American Flat Track adds Indy Mile to 2020 schedule this weekend

By Aug 17, 2020, 8:30 PM EDT
American Flat Track Indy
American Flat Track
0 Comments

American Flat Track will return to the Indy Mile at The Indiana State Fairgrounds, adding a doubleheader race event Friday and Saturday on the same weekend as the Indy 500.

It’s the first race at the Indy venue since 2015 for AFT, which added the Indy Mile as its second event this season after an July 31-Aug. 1 event in Lima, Ohio, was canceled.

The season opened with a July 17-18 doubleheader weekend at Volusia Speedway Park. Coverage of AFT events is available via TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold.

Here’s the updated 2020 schedule:

July 17-18 (Friday-Saturday): Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, Florida

Aug. 21-22 (Friday-Saturday):  Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis

Sept. 5-6 (Saturday-Sunday): Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Illinois

Sept. 11-12 (Friday-Saturday): Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania

Sept. 25-26 (Friday-Saturday): Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Dallas, Texas

Oct. 2-3 (Friday-Saturday): Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, Georgia

Oct. 9-10 (Friday-Saturday): Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina

Oct. 15-16 (Thursday-Friday): AFT season finale, Daytona Beach, Florida

Here’s the release from the American Flat Track series:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – On the heels of its long-awaited season opener, American Flat Track makes the exciting announcement of its return to the legendary Indy Mile at The Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center for a doubleheader event on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22 – the same weekend as one of the most anticipated events in all of motorsports: The Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

For the avid racing enthusiast, the opportunity to witness America’s Original Extreme Sport race back-to-back just before the legendary Indy 500 presents an unprecedented opportunity for fans to enjoy a supreme weekend of American motorsports.

AFT officials continue to collaborate with public health experts to develop this comprehensive plan in accordance with all federal, state and local requirements. All race-day procedures have been thoroughly reviewed and will continue to be examined and updated to follow specific guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local authorities.

At all American Flat Track events new guidelines and protocols will include:

  • Reduction in ticket availability to conform with state and local guidelines for sporting events – 25% capacity for this event
  • Reserved seating areas to include buffer zones to provide ample space between fans
    Everyone (including fans, competitors, staff, etc.) on-property will undergo a medical screening prior to admittance into the facility
  • Everyone entering the venue will be required to wear facial coverings. Masks will be provided at no charge.
  • Enhanced sanitation and disinfection protocols with frequent cleaning throughout the facility
    Enhancements to mobile ticketing and elimination of printed tickets
    Regular medical screening of staff and competitors
  • As an additional precaution, there will be no public access to the paddock area and AFT officials have suspended Fan Walk, rider autograph sessions and paddock upgrades for the remainder of the season. Event-specific health & safety procedures will be updated to meet or exceed state and local requirements as they are updated over the coming months.

In most recent memory, Brad “The Bullet” Baker scored a commanding victory at this lauded venue aboard his Harley-Davidson XR750 in 2015. Plans to resurface the racetrack had seen this historic venue fall off of AFT’s schedule, but upon learning that the track’s original surface remains intact, AFT officials seized the opportunity to bring this fan and rider favorite back into the fold.

“We are very excited to be returning to race at the famous Indy Mile,” said Michael Lock, CEO of American Flat Track. “AFT fans have a real soft spot for this historic venue that evokes fond memories of Kenny Roberts and the Yamaha TZ750 and many, many fast and fierce races since. To be able to race during the weekend of the Indy 500 represents a real bonus, as we will be able to showcase our sport to a whole new audience in addition to AFT’s loyal Midwest fanbase.”

A staple within the memories of flat track historians, the Indy Mile was a part of the inaugural Grand National Championship season in 1954 and has been won by many legends of the sport. Names like Chris Carr, Scott Parker, Jay Springsteen, Bubba Shobert, Ricky Graham and Kenny Roberts are all etched into the list of victors at The Indiana State Fairgrounds.

The event also brings the return of Mile racing for the AFT Singles presented by Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys class. Shayna Texter is the only active AFT Singles rider with a win at the facility. In the AFT SuperTwins presented by Vance & Hines class, Bryan Smith and Sammy Halbert are the only two active riders with premier class wins at Indy while JD Beach and Jarod Vanderkooi each have wins to their credit in the AFT Singles class.

In the wake of the mandatory Lima Half-Mile cancellation and last-minute track reconfiguration of the Laconia Short Track, AFT is thrilled to be able to add the Indy Mile I and Indy Mile II to its schedule in its effort to provide its fans with a full season of American Flat Track racing.

The updated 2020 American Flat Track schedule follows:

1. July 17: Volusia Half-Mile I – Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL

2. July 18: Volusia Half-Mile II – Volusia Speedway Park, Barberville, FL

3. August 21: Indy Mile I – Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, IN

4. August 22: Indy Mile II – Indiana State Fairgrounds, Indianapolis, IN

5. September 5: Springfield Mile I – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL

6. September 6: Springfield Mile II – Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL

7. September 11: Williams Grove Half-Mile I – Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA

8. September 12: Williams Grove Half-Mile II – Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, PA

9. September 25: Dallas Half-Mile I – Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Dallas, TX

10. September 26: Dallas Half-Mile II – Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Dallas, TX

11. October 2: Atlanta Short Track I – Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA

12. October 3: Atlanta Short Track II – Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, GA

13. October 9: Charlotte Half-Mile I – Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

14. October 10: Charlotte Half-Mile II – Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC

15. October 15: AFT Season Finale I – TBA, Daytona Beach, FL

16. October 16: AFT Season Finale II – TBA, Daytona Beach, FL

Tickets for AFT’s return to the historic Indy Mile for its first doubleheader event on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22 will be available for purchase in the coming weeks. Stay tuned to http://www.americanflattrack.com and AFT’s social media channels for ticketing news and the latest updates on AFT’s upcoming 2020 season.

Ford Mustang GT3 test has Austin Cindric dreaming of Daytona: ‘I want to drive that car’

By Mar 22, 2023, 2:30 PM EDT
Cindric Ford GT3 test
Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
0 Comments

Austin Cindric wasn’t the “mystery” test driver behind the wheel of the new Ford Mustang GT3 at Sebring International Raceway, but the Team Penske driver desperately wanted to be.

Ford CEO Jim Farley, an amateur sports car driver himself, made the big reveal via a Tuesday tweet that provided the first video evidence of the GT3 Mustang on track.

“I’ve watched the video in question about a million times,” Cindric said Wednesday during a Ford Performance Zoom news conference to promote NASCAR’s first road course weekend of the season at Circuit of the Americas. “Definitely exciting times for sure. I want to drive that car. It suits my experience level and also the relationships that I have.”

Ford will enter the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship next season with its GT3 Mustang, entering a two-car factory effort (that will be managed by Multimatic) in GTD Pro and making customer cars available in the GT Daytona category.

That increases the likelihood of seeing more NASCAR drivers crossing over to IMSA. Cindric has been the only full-time Cup driver in the Rolex 24 at Daytona the past two years, but Ford Performance global director Mark Rushbrook has said the GT3 Mustang will provide more opportunities.

Ford has used its GT4 Mustang as a NASCAR driver development tool in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge with Harrison Burton and Zane Smith combining to win the season opener at Daytona International Speedway in January.

“We’re excited about the Next Gen car and the new architecture there and the similarities between that car and GT3 and even GT4 cars,” Rushbrook said at the announcement of the Ford GT3 program in January 2022 at Daytona. “We think it’s a great opportunity and to do be able to do that in a 24-hour race and get NASCAR drivers even more time is something we need to consider taking advantage of that opportunity.”

Given his sports car background, Cindric probably still would be in the Rolex 24 regardless. He has eight IMSA starts since the 2017 season opener at Daytona, racing a Lexus RCF GT3 and Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the GT category. The 2022 Daytona 500 winner made his second LMP2 start this year with Rick Ware Racing.

But Cindric’s preference naturally would be in a Ford, particularly with sports car racing enjoying convergence and crossovers in both GT and prototype racing.

“It’s an exciting time in GT racing, just as it is now for prototype racing with a lot of new regulations and manufacturers building new GT3 cars,” he said. “And also the opportunity with WEC (the World Endurance Championship) and Le Mans and how that all lines up for that category of car. It’s definitely an exciting time. I want to be as much of a part of that as possible.”

Though those odds seemingly will increase with multiple Ford entries in the Rolex 24 field next year, Cindric said NASCAR drivers still have to put in the networking to land rides as he has in recent years.

“Now how (the GT3 Mustang) relates to specifically NASCAR drivers and how often they want to be in the Rolex, could it be an influence? Absolutely, as far as the tie-in with the manufacturer,” Cindric said. “But the challenge and the drive and the logistics of getting an opportunity for a race like the Rolex 24 will be just as challenging as it always is to find your one-off ride for the race. At least from my experience, that’s what I still anticipate.”

It turned out the “mystery” test driver wasn’t from NASCAR (Farley revealed the driver to be 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Joey Hand after a fan asked whether it was Joey Logano).

But Cindric believes there could be more Cup drivers — and perhaps himself — behind the wheel of Mustang GT3s in the future.

“There’s definitely more of a pathway than I think there would be before as far as Ford drivers are concerned,” he said. “Hopefully, I’ll get the opportunity to drive that thing. It’s obviously a great looking car. That’s the first box you’ve got to check. And it’s cool (to have) a guy like Jim Farley, no doubt he’s a racer just as much as he is steering the ship for Ford. It’s cool to see he’s just as excited as the rest of us about it.”