Yahoo Autos 8 Things You Didn’t Know About America’s Original Extreme Sport
“Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death” - Hunter S. Thompson.
As Americans, racing is in our DNA. The desire to pilot a vehicle at unruly speeds against other humans is a test between man/woman and machine. But before legendary racetracks like Daytona, Talladega, The Circuit of the Americas, Laguna Seca and Indy cemented themselves in our cultural tapestry, it was the dirt ovals found in small pockets of America that gave rise to our fascination of motorsports.
AMA Pro Flat Track Motorcycle Racing
The AMA ran its first race in 1932 with the Class A Dirt Track championship, which was designed for manufacturers to race prototype bikes.
READ MORE: Flat Track Racing - Hooligans, Harley’s and Classics, the Del Mar Season Finale | RideApart
It wasn’t until 1954 that AMA racing became more legit by founding the AMA Grand National Championship. If you’ve seen On Any Sunday, you may be familiar with this championship as it included mile and ½-mile dirt track races, short tracks, TT’s and road races—all in one series. In 1989, AMA kept the Grand National Championship on dirt only removing itself from road racing.
Today, AMA Pro Flat Track has been a commonly overlooked race series. Despite its action, rivalries, crazy racing and crazier crashes, it’s still not considered a household name in the American motorsports landscape.
READ MORE: Take a POV Ride At a Vintage AMA SuperBike Race at Laguna Seca | RideApart
Despite the sport’s early 1920’s birth, there are many things you may not know about America’s original extreme sport.
Fast Bikes, Faster Riders
A typical AMA flat tracker is capable of speeds exceeding 130 mph and are set up to lean hard. Rider footpegs are non-symmetrical—the left peg is slightly higher and moved rearward where the right is in a more standard position. Wide handlebars enable racers maximum control with better leverage, along with better balance when cornering.
Battle of the Sexes
Men and women compete side-by-side. Everyone is the same when they don a helmet, leathers, boots and gloves.
No Brakes, No Problems
Brakes? Where we’re going we don’t need brakes. Well…some bikes are equipped with a rear brake, but they’re rarely used in a race. If you thought throttle control was important in road racing, it’s even more important in flat track racing. It’s on the gas as early as possible and off the gas as late as possible. It’s also all about setting up for the corner, followed by a lot of technique to get the bike around said corner.
