American Flat Track schedule features all 17 rounds on NBCSN

American Flat Track schedule
American Flat Track
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All 17 races of the Progressive American Flat Track schedule will be broadcast with premiere telecasts on NBCSN in 2021. Additionally, TrackPass on NBC Sports Gold will provide streaming coverage of the races live. This will be the fifth consecutive season NBCSN and AFT have teamed up.

Dating back to the 1920s, flat track motorcycle racing is among the oldest forms of motorsports in the United States, with an AFT forbearer crowning its first champion, Chet Dykgraaf, in 1946.

“American Flat Track is a staple of our motorsports programming on NBCSN and we are very excited to continue our partnership in 2021,” said Rene Karfias, senior manager, programming, NBC Sports in a release.

Coverage begins with a pair of races on Volusia Motorsports Park in March. The Volusia Half-Mile I and II will air back-to-back on March 20 beginning Noon ET.

“The growth of American Flat Track over the last few years has been fueled and greatly assisted by our partnership with NBC,” said Michael Lock, CEO of Progressive AFT. “We are very excited with the great scheduling of the Series for the 2021 season on NBCSN and the biggest ‘bang for the buck’ in motorsports, delivered by the live streaming package available on TrackPass.”

On the strength of six wins, Briar Bauman beat Jared Mees by just nine points last year for the AFT SuperTwins championship. Mees ended the season with five victories.

Dallas Daniels scored eight victories in the AFT Singles class to win that championship.

American Flat Track Premiere Telecast Schedule

Saturday, March 20 Volusia Half-Mile I Noon
Saturday, March 20 Volusia Half-Mile II 1 p.m.
Sunday, May 2 Atlanta Super TT 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 29 Texas Half-Mile 8 p.m.
Sunday, June 6 Chicago Half-Mile 5 p.m.
Saturday, June 26 Oklahoma City Mile I Noon
Saturday, June 26 Oklahoma City Mile II 1 p.m.
Saturday, July 3 Lima Half-Mile 5 p.m.
Sunday, August 8 DuQuoin Mile 11 p.m.
Sunday, August 15 Port Royal Half-Mile 10 p.m.
Sunday, August 22 New York Short Track 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, August 29 Peoria TT 8 p.m.
Sunday, September 12 Springfield Mile I 9 p.m.
Sunday, September 12 Springfield Mile II 10 p.m.
Sunday, September 26 TBA Round 15 11 p.m.
Sunday, September 26 TBA Round 16 Midnight
Saturday, October 9 Charlotte Half-Mile 10:30 p.m.

Kyle Larson wins High Limit Sprint race at Tri-City Speedway ahead of Rico Abreu

Larson High Limit Tri-City
High Limit Sprint Car Series
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A late race caution set up a 14-lap shootout at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois with Kyle Larson winning his second consecutive High Limit Sprint Car Series race over Rico Abreu.

Starting eight on the grid after a disappointing pole dash, Larson missed several major incidents as he worked his way to the front. On Lap 1 of 35, a five-car accident claimed Tyler Courtney and Michael “Buddy” Kofoid, who both took a tumble and before collecting three other cars. Once that red flag was lifted, it didn’t take long for drivers to get tangled again as the leader Danny Dietrich experienced engine trouble on Lap 8. When he slowed rapidly, second-place Brent Marks collided with his back tire, ending the day for both.

Larson moved up to fourth with this incident.

Another red flag on Lap 21 for a flip involving Parker Price-Miller set up the dash for the win.

“My car felt really good and then we got that red,” Larson said from victory lane. “I was kind of running through the crumbs before that in 3 and 4; I could tell the top was getting really sketchy. Parker was making mistakes up there.

“When the red came out, I could see there was a clean lane of grip – not just marbles. It’s hard to see when you’re at speed. I figured Rico was going to run the top and he did. I got to his inside a couple of times and I was like ‘please don’t go to the bottom,’ and I threw a slider on him. Then he went to the bottom and I thought I was screwed until he spun his tires really bad off the corner and I was able to hit the top okay and get another run and slide him. I got good grip off the cushion.”

The victory makes Larson the first repeat winner in the series’ five-race history. He beat Justin Sanders earlier this month at Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio.

With 10 laps remaining, Larson caught and pressured Abreu. The two threw a series of sliders at one another until Abreu bobbled on the cushion and lost momentum.

“Anytime you race Rico and he’s on the wall like that, you have to get aggressive,” Larson said. “He’s pushing so hard that just to stay in the striking zone if he makes a mistake, you have to push hard too.”

For Abreu, it was his second near-miss this season. He was leading at Lakeside in the 2023 opener until a tire went flat in the closing laps.

“I felt like I made a lot of mistakes at the end,” Abreu said. “It’s just hard to judge race pace. You’ve got Kyle behind you and [Anthony] Macri and these guys that have had speed all year long. I was racing as hard as I could and the mistake factor is more and more critical.”

Cory Eliason earned his career-best High Limit finish of third after starting deep in the field in 13th.

Macri lost one position during the race to finish fourth with Sam Hafertepe, Jr. rounding out the top five.

Visiting from the NASCAR Cup series, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished 19th in the 25-car field after advancing from the B-Main.

2023 High Limit Sprint Car Series

Race 1: Giovanni Scelzi wins at Lakeside Speedway
Race2: Anthony Macri wins at 34 Raceway
Race 3: Kyle Larson wins at Wayne County Speedway