,
contingency dollars available in AFT
struggled to reach $200,000," said
SuperTwins presented by Vance
& Hines riders is huge again,
with FTR750-mounted Main
Event winners continuing to
receive $10,000 per event.
Second-through-fifth-place
finishers earn $3,500, $1,500,
$1,250 and $1,000, respectively,
with pay-outs extending
through all top-ten positions.
Indian Motorcycle's
championship bonus is $25,000
to any rider who tops the AFT
SuperTwins class having
competed aboard an FTR750.
Michael Lock, CEO of American Flat
Track. "This record year, with over
$3,000,000 on offer, is testament to
how far the series has come, the
confidence level the industry has in
the sport and the rapidly rising status
of our top performing athletes. I want
to thank all the participating brands
for putting money into the hands of
American Flat Track racers."
OEMs participating in the 2020
American Flat Track Contingency
Program include Harley-Davidson,
H o n d a , H u s q va r n a , I n d i a n
Motorcycle, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki
and Yamaha.
Other participating brands include
Arai Helmet, Dainese, Dunlop
Motorcycle Tires, Motion Pro, S&S
Cycle and Vance & Hines.
www.AMDchampionship.com