Courtesy of American Flat Track
After racing on the hallowed grounds of Springfield, Ill., American Flat Track will next head to uncharted territory for its first-ever stop at the Red Mile in Lexington, Ky., on June 3.
The Red Mile typically plays host to horse racing, but American Flat Track’s arrival will see the facility put to the test by a literal one-hundred-fold increase in horsepower in use on track at any given time.
For AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines points leader Bryan Smith (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle Racing backed by Allstate Scout FTR750) it’s now three down and either one, two, or three to go depending on the goal in question.
With a win this weekend at the Red Mile, the defending Grand National Champion will have swept four Miles in as many weeks to move equal to Ricky Graham for fourth all-time in Mile victories at 23. Two weeks after that, he’d then be in position to tear through the season’s run of five consecutive midseason Miles unblemished at the OKC Mile presented by Indian Motorcycle. And should he accomplish that, Smith could conceivably conquer all six Miles on the 2017 calendar to tie Bubba Shobert for third all-time in Mile wins (25) with a late-season victory at Harley-Davidson Springfield Mile II.
But before we start editing the record books, consider the almost nonexistent margin by which Smith’s three-for-three Mile mark this season has been built; 0.087 seconds is the difference between Smith’s perfect Mile record this season and zero wins on the big tracks. It would be optimistic to expect a victory at the Red Mile this weekend to come any easier.
Several riders have the potential to upset the established order this weekend, including fifth-ranked Jeffrey Carver Jr. (No. 23 Carver’s BBQ Kawasaki Ninja 650), and the works Harley-Davidson trio of Jake Johnson (No. 5 Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Team XG750R), Kenny Coolbeth (No. 2 Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Team XG750R), and Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Harley-Davidson Factory Flat Track Team XG750R).
Catch all the Action on NBCSN and FansChoice.tv
As part of American Flat Track’s television broadcast package with NBCSN, the cable network will air the Red Mile in a primetime telecast on Thursday, August 17 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The one-hour show will feature flag-to-flag coverage of both Main Events along with exclusive features giving fans a behind-the-scenes window into the sport. The complete television schedule for American Flat Track on NBCSN will be released in the coming weeks.
Live streaming coverage of every second from the Red Mile can be viewed on FansChoice.tv at fanschoice.tv/watch-live/american-flat-track.
Fans can also keep up-to-date with race day action by following American Flat Track on Facebook (American Flat Track), Twitter (@AmericanFlatTrk) and Instagram (@AmericanFlatTrack).
How to Watch:
NBCSN and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of American Flat Track events. All 18 rounds, from the season-opening DAYTONA TT to the American Flat Track Finals in Southern California, will air in one-hour, tape-delayed telecasts on Thursday nights throughout the summer and fall on NBCSN, while FansChoice.tv provides live streaming coverage of American Flat Track events. FansChoice.tv also provides coverage of IMSA’s development and single-make series, and NASCAR’s touring and weekly series. Catch all the action at https://www.nbcsports.com/ and FansChoice.tv.
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