Flat track racing is America’s oldest organized motorsport on two wheels, yet Speedhunters has never delved into it before. That isn’t entirely surprising given our long-standing focus on four-wheeled machinery, as well as the fact that we’ve only been around for a decade and a bit. Sadly, we just weren’t there to cover the first events held as far back as the 1920s.
Going through the decades, from the ’50s to the ’70s, flat track was the number one motorcycle racing series in the United States, and American Flat Track Chief Marketing Officer Gene Crouch is quick to say that the sport did indeed experience its heyday some decades ago. But given the fact that during the 2019 AFT season the series reached 1,933-percent more fans than in 2016 — no, that’s not a typo — the sport is well on its way toward gaining traction in the States again.
But there’s good reason for all of this: not only does flat track racing have a rich history, it’s never been a better or more accessible spectator sport than it is today. And it’s always been an exciting spectacle to behold, so with online streams and three recently revamped and relatable classes, it only makes sense that the series is becoming more popular again.
The first American Motorcycle Association-sanctioned championship — Class A Dirt Track — was formed in 1932 and featured prototype-style machinery, but already by the following year a road-legal-based Class C was formed to allow the average Joe to come out and have a nice thrashing with their pals. It should be no surprise that the series became extremely competitive.
Leading up to World War II, two heavyweights emerged in Class A: Indian Motorcycle and Harley-Davidson. This continued through the ’50s, until Indian ended manufacturing in 1953. The first championship year for the series that continues today was held in 1954, and it started with Harley-Davidson dominating the championship. But the British caught wind and began competing by the ’60s as a way to help sell their motorcycles in the American market and soon found success.
1963 marked the first time that a rider, Dick Mann, won the championship on a foreign motorcycle. It was built by Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA), and Triumph followed up to win three of four titles as the ’70s rolled around. Unfortunately for the British motorcycle industry, Japanese competition led to a near total collapse in the early ’70s, and it was at this time Japanese manufacturers became interested in the US-based flat track series and began competing.
