DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Harley-Davidson Sacramento Mile presented by Cycle Gear is legendary for some very good reasons. It is, for example, ground zero for Bruce Brown’s epic moto-documentary On Any Sunday. It’s the site of many an epic Grand National Championship race. It attracts huge and enthusiastic crowds. And just last year, it was the scene of dramatic, last-lap-pass wins by Bryan Smith in AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines and Shayna Texter in AFT Singles.
For this Saturday’s Harley-Davidson Sacramento Mile presented by Cycle Gear, it’s no stretch to envision a repeat of 2017’s drama-filled action. For one thing, Indian Wrecking Crew member and 2016 Grand National Champion Smith (No. 4 Indian Motorcycle Allstate Insurance Scout FTR750) will be competing despite breaking his left Fibula just three weeks ago at the Texas Half-Mile.
For another, control over the AFT Singles class seems totally up for grabs, and Texter (No. 52 Husqvarna Motorcycle/JCS Racing FC 450) – along with a number of other AFT Singles riders and winners – has as good a shot as anyone to go two-for-two there.
News of Smith racing at Sacto so soon after his Texas injury is interesting but not surprising, as ‘Mile Master’ Smith is about as tough as they come. “I’m surprised how good [the leg] feels,” Smith said. “So yes, I’ll be there, and riding. I’m definitely not coming to watch!”
With the fracture on his left leg, the leg holding the custom steel shoe, Smith knows he has to be careful. “I don’t see it being much of a problem unless I catch it in a hole,” he continued, generating visions of Dick Mann in On Any Sunday. “Thankfully, Sacramento is a great track…always smooth, fast, and well-prepped.”
Of course, beating AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines points leader Jared Mees (No. 1 Indian Motorcycle/Rogers Racing/SDI Scout FTR750) won’t be easy, as Mees has thoroughly dominated thus far. Same goes for teammate Brad Baker (No. 6 Indian Motorcycle/Allstate Insurance Scout FTR750), who’s shown consistent and increasing speed of late and who’s currently fifth in points despite his Texas DNF. There’s also Henry Wiles (No. 17 Wilco Racing/Willy Built Indian Scout FTR750, currently second in points), Briar Bauman (No. 14 Zanotti Racing/Western Powersports Kawasaki Ninja 650, currently third in points) and Jeffrey Carver Jr. (No 23 Roof Systems/Indian of Metro Milwaukee Scout FTR750) to contend with, among others.
For Smith, it won’t be easy. But it’s bound to be thrilling.
Saturday’s AFT Singles race is sure to be a thriller, too, with any number of riders – five of whom have already won this season – fully capable of winning. They include Daytona winner Dan Bromley (No. 62 KTM North America/Bromley Motorsports KTM 450 SX-F), Atlanta Short Track winner and current points leader Brandon Price (No. 92 Parkinson Bros. Racing/DPC Racing Honda CRF450R), Texas Half-Mile winner Morgen Mischler (No. 69 Cycle Craft Yamaha/Rohde’s Sales & Service Yamaha YZ450F), Calistoga Half-Mile winner Ryan Wells (No. 94 Richie Morris Racing/Al Lamb Dallas Honda CRF450R) and Arizona Mile winner Kevin Stollings (No. 99 Roof Systems/Woody Kyle Racing Honda CRF450R). And despite a slow start to his season, there’s always reigning champ Kolby ‘The Flying Tomato’ Carlile (No. 1 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) to deal with.
There’s more on tap than legendary Sacramento Mile AFT racing action, too. Lodi Motorcycle Club’s “Night Before the Mile” annual event will kick off the weekend on Friday, May 18. Also on Friday, round three of the Roland Sands Design Super Hooligan National Championship series will be held at nearby Big Time Speedway in Rancho Cordova, Calif. And speaking of 1998 AMA 250GP National Champ and custom moto designer extraordinaire Roland Sands, he’ll be the Grand Marshal for this year’s Sacramento Mile, signing autographs, talking with fans and hanging out much of the day Saturday.
There will be plenty of vintage and legends happenings on race-day Saturday, too, including a Flat Track Vintage Invitational, a Fan Walk and Autograph Session for AFT stars and Vintage Invitational riders at 4:30pm, and the Vintage Invitational Main Event right after opening ceremonies at 6:00pm PT (9:00pm ET). After a full slate of American Flat Track racing featuring the AFT Twins and AFT Singles stars, a Post Race Party will be held in the 805 Clubhouse, and don’t forget that the Sacramento Amateur Mile, promoted by the local Lodi Motorcycle Club, is to be held on Sunday. It’s the only amateur Mile in the country, so be sure to stick around for the entire weekend!
Tickets for the Harley-Davidson Sacramento Mile presented by Cycle Gear at the legendary Cal Expo Fairgrounds are available now at Sacramento Tix.
FansChoice.tv will offer live streaming coverage from the weekend beginning with the Lodi Motorcycle Club’s “Night Before the Mile” annual event on Friday evening. Fans that can’t make it to the Sacramento Mile this weekend can watch it live on Saturday starting at 5:00pm ET (2:00pm PT). Live streaming coverage on FansChoice.tv can be viewed by heading over to http://www.fanschoice.tv.
For a thoroughly in-depth AFT experience with exclusive features and flag-to-flag coverage of both Main Events enhanced by drone and onboard footage, be sure to tune into the NBC Sports telecast of the Sacramento Mile when it premieres on NBCSN on Saturday, June 3 at 2:00pm ET (11:00am PT). AFT’s full TV schedule can be viewed at http://www.americanflattrack.com/events-nbcsn.
How to Watch:
NBCSN and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of American Flat Track. For the 2018 season, NBCSN’s coverage of AFT moves to highly-coveted, weekend afternoon 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/. FansChoice.tv remains a cornerstone of AFT’s digital strategy, providing live streaming coverage of every event on AFT’s live page while previous events and exclusive features are available on AFT’s VOD page.
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 at FansChoice.tv and catch all the American Flat Track racing action on NBCSN.