Bauman Leads American Flat Track Field Into So-Cal Half-Mile
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The 2019 American Flat Track season resumes this weekend as the series arrives in Perris, Calif., for the So-Cal Half-Mile presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys on Saturday, May 11.
The year’s AFT Twins presented by Vance & Hines title campaign has already enjoyed considerable parity, as a different rider has stood atop the podium in each of the season’s four Main Events. Yet no premier class pilot has been as consistently excellent as championship leader Briar Bauman (No. 14 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750), the only rider to finish on the AFT Twins podium each time out in ‘19.
As strong as his form has been, however, the extraordinarily deep field features numerous others — such as Bauman’s younger brother and Indian Wrecking Crew teammate, Bronson Bauman (No. 37 Indian Motorcycle/Progressive Insurance FTR750) — with the potential to step forward on the Southern California Fairgrounds’ clay Half-Mile and make it five different winners in five races.
Meanwhile, Dalton Gauthier (No. 122 D&D Cycles/Gobert Smash Husqvarna FC450) enters this weekend’s Roof Systems AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys with the early points lead on the strength of four top-fives, including a win and a pair of runner-up finishes.
Gaulthier will be expected to contend up front again this weekend, but there’s no shortage of checkered flag contenders on the undercard either. The AFT Singles class produced ten different winners a year ago, and this year’s grid boasts the depth to duplicate or exceed that lofty number.
Chief among the riders still looking for a first victory this season is third-ranked Mikey Rush (No. 15 RMR Honda/Red Riders Rewards Honda CRF450R), who’ll have a bit of extra motivation to perform well in front of his home state fans.
While Shayna Texter (No. 52 Red Bull KTM Factory Racing SX-F 450) already has one victory to her name this season, she needs to string together as many Half-Mile and Mile wins as possible in order to boost her titles hopes in light of her continued TT struggles.
If Texter is able to win again Saturday night, she and her older brother, Cory Texter (No. 65 G&G Racing/Holeshot Powersports Yamaha MT-07), could be in line to double up on their unprecedented achievement when the siblings both won their respective class’ Main Events at the Texas Half-Mile earlier this year. Cory is looking to open the 2019 AFT Productions Twins season two for two as the category picks back up for Round 2 of 11 this weekend.
The action-packed So-Cal Half-Mile will also play host to the Super Hooligan series and provide a variety of entertainment options off track, such as live music, vendors and displays, and STACYC Stability Cycle demo rides and races for kids.
Two levels of ticket packages are available for the So-Cal Half-Mile presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys and on sale now at tickets.americanflattrack.com. General admission tickets are $40 when purchased online and $50 at the gate – buy online today to save $10! VIP Experience packages include food and beverage service as well as a reserved, premium viewing area outside Turn 1 of the racetrack. As a family friendly event, kids 12 and under are admitted for free to the general admission areas.
For fans watching remotely, FansChoice.tv will provide live coverage of the So-Cal Half-Mile starting when the gates open at 4:15 p.m. ET/1:15 p.m. PT. Practice begins an hour later, and Opening Ceremonies are slated to begin at 8:45 p.m. ET/5:45 p.m PT. The rider autograph session is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m PT with the Main Events starting at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.
You can watch the feature telecast of the So-Cal Half-Mile on NBCSN with flag-to-flag coverage of both Main Events, enhanced by exclusive features and cutting-edge aerial drone and onboard footage. The telecast will debut on Sunday, May 19, at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT and will re-air later that week on Thursday, May 23, at 4:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT.
For more information on American Flat Track visit www.americanflattrack.com.
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How to Watch:
NBCSN and FansChoice.tv are the official homes for coverage of American Flat Track. For the 2019 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.