With a furious burst of moto thunder Harley-Davidson® Flat-Track Racing is set to open ESPN’s X Games Austin tonight,Friday, June 3. In its second year as an X Games medaled event, Harley-Davidson Flat-Track Racing will feature top motorcycle racers from around the world going head-to-head on the challenging Circuit of The Americas dirt half-mile. Competitors will be racing for the first gold medal to be awarded at X Games Austin and for the key to a new Harley-Davidson® Street™ 750 motorcycle.The race will air live on ESPN and ABC at 9 pm (CST) – check with your local provider for schedule.
Harley-Davidson is an official sponsor of X Games Austin, taking place at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, June 2-5. Featuring some of the best skateboard, motorcycleand BMX competitors, plus nightly concert events, X Games Austin is one of the world’s premier action-sports festivals.
“Motorcycle flat track racing is arguably the original action sport,” said Dino Bernacchi, Harley-Davidson Motor Company U.S. marketing director. “The X Games provides a perfect showcase for this exhilarating motorsport and the skill and tremendous courage of these racer-athletes. After kicking off X Games Austin with the thrilling Harley-Davidson Flat-Track race, Harley-Davidson will have a huge presence at X Games Austin as we share our passion for competition and the freedom of the open road.”
In addition to sponsoring the event’s Flat Track racing competition, Harley-Davidson will be in the Galleria with X Games athletes teaching fans how to ride on the H-D JUMPSTART™ riding experience. Harley will also host appearances and autograph sessions with X Games athletes and alounge area to stay cool with free giveaways and more. Fans can enter a sweepstakes to win Harley-Davidson Riding Academy training, a VIP experience and a 2017 Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Harley-Davidson® Screamin’ Eagle® Factory Team riders Brad “The Bullet” Baker and Davis Fisher will be part of the field racing for X Games gold. Fisher, an 18-year-old racer from Warren, Ore., will be racing aboard the new Harley-Davidson XG750R motorcycle, a new competition flat tracker powered by the 750cc Revolution X™ V-Twin engine designed for the Harley-Davidson Street® 750. Tuned for the track, this modified Revolution X engine will power the new XG750R in the extreme heat of competition as it fights to be first to the finish line.
In 2015, Baker scored a podium finish at the inaugural Harley-Davidson Flat-Track event at X Games Austin, securing a bronze medal for his third-place finish aboard his Harley-Davidson XR750 motorcycle.
“The Factory Harley team is really excited to be back in Austin racing for all the X Games fans,” said Baker, a 23-year-old competitor from Eatonville, Wash., and the 2013 AMA Grand National champion. “We raced on the new half-mile track here in April and it made for some fast and exciting action. There will be an all-star cast of premier racers, and it is going to be quite a show.”
Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle Wrecking Crew riders Kenny Coolbeth Jr. and Jake Johnson, each a past AMA Grand National champion, will join Baker and Fisher on the entry list for the Harley-Davidson Flat Track event.
For X Games ticket information and viewing schedules go to http://xgames.espn.go.com/xgames/austin/. Check Harley-Davidson.com for a full listing of this season’s AMA Pro Racing flat track events; also follow Harley-Davidson on Facebook for racing updates.
