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/745221
IN THE WIND P44 BAKER NAMED ATF AMBASSADOR I t's been a month since the American Flat Track (ATF) series wrapped up the 2016 Championship, but across the pond, the inaugural RFME Copa de Flat Track— Spain's first official Flat Track series—has yet to crown a champion. As an extra incentive to the number-one plate, AMA Pro Racing has invited the Spanish series' champion to participate in the opening round of the 2017 ATF season—the Day- tona TT on March 16, 2017. As a part of AMA Pro Racing's strategy to promote American Flat Track on the international stage, the sanctioning body has played a key role in advising promot- ers On Track Motorsport and the Royal Spanish Motorcycling Federation (RFME) in its debut season. The Spanish National Champion- ship is modeled after ATF and has adopted the same rules, which will help 2013 Grand National Champion Brad Baker feel right at home as he heads to the RFME Copa de Flat Track season finale on the quarter mile at Coníl de la Frontera in Cadiz, Spain on November 5. Baker won the opening two rounds of the Spanish series in July, and will act as an ambas- sador for American Flat Track, inviting the newly crowned Spanish champion to compete in the AFT season opener on the all-new Daytona TT track located inside Daytona International Speed- way. "I'm honored to be the ambassador for Ameri- can Flat Track at the last race in the Spanish dirt track series," Baker said. "I have been a part of Flat Track in Spain since the rebirth of the Su- perprestigio in 2014. I became friends with many riders and teams and have gained a pretty big Spanish fan base. It is really important to me to be there to support the Spanish riders and crown the champion with a ride at Daytona in 2017. Also, it will be cool to see how all the riders have improved from the beginning to the end of their season." Baker, who defeated MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez at last year's Superprestigio in Bar- celona, will return to the Barcelona indoor Short Track this year along with three-time Grand Na- tional Champion Jared Mees. It's more than just racing for Baker, as the 23-year-old has taken a strong interest in working with both the promoters of the new series and with young Spanish riders. Like the Grand National Championship in the U.S., it's been a year of close racing in the RFME Copa de Flat Track series and there are three rid- ers battling for the title. Leader Ferran Cardus and current second-place rider Franc Serra, are sepa- rated by 15 points. The pair is from Catalonia and they are generally regarded as Spain's top two flat trackers. On the outside looking in is former 125cc World Champion Nico Terol, from Valencia, sitting 21 points behind Cardus. Making the title fight at the finale even closer, the rider's worst result in the seven-race series will be dropped. Other than Baker, who won rounds one and two, Cardus has won twice, as Terol and Serra are each credited with a single win. CN Brad Baler is heading to Spain.