VOLUME 58 ISSUE 28 JULY 13, 2021 P29
AFT To Implement
Mid-Season Rule Changes
P
rogressive American Flat
Track issued "AFT Technical
Bulletin #2021-02" and briefed
the Mission SuperTwins field on
a series of rule changes directly
impacting its field of all-conquer-
ing Indian FTR750s that will go
into effect beginning with July
24's Port Royal Half-Mile.
Specifically, those changes
are:
The minimum weight for Mis-
sion SuperTwins bikes based
around a "race-only engine"
will increase from 310 to 330
pounds, while production-based
machines will remain at 310.
The base flywheel for race-
only-engined bikes must be fitted
and cannot be modified in any
way, conforming to the approved
weight and dimensions with no
mass added or removed.
The maximum wheel assembly
for bikes with race-only engines
has been limited to 35 pounds
compared to a 43-pound maxi-
mum for production-based bikes.
The changes appear to be
an initial attempt to address
the overwhelming dominance
of a single platform—the Indian
FTR750—both in terms of num-
bers and success, even as the
premier class has seen de-
creased entries while the pro-
duction-based alternatives have
largely fled to the AFT Production
Twins category.
The areas of focus, such as fly-
wheel mass and the related circuit-
by-circuit adjustability, are those in
which Indian's dedicated race bike
cannot be realistically matched by
production-based machinery as
the rules previously existed.
When reached for comment,
Progressive AFT CEO Michael
Lock said, "Close and competi-
tive racing across multiple brands
is a hallmark of the American
Flat Track series. These small
amendments are designed to
impact the inherent advantage
held by race-only developed
machines versus those that have
been adapted using a street bike
engine. We will continue to moni-
tor the data in order to deliver the
best race action for our fans and
partners."
For more on this topic, see our
feature story "Leveling the Play-
ing Field" on page 84.
CN
AFT's new rules are designed
to create a more balanced
battleground that will to lead to a
larger, more diverse field and less
predictable results, says AFT.
