Spanish Flat Trackers to Battle With Stars of American Flat Track at Daytona TT

On March 16, American Flat Track (AFT) will unveil its re-envisioning of America's original extreme sport as the series kicks off the 2017 season with the inaugural Daytona TT. Most of the attention will be attracted to the sport's premier AFT Twins class, a continuation of the historic Grand National Championship, as it enters its 64th consecutive year of competition. Spain, however, will turn its eyes to the AFT Singles class as two of the top riders from the inaugural Spanish Flat Track Championship (RFME Flat Track Cup) – reigning Champion Ferrán Cardús and runner-up Franc Serra – will make their American Flat Track debut at the "World Center of Racing."

The Daytona TT will be held under the bright lights inside Daytona International Speedway during Daytona's Bike Week festivities. The event will mark the first time that the series has raced a TT track on twin-cylinder motorcycles in 20 years and the first time that factory efforts from Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycle have competed head-to-head since 1953. As part of AFT´s program to increase international awareness and support of the most American form of professional motorcycle racing, the organizers of the American Flat Track championship have invited Cardús and Serra, and provided them with competitive machines and support to go up against the best Flat Track riders in the world.

Many of the rules in the Spanish Flat Track Championship are modeled after the American Flat Track rulebook, but the Spaniards will have to battle jetlag while adapting to new motorcycles and crew members. To get up to speed quickly, the stars from Spain have aligned with two Grand National Champions for the event. Cardús has teamed up with Brad Baker for the event, while Serra will ride the Honda CRF450F piloted by Jared Mees to a second-place finish at last year's Peoria TT. The two AFT rivals, now part of the Indian Wrecking Crew, are each stepping up to mentor the top young Spaniards.

Baker has worked with Cardús since the American´s first appearance in Spain at the Superprestigio of Barcelona in December of 2014. The 2013 Grand National Champion has stepped up to help Cardús not just for Daytona, but the first three rounds of the Championship.

"I started working with Ferrán because I saw his potential. In the last couple of years, the Spanish riders have really improved," Baker said. "I am getting behind Cardús, pulling a team together for him and putting him on one of my bikes at Daytona, Georgia and Charlotte."

As for Cardús, it's a dream come true for the road racer turned flat tracker to go up against the sport’s best in American Flat Track.

"From the first time I saw Brad ride here, I realized just how much I had to learn," Cardús said. "For me it is a dream come true. It´s a big opportunity for me to evolve as a rider because here, there are a few fast riders but in AFT I know everyone will be tough to beat. It will be a big challenge to ride those opening rounds. I´ve been riding Flat Track only two years. The new National series gave me a chance to step up and ride on bigger tracks. Flat Track has come a long way in a short time and I hope it just keeps getting better."

American Flat Track will kick off the 2017 season during Daytona's Bike Week festivities on Thursday, March 16 with the all-new Daytona TT, built inside the tri-oval at Daytona International Speedway. The Daytona TT will mark the dawning of a new era for America's most historic form of motorcycle racing, and the "World Center of Racing" will serve as the first battleground for the great American war between Harley-Davidson and Indian Motorcycles in 2017. Tickets for the Daytona TT are now on sale and can be purchased at daytonainternationalspeedway.com.