SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 10, 2017) – SDI Racing’s Steve and Vince Delorenzi, promotors of the Harley-Davidson Sacramento Mile presented by Cycle Gear, are proud to announce “King” Kenny Roberts’ return to the “Sac Mile” as the Honorary Grand Marshall on May 20. Sharing Grand Marshall duties with the flat track and road racing legend will be another Roberts – his son and fellow World Champion Kenny Roberts, Jr.
“Thrilled would be an understatement,” said Steve Delorenzi, CEO of SDI Insulation/SDI Racing. “We’re excited to have the Roberts family and honor a pair of world-class athletes from Northern California at the Sacramento Mile, one of the sport’s legendary venues.”
Roberts, Sr. is also looking forward to returning to his flat track roots and being honored at the Sacramento Mile.
“It’s still an honor to be honored,” Roberts, Sr. said. “I needed to get to a dirt track and watch it again. I haven’t been to a mile in years. It’s going to be interesting to see how it’s evolved.”
Of course, an appearance by Roberts, Sr. at a dirt track wouldn’t be complete without his infamous Yamaha TZ750 made famous by Roberts epic win at the 1975 Indy Mile. The “King” himself said at the time that they couldn’t pay him enough money to ride the fire-breathing two-stroke, but Roberts and the TZ750 made a repeat appearance for some thrilling demo laps at the 2009 Indy Mile. The TZ750 returns for some more laps of glory, this time to be piloted by 2000 Grand National Champion Joe Kopp at the Sacramento Mile.
“In my career, I’ve swung my leg over many of the best dirt track bikes out there, but I’ve always wondered what the TZ750 was like,” Kopp said. “I can’t wait!”
Roberts, Sr. became the first American to win a Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Championship and in addition to his three World Championship, he is a two-time Grand National Champion. Roberts is also one of only four riders in AMA racing history to win the Grand Slam, representing Grand National wins at mile, half-mile, short-track, TT and road race events.
Roberts, Jr. was recently honored as a MotoGP Legend on April 21 at the Red Bull Grand Prix of The Americas. Junior won eight 500cc GPs and the 2000 world title on a factory Suzuki. The Roberts are the only father-son duo to have won 500cc World Championships and be inducted into the MotoGP World Championship Hall of Fame.
In addition to the Roberts’ long list of achievements they continue to raise awareness for Welcome Home Hero’s Foundation hosting “True American Hero’s Dinner” at The Roberts Ranch on May 13. For more information or donations please visit http://welcomehomeheroesfoundation.org/
For more information on the Harley-Davidson Sacramento Mile presented by Cycle Gear at the Cal-Expo in Sacramento, Calif. please visit www.sactomile.com
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 http://www.nbcsports.com/ and http://www.nbcsports.com/
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, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, live stream the events at FansChoice.tv and catch all the American Flat Track racing action on NBCSN.