The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally began in 1938 as a racing event, so it’s great to have two high-profile races going on this year at the 84th edition. Progressive AFT will host a half-mile race on Tuesday, Aug. 6, quickly followed by a TT course running on the streets of downtown Sturgis on Aug. 11 during the final day of the rally.
The Black Hills Half-Mile kicks off the action next Tuesday at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota, only a short ride from Sturgis. With SuperTwins points leader Dallas Daniels out of action with a leg facture, the title chase has dramatically opened up.
Reigning champ Jared Mees comes into South Dakota just a single point behind Daniels, setting up a real possibility to earn a record-breaking 10th Grand National championship. The Indian FTR pilot won last year’s race. Closest in points to Mees is Brandon Robinson, also on an FTR, but the hottest rider on the scene is Briar Bauman, who blazed his way to victory on his KTM 790 Duke in the previous round, the Peoria TT.
Then, just five days after the Rapid City races, the AFT circus rolls into downtown Sturgis for what promises to be a real bar-banger on the tiny quarter-mile circuit that begins and ends on Main Street. Perhaps even more exciting to watch than the headlining SuperTwins class will be the debut of AFT’s AdventureTracker class for big adventure bikes.
Sturgis TT Race Preview and Track Map
The Sturgis TT will have a bit of celebrity luster in the form of Richard Rawlings of Gas Monkey Garage fame, who will serve as the official grand marshal. Rawlings gained fame for his Fast N’ Loud TV show that aired from 2012 on Discovery Channel.
“It’s an absolute honor that AFT chose me to be the grand marshal for this historical event, especially now that I’ve hung a shingle in Sturgis,” Rawlings said in reference to his new Gas Monkey Sturgis Bar & N’ Grill, a bar and restaurant offering a Texas Roadhouse-style menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Racing On Sturgis Streets: AFT AdventureTrackers
To learn more about how the races are shaping up ahead of the Sturgis round, take a look at the AFT press release below.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (August 2, 2024) – Progressive American Flat Track, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, will open its 84th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally doubleheader with the Black Hills Harley-Davidson Black Hills Half-Mile presented by The City of Sturgis at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Tuesday, August 6.
Black Hills Speedway has traditionally been the domain of flat track royalty, with 11 of the 15 Mission AFT SuperTwins victories at the venue split up amongst seven different Grand National Champions.
Last year’s runner-up – both in the championship and at Black Hills – Dallas Daniels (No. 32 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) might have hoped to add his name to both lists in ‘24. And while the efforts of JD Beach (No. 95 Estenson Racing Yamaha MT-07 DT) at Peoria have the injured Daniels still holding the top spot in the title race, that position is fleeting and soon to be handed over.
Reigning champion Jared Mees (No. 1 Rogers Racing/SDI Racing/Indian Motorcycle FTR750) is now just a single point back and poised to seize control at Black Hills Speedway where he has previously won on four separate occasions, including one year ago.
With Daniels out indefinitely, the biggest obstacle now standing in Mees’ way of securing a record-setting tenth Grand National Championship is Brandon Robinson (No. 44 Mission Roof Systems Indian FTR750). Robinson has five rounds to claw 14 points back from Mees, a task that will likely require him to overcome history starting this weekend at a track where he has twice finished fourth but never on the podium, let alone won.
Mees’ other remaining title threat, however, has. Briar Bauman (No. 3 Rick Ware Racing/KTM/Parts Plus KTM 790 Duke) was victorious here in 2019 and then won the Mission #2Fast2Tasty Challenge before the Main Event was rained out. While admittedly uneven in his oval efforts this season, Bauman comes in fresh off his Peoria TT triumph and with the potential to string together a win streak in search of a third career title.
Davis Fisher (No. 67 Rackley Racing/Bob Lanphere’s BMC Racing Indian FTR750) and Cameron Smith (No. 34 RVR/KTM/Schaefer’s Motorsport KTM 790 Duke) are the only other riders to have finished inside the top five in the premier-class here, although Jarod Vanderkooi (No. 20 JMC Motorsports/Fairway Ford Ohio Indian FTR750), Brandon Price (No. 92 Memphis Shades/Sody Ent/OTBR Yamaha MT-07), Dan Bromley (No. 62 Memphis Shades/Vinson/Al Lamb’s Dallas Honda Transalp) and Dalton Gauthier (No. 79 Moto Anatomy X Powered by Royal Enfield 650) have the ability to do that and more on Tuesday.
It could also be a major opportunity for rookies Trevor Brunner (No. 21 Mission Foods/Zanotti Racing KTM 790 Duke), Declan Bender (No. 70 GOMR/BriggsAuto.com/Martin Trucking Indian FTR750), and Max Whale (No. 18 Latus Motors Racing/Liqui Moly Harley-Davidson XG750R). All three performed well here prior to graduating to Mission AFT SuperTwins duty, Brunner in particular, taking the win in 2022.
Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER
While still holding a strong position in search of a third Parts Unlimited AFT Singles presented by KICKER title, Kody Kopp (No. 1 Rick Ware Racing/Parts Plus KTM 450 SX-F) comes to Black Hills Speedway in need of a victory.
While already the class’ all-time wins leader, Kopp’s chances to set a new single-season wins record has taken a hit following three straight runners-up, with rivals Chase Saathoff (No. 88 JPG Motorsports Honda CRF450R) and Tom Drane (No. 59 Estenson Racing Yamaha YZ450F) getting the better of him in recent weeks.
Kopp will likely welcome the return to Rapid City where he orchestrated one of the most memorable wins of his young career a year ago. Last season, the Rick Ware Racing star charged his way up from seventh to first, capped off by a late-race pass over pre-race favorite Drane.
Saathoff comes in with all the momentum following two consecutive victories in his home state of Illinois. While it’s true that he’s yet to finish on the podium at Black Hills Speedway, the same could have been said of Peoria before his stirring victory this past week.
In fact, only one rider in the field has finished on the podium in each of the past two visits; Trent Lowe (No. 48 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R) could use a similar result this weekend with James Ott (No. 19 1st Impressions Race Team Husqvarna FC450) pushing him for fourth in the points when the American Honda-backed Lowe entered the season with championship ambitions.
The usual suspects of Travis Petton IV (No. 82 ECG Racing/A.M Ortega KTM 450 SX-F), Tarren Santero (No. 75 Vinson Construction/P&M Motorcycles Honda CRF450R), Evan Renshaw (No. 265 American Honda/Mission Foods CRF450R), Tyler Raggio (No. 55 Raggio Racing/Sluggo Racing KTM 450 SX-F), and Jared Lowe (No. 63 BigR/Little Debbie Racing Honda CRF450R) will look to break into the top five and upset the expected order.
Additionally, Tuesday night will feature the penultimate round of Royal Enfield’s successful and popular Build. Train. Race. (BTR) flat track program for the 2024 season. Since its introduction, BTR has injected new talent and excitement into the series as highlights, celebrates, and encourages the involvement of women in flat track racing.
How to Watch
There will be plenty beyond just the race action for fans to enjoy throughout the day on Tuesday, including numerous vendors, dedicated motorcycle parking and playground for kids.
General Admission Grandstand tickets are just $30 (kids 12 and under $5), while Reserved Grandstand tickets are only $15 more (all ages). For another $50, the Pit Pass Upgrade provides all-day access to the pit area where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport.
Fans also have the opportunity to receive the VIP treatment by selecting a special ticket option that provides access to the exclusive, premium indoor VIP viewing area and includes food, beverage, and a Pit Pass for $125.
Gates will open for fans at 3:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. PT). Opening Ceremonies are scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. ET (2:30 p.m. PT) ahead of a pair of Main Events at twilight, timed to allow fans to also attend the evening’s concerts in Sturgis. You can catch the livestream of all the weekend’s racing activities on FloRacing. Motorsports fans can subscribe to FloRacing to enjoy over 1,000 live motorsports events in 2024. FloSports is available by visiting FloSports.link/aft or by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.
FOX Sports coverage of the Black Hills Harley-Davidson Black Hills Half-Mile presented by The City of Sturgis, featuring in-depth features and thrilling onboard cameras, will premiere on FS1 on Sunday, August 11, at 2:00 p.m. ET (11:00 a.m. PT). For more information, visit the Progressive AFT website.
