7 Things I Learned from AMA Pro Racing CEO Michael Lock
Last year was Michael Lock's first as the head of AMA Pro Racing, and he is looking forward to building on an awesome season of flat track racing with a revitalized schedule and a new name for the series. Now known as American Flat Track it has more races, more bikes, and new locations all over the country for 2017.
1. He's British
Where Michael Lock was born may not be relevant to how he runs flat track racing, but it is a bit surprising at first. American dirt track racing, be it stock cars, sprint cars, or motorcycles is rooted in the heartland of middle America where every county has a fairgrounds and every fairgrounds has a race track. In the UK however, they also race bikes around ovals and love the flat track, speedway, and grass track. Mr. Lock's resume includes stints with Honda in the UK and Europe, helping launch Triumph in the United States in the 1990s, boosted the image of Ducati, and finally landed at Lamborgini running its USA operations. Obviously, this man understands the industry and the importance of brand image.
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2. Bigger, Better Schedule
The new schedule for 2017 includes more races, at more locations, and a wider variety of track sizes. In addition, the number of TT races has increased to three, and the series is racing at tracks and in cities, it has seldom visited. There are now six of the high-speed mile events and seven of the only slightly slower half miles. One of the new tracks on the schedule brings them back to Southern California, almost exactly between Los Angeles and San Diego at Perris Auto Speedway.
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3. More Bikes and Brands
For a long time (the mid-1980s till 2010) it was pretty much all Harley XR750s at every flat track event in the big leagues. Kawasaki and the 650 Ninja first cracked the field in 2010, then Ducati and Triumph racers started to appear. For 2017 there is an all new Indian based on the liquid cooled V-twin motor in the Scout and the Polaris Octane. Harley-Davidson saw the writing on the wall and next year will debut the Street 750 based XG750R flat track bike, combining their years of chassis knowledge with a fully modern, liquid-cooled, DOHC, four-valve per cylinder motor.
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4. More TT Races in More Places
The new race schedule now has three TT races, which are a dirt track race with right-hand as well as left-hand corners, and typically one jump. The season now kicks off at a purpose built TT track inside of the Daytona Speedway infield and takes place during bike week. During the Sturgis motorcycle rally the AMA pros will be racing a TT at the Buffalo Chip, on the course drawn in yellow, as well as an oval half mile a few days later. Of course, the long-running Peoria TT is still taking place in Peoria, IL, on August 13th.
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5. Horse Tracks are Coming Back
Way back in the old days, there was no real difference between a horse race track and a motorcycle flat track. The AMA pros used to race at the high-class track at Del Mar, CA "where the surf meets the turf" and it was always a hugely popular race weekend. Last year the only dedicated horse track was the mile at Turf Paradise in Phoenix, AZ, which besides being a modern sports venue with all the luxury accommodations you'd expect, is also right in the middle of a metropolitan area. For 2017, the AMA is also adding the Red Mile in Lexington, KY, with a history of horse racing dating back to 10 years after the Civil War. Horse racing tracks increasingly have been seeking additional revenue sources and AMA has been looking for additional tracks to race, so it is a perfect match.
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6. Singles and Twins
The newly reorganized American Flat Track racing will consist of twin cylinder bikes up to 750cc and singles up to 450cc. Most people are familiar with the purpose built flat track framers which are hand made, with motors based on street twins. The lower class is made up of production based dirt bikes from all the major manufacturers, and look a lot like current motocross bikes, but with 19" wheels and less suspension travel. While the big bikes will hit 140 mph on the mile tracks, the singles are still capable of speeds near 100 mph.
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7. He's Genuinely a Nice Guy
In the picture above I'm talking to Michael at 8 am on a cold and foggy Tuesday at a rodeo grounds in Industry, CA, and he was perfectly happy to chat about the past and future of motorcycle racing with anyone around. He wants to find a more mainstream audience to fill the grandstands by promoting the races and getting them closer to population centers. He also wants to expand beyond the Midwest where the biggest fan base is and take it more nationwide. In order to give people more racing for their money, qualifying will take place in heat races and semi-finals, before the big race at the end of the night, in a format that works so well for supercross. The first race of the new season is March 16th in Daytona and you'll be able to watch it on FansChoice.tv where you can watch much of last season online too.
>>Join the conversation about AMA Pro Racing right here in Harley-Davidson Forum!
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