Adventure Bike Circuit Racing Looks as Fun as it Sounds!
A new bike racing class emerged in 2024, pitting big-bore ADV bikes head-to-head on a flat-track TT course - and we are all for it!
Earlier this year the America Flat Track (AFT) Association announced it would be dipping a toe into a new racing class. At the Sturgis TT in August, the AFT AdventureTrackers class hit the track!
And as you’d expect, it’s as much fun to watch as you’d imagine, with high profile racers going toe-to-toe on large-capacity adventure motorcycles. Competing in the inaugural event were a raft of Triumph Tiger 1200s, a Honda CRF1100 Africa Twin, and a Harley-Davidson Pan America 1250. It was the Tiger 1200s that took all of the plaudits though, with the Hinkley brand locking out the podium positions.
The race was taking place in Sturgis and it saw the riders battling it out on a flat track ‘TT’ course. A TT course in flat track racing utilises most of the oval layout, although as is the case with the track at Sturgis, a portion of the course sees the bikes take to the in-field where a dirt section with a jump awaits them. Unlike traditional flat track ovals, the track at Sturgis saw the bikes racing on asphalt when on the oval and dirt once they took to the infield.
The video that you can see at the top of the page was shot by the eventual race winner Sammy Halbert. After the race he said:
"I’m Stoked to take the win in the first ever Sturgis TT AFT AdventureTrackers race. The Triumph Tiger 1200 was surprisingly easy to ride – especially in the dirt sections. No matter how hard I pushed it, the bike handled flawlessly. I’m proud to bring home this victory for the team at Triumph.”
One name that may be familiar to you is that of the second-placed rider. It was none other than Iván Cervantes, a five-time world enduro champion and multiple race winner aboard Triumph middleweight and large-capacity adventure machines. Speaking about the race, he said:
“I was trying my best to learn the track and the bike during the practice sessions and worked to get better each lap while learning the other riders. It seemed that all the racers were very fast on the asphalt, and I believed my best option was to take advantage of the dirt section. After a bad start, I made a quick pass on turn two and held on to the end of the race. I want to thank Triumph and the amazing team very much for the confidence in me and for the invitation to participate in the AFT AdventureTrackers Race.”
Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
