AdventureTracker race to debut at Sturgis Rally

That question will be answered on Sunday, August 11, at the 84th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, where a new AdventureTracker class will join American Flat Track's Mission SuperTwins and Parts Unlimited AFT Singles by KICKER on a special hybrid TT course laid out in downtown Sturgis, South Dakota.

AdventureTrackers was born of two strategies, says Gene Crouch, CEO of AMA Pro Racing. "We've been working with manufacturers to identify racing opportunities around the adventure segment. That's the fastest-growing segment in terms of sales, and a bunch of brands are getting into it. Of course BMW has been the king for a long time. Now Harley has the Pan America and KTM has the Super Adventure."

At the same time, Crouch says, "We were also having a conversation with the city of Sturgis and they were interested in bringing a race back to downtown to reconnect with the Rally's roots in racing. We tried to figure how we could do an AFT race in downtown Sturgis, and we've landed on a hybrid dirt and asphalt circuit in the streets, similar in many ways to our Daytona TT race held some years ago."

The track layout, which is still being mapped out, will be mostly paved with a little dirt and a TT-style jump. "That really aligns with what the ADV sector is all about," Crouch says. "From our data and from what we understood talking with manufacturers, the ADV customer rides about 80 percent on highway and 20 percent off highway. That's what you'll see when we announce the circuit."

Class rules are still being hammered out, too, but the basic outline calls for 1,000-cc-and-up production ADV bikes. "We're looking to develop a class that on day one keeps them as close to stock as reasonable in a racing environment," Crouch says. "Then we'll engage with manufacturers and the aftermarket community and ask, 'Where do we go next? How do we grow this into something that's really a racing opportunity for the brands and the aftermarket?' For a racing platform to be stable, it has to engage both."

Will there be any name riders sliding 500-pound-plus Honda Africa Twins and BMW R 1300 GS boxers around a tight track and launching them over a jump?

"We haven't opened licensing or entries yet, but we've heard that some of the brands interested in participating are planning on bringing some names you'd be familiar with," Crouch says. "Racers for sure, and some names that adventure riders would know. There are a lot of guys who, after they quit racing, got engaged in the adventure scene, and those are some of the names being tossed around. There will be some pretty solid riders that'll surprise people. It'll definitely be worth checking out."

Crouch believes the AdventureTracker class is a way to increase the visibility and popularity of ADV bikes at events like Sturgis, where a single brand (no points for guessing which one) typically dominates.

"My view is we can turn the second weekend of Sturgis into an adventure rally, a home base for adventure riders," Crouch says. "And we're asking ourselves what it would take to add this kind of adventure rally to other AFT events, to add, for example, a camping area for adventure riders."

The plans for the AdventureTrackers race is already expanding the scope of the Sturgis Rally, Crouch says. "Right now, we have five manufacturers planning to bring demo rides to Sturgis. They're brands that are not traditionally present there."

AdventureTrackers will be more than an exhibition race or a frivolous diversion to act as a palate cleanser for the more traditional Sturgis activities. Crouch has higher hopes for it than that. "The first AdventureTrackers event will be an official class but not a points-paying race. I'd like to see the series eventually expand to three races. I think we can add a second round by 2025 and potentially have a third by 2026. We might even be able to get a triple crown championship up and running as early as 2025."

Does that mean we'll see adventure bikes on traditional flat tracks? AFT series director and 2016 series champion Bryan Smith has already tested them on dirt ovals. So it's possible, though Crouch says "We need to do a little more testing in that area."

While not all of the details of the AdventureTracker series have been ironed out yet, Crouch is certain he already knows what he wants from it — and how he'll know it's a winner.

"If AdventureTrackers can grow into something that's stable, and engages both manufacturers and the aftermarket, and provides an entertaining spectacle for the fans," he says, "it would be a success in my eyes."