The 2019 American Flat Track season will have one less manufacturer involved than in the 2018 season, because the Lloyd Brothers have called time on their Ducati project.
In a personal email to Sideburn, team boss and co-founder, David Lloyd wrote...
Thank you so much for the amazing space in the current Sideburn magazine. I truly appreciate your passion for the sport and the interest in our team.
It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that our Ducati project is dead. The team is hopeful to somehow stay involved with the sport with another brand but as of now we have no support for the Ducati.
That KTM engine looks pretty sweet! Hell I would love to build a HD XG even.
Best wishes for a great holiday season and new year and thanks again for everything.
Best,
Dave
We know David Lloyd is a fan of the KTM 800 twin engine. KTM have made it clear they are entering the 2020 season with a twin, and in 2019 with a factory Singles effort. I'd be surprised if a KTM twin didn't compete in races at the back end of the 2019 season (especially if they read the interview with Brandon Robinson in SB35).
Would KTM give budget to a privateer team to enable them to have their engine run at the highest level of flat track before the official team? It makes sense on some levels. Lloyd Brothers have won a GNC National. They are a very well turned out team, with decades of experience. Have them use the twin engine, and if anything goes wrong, KTM can distance themselves, while gathering the data.
Read all about the Ducati, that may never race in anger again... in SB35