Yamaha is no stranger to flat track racing, but this year Team Blue is going all in and taking its relationship with American Flat Track to the next level. The Japanese brand is now an OEM Partner of the 2020 AFT series, offering hundreds of thousands of dollars in support and contingencies.

If you don’t know what American Flat Track is, it’s worth your while to look it up. Modern production bikes with classic flat track styling have been starting to pop up all over the place (see: Indian’s FTR1200). Real flat track racers are generally street bikes on the small side with scrambler abilities and aesthetics. They are generally purpose-built, not production motorcycles, much to the chagrin of the fans.

While an avid RideApart reader will be able to easily call several scrambler-style bikes to mind, Yamaha’s entree into the sport might surprise you: it’s a purpose-built MT-07 DT. The “DT” moniker is for “Dirt Track” which is exactly what American Flat Track racing is all about. Flat tracks are sometimes oval, sometimes non-oval, vary in length (laps) and in the surface. They’re usually dirt but the surface can vary, testing the skill of the racers. The short-track races, where the competitors have little time and distance to work with, have been described as a “fist-fight in a phone booth.”

“We’re super excited to be able to increase our support for the sport this year,” said Steve Nessl, Motorsports Marketing Manager of Yamaha. “From our partnership with AFT and investment in Estenson Racing, to the contingency program and employee activation at our home round, everyone here is looking forward to 2020 and continued success at the track.”

“The Yamaha brand is woven deep into the fabric of AFT,” said Michael Lock, CEO of American Flat Track. “From the pioneer era of Kenny Roberts in the ‘70’s, to the present-day factory-backed team of Estenson Racing campaigning in the debut season of AFT SuperTwins, Yamaha is a valued partner to our series. With Cory Texter defending the number 1 plate in AFT Production Twins and a bounty of over $400,000 available to Yamaha-mounted racers, this promises to be a great year for all fans of Yamaha and American Flat Track.”

The AFT season begins in Daytona in March and travels south to north across the US all summer. The schedule is on the AFT website, and if there’s a race happening near you I advise you to go see for yourself what all the fuss is about. 

Source: American Flat Track News, American Flat Track Schedule

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (February 11, 2020) – American Flat Track and Yamaha Motor Corp. announced today an expansion of their partnership for the upcoming season. Yamaha joins AFT's family of Official OEM Partners for 2020.

Following a banner year of competition for the manufacturer, including an AFT Production Twins Championship won by Cory Texter and two premier class wins from Estenson Racing's JD Beach, the industry leader in racing technology scored a total of 12 victories throughout all three classes of AFT competition.

Athletes who compete on Yamaha machinery will benefit from the brand's generous contingency offerings for the 2020 season. Totaling $444,550 across all three classes, Yamaha's 2020 contingency package represents the largest thus far for the upcoming season.

Audiences of AFT can look forward to seeing Yamaha's signature branding throughout all series channels, both at the track and through at-home coverage.

Yamaha will also return as the entitlement sponsor of the 2020 Yamaha Atlanta Short Track at Dixie Speedway on March 28. The Atlanta-based company will be present in full force at its hometown event. Members of the Yamaha family will gather to experience the world's fastest dirt track motorcycle racing at one of the most-competitive tracks on the circuit.

“The Yamaha brand is woven deep into the fabric of AFT,” said Michael Lock, CEO of American Flat Track. “From the pioneer era of Kenny Roberts in the ‘70’s, to the present-day factory-backed team of Estenson Racing campaigning in the debut season of AFT SuperTwins, Yamaha is a valued partner to our series. With Cory Texter defending the number 1 plate in AFT Production Twins and a bounty of over $400,000 available to Yamaha-mounted racers, this promises to be a great year for all fans of Yamaha and American Flat Track.”

“We’re super excited to be able to increase our support for the sport this year,” said Steve Nessl, Motorsports Marketing Manager of Yamaha. “From our partnership with AFT and investment in Estenson Racing, to the contingency program and employee activation at our home round, everyone here is looking forward to 2020 and continued success at the track.”

Tickets for the first-ever doubleheader - DAYTONA 200 and DAYTONA TT - at the legendary Daytona International Speedway are on sale now. Watch both historic motorcycle racing events during Bike Week at DAYTONA for just $35 when you purchase an advance General Admission ticket online. Get yours at www.americanflattrack.com.

For more information on American Flat Track visit www.americanflattrack.com.

To get the latest American Flat Track clothing and merchandise visit www.americanflattracker.com.

How to Watch:

NBCSN and TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold are the official homes for coverage of American Flat Track. For the 2020 season, NBCSN’s coverage of AFT remains in highly-coveted programming slots within two weeks of each event. The complete schedule for AFT on NBCSN can be viewed at http://www.americanflattrack.com/events-nbcsn/. TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold - the most-robust motorsports offering in the digital marketplace - is a cornerstone of AFT's digital strategy, providing live streaming coverage of every event and maintaining an active archive of all AFT content.

About American Flat Track:
American Flat Track is the world's premier dirt track motorcycle racing series and one of the longest-running championships in the history of motorsports. Sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing in Daytona Beach, Fla., the series is highly regarded as the most competitive form of dirt track motorcycle racing on the globe. For more information on American Flat Track, please visit http://www.americanflattrack.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, check us out on Instagram, live stream the events with TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold and catch all the American Flat Track racing action on NBCSN.

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