Cycle News Staff | June 28, 2023
Black Hills Half-Mile to Replace Buffalo Chip TT on Sunday, August 6 as Round 15 of the Progressive AFT Schedule
This is a press release from AFT…
Daytona Beach, FL (June 28, 2023) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, announced today that despite best efforts of all involved, the previously-announced Buffalo Chip TT will be replaced by the Black Hills Half-Mile at Black Hills Speedway on Sunday, August 6.
Producing the unique, purpose-built TT circuit planned for the Buffalo Chip Campgrounds requires a considerable amount of construction work to ensure the racing circuit would provide a safe and entertaining experience for both racers and fans. Unfortunately, inclement weather during key construction windows has prevented the initiation of the intensive construction schedule required to deliver a professional track suitable for hosting an AFT national.
Fortunately, the Black Hills Half-Mile will still give fans attending the 83rd Sturgis Motorcycle Rally an opportunity to catch Progressive AFT while on their annual trek to Sturgis, South Dakota. The half-mile track in nearby Rapid City is known for playing host to some of the most incredible racing all season and has been a featured attraction on the AFT schedule 15 times since debuting on the series calendar in 1991.
In the spirit of cooperation, this season’s Black Hills Half-Mile will feature a twilight race schedule, starting earlier in the day and ending earlier in the evening, giving fans time to attend both the AFT race in Rapid City and still make it to Buffalo Chip Campground for the Lynyrd Skynyrd concert.
Progressive AFT is hopeful that the Buffalo Chip’s much-awaited return to the schedule will take place as early as 2024.
Here are the remaining rounds of the 2023 AFT series:
July 8: Orange County Half-Mile – Orange County Fair Speedway, Middletown, NY
July 22: Bridgeport Half-Mile – Bridgeport Speedway, Swedesboro, NJ
July 30: Peoria TT – Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, IL
August 6: Black Hills Half-Mile – Black Hills Speedway, Rapid City, SD
August 12: Castle Rock TT – Castle Rock Race Park, Castle Rock, WA
September 2: Springfield Mile I – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
September 3: Springfield Mile II – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
UPDATE January 9, 2023
It’s official, AMA Pro Racing has confirmed its 18-round schedule for the 2023 Progressive American Flat Track season. The finalized schedule features five miles, five half-miles, four short tracks and four TTs.
The 2023 AFT finalized schedule features five miles, five half-miles, four short tracks and four TTs.
The following is a press release from AFT…
Daytona Beach, FL (January 9, 2022) – AMA Pro Racing has confirmed its finalized 18-round schedule for the upcoming 2023 Progressive American Flat Track season.
The previously announced provisional schedule laid out an ideally balanced slate in terms of discipline, geography, and pacing. Other key features were visits to venues both historic and new, the alignment of the calendar with multiple high-profile rallies and holiday weekends, and a more compact timeframe that fits all 18 rounds in during motorcycle riding season. The final schedule features five Miles, five Half-Miles, four Short Tracks, and four TTs.
The final schedule further solidifies that intent with the confirmation of the return of the Arizona Super TT and the West Virginia Half-Mile.
The Arizona Super TT returns following its 2019 debut, joining the entertainment options planned during the weekend of the 29th annual Arizona Bike Week on April 1. The ‘19 event marked the first Mission SuperTwins presented by S&S Cycle Main Event win of JD Beach’s career – one that kicked off a run that has seen him score six of seven TTs wins in the years since.
On July 1, Progressive AFT will compete in the state of West Virginia for the first time since 2006 with the West Virginia Half-Mile. The event will take place at the scenic West Virginia Motor Speedway in Mineral Wells, W.V. This mountainside 5/8-mile track is both renowned for its high speed and beautiful settings, promising to serve as an incredible stage for the world’s greatest motorcycle dirt track racers next summer.
2023 Progressive American Flat Track Schedule
March 9: Daytona Short Track I – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL
March 10: Daytona Short Track II – Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, FL
March 25: Senoia Short Track – Senoia Raceway, Senoia, GA
April 1: Arizona Super TT – Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Chandler, AZ
April 22: Dallas Half-Mile – Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Mesquite, TX
May 6: Ventura Short Track – Ventura Raceway, Ventura, CA
May 13: Sacramento Mile – Cal Expo, Sacramento, CA
May 27: Red Mile – The Red Mile, Lexington, KY
June 17: Du Quoin Mile – Du Quoin State Fairgrounds, Du Quoin, IL
June 24: Lima Half-Mile – Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, OH
July 1: West Virginia Half-Mile – West Virginia Motor Speedway, Mineral Wells, WV
July 8: Orange County Half-Mile – Orange County Fair Speedway, Middletown, NY
July 22: Bridgeport Half-Mile – Bridgeport Speedway, Swedesboro, NJ
July 30: Peoria TT – Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, IL
August 6: Buffalo Chip TT – Sturgis Buffalo Chip, Sturgis, SD
August 12: Castle Rock TT – Castle Rock Race Park, Castle Rock, WA
September 2: Springfield Mile I – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
September 3: Springfield Mile II – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL
Tickets for select rounds are on sale now, and the remainder of the rounds will be made available for purchase in the weeks ahead at https://www.americanflattrack.com.
Press Release from October 21, 2022:
AMA Pro Racing announced an 18-round provisional schedule for the 2023 Progressive American Flat Track season, which includes new (Senoia, GA; Ventura, CA; and Bridgeport, NJ) and returning venues.
The following is a press release from AMA Pro Racing/AFT…
Daytona Beach, FL (October 21, 2022) – AMA Pro Racing announced today an 18-round provisional schedule for the 2023 Progressive American Flat Track season boasting venues historic and new and featuring an impressive balance in terms of its blend of disciplines, geography and pacing.
“We’ve consolidated the 2023 Progressive AFT schedule into motorcycle riding season and worked hard to bring events back to major metropolitan markets and motorcycle rallies,” said Gene Crouch, Chief Operating Officer of AMA Pro Racing. “The venues and dates on the 2023 schedule have been carefully selected to minimize the potential for weather and deliver great racing for fans from coast-to-coast.”
Immediately noticeable is a more compact time frame over which the title fights will be waged, fitting all 18 rounds in between the return to Daytona International Speedway for a doubleheader during Daytona Bike Week in early March and an epic Labor Day Weekend doubleheader season finale at the series’ crown jewel, the Springfield Mile, in early September. The overall result is a significantly more consistent slate and superior momentum, with no more than three weeks between any two rounds, a gap which occurs just twice all season long.
Featuring five Miles, five Half-Miles, four Short Tracks, three TTs, (and one event still to be announced), the ’23 schedule is also intriguing in the cadence of events. The ordering of track types presents increased opportunity for dynamic championship battles, encouraging win streaks and comebacks alike. All four STs take place in the opening six races, while the three TTs will take place in a span of 13 days near the conclusion of the season, with the Half-Miles and Miles nicely divided up throughout the campaign.
That balance extends to its geographic reach. Hitting locations on both coasts and numerous points in between, the diversity of locales supports both the sport’s growth and continued strength all across the nation. So too does its mix of historic races, long-time mainstays, returning favorites, and a healthy dose of all-new stops, including Senoia, Ga., Ventura, Calif., and Bridgeport, N.J.
The 2023 Progressive AFT schedule will again celebrate the country’s motorcycle rallies and national holidays, holding events as part of Daytona Bike Week, Arizona Bike Week, and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, along with races to be held during Mother’s Day weekend, Father’s Day weekend (alongside the Mission Food AMA Flat Track Grand Championship amateur nationals no less), Memorial Day weekend and the aforementioned Labor Day weekend finale.
2023 American Flat Track Schedule (provisional)
March 9 – Daytona Flat Track I, Daytona Beach, FL
March 10 – Daytona Flat Track II, Daytona Beach, FL
March 25 – Senoia Short Track, Senoia, GA
April 1 – Arizona Bike Week (Venue TBA), Phoenix, AZ
April 22 – Devil’s Bowl Half-Mile, Mesquite, TX
May 6 – Ventura Short Track, Ventura, CA
May 13 – Sacramento Mile, Sacramento, CA
May 27 – Red Mile, Lexington, KY
June 3 – Virginia Half-Mile (Venue TBA), VA
June 17 – Du Quoin Mile, Du Quoin, IL
June 24 – Lima Half-Mile, Lima, OH
July 8 – Orange County Half-Mile, Middletown, NY
July 22 – Bridgeport Half-Mile, Bridgeport, NJ
July 30 – Peoria TT, Peoria, IL
August 6 – Buffalo Chip TT, Sturgis, SD
August 12 – Castle Rock TT, Castle Rock, WA
September 2 – Springfield Mile I, Springfield, IL
September 3 – Springfield Mile II, Springfield, IL
Confirmation on the venues for the TBA events and ticket sales for all rounds will be available in the weeks ahead at www.americanflattrack.com and at www.cyclenews.com/flat-track.
