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Interview: Cameron Smith

Nov 7, 2020

Interview: Cameron Smith

I've kept an eye out for Cameron Smith since I first noticed a young black man racing in the GNC, the only black rider I've ever seen race in pro flat track. I've been meaning to interview him for some time and finally caught up with him last week, to discuss his racing, background and plans. Here is Cameron Smith #44 - AFT Singles Class racer. GI SB: Tell us a bit about yourself. CS: I’m 21, my birthday is in June. I’ve been riding dirt bikes for 17 years now. I currently li

Royal Enfield Wins Daytona

Oct 17, 2020

Royal Enfield Wins Daytona

We've been following the Enfield FT Twin project since a reader sent us his own 'spy' shots taken at Leicester speedway track in mid-September 2019 (see the post Royal Enfield Production Twin). Just over a year later, thanks to the guidance of Johnny Lewis, the skill of Harris Performance and the enthusiasm and engineering prowess of Royal Enfield, flat track fans saw the bike win a pro flat track National, just FIVE WEEKS, after making its debut. The AFT Production Twins rac

AFT Season Finale

Oct 15, 2020

AFT Season Finale

AFT are on the cusp of completing what many thought they'd struggle to do, finishing a meaningful season of racing. They've have to adapt, reschedule and work flat out, but they've delivered seven double-header racing weekends, with Daytona Short Track this weekend, being the final. The season started on 17 July, four months later than schedule, but is ending less than a month later than planned. The Singles class is wrapped up, with Dallas Daniels as champ, and we hear he wi

This Time Last Year...

Oct 10, 2020

This Time Last Year...

We were meeting up with Jeffrey Carver in a bar in Kathmandu, ready for Sideburn's first Nepal trip. Last night he won his first AFT race in over two years, at the Charlotte Half-Mile. I can't think of a pro flat track racer I don't like, but there aren't many I like as much as #23. Nepal photo: Andrew Neri Podium photo: Lassen/ American Flat Track #JeffreyCarver #AFT2020 #AmericanFlatTrack #AFTSuperTwins #IndianFTR750 #SideburnNepal

What’s happening at Estenson Yamaha?

Oct 9, 2020

What’s happening at Estenson Yamaha?

And what does it mean for AFT SuperTwins? Going into the penultimate race weekend of the year, a glance at the AFT SuperTwins standings reveals grim reading for Yamaha fans, and worse still for the Estenson team. Combining the scores for the Yamaha USA-supported riders, JD Beach and Kolby Carlile, sees a total of 118pts: 68 for Beach, 50 for Carlile. That leaves them in 14th and 15th respectively, out of 16 full-time and five occasional/wild card riders. 118pts is fewer than

AFT: Relentless

Oct 8, 2020

AFT: Relentless

AFT's relentless Covid-era schedule continues this week with another double-header. The Charlotte Half-Mile, a banked clay, car racing half-mile. Racing is taking place on Friday and Saturday. Depending how results go, all three championships could be wound up this weekend, but as it stands, AFT SuperTwins is most open. Briar Bauman, #1, is just 12pts ahead of Jared Mees, #9, the latter coming off the back of a double-win last weekend at the Atlanta Short Track. Third place S

AFT Atlanta Rnd 1

Oct 3, 2020

AFT Atlanta Rnd 1

Not too many shock results last night, but that doesn't mean they weren't noteworthy. AFT SINGLES Dallas Daniels #32 is the most hyped young rider in more than a decade and he's proven his supporters were right. Four race wins on the trot, six wins in total this season, more than the rest of the field combined and stretching his title lead over Henry Wiles in second m the title race. Wiles came in 5th on the night. Mischler, #13, was second, Brandon Kitchen third. It's just n

Next up: AFT Texas

Sep 23, 2020

Next up: AFT Texas

There's another double-header this weekend, at the Devil's Bowl, Texas, a high-banked clay oval. One of the talking points of the event is that it is the home race of one of the sponsors. Not one of the racers, as is normally spoken about, but the sponsor Roof Systems. AFT say the company is 'not only the title sponsor of the doubleheader but also a key backer of nearly twenty riders spread across the three classes.' The importance of this one sponsor cannot be underestimated

Racing for the Bling

Sep 15, 2020

Racing for the Bling

I'm not a jewellery wearer, but I might change that for one of these. If you watch AFT's live feed you'll have heard Scottie Deubler mention the rings that Thom Duma, Fine Jewellers, one of the series sponsors, makes for the champs. These are the 2020 rings awaiting the class winners of SuperTwins, Singles and Production Twins. Thom Duma is also one of the Rookies Class of 79 charity that helps injured riders, and a national level racer in his day. That's him below, wearing D

So, What Happened?

Sep 14, 2020

So, What Happened?

As reported over the weekend, Johnny Lewis debuted the Royal Enfield Production Twins at the AFT's Williams Grove Half-Mile event. Friday was encouraging, with the bike coming in sixth from a field of 15. On Saturday, during the semis for the second of the weekend's double-header races, Lewis was running well, just behind reigning champ Cory Texter, when his twin started blowing huge clouds of white oil smoke. The rider seemed oblivious for a lap or so, and was black flagged.

Royal Enfield x MotoAnatomy

Sep 12, 2020

Royal Enfield x MotoAnatomy

Just yesterday, on the blog, we noted that Johnny Lewis was on the AFT Production Twins entry list, but we weren't 100% sure he was racing because we'd see a social media post he made hinting the Harris-framed Royal Enfield twin arrived from the UK on midweek, or at least was uncrated midweek. But, as these photos show, JL10 was out yesterday and muscling the new bike around harder than just about anyone else on track. We've been following this project since it was a concept

Sammy's Back

Sep 10, 2020

Sammy's Back

Sammy said all the right things when he was on the Vance & Hines Harley XG750R, and put it on the podium, and also came within a whisker of winning at it, but for a red flag when he was out front, but the statistics tell a different story. Sammy was Rookie of the Year in 2006 and the de facto GNC champ in 2009, if you, like we do, add the points for the singles and twins class (like it always used to be), Sammy had the most points. Instead, he's credited as Singles Champ and

Springfield x 3

Sep 4, 2020

Springfield x 3

There are three days of AFT Springfield Racing this weekend. It starts with the Singles competing on the Short Track today (Friday), then two days of the Twins classes on the Mile. This from AFT: The action kicks off today, Friday, September 4 with the AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys running back-to-back Main Events at the wild Springfield Short Track. On-track activity goes live today beginning at 3:45 p.m. ET (12:45 p.m. PT). Saturday, September 5 a

Indy: Sweeps, Grand Slams & Records

Aug 29, 2020

Indy: Sweeps, Grand Slams & Records

Earlier this week we reported how unpredictable the 2020 AFT Singles was. We believe there is not even a hint of a dominant week in, week outr acewinner yet. AFT SuperTwins is far more easy to bet on. The winner is going to be on an Indian FTR750. Four races, four Indian wins, two to Mees two to current #1 Briar Bauman. Out of the 12 possible podium positions so far in 2020, only one position has been filled by a non-Indian rider, Bryan Smith's third place at the second Indy

Unpredictable

Aug 24, 2020

Unpredictable

Two race weekends, and four races into the 2020 AFT season and, as predicted, the Singles class is unpredictable. Four races, four different winners. Henry Wiles (above) leads the championship thanks to his Indy Mile II win on Saturday. Just three points behind in the standings is Brandon Kitchen, number 105, who won Friday's main at the Indy Mile. Dallas Daniels, 32, won round 2, at Volusia, after failing to qualify for the main the day before, meaning he is back in 7th in t

One Week Till Indy!

AFT Interceptor

Aug 10, 2020

AFT Interceptor

I really liked the Interceptor 650 (INT650) when I went on the international launch (see Sideburn 35). I chased former road race champion, Royal Enfield road tester and amateur flat tracker, Paul Young, around the Southern Californian valleys faster than I could've imagined on an Enfield (and he still got away). And the price... You can't get a brand new, middleweight twin for that price anywhere else. It was clear Royal Enfield knew their niche and were after market share wi

Indy Mile Is Back

Aug 4, 2020

Indy Mile Is Back

American Flat Track has announced that Indy Mile has been slotted into the schedule, taking place on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 August, and will be the next double-header. Not only that, it's going to happen on the weekend of the Indy 500. That means there will be four mile races, the two and Indy, and another pair, two weeks later, at Springfield. All the other rounds are half-miles or short tracks. Indy hasn't been on the schedule since 2015, but that was a close one. The fi

11 Things We Learned From Volusia

Jul 21, 2020

11 Things We Learned From Volusia

Vance & Hines Harley Still Has A Long Way To Go Harley's best finish from the Volusia double-header was delivered by new boy Dalton Gauthier, 7th on Friday. The next day not one of the three factory riders could get in the top 10. Gauthier was top again but this time in 11th, ahead of the more experienced Smith and Vanderkooi.. Yamaha Might Have Even Further To Go I can't imagine JD Beach had a pair of tenth places in mind when he signed up for a full season of AFT on the Est

AFT SuperTwins Volusia Preview

Jul 16, 2020

AFT SuperTwins Volusia Preview

It's time to share the full entry list for the SuperTwins class for the opening round of the 2020 AFT season. 2020 is different for the elite class of American Flat Track, because the entry is limited to 18 riders and all, barring an injury or bike failure on race day, will make the main. After one round of practice and two rounds of timed qualifying, the riders are split into two semis based on their combined qualifying lap times. The results from the two semis will be used

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