VOLUME 58 ISSUE 28 JULY 13, 2021 P85
a factory Harley-Davidson to a
Howerton-framed Indian the last
four seasons alone.
Asked for his initial thoughts,
Smith said, "It's a part of racing.
In any form of racing, you level
the playing field so the racers can
determine it rather than a bike. I
get where they're coming from."
THE FTR CONUNDRUM
So how did it get to this point?
Recall that the FTR750 was
designed to a rules package
that existed to simultaneously
ease the impending retirement
of Harley-Davidson's vener-
able XR750 racer while laying
the groundwork for a long-term
transition to a production-based
premier class.
Indian's arrival was a boon
to the series on several fronts,
representing the return of a his-
toric marque in a huge way while
boosting attention and resources
for the paddock.
Developed essentially as a
MID-SEASON RULE CHANGE TO
OVERWHELMING DOMINANCE OF A SINGLE
INDIAN FTR750
LASSEN AND SCOTT HUNTER
