Yamaha Goes All In On American Flat Track

But we still can't get our hands on the flat-tracker motorcycles.

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