American Flat Track has just confirmed its 2018 schedule and there are new dates and venues, plus most of the old favourites.
Here are some highlights from the press release...
The 18-race calendar for the 2018 season, which begins with the Daytona TT at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, March 15, 2018, and finishes up just a stone’s throw from downtown New York City with the Meadowlands Mile at the famed Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on October 6.
We were underwhelmed by the Daytona TT this year, but... 'this time on a bigger, better and faster DAYTONA TT circuit built inside the legendary tri-oval at the World Center of Racing. Seven-time Grand National Champion Chris Carr has redesigned the track to better showcase the speed and ferocity of pro flat track competition.'
The GNC season breaks down like this: eight Mile races, five Half-Miles, three TTs, and two Short Track events.
'The 2018 series features two new venues – the mile track at New Jersey’s Meadowlands Sports Complex and the Short Track at Weedsport Speedway in Weedsport, New York – and one location returning to the calendar, the mile track at Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota. Both the Canterbury Park and Meadowlands facilities are high-end horse-racing parks with modern amenities, while Weedsport Speedway, situated between Rochester and Syracuse, New York, recently received significant upgrades and is now hailed as one of the country’s finest dirt speedways.'
Here is the calendar.
1. March 15: Daytona TT - Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida
2. April 7: Atlanta Short Track - Dixie Speedway, Woodstock, Georgia
3. April 28: Texas Half-Mile - Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas
4. May 5: Calistoga Half-Mile - Calistoga Speedway, Calistoga, California
5. May 12: Arizona Mile - Turf Paradise, Phoenix, Arizona
6. May 19: Sacramento Mile - Cal Expo, Sacramento, California
7. May 27: Springfield Mile I - Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Illinois
8. June 2: Red Mile - Red Mile, Lexington, Kentucky
9. June 16: OKC Mile - Remington Park, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
10. June 30: Lima Half-Mile - Allen County Fairgrounds, Lima, Ohio
11. July 7: Weedsport Short Track - Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, New York
12. August 5: Buffalo Chip TT - Buffalo Chip, Sturgis, South Dakota
13. August 7: Black Hills Half-Mile - Rapid City Speedway, Rapid City, South Dakota
14. August 18: Peoria TT - Peoria Motorcycle Club, Peoria, Illinois
15. September 2: Springfield Mile II - Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Illinois
16. September 8: Williams Grove Half-Mile - Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
17. September 29: Canterbury Park Mile - Canterbury Park, Shakopee, Minnesota
18. October 6: Meadowlands Mile - Meadowlands, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Photo: Johnny Lewis by Scott Toepfer for Sideburn 31