Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/787665
76 nMarch 2017n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS 2017 AMA Vintage Dirt Track National Championship Series Schedule Round 1 Saturday, March 11 Oglethorpe Speedway—Savannah, GA Half Mile Round 2 Monday, March 13 Volusia County Speedway—Baberville, FL Half Mile Round 3 Tuesday, March 14 Volusia County Speedway—Barberville, FL Short Track Round 4 Sunday, April 30 Marshall-Putman County Fairgrounds—Henry, IL Half Mile Round 5 Friday, June 16 Harpursville, NY Short Track Round 6 Saturday, June 17 Harpursville, NY Short Track Round 7 Saturday, July 8 Ashland County Fairgrounds—Ashland, OH Half Mile Round 8 Friday, Aug. 4 Marion County Fairgrounds—Indianapolis, IN Short Track Round 9 Saturday, Aug. 5 Marion County Fairgrounds—Indianapolis, IN Short Track Round 10 Saturday, Sept. 2 Illinois State Fairgrounds—Springfi eld, IL Short Track Round 11 Saturday, Sept. 23 Oakland Valley Race Park—Cuddebackville, NY Short Track Round 12 Sunday, Sept. 24 Oakland Valley Race Park—Cuddebackville, NY Short Track March 16-19 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals Gainesville, FL April 28-30 NHRA Four-Wide Nationals Charlotte, NC May 5-7 NHRA Southern Nationals Atlanta, GA June 8-11 NHRA Summer Nationals Englishtown, NJ June 22-25 Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals Norwalk, OH July 6-9 Route 66 NHRA Nationals Chicago, IL July 21-23 Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals Denver, CO July 28-30 Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals Sonoma, CA Aug. 17-20 Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Brainerd, MN Aug. 30-Sept. 4 Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals Indianapolis, IN Sept. 15-17 NHRA Carolina Nationals Charlotte, NC Sept. 21-24 NHRA Keystone Nationals Reading, PA Sept. 29-Oct. 1 AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals St. Louis, MO Oct. 12-15 AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals Dallas, TX Oct. 26-29 NHRA Toyota Nationals Las Vegas, NV Nov. 9-12 Auto Club NHRA Finals Pomona, CA March 16-19 Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals Gainesville, FL April 28-30 NHRA Four-Wide Nationals Charlotte, NC May 5-7 NHRA Southern Nationals Atlanta, GA June 8-11 NHRA Summer Nationals Englishtown, NJ June 22-25 Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals Norwalk, OH July 6-9 Route 66 NHRA Nationals Chicago, IL July 21-23 Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals Denver, CO July 28-30 Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals Sonoma, CA Aug. 17-20 Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals Brainerd, MN Aug. 30-Sept. 4 Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals Indianapolis, IN Sept. 15-17 NHRA Carolina Nationals Charlotte, NC Sept. 21-24 NHRA Keystone Nationals Reading, PA Sept. 29-Oct. 1 AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals St. Louis, MO Oct. 12-15 AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals Dallas, TX Oct. 26-29 NHRA Toyota Nationals Las Vegas, NV Nov. 9-12 Auto Club NHRA Finals Pomona, CA 2017 NHRA PRO STOCK MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES March 16 Daytona TT Daytona, Beach, FL March 25 Georgia Short Track Woodstock, GA April 1 Charlotte Half-Mile Concord, NC May 13 Arizona Mile Phoenix, AZ May 20 Sacramento Mile Sacramento, CA May 27–28 Springfi eld Mile I Springfi eld, IL June 3 Red Mile Lexington, KY June 17 OKC Mile Oklahoma City, OK June 24 Lima Half-Mile Lima, OH July 8 Rolling Wheels Half-Mile Elbridge, NY July 29 Calistoga Half-Mile Calistoga, CA Aug. 6 Buffalo Chip TT Sturgis, SD Aug. 8 Black Hills Half-Mile Rapid City, SD Aug. 13 Peoria TT Peoria, IL Sept. 2–3 Springfi eld Mile II Springfi eld, IL Sept. 9 Williams Grove Half-Mile Mechanicsburg, PA Sept. 23 Lone Star Half-Mile Fort Worth, TX Oct. 7 Perris Short Track Perris, CA 2017 AMERICAN FLAT TRACK SCHEDULE HARLEY-DAVIDSON FACTORY TEAM PRIMED FOR FLAT-TRACK BATTLE A winning line up Teaming up for the championship MILWAUKEE, JAN. 28—It's a fl at-track triple threat. The Harley- Davidson Factory Flat Track Racing Team will unleash a three-rider squad in 2017. Former AMA Pro Grand National champions Kenny Coolbeth Jr. and Jake Johnson and young fl at- track star Brandon Robinson will race in the legendary Factory Team leathers. The team was announced today during a live interview with Coolbeth, Johnson and Robinson during ABC network coverage of ESPN's X Games Aspen. Gunning for the checkered fl ag aboard the fi erce Harley-Davidson XG750R competition motorcycle, the formidable trio of ace racers will chase a championship on the American Flat Track (AFT) series and fi ght to medal in the Harley- Davidson Flat Track Racing event at ESPN's X Games Minneapolis. The American Flat Track Racing season opens during Daytona Bike Week at the March 16 Daytona TT on a new cir- cuit featuring a jump to be constructed inside Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. "This edition of the Harley Factory Team will bring unmatched savvy and experi- ence to the track," said Harley- Davidson Vice President and Managing Director U.S. Mike Kennedy. "With a combined 59 Grand National wins and fi ve AMA Pro Grand National championships, this line-up of riders knows what it takes to do battle with the lead pack and will be a force aboard our new Harley-Davidson XG750R Factory Racing bikes. If you are in Daytona for Bike Week, ride to the race and see the Factory Team in action on this exciting new TT track." The Harley Factory Team will fi eld a fl eet of Harley XG750R bikes for Coolbeth, Johnson and Robinson. With a custom chassis purpose-built for fl at track racing, the XG750R fl at tracker is powered by a race-mod- ifi ed, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected 750cc Revolution X V-Twin engine originally engineered for the Harley- Davidson Street 750, a motorcy- cle designed for maximum urban maneuverability with rebellious Dark Custom attitude. The Revolution X engine is assembled at Harley- Davidson Vehicle and Powertrain Operations in Kansas City, Missouri. "I'm excited to be one of the rid- ers helping to push the XG750R to the front of the fi eld," said Robinson. "I'm sure I'll be battling with Kenny and Jake to see who can make history and score the fi rst win aboard the new bike. I've learned a lot racing against them. Now we're working together to bring home a championship for Harley-Davidson." The race-modifi ed Revolution X engine and a racing frame for the XG750R were developed in collabora- tion with Vance & Hines Motorsports. The XG750R fl at tracker motorcycle is not a production model. The 750cc XG Revolution X V-Twin engine is for sale Harley-Davidson's Factory Flat Track Racing team expands to three riders for the 2017 American Flat Track season with three-time Grand National Champion Kenny Coolbeth Jr. (r.) joined by two-time Grand National Champion Jake Johnson (l.) and young stand- out Brandon Robinson (c.). All three will ride the new Harley-Davidson XG750R fl at tracker exclusively. See "Competition," page 78, column 1