Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1053896
IN THE WIND P28 INDIAN ANNOUNCES 2019 RACE TEAM I ndian Motorcycle Racing an- nounced that defending AFT Twins Champion Jared Mees will lead the team's attack in 2019 with two new teammates—broth- ers Briar and Bronson Bauman. In addition, Indian says that Brad Baker will be the team's new tech- nical advisor and rider coach. Mees returns to the 2019 Indian Wrecking Crew with Crew Chief Kenny Tolbert, Mechanic Bubba Bently and Jimmy Wood on sus- pension. Dick Tibbits also returns and will aid all three riders with nu- trition, fitness and mental prepa- ration. Team operations for Briar and Bronson will be conducted by Paul Langley and S&S, while Dave Zanotti will serve as crew chief. Michelle DiSalvo has signed on as Briar's mechanic, while Bronson's mechanic will be named at a later date. Indian Motorcycle Racing also welcomes the return of Dean Young as team manager. "We're excited to bring back Jared, and his championship pedigree, as we embark on the next chapter for Indian Motorcycle Racing," said Gary Gray, Vice President – Racing, Technology & Service for Indian Motorcycle. "We welcome Briar and Bronson and are proud to have them rep- resent our brand on and off the track. "When it comes to racing, we've assembled some of the most talented professionals in the sport, and we're looking forward to the upcoming season." Baker will closely support and mentor Briar and Bronson throughout the 2019 season by analyzing their on-track perfor- mance, help with race-day strat- egy and bike setup. Baker brings a championship-winning perspec- tive and a wealth of knowledge and experience on the FTR750. The 2019 AFT season will be challenging for the Indian Wreck- ing Crew due to a new rule designed to increase competition. This new rule will allow competi- tors using "production bikes" to run 40mm throttle bodies while all FTR750 riders will be restricted to 38mm throttle bodies. CN Bauman brothers, Briar (far left) and Bronson (far right), will be Jared Mees' new teammates. INDIAN RESPONDS TO NEW AFT RULES R ecently, American Flat Track (AFT) quietly implemented three new rule changes that it says will help keep racing competitive. However, Indian Motorcycle Rac- ing says the opposite, that it will only impair their ability to compete on an equal level. These new rules are scheduled to go into effect in 2019. Of these new rules, Indian, which has domi- nated the last two AFT seasons since jumping back into flat track racing, feels that at least two of them single out Indian Motorcycle Racing and, more specifically, the FTR750. The three rule changes include using lower-octane fuel, the allowance of street-legal pro- duction engines up to 900cc, and throttle-body restrictions. It's the